Fragments on Luke 1a Since the undertaking was immense for a man to write down the teaching and words of God, he reasonably makes a defense in the preface. He did not say simply of things believed, but "fully accomplished," testifying to the unalterable nature of the things said. And he says "things," since Jesus did not enact his incarnate presence according to fantasy, as the children of the heretics do, but being "truth" he truly worked the things. 2 [and likewise Luke] who wrote the present gospel, urged on by the chief, Peter; so that "have undertaken" signifies that some came <to> the writing of the gospels without a spiritual gift, while "to set in order" signifies to set forth, to explain, to compose. 3 "To set in order," meaning to compose in writing and to make manifest the account 4 But you are able also in another way ... the disciples being present. 5 That he received it, then, from those who saw with their own eyes and became hearers, he clearly confessed by saying: "just as they were delivered to you by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." And it is necessary to trust him and Mark, as having accurately written down what they had heard, and John and Matthew, as writing what they had seen. Therefore, the legitimate gospels must be honored equally, not honoring as a rule the sight of those who have seen, but also the hearing of those who have heard; for true successors of true men transmit to us the light delivered to them, receiving just praise from us. 6 [he confirms that he has followed ... "all"] the eyewitnesses and ministers, so that you, not being carried here and there, might not be turned from the straight way; for having been instructed in certain things, you will not now be instructed in other things from this writing, but "concerning which" you have received knowledge you will receive a more complete "certainty."

Fragmenta in Lucam 1a Ἐπειδὴ ὑπέρογκον ἦν τὸ ἐπιχείρημα ἄνθρωπον ὄντα θεοῦ διδασκαλίαν καὶ ῥήματα συγγράφειν, εἰκότως ἀπολογεῖται ἐν τῷ προοιμίῳ. οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ πεπιστευμένων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ «πεπληροφορημένων», τὸ ἀπαράβατον τοῖς λεγομένοις μαρτυρῶν. «πραγμάτων» δέ φησιν, ἐπειδήπερ οὐ κατὰ φαντασίαν κατὰ τοὺς τῶν αἱρετικῶν παῖδας ἐδραματούργησεν Ἰησοῦς τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν, ἀλλὰ τυγχάνων «ἀλήθεια» πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἐνήργησε τὰ πράγματα. 2 [παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ Λουκᾶς] ὁ τὸ παρὸν εὐαγγέλιον συγγραψάμενος, προτραπεὶς παρὰ τοῦ κορυφαίου Πέτρου· ὥστε σημαίνει τὸ «ἐπεχείρησαν» τὸ χωρὶς χαρίσματος ἐλθεῖν <ἐπὶ> τὴν ἀναγραφὴν τῶν εὐαγγελίων τινάς, τὸ δὲ «ἀνατάξασθαι» σημαίνει τὸ ἐκθεῖναι, τὸ ἐξηγήσασθαι, τὸ συγγράψαι. 3 «ἀνατάξασθαι» ἀντὶ τοῦ συντάξαι γραφῇ καὶ φανερῶσαι τὸν λόγον 4 ∆ύνασαι δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως ... εχπλ. παρόντες οἱ μαθηταί. 5 Ὅτι μὲν οὖν παρὰ τῶν αὐτοψίᾳ θεασαμένων καὶ αὐτηκόων γενομένων παρέλαβεν, σαφῶς ὡμολόγησεν εἰπών· «καθὼς παρέδοσαν ὑμῖν οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου». καὶ χρὴ τούτῳ μὲν καὶ Μάρκῳ πείθεσθαι, ὡς ἅπερ ἀκηκόασιν ἀκριβῶς ἀναγραψαμένοις, Ἰωάννῃ δὲ καὶ Ματθαίῳ, ὡς ἅπερ ἑωράκασι γράφουσιν. τὰ οὖν νόμιμα εὐαγγέλια τιμητέον ἐξ ἴσου, μὴ νόμον τὴν ὄψιν τῶν ἑωρακότων τιμώντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν τῶν ἀκηκοότων· ἀληθεῖς γὰρ ἀληθῶν διάδοχοι καὶ τὸ παραδοθὲν αὐτοῖς φῶς εἰς ἡμᾶς παραπέμπουσιν, ἔπαινον κομιζόμενοι δίκαιον παρ' ἡμῶν. 6 [διαβεβαιοῦται, ὅτι παρηκολούθησεν ... «πᾶσιν»] τοῖς αὐτόπταις καὶ ὑπηρέταις, ἵνα μὴ τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περιφερόμενος ἀποτραπῇς τῆς εὐθείας ὁδοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἕτερα κατηχηθείς, ἕτερα νῦν παρὰ τῆσδε τῆς γραφῆς ἐνηχηθήσῃ, ἀλλὰ «περὶ ὧν» τὴν γνῶσιν εἴληφας τελεωτέραν δέξῃ «τὴν ἀσφάλειαν».