← Contents Introduction to Luke ←→

Introduction to Luke

The gospel of Luke is the first of a two-volume history, along with the book of Acts (both were addressed to the same man, Theophilus, and the “first account” mentioned in Acts 1:1 refers to the gospel of Luke). It is the longest book in the New Testament and, combined with Acts, makes Luke the author of more than one fourth of the New Testament—more than any other writer. In those two books, Luke presents the most comprehensive New Testament account of the history of redemption. His gospel and the book of Acts span six and a half decades from the birth of John the Baptist to Paul’s first Roman imprisonment. Luke also includes a significant amount of new material (more than 40 percent of his gospel is not found in the other gospels [Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994), 12]), including seven of Christ’s miracles and seventeen of His parables.

Yet despite the significance of his work, Luke himself remains largely unknown. His name appears only three times in the New Testament—none of them in his own writings (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24). Those passages reveal only a few details about him—that he was a physician who was beloved by Paul and was with the apostle during his first and second Roman imprisonments. He was also a Gentile (see the discussion of Col. 4:10–14 in chapter 1 of this volume and Acts 1:19, where Luke’s use of the phrase “their language” distinguishes him from the Jewish people). That he accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys is evident from the so-called “we” passages in Acts (see the discussion under Author below). But as will be seen in chapter 1 of this volume, the prologue to Luke’s gospel helps paint a more complete portrait of this remarkable man.

AUTHOR

The unanimous testimony of the early church is that Luke wrote the third gospel; no alternative author was ever proposed. In the middle of the second century the apologist Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 100–165) quoted from Luke 22:44 and 23:46 in his Dialogue with Trypho. Although Justin did not name Luke as the author (citing as his source “the memoirs which … were drawn up by His [Christ’s] apostles and those who followed them” [Chapter 103]), those two verses are unique to Luke. They demonstrate the fact that Justin was familiar with Luke’s gospel and recognized it as authoritative. Justin’s pupil Tatian included Luke’s gospel in his Diatessaron, the first known harmony of the Gospels. The Muratorian Canon, a second-century list of the books recognized as Scripture by some in the church, attributes the third gospel to Luke, as do such second and third century writers as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and the heretic Marcion. The Anti-Marcionite prologue to Luke, written to combat Marcion, also declared Luke to be its author. The oldest manuscript of Luke’s gospel (Bodmer Papyrus XIV [p75]), dating from the late second or early third century, names Luke as the author.

Summarizing the significance of the early church’s testimony to Luke’s authorship of the third gospel, Robert H. Stein writes,

Such unanimity in the tradition is impressive…. In general such uncontested and ancient tradition should be accepted unless there is good reason to the contrary. This is especially so when it names a minor figure in the early church and a non-apostle as the author of over one quarter of the entire NT. (Luke, The New American Commentary [Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992], 21)

Stein’s last point is especially significant. The apocryphal gospels were attributed to well-known figures, such as Peter. Why would someone forging a work purporting to have come from one of Paul’s companions have chosen the relatively obscure Luke instead of someone more prominent?

Further proof that Luke wrote Luke and Acts comes from the so-called “we” passages in Acts, where the writer’s use of the first person pronoun indicates that he was traveling with Paul (16:10–17; 20:5–21:18; 27:1–28:16). Thus, the writer of Acts could not be any of Paul’s coworkers mentioned by name in those sections (e.g., Silas, Timothy, Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Tychicus, and Trophimus). By process of elimination, that leaves Luke and Titus among Paul’s coworkers as the possible authors of Luke and Acts. No one, however, has ever seriously argued for Titus as the author, which leaves Luke, as the unanimous testimony of the early church affirms (see the discussion above).

