Theophilus

Acts i. 3. Luke i. 3.THEOPHILUS. This is he to whom St. Luke addresses the Books of his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, which he composed. ‘Tis doubted whether the Name Theophilus be here the Proper Name of a Man, or an appellative or common Name, which, according to its Etymology, may stand for any good Man, or a Lover of God. Some think¹ this Name to be generical, and that St. Luke’s Design here is to address his Work to all those that love God: But it is much more probable that this Theophilus was a Christian, to whom the Evangelist has dedicated those two Works. And the Epithet of most excellent, which is given to him, shews him to have been a Man of great Quality. Occumenius concludes from thence that he was Governor or Intendant of some Province, because they had generally the Title of most excellent given to them. Others believe him to have been the Bishop of Antioch; but at that time there was none of that Name in that City. Grotius conjectures he might be a Magistrate of Achaia, converted by St. Luke.

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