Josh Parrott

Religion 314

10/30/02

Dr. Cranford

The Gospel of Luke

Although debated by some scholars, Luke, a doctor and companion of Paul, is considered to be the author of the third Gospel. He is also the author of the book of Acts, thought to be the sequel to his Gospel.[1] These books have similar prologues, which leads to the conclusion that the documents were written by the same individual. “That the writer of Luke-Acts was educated and could have been a physician is borne out by the vocabulary of Luke and Acts, as well as by the character of the contents of both writings.”[2]

“Luke was a gentile; and he has the unique distinction of being the only New Testament writer who is not a Jew.”[3] He may have been a physician in Troas and was possibly converted by Paul in this city since “it was at Troas that he attached himself to Paul’s party and started traveling with them.”[4] Luke’s name is “mentioned only three times in the New Testament, all in letters attributed to Paul: Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11. The most important of these is the passage in Colossians, where Luke is called ‘our dear friend, the doctor’ (NIV).”[5] Luke and Paul continued traveling off and on until Paul was martyred in Rome around A.D. 64.[6] John Foxe believes that after Paul’s death, “Luke apparently continued to evangelize,” but he is unsure of the time and place of the doctor’s death.[7] Some traditions hold that he served the Lord, with no family, until he was eighty-four and died in Boeatia in Greece.[8] Along with this idea, Foxe thinks he may have been “hung from an olive tree in Athens in A.D. 93.”[9]

The date of authorship for this Gospel also varies among scholars. Some date it as early as A.D. 60,[10] while others think it could be dated anywhere between A.D. 70-100.[11] Scholars believe the date to be after A.D. 70 because Luke seems to be describing the fall of Jerusalem in 19:43-44, 21:20. But because Luke never acknowledges Paul’s letters, scholars think the date could be around A.D. 100, which is before his letters began circulating.[12]

Luke “carefully investigated everything from the beginning”(1:3)[13], so that he could write an account of Jesus’ life to Theophilus, whom he describes as “most excellent” (1:3). Theophilus means “friend of God” and some believe that Luke could be addressing his Gospel to all who are friends of God, but “the title ‘most excellent’ suggests a real person – perhaps a Roman official.”[14] Since Theophilus was a Roman official, Luke may have been writing to him to show that the Christian movement was no threat to Rome.[15] He may have just wanted “to tell an earnest inquirer more about Jesus.”[16]

Luke’s Gospel has numerous stories of Jesus healing sick individuals. This is particularly interesting since it’s understood that Luke was a physician. Luke portrays Jesus as being especially interested in the poor and outcasts of society. “Luke’s Gospel has been called ‘the gospel of the underdog.’”[17] The poor are not the only ones Luke highly esteems however, he also writes about women more than any other Gospel writer. This Gospel includes stories of Jesus’ mother Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, the widow of Nain, the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet, Martha and her sister Mary, and Mary Magdalene. Other themes within Luke’s Gospel include: The Kingdom of God, salvation, Son of God, and Son of Man.

The Jesus presented in this Gospel is for all humanity. Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus back to Adam to prove this point. “Luke’s Gospel is pastoral, theological, and historical. The message of Jesus is one of hope and transformation. Anyone, Jew or Gentile, can belong to the new community.”[18]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barcley, William. “The Gospel of Luke,” The Daily Bible Study Series. Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1975.

Beers, Ronald A. The Life Application Study Bible: New International Version. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., AND Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997.

Bock, D.L. “Luke,” New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity, 2000.

Chance, J. Bradley. “Luke,” Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1995.

Conzelmann, Hans. The Theology of St. Luke. New York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers, 1961.

Doble, Peter. The Paradox of Salvation. Cambridge, ENG: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Foxe, John. The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1997.

Green, Joel B. “The Gospel of Luke,” The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997.

___________. The Theology of the Gospel of Luke. Cambridge, ENG: Cambridge University Press, 1995.

Hobbs, Herschel H. An Exposition of the Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1966.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. “The Gospel of Luke,” Sacra Pagina. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1991.

Marshall, I. Howard. “Commentary on Luke,” New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986.

________________. Luke: Historian and Theologian. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1989.

Mills, Watson E. “Luke,” Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1991.

Nolland, John. “Luke 1-9:20,” Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 35A. Dallas, TX: Word Books Publisher, 1989.

Reader’s Digest. “Luke,” Who’s Who in the Bible. Pleasantville, NY: The Readers Digest Association, Inc., 1994.

Ringe, Sharon H. Luke. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.

Schweizer, Edward. Luke: A Challenge to Present Theology. Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1982.

Tolbert, Malcolm O. “Luke-John,” The Broadman Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1970.

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[1] J. Bradley Chance, “Luke,” Mercer Commentary on the Bible (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1995), 1007.

[2] Watson E. Mills, “Luke,” Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1991), 529.

[3] William Barclay, “The Gospel of Luke,” The Daily Bible Study Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1975), 1.

[4] John Foxe, “Luke,” The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1997), 9.

[5] Walter E. Mills, 529.

[6] Reader’s Digest, “Luke,” Who’s Who in the Bible (Pleasantville, NY: The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., 1994), 272.

[7] John Foxe, 9.

[8] Mills, 529.

[9] Foxe, 10.

[10] Ronald A. Beers, The Life Application Study Bible: New International Version (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., AND Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), 1781.

[11] J. Bradley Chance, 1007.

[12] Ibid.

[13] All Scripture references are taken from the New International Version of the Bible.

[14] Reader’s Digest, 417.

[15] Ibid.

[16] William Barclay, 1.

[17] Ibid, 5.

[18] D. L. Brock, “Luke,” New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 2000), 280.