he special sense will depend on the matter in reference to which the fulness takes place. It might be in the region of fact, in which case the word under consideration would mean ‘become a completed series,” and the whole phrase “concerning events which now lie before us as a complete whole”. This view is adopted by an increasing number of modern commentators (vide R. V.). Or the fulness may be in conviction, in which case the word would mean ‘“ most
—_
459
δοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ dm ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόµενοι τοῦ a cf. ins
Im, Iv.
λόγου, 3. ἔδοξε κἀμοί, παρηκολουθηκότι ἄνωθεν πᾶσιν ἀκριβῶς, 6; 2 Tim.
surely believed’ (A. V.).. This sense of complete conviction occurs several times απ ΝΤ ποσα Iv. στ Feb. Vi. I, x. 22), but with reference to persons not to things. A very large number of in- terpreters, ancient and modern, take the word here in this sense (‘‘ bei uns beglaubigten,” Weizsacker). Holtz., H. C., gives both without deciding between them (“ vollgeglaubten oder voll- brachten”’), Neither meaning seems quite what is wanted. The first is too vague, and does not indicate what the subject-matter is. The second is ex- plicit enough as to that = the matters which form the subject of Christian belief; but one hardly expects these matters to be represented as the subject of sure belief by one whose very aim in writing is to give further certainty con- cerning them (ἀσφάλειαν, ver. 4). What if the sphere of the fulness be knowledge, and the meaning of the clause: ‘ con- cerning the things which have become widely known among us Christians”? Then it would be plain enough what was referred to. Then also the phrase would point out the natural effect of the many evangelic narratives—the uni- versal diffusion of a fair acquaintance with the leading facts of Christ’s life. But have we any instance of such use of the word ?—w)npodopia is used in re- ference to understanding and knowledge in Col. ii. 2. Then in modern Greek πληροφορῶ means to inform, and as the word is mainly Hellenistic in usage, and may belong to the popular speech preserved throughout the centuries, τῶν πεπλ. May mean, “those things of which information has been given” (Geldart, The Modern Greek Language, p- 186), or those things generally known among Christians as such.
Ver. 2. καθὼς implies that the basis of these many written narratives was the παράδοσις of the Apostles, which, by contrast, and by the usual meaning of thg word, would be mainly though not necessarily exclusively oval (might in- clude, ¢.g.,the Logia of Mt.).— of . . . τοῦ λόγον describes the Apostles, the ulti- mate source of information, as men ‘‘who had become, or been made, eye- witnesses and ministers of the word’’, Both αὐτόπτ. and ὑπηρ. may be con- nected with τοῦ λόγου, understood to mean the burden of apostolic preaching
11. 10.
= the facts of Christ’s earthly history. Eye-witnesses of the facts from the beginning (ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς), therefore com- petent to state them with authority ; servants of the word including the facts (= ‘all that Jesus began both to do and to teach”’), whose very business it was to relate words and facts, and who there- fore did it with some measure of fulness. Note that the ἡμῖν after παρέδοσαν im- plies that Lk. belonged to the second generation (Meyer, Schanz). Hahn in- fers from the ἡμῖν in νετ. 1 that Lk. was himself an eye-witness of Christ’s public ministry, at least in its later stage.
Ver. 3. ἔδοξε κἀμοὶ: modestly intro- ducing the writer’s purpose. He puts himself on a level with the πολλοὶ, and makes no pretensions to superiority, except in so far as coming after them, and more comprehensive inquiries give him naturally an advantage which makes his work not superfluous.—mapykodov- θηκότι ἄν. π.: having followed (in my inquiries) all things from the beginning, i.é., not of the public life of Jesus (ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, ver. 2), but of His life in this world. The sequel shows that the start- ing point was the birth of John. This process of research was probably gone into antecedent to the formation of his plan, and one of the reasons for its adoption (Meyer, also Grimm, Das Proomium des Lukasevangelium in $ ahr- biicher f. deutsche Theologie, 1871, p. 48. Likewise Calvin: omnibus exacte pervestigatis), not merely undertaken after the plan had been formed (Hahn). ---ἀκριβῶς, καθεξῆς o yp. explain how he desired to carry out his plan: he wishes to be exact, and to write in an orderly manner (καθεξῆς here only in N. T., ἐφεξῆς in earlier Greek). Chrono- logical order aimed at (whether success- fully or not) according to many (Meyer, Godet, Weiss, Hahn). Schanz main- tains that the chronological aim applies only to the great turning points of the history, and not to all details; a very reasonable view. These two adverbs, ἀκρ., καθ., may imply a gentle criticism of the work of predecessors. Observe the historical spirit implied in all Lk. tells about his literary plan and methods: inquiry, accuracy, order, aimed at at least; vouchers desired for all statements. Lk. is no religious romancer, who will invent at will, and say anything that