1:1 Now 1 many have undertaken to compile an account 2 of the things 3 that have been fulfilled 4 among us,
1 tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.
2 tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.
3 tn Or “events.”
4 tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).
5 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
6 sn See the note on today in 2:11.
7 tn Grk “in your hearing.”
8 tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
9 tn Grk “and picked up.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because contemporary English normally places a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series.
10 tn Grk “picked up what he had been lying on”; the referent of the relative pronoun (the stretcher) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 sn Note the man’s response, glorifying God. Joy at God’s work is also a key theme in Luke: 2:20; 4:15; 5:26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47.
12 tn Or “faithful.”
13 tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9.
14 sn Entrust you with the true riches is a reference to future service for God. The idea is like 1 Cor 9:11, except there the imagery is reversed.
15 tn Or “faithful.”
16 tn Grk “have not been faithful with what is another’s.”
17 tn Grk “what is your own.”
18 sn Herod and Pilate became friends with each other. It may be that Pilate’s change of heart was related to the death of his superior, Sejanus, who had a reputation for being anti-Jewish. To please his superior, Pilate may have ruled the Jews with insensitivity. Concerning Sejanus, see Philo, Embassy 24 (160-61) and Flaccus 1 (1).
19 tn Grk “at enmity with each other.”
20 tn Grk “who” (a continuation of the previous sentence).
21 sn Ironically, what Jesus was alleged to have done, started an insurrection, this man really did.
22 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
23 tc The phrase “He is not here, but has been raised” is omitted by a few
tn The verb here is passive (ἠγέρθη, hgerqh). This “divine passive” (see ExSyn 437-38) points to the fact that Jesus was raised by God, and such activity by God is a consistent Lukan theological emphasis: Luke 20:37; 24:34; Acts 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 37. A passive construction is also used to refer to Jesus’ exaltation: Luke 24:51; Acts 1:11, 22.
24 sn While he was still in Galilee looks back to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. So the point is that this was announced long ago, and should come as no surprise.