Many years ago, my father and I were visiting my great aunt—Aunt Doris. She lived on a farm in a large, old white house with a hand pump for water, a wood stove and a tin roof.

During that visit, Aunt Doris asked Dad to go through an old trunk left decades before by a man who’d boarded there and even died there. So up the stairs we went. Dad pulled the trunk from the corner, opened it and began to sort through the memories of this man’s life. The most interesting discovery was a stack of letters—letters written to him by a woman back home, some with small locks of hair enclosed.

Who was she? How had they met? What was the nature of their relationship? How had he replied? What had he said? These were the questions we found ourselves asking. But we had no answers because we were privy to only half a conversation, only half of what had been a dialogue.

Today, we find ourselves in a similar spot. We have before us the second volume of Luke’s Gospel—the Acts of the Apostles. And like his Gospel, this volume is addressed to one named Theophilus. And therein lies the mystery. Who is Theophilus? Why did Luke address these works to him? What was their relationship? What was his interest? What was his response?

Scholars have debated such questions for years. Some have suggested that the answers are in Theophilus’ very name. It means "Lover of God" or "Friend of God." And that has led some to conclude that it is addressed to all "Lovers of God," that it is a general letter to any person who loves our Lord.

Others hold that Theophilus was a man of power, maybe even a Roman ruler. In his Gospel, Luke calls him "Most Excellent Theophilus." Some have drawn from this title that he might have been a judge, maybe even responsible for passing judgment on the Apostle Paul. They suggest that Luke’s Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles are an attempt to defend the Christian faith before Roman rule. It’s an intriguing idea, even if highly unlikely.

More likely is the suggestion that Theophilus was nothing more than a follower of Christ who needed the assurance that Luke provides. A number of scholars take this position and they do so not because of Theophilus’ name or title but because of the nature of Luke and Acts. Both outline again and again the heart of the faith.

I am drawn to this explanation because I know a lot of Theophiluses. I have met many Christians—many good church folk—who have never the less become doubtful and discouraged. I have met followers of Christ who have been beset by questions because of the rejection of the faith by those outside the church and by the failure to live the faith by those inside it. Who among us hasn’t needed, at one time or another, to have our faith affirmed?

And that is what Luke does. In fact, in the opening verses of the Acts of the Apostle, he offers some central affirmations that can renew our faith as well. What are they?

The first thing Luke affirms is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"After Jesus suffered," Luke says, "he presented himself to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God."

At the heart of the Christian faith is the resurrection. As important as Christ’s becoming flesh and as important as his teachings, the Christian faith exists only because he was raised from the dead. Without it neither the story of his birth nor the content of his teachings would have been preserved. Luke affirms the resurrection because he knows everything hinges on it. Because Christ was raised from the dead our sins are forgiven. Because Christ was raised, we have been given abundant life. Because Christ was raised, we have the assurance of eternal life. Such gifts of God are not possible if Christ faked death or defied death. They
are only available to us if he conquered death.

Don Francisco is a Christian folk singer. He specializes in telling the biblical story in song. One such song captures the significance of the resurrection. It is called "He’s Alive." It tells the story of the resurrection from the perspective of Peter, the disciple who had denied Jesus three times. Peter is in the upper room Christ appears. Writes Francisco:

Suddenly the air was filled with a strange and sweet perfume.

Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room.

Jesus stood before me with his arms held open wide.

And I fell down on my knees and clung to him and cried.

He raised me to my feet and as I looked into his eyes.

Love was shining out from them like the sunshine from the skies.

Guilt and my confusion disappeared in sweet release.

And every fear I’d ever had just melted into peace.

He’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive and I’m forgiven,

Heaven’s gates are opened wide.

That is the affirmation of the resurrection. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we are forgiven. Our sins have been washed away. We have been reconciled to God. The gate to heaven has been opened for us. Every Theophilus needs to hear that truth repeated.

Still, the resurrection is not the only affirmation Luke makes in the opening verses of Acts. He also affirms the Christian mission.

Knowing that we are forgiven is important. Knowing that we have been given eternal life is vital. But we also need to respond to that grace which we have received. And that response is to be witnesses to Jesus Christ. Jesus told his disciples, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." Luke records that here to affirm the fact that Jesus’ followers are to be his witnesses.

Of course, the Twelve are our model. On Pentecost, when the Spirit came, they stepped forward to testify to what God had done in Jesus Christ. It was the first day of what would be their life’s work. Yes, they made a living. Yes, they had family responsibilities. But their lives were devoted to sharing the Good News of God’s love and grace. It was the one thing, in fact the only thing, for which they would become known.

Such witnessing is hard for us today. In his book The Embarrassed Believer, Hugh Hewitt says that while we no longer face physical danger for sharing our faith, we do face public scorn and media ridicule. We have seen that in the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, some were criticizing Attorney General John Ashcroft for offering optional devotional times at the Justice Department. Last Friday, USA Today reported that President George W. Bush began each day with prayer, Bible reading and study, evoking one critic to say that Bush wears his religion on his sleeve and wants to impose it on others. Whether we agree with Ashcroft and Bush’s politics or their religion, we have to recognize that they are being criticized, even ridiculed, for witnessing to their faith in Jesus as Lord.

It is not easy. And we know that. Yet Luke affirms for Theophilus and for us that it is the highest of callings. It is the reason for our existence.

In his book "The Life You Have Always Wanted," John Ortberg tells of an Ethiopian woman. She was 99-years-old, blind and illiterate. She had become a follower of Christ in middle age, and in her little hut in her little village, she kept two Bibles on her table - one in the official language of Ethiopia and one in English. Whenever someone came to visit her, she would ask the person to read. Over time, her favorite passages became so familiar that she could recite them from memory, and if her visitors couldn't read, she would recite as a kind of gift to them.

So compelling was the woman that people would come from far away just to visit with her. Why? Because she was such a powerful witness to the God’s love and grace. They came to her because they saw in her and heard from her the Good News.
She was a witness—completely unashamed of her faith in Jesus as Lord.

Such is the faith that Luke affirms and the faith to which we are called.

Of course, there is still another affirmation that Luke makes in these opening words of the Acts of Apostles. Luke says that after Jesus had finished speaking, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. This is the ascension, the ascending of Jesus to the right hand of God. Because we no longer imagine heaven just beyond the sky, the idea of Jesus winging away is difficult. Yet the affirmation that follows this event is central to our life and faith.

While the disciples stood gazing up toward the heavens, two angels appeared. They asked why the disciples were looking skyward and declared, "This Jesus who has been taken up into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Imagine the moment. Their Lord and Savior has just disappeared. The one in whom they have found love and joy and peace and purpose has left—and they are now on their own to serve him. Grieving. Overwhelmed. Intimidated. Afraid? Who knows what all they felt? And yet the angels words come as a word of assurance. Yes, Jesus has gone but you have hope for Jesus will come again.

Desmond Tutu tells the story of a small village west of Johannesburg. During the days of apartheid, it was to be demolished and its inhabitants forcibly removed at gunpoint to a homeland. On the evening before they were to be evacuated, the clinics, shops, and churches had already been demolished, church leaders from throughout South Africa gathered there anyway. Around midnight an elder from the village stood to pray. "God," he said, "thank you for loving us so much."

Can you imagine? Here was a man whose life was being forcibly uprooted, yet he prayed thanking God for his love. Why? Because the Christian faith is a hope-filled faith. We not only believe that God will come again to set all things right but that God is working even now to do so.

Bishop Tutu notes that several years later, apartheid died. And the people of that little village—they went home. They rebuilt. They knew they would. They had hope. They knew God loved them.

Every discouraged disciple needs that word of affirmation, that hope that Luke conveys.

The resurrection, the mission, the hope—these are the affirmations that Luke conveys to Theophilus. Being that we have only Luke’s words, we don’t know what affect they might have had on that discouraged disciple. But it is not too hard to imagine. I suspect his faith was renewed for the assurance of grace, purpose and hope can do no other. Still today it lifts our hearts and our spirits. Still today it empowers our lives. Still today it calls forth from us gratitude and praise.