The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are two of the most popular books in the most popular collection of works of all time. It should come as no surprise they share a few characteristics. Scholars believe both books were written by the man whom they refer to as Luke the Evangelist. More interestingly, in my opinion, is the commonality they share in their purpose. Both books are addressed to a mystery man named Theophilus. This guy has two of the most widely read books of the Bible addressed to him, but who is he?
Since names are so symbolic throughout the entirety of the Bible, it could be beneficial to start with the meaning of Theophilus as a name. The name “Theophilus” literally means “loved by God,” but carries the idea of “friend of God.” Because of this meaning carried by the name, many scholars believe it is just a stand-in for the average believer and could easily placed by any name one may choose. If we are to accept this belief, then our work here is done, and we can go on our way. However, I find it too easy to just assume the name has symbolic meaning when there very well could have been a man named Theophilus who had about 1/4 of the New Testament addressed directly to him.
Luke starts his books in a literary style widely used by Greeks at the time. The author states his intentions, why he has those intentions, and to whom the intentions are directed. Many people believe the reader can skip over this introduction and the story will still have the same effect. However, if the “most excellent Theophilus” mentioned in Luke 1:3 is a real person, it is probably a good idea to learn as much about him as we can.
According to Luke, he writes his gospel so Theophilus “may have certainty concerning the things [he] has been taught.” This leads some scholars to believe two things about Theophilus the man. First, scholars believe Theophilus may have been a relatively high-ranking Roman official who was sympathetic of the Christians and their movement. Perhaps Luke wanted to persuade him to believe the gospel and all of its implications. The term “most excellent” was used in that time when addressing someone of a higher social strata and position. Interestingly enough, the same title was used only 3 other times in the New Testament, all in the book of Acts (Acts 23:26, Acts 24:3, Acts 26:25). In each of these cases, the title is used in respect a Roman governor. To me, it makes sense that Luke would see the need to “convert” someone in a position of power. It would greatly assist the Christian evangelists in their endeavor if they had a man of power helping to spur the cause. Secondly, it is clear Theophilus was not completely new to the beliefs of the Christian faith. Looking closely at Luke 1:4 we can see that Theophilus has previously been taught either by Luke or someone else. Apparently Luke's intent was to provide Theophilus with factual evidence of the Christ he had been taught about. This idea plays especially well into themes found in the Gospel of Luke; the author constantly uses logical examples and mentions eye-witnesses in his work. 
Regardless of the identity (or existence) of a man named Theophilus, we know Luke was aware his books would be read by more than one man. Therefore, copies would need to be made. Another theory on the role of Theophilus in this story suggests he was the man responsible for allowing the book to be published and copied. In doing so, he would have been doing Luke a great favor for which Luke would undoubtedly be appreciative. However, we can only speculate on the identity of the man named Theophilus. Perhaps light will soon be shed on the matter, and perhaps we’ll never know.
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