According to a variety of translations, in verse 3 of his prologue, Luke claims to have “carefully investigated” everything he presents to Theophilus. However, in recent years, this translation has been challenged by a number of scholars. David Moessner has argued that the verb παρακολουθέω “cannot be used to support the sense of ‘to investigate,’” and in his book, Jesus & The Eyewitnesses, Richard Bauckham stated that Moessner’s proposal was “very thoroughly and persuasively” argued.

According to Craig Keener, though παρακολουθέω is often translated as “investigate…it may refer, even more relevantly, to ‘participation.’” He also suggests that, “Because the sort of familiarity expressed by the semantic domain often comes partly ‘through personal involvement,’ David Moessner concludes that it refers to Luke’s involvement in the movement and prior knowledge of the tradition, possibly even anticipating Luke’s ‘we’ passages.” Here it’s worth recalling that the very first “we” passage in Luke/Acts actually occurs in the first verse of the Gospel as Luke refers to “the things that have been fulfilled among us.”

According to The Cambridge Greek Lexicon (2021), the verb παρακολουθέω means to “attend closely,” or to “follow close behind,” but it can also be used figuratively to refer to following something with the mind. One of the definitions that is conspicuously absent from this recently published lexicon, however, is the idea of “investigation.” Read more»

Shane Rosenthal | “Rethinking Luke’s Prologue, Part 12” | The Humble Skeptic | September 10, 2026

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Post authored by:

• Shane Rosenthal

  

  Shane Rosenthal is the founder and host of The Humble Skeptic podcast. He was one of the creators of the White Horse Inn, which he also hosted from 2019–21, and he has written articles for various sites and publications, including Modern Reformation, TableTalk, Core Christianity, and others. Shane received an MA in Historical Theology from Westminster Seminary California, and he lives with his family in the greater St. Louis area. Read more about The Humble Skeptic podcast: shanerose.substack.com

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