Theophilus (Hastings' Dictionary)
The name of the per- son to whom the Third Gospel and tlie Acts of the Apostles were addressed (Lk P, Ac 1'). It has been supjiosed by some (and the supiiosition is an early one*) that the name is, after all, only a general name applicable to any Christian, as meaning ' beloved by God ' or ' the friend of God.' Others (e.g. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller aiui • It is certainly as old as Epiphanius {Uoer. 51, p. 429). THERAS I. THESSALOXIANS 743 the Roman Citizen, p.
3SS) hold that the use of tliis name puts forward the Acts, as a complete work at least to the time of Domitian, and sup- ports the idea that the book is a composite one, consisting of the original notes of St. Luke ('called tlie ' Travel, Document '), added to and increased by a later editor.
The name is certainly that of an individual ; and this statement is con- firmed by the title KpartaTos prefixed to the name in Lk l^ as it is preli,\ed to the names Felix and Festus in the Acts (iS-* 24» 2G^). The title implies that the person to whom it was ascribed belonged to the equestrian order — he must certainly have been a Gentile. Attempts have been made to fi.x the place of his residence at Autioch, Alexandria, in Achaia, or at lioniu, but there are not .
sullicient data to go upon to establish any of these theories. Other theorists have gone so far as to deny th.at he was a Christian, or to say that, at any rate, he knew very little about Cliristianity.* A step still further has been taken in an attempt to identify him with a higli priest of his name (Joseph. Ant. XVIII. iv.
3) who held office for about live j'ears, and was perhaps the high priest to whom Saul, afterwards Paul, went to ask for ' letters to Damascus unto the sj-nagogues,' that he might take any Christians who were there prisoners to Jeru.salem. Whether Theophilus was a learned and cultivated man or not we do not know, but the dedication to him of the Third Gospel is in -style the most elegant piece of writing in the NT.
Tradition has not been busy with him as it has with most of the early Christians. H. A. Rkdpath. THERAS, 1 Es 8« (A e^pa, 15 om.) (BA Btpd).— The name of the place and river where Ezra's caravan halted, called Ahava in Ezr 8-'- ", and now usually identified with the modem Hit on the Euphrates. The oriijin of the form of the name in I Es. is uncertain. Jos. {Ant. XI. v. 2, tis rd ripay Tou Kv<t>pdTov) possibly read iripav for Q4pav. THERMELETH {Qcpp.ae0), 1 Eso".
— The equiva- lent of Telmelah, a Bab. town in Ezr 2™, where Cod. B gives the same Gr. form of the name.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Theophilus
Theophilus the-of'-i-lus (Theophilos, "loved of God"): The one to whom Luke addressed his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles (compare Lu 1:3; Ac 1:1). It has been suggested that Theophilus is merely a generic term for all Christians, but the epithet "most excellent" implies it was applied by Luke to a definite person, probably a Roman official, whom he held in high respect. Theophilus may have been the presbyter who took part in sending the letter from the Corinthians to Paul, given in the "Acta Pauli" (compare Hennecke, Neutestamentliche Apokryphen, 378). There is also a magistrate Theophilus mentioned in the "Acts of James" as being converted by James on his way to India (compare Budge, The Contendings of the Apostles,II , 299), but these and other identifications, together with other attempts to trace out the further history of the original Theophilus, are without sufficient evidence for their establishment (compare also Knowling in The Expositor Greek Testament,II , 49-51). ⇒See a list of verses on THEOPHILUS in the Bible. C. M. Kerr ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical…
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Theophilus
(friend of God) the person to whom St. Luke inscribes his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1) From the honorable epithet applied to him in (Luke 1:3) it has been argued with much probability that he was a person in high official position. All that can be conjectured with any degree of safety concerning him comes to this, that he was a Gentile of rank and consideration who came under the influence of St. Luke or under that of St. Paul at Rome, and was converted to the Christian faith.
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Theophilus
Called "most excellent" or "noble" (kratiste), a magisterial designation (Luk 1:3; Acts 1; compare Act 23:26; Act 24:3; Act 26:25). Luke addressed both his works, forming one whole in two parts, to him, in order to give a more orderly written narrative, from the very beginning clown to the journey of Paul to Rome, of those truths in which he had been "instructed" orally (katechethes). Tradition connects Theophilus with Antioch. The special adaptation of Luke's Gospel to Gentiles implies Theophilus was a Gentile. The "epithet" kratiste implies his rank, as also does the more elegant style of Luke's dedication (Luk 1:1-4) as compared with that of, the rest of the Gospel which is more derived from existing brief memoirs embodied by the evangelist. The idea of Theophilus being an imaginary person (the name meaning "friend of God") is at variance with the simplicity of the New Testament writers and especially the evangelists.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia