In the inscription to the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts (both written by Luke), the author dedicates his writings to a believer named Theophilus. While not much is known about this specific individual, where he came from, or who he was, Theophilus was nonetheless the blessed recipient of two of the most meticulous accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and early church history. So, who is Theophilus in the Bible? What should Christians today know about this friend of Luke and “friend of God”?
In Greek, the name Theophilus translates to “friend of God” or “lover of God.” We do not know whether Theophilus was a Greek convert or a Jewish Christian. Naturally, his name has also led some to question if Theophilus was more of a nickname or a pseudonym than an actual birth name. Sadly, we do not know.
It is also possible that Theophilus was a name this believer adopted after coming to Christ. Even the apostle Paul acknowledged that he, who was once hostile to the church and a former enemy of Christ, had been changed and transformed by Christ’s saving grace and mercy (1 Timothy 1:12-17). Name changes to reflect a change in one’s spiritual state or relationship with God are not uncommon in the Bible. Furthermore, Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, emphasis added).
So, the name Theophilus may have been chosen to reflect the believer’s new nature in Christ.
Luke states upfront the purpose behind his writing an account of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ right in the author in his gospel’s opening verses:
“Since many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4, emphasis added)
Several insights can be gleaned from this introduction.
For one thing, Luke confesses that he was not an eyewitness to the events described in his gospel. Unlike the gospel accounts of Matthew and John, who were disciples of Jesus Christ and direct witnesses to His many miracles, teachings, and eventual resurrection, Luke relied solely on the testimonies of those who had seen Jesus, heard Him preach, and walked with Him during His ministry.
However, though Luke was not a direct eyewitness, further study of both Luke and Acts reveals that Luke was nevertheless voracious and scholarly in his research, laboring to provide his reader (in this case, Theophilus) with a meticulous and reliable account of Jesus’ life and ministry as a guide to strengthening the lives of Gentile believers, Theophilus among them.
Of course, very little is known about Luke, who does not include any personal details in either of his books. However, the writings of historians Eusebius and Jerome identify Luke as a resident of Antioch.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, he also refers to Luke as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14), hinting at Luke’s occupation as a medical professional and friend of Paul. Bible scholar and musician Michael Card makes an interesting suggestion that Luke may have also been a freed slave because Roman slave owners often had personal slaves who worked in specialized skills (like medicine). The theory is hard to explore or prove, though it may help explain why the Gospel of Luke emphasizes outcasts—widows, people with disabilities, foreigners, etc.
According to church tradition, Luke was also a Gentile convert, distinguished by Paul from those circumcised (Colossians 4:11, Colossians 4:14). If true, Luke would have been the only Gentile writer to contribute a book to the canon of the New Testament.
Following the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven and the conclusion of his gospel account, Luke went on to pen a direct sequel known as the book of Acts. Throughout church history, the full name of Luke’s second volume is commonly referred to as “The Acts of the Apostles.” However, as only a handful of the original twelve apostles are featured in Acts, some theologians have more appropriately placed the focus of Acts on the works of the Holy Spirit, the foundations of the early church, and the spread of Christianity through the early Christians’ evangelism.
Once again, Luke makes his intention for writing Acts clear to his reader:
“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:1-5, emphasis added)
Details are scared about Theophilus’ connection to Luke and history beyond Luke’s writing. Of course, Theophilus could have come to Christ due to Luke or maybe even Paul’s ministries in the region. But since we do not know exactly where Theophilus came from. We can only speculate.
We know that, in the book of Acts, Luke uses the pronoun “we,” indicating that he was, in fact, Paul’s traveling companion (and, therefore, an eyewitness) to many of the events he describes in Acts. (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). Second Timothy 4:11 also states that Luke was with Paul during his Roman imprisonment.
Some have suggested that the name Theophilus may have also been used to represent all Christians and “friends of God” who would go on to read Luke’s gospel account and the recorded history of the Acts of the apostles. However, while it is true that the audience of Luke’s writing was always intended to be broader than just one recipient, Luke adds the formal address of “most excellent” when referring to Theophilus (Luke 1:3), which seems to affirm that he was writing to (or at the very least, dedicating his work to) an individual, not a collective group of believers.
Furthermore, the phrase “most excellent” was used by the apostle Paul to formally address both the Roman governor Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) and his successor Festus (Acts 26:25) in the book of Acts. This lends credibility to the belief that Theophilus was an actual individual—likely a Roman believer and person of high rank, respect, and influence, maybe even a Roman officer.
Of course, if he were a Roman officer, Theophilus may have encountered Paul or Luke during one of their early imprisonments. At Paul’s trial, even Herod Agrippa confessed that, before too long, Paul’s testimony might have convinced him to become a Christian (Acts 26:28). Did Theophilus first hear the gospel from a similar interaction with Paul or Luke or another apostle? Was he a fellow evangelist and traveling companion of the early apostles? We do not know.
What we do know for sure is that Theophilus, friend and lover of God, was the beloved recipient of two pivotal works of the New Testament and the beneficiary, as are all believers, of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the history of those first few believers who followed in Christ’s footsteps, built His church, and bore His message of salvation to the ends of the earth.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/chameleonseye
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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