#Theofil branc update#
#Theofil branc trial#

He makes no mention of Caiaphas' role in Jesus' crucifixion and emphasizes Jesus' literal resurrection ( 24:39), including an ascension into heaven as a realm of spiritual existence ( 24:52 Acts 1:1). Luke quickly moves to account Mary's purification ( niddah), Jesus' Temple redemption ( pidyon ha-ben) rituals ( 2:21–39), and then to Jesus' pilgrimage to the Temple when he was twelve ( 2:46), possibly implying his bar mitzvah. He begins the story with an account of Zacharias the righteous priest who had a Temple vision of an angel ( 1:5–25). This might explain a few features of Luke. Adherents claim that Luke's Gospel was targeted at Sadducee readers. That would make him the son of Annas and brother-in-law of Caiaphas, raised in the Jewish Temple. In this tradition Theophilus would have been both a kohen and a Sadducee. Some scholars points to Theophilus ben Ananus, High Priest of the Temple in Jerusalem from 37 to 41. In total, Jesus was declared innocent 3 times by Pontius Pilate as was Paul before various judges.

#Theofil branc trial#

Some also point to the parallel between the account of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate narrated in Luke's Gospel with the account of Paul's trials before Roman judges in the Book of Acts.

#Theofil branc update#

To support this claim people appeal to the formal legalese present in the prologue to the Gospel such as 'eye witnesses,' 'account,' 'carefully investigated,' 'know the certainty of things which you have been instructed.' The conclusion of the Book of Acts ends with Paul still alive and under arrest awaiting trial, suggesting it was the intention of the author to update Theophilus on Paul's history to provide for an explanation of his travels and preaching and serve as evidence in support of his innocence under Roman law. David Pawson) believe that Theophilus could have been Paul's lawyer during his trial period in Rome. Likewise the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, and Gospel of James are not addressed to any particular gender, or any specific person. In this tradition the author's targeted audience, as with all other canonical Gospels, were the learned (academic) but unnamed men and women of the era.

The word in Greek means 'Friend of God' and thus both Luke and Acts were addressed to anyone who fits that description.

Honorary title (academia) tradition maintains that Theophilus was not a person. Others say that Theophilus was probably a Roman official of some sort, because Luke referred to him as kratistos, 'κράτιστε' - optime in the Latin Vulgate translation - meaning 'most excellent' ( Luke 1:3), although in the parallel introduction to Acts he is simply referred to as 'O Theophilus'. Similarly, John Wesley in his Notes on the New Testament recorded that Theophilus was 'a person of eminent quality at Alexandria', which he understood to be the tradition 'of the ancients'. The Coptic Church claims that the person was a Jew of Alexandria. Theories about who Theophilus was Coptic view Ĭoptic tradition asserts that Theophilus was a person and not an honorary title.