What is the meaning of Luke 1:2? Just as they were handed down Luke introduces his work by stressing continuity. The gospel message did not originate with him; it was relayed “just as” it had already been preserved. • Reliability is in view. Luke treats the tradition as something complete and unchanged, echoing passages like Psalm 119:89 (“Your word, O LORD, stands forever”) and Jude 3 (“the faith once for all delivered to the saints”). • Handing down implies intentional transmission, not casual rumor. Paul uses the same idea in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 when he says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.” • The wording underscores God’s providence: the same Lord who gave the message superintends its passage through time (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35). To us The good news has moved from the apostles’ generation to Luke’s and now to ours. • “Us” first means Luke and his contemporaries, including Theophilus (Luke 1:3), but by extension every reader today (Romans 15:4). • Scripture speaks directly to modern believers; its authority is not diminished by distance (Hebrews 4:12). • The personal tone invites ownership: the gospel is not merely ancient data but living truth meant for everyday life (Colossians 1:5-6). By the initial eyewitnesses The bedrock of the gospel is firsthand testimony. • Eyewitnesses saw Jesus’ miracles, death, and resurrection (Acts 1:21-22; John 19:35). • Their coordinated witness rules out myth or legend (2 Peter 1:16). • Because these men and women staked their lives on what they saw, we can have full confidence in the narrative (Revelation 12:11). And servants of the word Those eyewitnesses were more than observers; they became ministers who proclaimed and preserved the message. • The phrase “servants of the word” highlights humble submission to God’s revelation (1 Corinthians 4:1). • It also points to Spirit-empowered mission (Acts 6:4; 2 Timothy 4:2). • Their service included teaching, writing, and mentoring others, creating a chain of faith (2 Timothy 2:2). summary Luke 1:2 assures us that the gospel we hold is the very account first seen and heard by Christ’s original followers and faithfully passed down by dedicated servants. The verse affirms unbroken transmission, eyewitness authority, and Spirit-guided stewardship, inviting every reader to trust, obey, and share the same life-changing word. |
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