ards any
one of them as inadequate. By comparing and combining them he secures
valuable outlines for his more complete narrative.

Then, too, he intimates that he is living and writing amidst the scenes
and in the very atmosphere of the events he is recording; only recently,
as he indicates, have these "matters ... been fulfilled." Again, he has
access to the testimony of men who were eyewitnesses of these events and
who have been public teachers of the gospel.

Further, he assures us of the absolute accuracy with which he has
investigated the incidents of the life and ministry of Christ, even from
the earliest scenes; he has sifted his material and weighed the evidence
and is to record only established facts.

These facts he is to relate "in order," that is, in the sequence of time,
and further still, with the system and the careful regard to proportion
and to completeness which should characterize a scientific, historical
composition.

Then again he dedicates the book to Theophilus whose title, "most
excellent," indicates that he is a man of rank and official position, one
to whom an author would not venture to present hasty, imperfect, and
inaccurate work, especially when the one addressed had been instructed
already in reference to the matters related.

Thus this preface shows the supreme purpose of Luke was to confirm the
belief of Theophilus, who is apparently his patron and friend, and to
deepen his conviction of the truth of the gospel story. Surely, such an
introduction must remind every reader that our Christian faith is based
upon an impregnable foundation of historic fact.

II. THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS. CHS. 1:5 TO 2:52

A. The Birth of John Foretold. Chs. 1:5-25

5 There was in the days of Herod, king of Judaea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were
both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and
ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because
that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were _now_ well stricken
in years.

8 Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest's office
before God in the order of his course, 9 according to the custom
of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the temple of
the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the
people were prayi