For whom did the Apostle Luke write his Gospel?translated

The Apostle Luke addresses his Gospel to a man named Theophilus. He also addresses him at the beginning of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. But who was this man and why did Luke devote two of his works to him?

At the beginning of the Gospel, Luke writes: ... I also decided ... to describe to you in order, venerable Theophilus, so that you would know the solid foundation of the teaching in which you were instructed (Luke 1:3-4). And in Acts he reminds: I wrote the first book to you, Theophilus, about everything that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day on which He ascended... (Acts 1:1-2).

The address “venerable” suggests that Theophilus occupied a high position in society, possibly a Roman official. Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) believed that Theophilus was an hegemon, that is, the governor of one of the regions of the Roman Empire, and adopted Christianity thanks to the preaching of the Apostle Luke. According to the saint, his conversion was reminiscent of the story of the proconsul of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus, who believed in Christ after hearing the preaching of the Apostle Paul (Acts 13:6-12).

However, there is another interpretation. The name Theophilus translated from Greek means “lover of God”, or “lover of God”. Therefore, some interpreters believed that...