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to the bottom' (Matt. 27:51) and of the gifts that are 'from above' (Jas.
1:17), and those of us who believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration
of God are naturally attracted very favourably to the rendering which
enforces this thought, namely:
'Having had perfect understanding of all things from above',
as though Luke would place in strong contrast the inspired record he was
about to make, over against the testimony of mere honest but uninspired eye-
witnesses. Inspired truth needs no bolster, and zeal for truth cannot
justify the slightest introduction of bias into a translation. Luke does not
say that he received his information from above, but that he had 'followed
accurately' all things from the very start. The following translations
indicate the intention of the writer:
'After careful investigation of the facts from their commencement'
(Weymouth).
'Having closely traced from the outset all things accurately'
(Rotherham).
'Inasmuch as I have gone carefully over them all myself from the very
beginning' (Moffatt).
It would appear from this concerted testimony that we must not drag
this passage in as a proof text of Divine inspiration, even though we may
unfeignedly believe that Luke's Gospel is a part of all Scripture which is
given by inspiration of God.
Parakoloutheo is translated 'follow' in Mark 16:17, and this is the
translation of five other combinations of the verbal stem. Josephus has a
remark which illuminates the distinction intended by Luke in the choice of
the word parakoloutheo:
'...since every one that undertakes to deliver the history of actions
truly, ought to know them accurately himself in the first place, as
either having been concerned in them himself, or been informed of them
by such as knew them' (Flavius Josephus Against Apion. Book 1, section
10).
In the Greek of this passage, Josephus opposes ton parekolouthekota
what he had diligently observed for himself with to punthanomeno what he had
learned from others. That Luke was using the accepted mode of address, as
well as obeying the true canons of investigation and teaching is further seen
by noting the parallel with the opening words of this controversy of Josephus
with Apion:
'I suppose that, by my books of the Antiquities of the Jews, Most
Excellent Epaphroditus'.
Further parallels in Josephus with Luke's approach are found a few lines
further down:
'However, since I observe a considerable number of people giving ear to
the reproaches that are laid against us ... I therefore have thought
myself under an obligation to write somewhat briefly about these
subjects in order to convict those that reproach us of spite and