Bible Character Studies: Luke

           Luke is the author of the gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts, which is the history of the early church from Jesus' ascension to Paul's house arrest. The gospel of Luke is one of the four gospels (good news) of Jesus Christ, his book is named for its author. Because of their similarities, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the synoptic gospels. This comes from the word, synopsis, which means, “seeing together”, because they report Jesus’ life in the same pattern. John’s gospel is completely different.

            According to tradition, Luke was a Gentile (non-Jew) (Col. 4:11,14) Very little is known about him, as he includes very few details about himself. We know nothing of his background or his conversion, or whether he was a Jewish proselyte first. Early church fathers believe he was from Antioch, since so much of the book of Acts is centred there. 

            Luke was a physician (Col. 4:14) which explains his evident interest in Jesus’ healing ministry. He later joined the Apostle Paul on his missionary journey (2 Tim. 4:11, Philemon 1:24) and recorded those events and other things that happened beginning at the ascension of Jesus. Those are recorded in the book of The Acts. Parts of the book where he joined Paul are written in first person, using the pronoun, we. Those two books are the only two books of sixty-six in the Bible written by a Gentile.

He was not one of Jesus’ apostles, but used sources and research to write his “orderly account”. However, it is not necessarily in strict chronological order. Since he states his knowledge of the events he records came from eyewitnesses, it strongly implies that he himself was not an eyewitness (Acts 1:1.2). It is believed Mary, Jesus’ mother was one of his sources for His birth narrative and the details about John the Baptist. 

Both Luke and Acts were written about the same time, with Luke being written first (Acts 1:1) This two-volume work was addressed to Theophilus. The name “Theophilus” literally means “loved by God” or “friend of God, so that has led some to believe it is just a generic title that applies to all Christians. However, it seems more likely that Luke is writing to a specific individual, even though it has application to all believers. Others think Theophilus was a wealthy relative of Caesar, an influential government official (based on the honorific term, most excellent, which is used elsewhere of Roman officials), a wealthy benefactor who supported Paul’s missionary journeys, or even Paul’s lawyer. We cannot know for sure, since Scripture doesn’t tell us.

The dedications at the beginning of both books are much like formal dedications in modern books, suggesting he intended them for a larger audience. The books of Luke and Acts together are a sweeping history from the birth of Christ to Paul’s imprisonment under house arrest in Rome (Acts 21:20-24).

Luke’s writing style is that of a scholarly, well-read author. He is a meticulous historian, often giving details to help identify the historical context of the events he described (1:5, 2:1.2, 3:1.2, 13:1-4). Of all the gospels, his has the fullest account of the nativity. He also includes the praise psalms. He is the only gospel writer to include the unusual circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist, the annunciation of Mary, the manger, the shepherds, and Simeon and Anna. His gospel has the most parables recorded (28) and he includes the famous parables of the good Samaritan, the prodigal son and the rich fool.

A theme of Luke’s gospel is Jesus’ compassion for Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, and sinners, who were often regarded as outcasts and pariahs in Israel. Every mention of a tax collector is in a positive sense. i.e. Zacchaeus. By telling about Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, to the women at the tomb on resurrection morning, Luke emphasized the central role of women in Jesus’ ministry.

By use of a travelogue of Jesus, we see the theme Luke stressed throughout his gospel: Jesus’ relentless progress toward the cross. This was the very reason Jesus came to earth. Luke also highlights the universal scope of the gospel invitation more than the other gospel writers. He portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, rejected by Israel and then offered to the world. It is not surprising, since he was a close companion to Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles.

Like the other three gospels, Luke’s focus is on the final week of Jesus’ life. This was the climax of the Old Testament types and shadows. Even though it was based on fabricated charges, false witnesses, a kangaroo court, and many miscarriages of justice along the way, it’s important to remember the cross didn’t “happen” to Jesus. It was the plan of God the Father, and Jesus was in control of the timeline all along. But that doesn’t absolve those involved of their responsibility or guilt.