the Second Week after Easter
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King James Version
Luke 1:1
Bible Study Resources
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Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us,
Forasmuch as many haue taken in hande to set foorth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely beleeued among vs,
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,
Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
Many have tried to report on the things that happened among us.
Since [as is well known] many have undertaken to compile an orderly account of the things which have been fulfilled among us [by God],
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us.
Dear Theophilos: Concerning the matters that have taken place among us, many people have undertaken to draw up accounts
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,
Most Honorable Theophilus: Many others have tried to give a report of the things that happened among us to complete God's plan.
Forasmuch as many haue taken in hand to set foorth the storie of those things, whereof we are fully persuaded,
SINCE many have desired to have in writing the story of those works, with which we are familiar,
Dear Theophilus: Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us.
Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us,
Since many took in hand to draw up an account concerning the matters having been borne out among us,
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
As a number of attempts have been made to put together in order an account of those events which took place among us,
Because many have undertaken to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
Since many people have attempted to write an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us,
BECAUSE many have willed to record histories of those transactions of which we are persuaded, according to that which they have delivered to us,
SINCE many have been disposed to write narratives of those events, of which we have full assurance,
Forasmuche as manye haue taken in hande, to set foorth in order, ye declaration of those thynges whiche are moste surelye to be beleued among vs,
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
Because many have undertaken to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to compose a narrative of the facts which have been fully confirmed among us,
Seeing that many have attempted to draw up a narrative of the facts which are received with full assurance among us
Forsothe for manye men enforceden to ordeyne the tellyng of thingis, whiche ben fillid in vs,
Since many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled [fn] among us,
Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.
Many people have written about the things that have happened among us.
Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us,
Seeing, indeed, that, many, had taken in hand to re-arrange for themselves a narrative, concerning the facts which have been fully confirmed amongst us, -
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a narration of the things that have been accomplished among us,
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us,
For as moche as many have take in hand to compyle a treates of thoo thinges which are surely knowen amonge vs
Seeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us,
For so moch as many haue taken in hande, to set forth ye wordes of the actes that are come to passe amonge vs,
Whereas several have undertaken to draw up a narrative of those transactions, which pass'd among us;
So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.
There's a lot of folks who've told the tale of the things that happened.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
those: John 20:31, Acts 1:1-3, 1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:16-19
most surely: ונכחסןצןסחלוםןם, the passive participle of נכחסןצןסוש [Strong's G4135], from נכחסחע [Strong's G4134], צןסב, full measure; and is applied to a ship fully laden, to a tree in full bearing, etc. Hence it implies that fulness of evidence by which any fact is supported, and also that confidence, or feeling of assent, by which facts so supported are believed.
Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 12:10 - written Luke 1:3 - in
Cross-References
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Ver. 1. Forasmuch as many have taken in hand,.... From hence, to the end of Luke 1:4 is a preface of the evangelist to his Gospel, setting forth the reasons of his writing it; and which he wrote and sent to the excellent Theophilus, for the further confirmation of him in the faith of Christ. It seems that many had took in hand, or attempted
to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us; that is, they undertook to write and publish a very particular and exact narrative of the birth, life, actions, doctrines, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ; things which Luke, and other Christians, had the fullest and strongest evidence, and were confidently assured of, and most firmly believed, even with a full assurance of faith. By these many, he cannot mean the authentic historians of evangelical facts, as Matthew and Mark; for they two cannot, with any propriety, be called many; and besides, it is not so very clear and certain a point, that they had, as yet, wrote their Gospels; nor would this evangelist suggest any deficiency, weakness, and inaccuracy in them, as he seems to do: nor does he intend such spurious writers as the authors of the Gospels according to the Nazarenes, Hebrews, and Egyptians; of Nicodemus, Thomas, Matthias, and of the twelve apostles; and still less, the Gospels of Cerinthus, Basilides, and other heretics; since these would not have passed without a censure from him, for the falsehood, fabulous, and trifling stuff in them, as well as for the wicked and heretical opinions propagated by them; and besides, these pieces were not extant when this Gospel was written: but he seems to design some honest and well meaning Christians, who undertook to write, and did write an account of the above things, which were firmly believed by all; and which they took from the apostles, and first ministers of the Gospel, from their sermons and discourses, and from conversation with them; and which they committed to writing, partly to help their own memories, and partly for the benefit of others; in which, no doubt, they acted an upright part, though attended with weakness: wherefore, the evangelist does not censure them as false, wicked, and heretical, nor approve of them as divine and perfect for though they honestly meant, and designed well, yet there might be many things collected by them, which were impertinent, and not proper to be transmitted to posterity; and what might be wrote with great inaccuracy and deficiency, and in a style the Holy Ghost thought improper things of this kind should be delivered in: and therefore the evangelist, moved and inspired by the Spirit of God, set about the following work, and under the same influence completed it. The phrase, αναταξασθαι διηγησιν, "to set forth in order a declaration", is as Dr. Lightfoot observes, out of the Talmud h, agreeably to the Jewish way of speaking.