DATE, PLACE OF WRITING, ADDRESSEES

Luke was written before Acts, which is a sequel to it (Acts 1:1), so the question of when it was written is closely connected to the date of Acts. Some liberal scholars date Luke in the second century. They argue that its author drew some of his material from the Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote late in the first century. But the differences between the two accounts far outweigh the similarities (cf. Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke, The International Critical Commentary [Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1969], xxix; D. Edmond Hiebert, An Introduction to the New Testament, Volume One: The Gospels and Acts [Chicago: Moody, 1979], 137). In the middle of the second century the heretic Marcion included his revised version of Luke as the only gospel in his canon of Scripture. If Luke had been written only a short time earlier, it could not have become widely respected enough in the church for Marcion to have chosen it. Nor could a second-century author have consulted eyewitnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus (Luke 1:2–3); most, if not all of them, would have been dead.

Two dates for Luke and Acts have been proposed by conservative scholars: either between A.D. 70 and 80 (following the completion of Mark’s gospel), or around A.D. 60 (near the end of Paul’s first Roman imprisonment). The primary argument for the later date is Luke’s alleged use of Mark’s gospel as a source. Since Mark is usually dated after Peter’s death during the persecution instigated by Nero, Luke would have to have been written still later. The priority of Mark, however, has never been established, and the absence of any evidence for it has led scholars to question Luke’s dependence on Mark’s gospel (e.g., Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry, eds., A Harmony of the Gospels [Chicago: Moody, 1979], 274–79; Eta Linnemann, Is There a Synoptic Problem? [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992]; Robert L. Thomas and F. David Farnell, eds., The Jesus Crisis [Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1998], especially chaps. 1, 3, 6). Since Luke’s dependence on Mark cannot be established, the argument for the later date collapses.

A number of facts support the earlier date for the writing of Luke and Acts. That date best explains the abrupt ending of Acts; Luke did not mention Paul’s release and subsequent travels because the apostle was still in prison when he wrote Acts. Further, there is no mention in Luke’s writings of any event later than about A.D. 61, including such significant events as the death of James, the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem church (around A.D. 62); Nero’s persecution, during which Peter and Paul were martyred (in the mid-60s); and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. Finally, Luke does not refer to Paul’s epistles, suggesting that he wrote Luke and Acts before the collection of those epistles was widely circulated in the church. The most natural explanation for those omissions is that Luke wrote his gospel and Acts before those events happened. The best date, therefore, for Luke’s gospel is A.D. 60–61.

Where Luke wrote his gospel is not known for certain. Some in the early church speculated that he wrote from the Greek province of Achaia; others argued for Rome. Since Luke was with Paul during his imprisonment in Rome (cf. Col. 4:14; Philem. 24), the latter possibility is more likely.

As will be discussed in chapter 1 of this volume, Luke addressed his gospel to a man named Theophilus and, by extension, other Gentiles. He avoids using Aramaic terms that his Gentile readers would be unfamiliar with (e.g., Abba, Rabbi, hosanna, Golgotha), and explained Jewish customs (e.g., 22:1, 7) and Israel’s geography (e.g., 1:26; 4:31; 23:51; 24:13) for them.

PURPOSE AND THEMES

Luke’s purpose in writing his gospel was that his readers might “know the exact truth about the things [they had] been taught” (1:4; see the exposition of that verse in chapter 1 of this volume). To that end, he did careful research (see the discussion of his sources in chapter 1).

Many themes stand out in this marvelous gospel, foremost of which is God’s love for sinners. That love caused Him to send His Son into the world “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10; cf. 15:1–32). Luke paid particular attention to the outcasts of Jewish society, including Gentiles, Samaritans, women, tax collectors, and lepers. God offers repentant sinners forgiveness (3:3; 5:20–25; 6:37; 7:41–50; 11:4; 12:10; 17:3–4;18:13–14; 24:47), which results in another of Luke’s emphases, joy (1:14, 44, 47, 58; 2:10; 6:23; 13:17; 15:5–10, 22–32; 24:52). He alone records the five great tributes of praise connected with Christ’s birth, those of Elizabeth (1:41–45), Mary (1:46–55), Zacharias (1:67–79), the angels who announced Christ’s birth (2:13–14), and Simeon (2:25–32). Luke also describes the fear people experience when in the presence of God or His works (1:12, 30, 65; 2:9–10; 5:10, 26; 7:16; 8:25, 37, 50; 9:34). He also stresses the Holy Spirit’s ministry (1:15, 35, 41, 67; 2:25–27; 3:16, 22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; 11:13; 12:10, 12), and the prayers of Jesus (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28–29; 11:1; 22:32, 40–46). Chapter 1 lists more of the distinctive themes of Luke.

