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Archangel Gabriel - Speak Your Truth (Angel of Mercy)

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Jessy Meshak
Archangel Gabriel - Speak Your Truth (Angel of Mercy)

 

Now, the Greek word 'Theophilus' Duality Review iterally means friend of God, so we should be aware that there are those who would argue that this address is not to a specific individual, but that the gospel is addresses simply to the Christian world i.e. that it is a generic title. Personally, I do not buy this argument because of the words 'Most Excellent' that precede it in Luke's gospel. To me, this looks exactly like an address, not only to an individual, but to a notary.

If we could identify this individual, it seems we would have strong evidence for a dating of Luke's gospel. Now, it turns out that, according to Josephus, the High Priest of Israel between AD 37 and AD 41 was a man named Theophilus ben Ananus and he was a member of one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Judaea at the time.

For me, the above-named individual is a strong candidate. He has the right name, he is around at the right time and he would certainly warrant the form of address used in the opening of Luke's gospel. Interestingly enough, the opening of the Acts - addressed to the same person - is addressed only to Theophilus i.e. the form of title previously used by Luke Most Excellent, has been omitted. For me, this might indicate that Theopilus no longer held the official office when the Acts was written.

From these observations, I would propose a date of between 37 AD - 41 AD for the writing of Luke's gospel, and sometime after 41 AD as a date for The Acts of the Apostles. Again, this dating is personal opinion, but as you can see, it is not without foundation.

https://diettipstoday.com/controlling-the-events-in-our-life/

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Jessy Meshak
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