An orderly account (Lk 1:1-1:1)

“Many people

Have undertaken

To set down

An orderly account

Of the events

That have been fulfilled

Among us.”

 

Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων,

 

Luke clearly set out his goals in writing this gospel, much like the other historical Hellenistic works of his time.  Although the prologue was one long Greek sentence, it has been divided up into verses.  Matthew, chapter 1:1, called his work a book (Βίβλος), but the 1^st chapter was about the genealogy of Jesus, or more precisely Joseph.  Mark was the only one to call his work a gospel (τοῦ εὐαγγελίου), or more precisely, the beginning of a gospel (Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου).  Luke admitted that many people had already tried to write a successful orderly account or a narrative (Ἐπειδήπερ πολλοὶ ἐπεχείρησαν ἀνατάξασθαι διήγησιν) about the events and things that had happened or been accomplished or fulfilled among them (περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων), the early Christians.  Luke clearly stated that he was not the first one to write about Jesus and the early Christians.  He was going to rely on others for his orderly account or narrative about the accomplishments of Jesus.