OUTLINE

  1. The Prelude to Christ’s Ministry (1:1–4:13)

    1. The Prologue (1:1–4)

    2. The Birth of Jesus (1:5–2:38)

      1. The annunciation to Zacharias (1:5–25)

      2. The annunciation to Mary (1:26–38)

      3. The visit of Mary to Elizabeth (1:39–45)

      4. The Magnificat (1:46–56)

      5. The birth of the forerunner (1:57–80)

      6. The nativity (2:1–38)

    3. The Boyhood of Jesus (2:39–52)

      1. In Nazareth (2:39–40, 51–52)

      2. In the temple (2:41–50)

    4. The Presentation of Jesus (3:1–4:13)

      1. The preaching of John the Baptist (3:1–20)

      2. The baptism of Jesus (3:21–22)

      3. The genealogy of the Son of Man (3:23–38)

      4. The temptation of the Son of God (4:1–13)

  2. The Ministry in Galilee (4:14–9:50)

    1. The Commencement of Christ’s Ministry (4:14–6:16)

      1. Nazareth (4:14–30)

      2. Capernaum (4:31–42)

        1. A demon cast out (4:31–37)

        2. Multitudes healed (4:38–42)

      3. The cities of Galilee (4:43–44)

      4. The Sea of Galilee (5:1–6:16)

        1. Calling four fishermen (5:1–11)

        2. Healing a leper (5:12–16)

        3. Forgiving a sinner (5:17–26)

        4. Receiving sinners, but rejecting the righteous (5:27–32)

        5. Proclaiming the uniqueness of the gospel (5:33–39)

        6. Declaring that He is Lord of the Sabbath (6:1–11)

        7. Choosing the twelve apostles (6:12–16)

    2. The Continuation of His Work (6:17–9:50)

      1. Preaching on the plateau (6:17–49)

        1. Beatitudes (6:17–23)

        2. Woes (6:24–26)

        3. Commandments (6:27–49)

      2. Ministering in the cities (7:1–8:25)

        1. He heals a centurion’s servant (7:1–10)

        2. He raises a widow’s son (7:11–17)

        3. He encourages John the Baptist’s disciples (7:18–35)

        4. He forgives a sinful woman (7:36–50)

        5. He proclaims the kingdom of God (8:1–3)

        6. He teaches the multitudes with parables (8:4–21)

        7. He stills the winds and waves (8:22–25)

      3. Traveling in Galilee (8:26–9:50)

        1. He delivers a demoniac (8:26–39)

        2. He heals a woman (8:40–48)

        3. He raises a girl (8:49–56)

        4. He sends out the Twelve (9:1–6)

        5. He confounds Herod (9:7–9)

        6. He feeds the multitude (9:10–17)

        7. He predicts His crucifixion (9:18–26)

        8. He unveils His glory (9:27–36)

        9. He casts out an unclean spirit (9:37–42)

        10. He instructs His disciples (9:43–50)

  3. The Journey to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)

    1. Samaria (9:51–10:37)

      1. A village turns Him away (9:51–56)

      2. He turns away the halfhearted (9:57–62)

      3. He sends out the seventy (10:1–24)

      4. He gives the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25–37)

    2. Bethany and Judea (10:38–13:35)

      1. Mary and Martha (10:38–42)

      2. The Lord’s Prayer (11:1–4)

      3. The importance of importunate prayer (11:5–13)

      4. Increasing opposition (11:14–36)

      5. Woes upon Pharisees and lawyers (11:37–54)

      6. Teaching along the way (12:1–59)

        1. About hypocrisy (12:1–12)

        2. About worldly materialism (12:13–21)

        3. About worry (12:22–34)

        4. About unfaithfulness (12:35–48)

        5. About love of ease (12:49–53)

