Exiit qui seminat
Who Is Theophilus?
If you didn't know, there are many books in the Old Testament that were separated in English translations, but are one scroll in Hebrew. These include books like 1 & 2 Kings, Ezra-Nehemiah, and 1 & 2 Chronicles. The content is the same regardless of the version, but are just numbered differently. The New Testament is similar in that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostle are both written by the same author, St. Luke. Similarly, the Gospel of John, the Johannine Epistles (1 John, 2 John and 3 John) and the Book of Revelation are attributed to the Beloved Disciple. In both the Gospel and Acts, we hear St. Luke address both works to 'Theophilus', translated from the Greek as 'friend' or 'beloved' of God. So the question that has confounded Scripture scholars for centuries is "who is Theophilus"? Is it an actual person or a general term for the intended reader? From the Coptic tradition, Theophilus was a Jewish historian from Alexandria. Since Luke addresses Theophilus as 'Most Excellent', it could be a formulaic used to describe Roman governors. Since Luke was a companion of St. Paul, Theophilus could be Paul's lawyer, advocating for him in Paul's time in Rome. The final theory is that Theophilus was the brother-in-law of Caiphas and was himself high priest from 37 to 41 AD. Regardless of Theophilus' identity, it doesn't change the message and purpose of Luke's Gospel and the Acts - to proclaim the plan of salvation fulfilled in Jesus Christ and how the Church, founded by Christ from the beginning and guided by the Holy Spirit, continues to be the bastion of the Gospel and spreads it to us and to the end of the world.
