Θεόφιλος, Θεοφιλου (Θεός and φίλος), Theophilus, a Christian to whom Luke inscribed his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles: Luk_1:3; Act_1:1. The conjectures concerning his family, rank, nationality, are reviewed by (among others) Winer's RWB, under the word; Bleek on Luk_1:3; (B. D., under the word); see also under κράτιστος.

Θεόφιλος Theophilos 2x Theophilus, pr. name, Luk_1:3 ; Act_1:1

Θεόφιλος , -ου (θεός , φίλος ), Theophilus: Luk_1:3 , Act_1:1 .†

Θεόφιλος [page 288] Θεόφιλος is found as a proper name as early as iii/B.C. both in the papyri and inscrr., e.g. P Hib I. 103 .1 (B.C. 231 0) Ἀπολλοφάνης Θεοφίλωι χαίρειν , P Ryl II. 72 .99 (B.C. 99 8) Θεόφιλος Νικάνορος , Michel 594 .80 (B.C. 279) ὑπὲρ Θεοφίλου τοῦ ἐργολαβήσαντος τὰς παραετίδας ἐργάσασθαι τῶι νεῶι τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος κτλ ., and similarly 685 .2 , 1260 .5 (both iii/B.C.) : see also Preisigke 3780 Θεόφιλος ἰατρός . Θεόφιλος , as a Jewish name, occurs in P Petr II. 28 ii. 9 (iii/B.C.) Σαμαρείας Θεόφιλος , Theophilus of Samaria, but the previous exx. seem to render unnecessary Mahaffy s suggestion (p. [97]) that the name may have been of Jewish origin : cf. however P Fay 123 .15 ( c. A.D. 100) where a certain Τεύφιλος (for the form, see Mayser Gr. pp. 10, 179 f.) Ἰουδαῖος desires release from the service of cultivating the domain-lands, and Meyer Ostr 30 .1 (A.D. III) Τεύφιλος Τευφίλου , where a Jew is again referred to, see p. 150. For the use of the word as an adj. see BGU III. 924 .1 (iii/A.D.) where it is applied to the city of Herakleopolis Magna Ἡρακλέους πόλεως ἀρχαίας καὶ θεοφίλου ἡ [κρατίστη βου ]λή , cf. ib. 937 .4 (A.D. 250). The classical θεοφιλής is found in OGIS 383 .42 (mid. i/B.C.) θεοφιλῆ ψυχήν , and its superlative in the fragment of a iii/A.D. private letter, P Ryl II. 439, where the desire is expressed αὖθις μετ᾽ εὐθυμίας τὸ θεοφιλέστατόν σου πρόσωπον ἀπολαβεῖν .

Θεόφιλος, -ου (θεός, φίλος), Theophilus: Luk.1:3, Act.1:1.† (AS)