Theophilus (Biblical)
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Theophilus is the name to which the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is addressed. It is a common name among both Romans and Jewish people of the era. His life would coincide with the writing of Luke and Acts, sometime between 40-72, depending to which tradition one subscribes. Coptic tradition asserts he was a Jew of Alexandria, while another tradition claims he was a converted Roman official, possibly Titus Flavius Sabinus (the younger), a former Prefect of Rome, owing to the honorific, "most excellent" (Lk. 1:3). Yet another tradition maintains that this Theophilus was not a specific person, as "theophilus" means "lover of God", and thus the books could be addressed to anyone who fits that description. Some also believed that Theophilus could have been Paul's lawyer during his trial period in Rome.
Some also believed that the Theophilus Luke is addressing served as High Priest from 37 to 42 A.D.. Theophilus was both a kohen and a Sadducee. It would appear that the Gospel of Luke was intended to be used by others as well and was likely targeted at Sadducee readers. Theophilus was the son of Annas and the brother-in-law of Caiaphas; as a result he grew up in the Jewish Temple. This explains many features of Luke. Luke begins the story with an account of Zacharias the righteous priest (kohen) who had a vision of an angel at the Temple (1:5-25). He quickly moves on to an account of Mary's purification (niddah) and Jesus' redemption (pidyon ha-ben) rituals at the Temple (2:21-39) and then to the event of Jesus teaching at the Temple at the age of twelve (2:46). Luke makes no mention of Caiaphas' role in Jesus' crucifixion and emphasizes Jesus' literal resurrection (24:39). (Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.)
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