        6. About unpreparedness (12:54–56)

        7. About division (12:57–59)

      7. Answering questions (13:1–30)

        1. About the justice of God (13:1–9)

        2. About the Sabbath (13:10–17)

        3. About the kingdom (13:18–21)

        4. About salvation (13:22–30)

      8. Lamenting over Jerusalem (13:31–35)

    3. Perea (14:1–19:27)

      1. Dining with a Pharisee (14:1–24)

        1. He tests them about the Sabbath (14:1–6)

        2. He teaches them about humility (14:7–14)

        3. He tells them about the heavenly banquet (14:15–24)

      2. Teaching the multitudes (14:25–18:34)

        1. The cost of discipleship (14:25–35)

        2. The parable of the lost sheep (15:1–7)

        3. The parable of the lost coin (15:8–10)

        4. The parable of the two sons (15:11–32)

        5. The parable of the unjust steward (16:1–18)

        6. The rich man and Lazarus (16:19–31)

        7. A lesson about forgiveness (17:1–4)

        8. A lesson about faithfulness (17:5–10)

        9. A lesson about thankfulness (17:11–19)

        10. A lesson about readiness (17:20–37)

        11. The parable of the persistent widow (18:1–8)

        12. The parable of the Pharisee and the publican (18:9–14)

        13. A lesson about childlikeness (18:15–17)

        14. A lesson about commitment (18:18–30)

        15. A lesson about the necessity of the cross (18:31–34)

      3. Seeking sinners (18:35–19:10)

        1. He opens blind eyes (18:35–43)

        2. He seeks and saves the lost (19:1–10)

      4. Rewarding His followers (19:11–27)

  4. The Passion Week (19:28–23:56)

    1. Monday (19:28–44)

      1. The triumphal entry (19:28–40)

      2. Christ weeps over Jerusalem (19:41–44)

    2. Tuesday (19:45–48)

      1. He cleanses the temple (19:45–46)

      2. He teaches the Passover crowds (19:47–48)

    3. Wednesday (20:1–22:6)

      1. He contends with the Jewish rulers (20:1–8)

      2. He again teaches the Passover crowds (20:9–21:38)

        1. The parable of the wicked vinedressers (20:9–19)

        2. An answer to the Pharisees about paying taxes (20:20–26)

        3. An answer to the Sadducees about the resurrection (20:27–40)

        4. A question for the scribes about messianic prophecy (20:41–47)

        5. The lesson of the widow’s mites (21:1–4)

        6. Teaching about the end times (21:5–38)

      3. The plot against Jesus (22:1–2)

      4. Judas joins the conspiracy (22:3–6)

    4. Thursday (22:7–53)

      1. Preparation for Passover (22:7–13)

      2. The Lord’s Supper (22:14–38)

        1. The New Covenant instituted (22:14–22)

        2. Disputes among the disciples (22:23–30)

        3. Peter’s denial predicted (22:31–34)

        4. God’s provision promised (22:35–38)

      3. The agony in the garden (22:39–46)

      4. Jesus’ arrest (22:47–53)

    5. Friday (22:54–23:56)

      1. Peter’s denial (22:54–62)

      2. Jesus mocked and beaten (22:63–65)

      3. The trial before the Sanhedrin (22:66–71)

      4. The trial before Pilate (23:1–25)

        1. The indictment (23:1–5)

        2. The hearing before Herod (23:6–12)

        3. Pilate’s verdict (23:13–25)

      5. The crucifixion (23:26–49)

      6. The burial (23:50–56)

  5. The Consummation of Christ’s Ministry (24:1–53)

    1. The Resurrection (24:1–45)

    2. The Ascension (24:46–53)