Lucas 1:1

Filipino Cebuano Bible

1 Sanglit daghan man ang nangako sa pagtagik ug kaasoyan mahitungod sa mga butang nga nahitabo sa taliwala namo,

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.