"R. Chasdai said to one of the Rabbins, who was מסדר אגדתא, "setting in order a declaration" before him. &c. or relating in order a story before him.''
h T. Bab. Succa, fol. 53. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Forasmuch as many - It has been doubted who are referred to here by the word “many.” It seems clear that it could not be the other evangelists, for the gospel by “John” was not yet written, and the word “many” denotes clearly more than “two.” Besides, it is said that they undertook to record what the “eye-witnesses” had delivered to them, so that the writers did not pretend to be eye-witnesses themselves. It is clear, therefore, that other writings are meant than the gospels which we now have, but what they were is a matter of conjecture. What are now known as spurious gospels were written long after Luke wrote his. It is probable that Luke refers to “fragments” of history, or to narratives of “detached” sayings, acts, or parables of our Lord, which had been made and circulated among the disciples and others. His doctrines were original, bold, pure, and authoritative. His miracles had been extraordinary, clear, and awful. His life and death had been peculiar; and it is not improbable - indeed it is highly probable that such broken accounts and narratives of detached facts would be preserved. That this is what Luke means appears farther from Luke 1:3, where “he” professes to give a regular, full, and systematic account from the very beginning - “having had perfect understanding of “all things from the very first.” The records of the others - the “many” - were broken and incomplete. His were to be regular and full.
Taken in hand - Undertaken, attempted.
To set forth in order - To compose a narrative. It does not refer to the “order” or “arrangement,” but means simply to give a narrative. The word rendered here “in order” is different from that in the third verse, which “has” reference “to order,” or to a full and fair “arrangement” of the principal facts, etc., in the history of our Lord.
A declaration - A narrative - an account of.
Which are most surely believed among us - Among Christians - among all the Christians then living. Here we may remark:
- That Christians of that day had the best of all opportunities for knowing whether those things were true. Many had seen them, and all others had had the account from those who had witnessed them.
- That infidels now cannot “possibly” be as good judges in the matter as those who lived at the time, and who were thus competent to determine whether these things were true or false.
- That all Christians do “most surely believe” the truth of the gospel. It is their life, their hope, their all. Nor can they doubt that their Saviour lived, bled, died, rose, and still lives; that he was their atoning sacrifice, and that he is God over all, blessed forever.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE.
-Usherian year of the World, 3999.
-Alexandrian year of the World, 5497.
-Antiochian year of the World, 5487.
-Constantinopolitan AEra of the World, 5503.
-Rabbinical year of the World, 3754.
-Year of the Julian Period, 4708.
-AEra of the Seleucidae, 307.
-Year before the Christian AEra, 6.
-Year of the CXCIII. Olympiad, 3.
-Year of the building of Rome, 748.
-Year of the Julian AEra, 41.
-Year of the Caesarean AEra of Antioch, 44.
-Year of the Spanish AEra, 34.
-Year of the Paschal Cycle or Dionysian Period, 529.
-Year of the Christian Lunar Cycle, or Golden Number, 15.
-Year of the Rabbinical Lunar Cycle, 12.
-Year of the Solar Cycle, 4.
-Dominical Letter, C.
-Epact, 4.
-Year of the Emperor Augustus, 25.
-Consuls, D. Laelius Balbus, and C. Antistius Vetus, from January 1 to July 1; and Imp. C. Julius Caesar Octav. Augustus XII. and L. Cornelius Sulla, for the remainder of the year. The reason why two sets of Consuls appear in this Chronology is this: the Consuls were changed every year in July, therefore, taking in the whole year, four Consuls necessarily appear: two for the first six months, and two for the latter half of the year.
CHAPTER I.
The preface, or St. Luke's private epistle to Theophilus, 1-4.
The conception and birth of John Baptist foretold by the angel
Gabriel, 5-17.
Zacharias doubts, 18.
And the angel declares he shall be dumb, till the accomplishment
of the prediction, 19-25.
Six months after the angel Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary,
and predicts the miraculous conception and birth of Christ,
26-38.
Mary visits her cousin Elisabeth, 39-45.
Mary's song of exultation and praise, 46-56.
John the Baptist is born, 57-66.
The prophetic song of his father Zacharias, 67-79.
John is educated in the desert, 80.
NOTES ON CHAP. I.
Verse Luke 1:1. Many have taken in hand — Great and remarkable characters have always many biographers. So it appears it was with our Lord: but as most of these accounts were inaccurate, recording as facts things which had not happened; and through ignorance or design mistaking others, especially in the place where St. Luke wrote; it seemed good to the Holy Spirit to inspire this holy man with the most correct knowledge of the whole history of our Lord's birth, preaching, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension, that the sincere, upright followers of God might have a sure foundation, on which they might safely build their faith. Luke 9:10.
Most surely believed among us — Facts confirmed by the fullest evidence - των πεπληροφορημενων πραγματων. Every thing that had been done or said by Jesus Christ was so public, so plain, and so accredited by thousands of witnesses, who could have had no interest in supporting an imposture, as to carry the fullest conviction, to the hearts of those who heard and saw him, of the divinity of his doctrine, and the truth of his miracles.
