“Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,”
King James Version (KJV)
1:1-2 This short, weighty, artless, candid dedication, belongs to the Acts, as well as the Gospel of St. Luke. Many have undertaken - He does not mean St. Matthew or Mark; and St. John did not write so early. For these were eye witnesses themselves and ministers of the word.
Lu 1:1 The Birth of John SUMMARY OF LUKE 1: Preface. The Announcement to Mary. The Visit of Mary to Elisabeth. The Prophecies of Mary and Elisabeth. The Birth of John. The Prophecy of Zacharias. The Child in the Deserts. Forasmuch as many. Lu 1:1-4 are an introduction. They explain that already many narratives of Christ had been written, that these were by eye witnesses and ministers of the word, that Luke had made a careful examination of all these sources of information, and thought it good, "having traced all things accurately from the first, to write them out in order" (Lu 1:3). We thus learn that at least as early as twenty-seven years after the death of Christ (see Introduction to Luke) many histories of eye witnesses and ministers had already written, of which only two, Matthew and Mark, have come down to us.
Forasmuch as many haue taken in hande to set foorth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely beleeued among vs,
- King James Version (1611) - View 1611 Bible Scan
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
- New American Standard Version (1995)
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
- American Standard Version (1901)
As a number of attempts have been made to put together in order an account of those events which took place among us,
- Basic English Bible
Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us,
- Darby Bible
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
- Webster's Bible
Seeing that many have attempted to draw up a narrative of the facts which are received with full assurance among us
- Weymouth Bible
Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,
- World English Bible
Forsothe for manye men enforceden to ordeyne the tellyng of thingis, whiche ben fillid in vs,
- Wycliffe Bible
Seeing that many did take in hand to set in order a narration of the matters that have been fully assured among us,
- Youngs Literal Bible