Luke Introduction Bible Teaching

The Gospel of Luke: Authorship and Insights

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Introduction to Luke

Well, let’s get into the Gospel written by Luke. And to begin let’s learn a little about the man Luke, who unlike the Apostles of Jesus, was said to be a Gentile. However even this apparent fact is in question as one commentator says:

It has been made a matter of inquiry whether Luke was a Gentile or a Jew. On this subject there is no positive testimony. Jerome and others of the early church fathers say that he was a Syrian, and born at Antioch. The most probable opinion seems to be that he was a proselyte to the Jewish religion, though descended from Gentile parents.

For this opinion, two reasons may be assigned of some weight. He was intimately acquainted, as appears by the Gospel and the Acts, with the Jewish rites, customs, opinions, and prejudices; and he wrote in their dialect, that is, with much of the Hebrew phraseology, in a style similar to the other evangelists, from which it appears that he was accustomed to the Jewish religion, and was, therefore, probably a proselyte. However, the preface to his Gospel, as critics have remarked, is pure classic Greek, unlike the Greek that was used by native Jews; from which it seems not improbable that he was by birth and education a Gentile.

Additionally, in the Epistle to the Colossians, (4:9-11), we find Paul saying that Aristarchus, and Marcus, and Barnabas, and Justus saluted them, "who are," he adds, "of the circumcision," (meaning, Jews by birth). But three verses later (in Colossians 4:14) he says that Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas also saluted them; but since he does not call them of the circumcision, it seems that they were by birth Gentiles.

2nd Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. <<The second [epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.]

And finally Philemon 1:24 which says Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlaborers.

Luke's Conversion and Collaboration

What is more interesting to me is that the date and circumstances of his conversion are unknown but according to his own statement (in the second verse of our first chapter) he was not an "eye-witness and minister of the word from the beginning." What this means is that the things Luke writes are NOT from his own experience – they were communicated to him by another or perhaps others.

Because Luke is mentioned by name in Colossians 4:14 (which says) “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you” and 2nd Timothy 4:11 which says: “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

It is strongly believed that Luke was a disciple of Paul’s, that he was converted through Paul’s reaching out to the Gentile world, and that one of the Main sources of information on the life of Christ was Paul. Of course, what is interesting about this is that Paul was not a first-hand witness of Jesus's life either!

Authorship of the Gospels

So, what gives? In modern times there is a lot of questioning about authorship of the Gospels but perhaps, even though they were often wrong on theological positions, the early church leaders are the best witnesses to tell us who wrote the gospels. I think it’s not so reasonable to conclude that 2,000 years later we have better insight as to origins than they did.

Regarding the Gospel of Matthew, Origen (who was born in 185 AD) said: “Among the four gospels, which are the only indisputable ones in the Church of God under heaven, I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew, who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ . . Ecclesiastical History, 6:25.

Papias (born in 60 AD) said about Mark: “Mark who wrote the Gospel . . . having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ . . . one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements.” (Expositions Of The Oracles of The Lord, 6).

Interestingly enough, it appears that Paul quoted from Luke’s Gospel as Luke 10:7 quotes Jesus as saying: “. . . for the laborer deserves his wages.” And Paul wrote the exact same line in 1st Timothy 5:18.

Origins and Authorship of the Gospel of Luke

A summary of Gospel origins is given by Irenaeus (born in 130 AD). He said:

“Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him (meaning Paul). Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.”

Luke's Account of His Gospel Writing

But perhaps most importantly, Luke himself tells us how he wrote his gospel! In verses 1-3 of our first chapter Luke writes:

Oh . . . and before I read this, guess what? I am going to be teaching through and reading NOT the King Version – not not the NIV or the ESV or the NASB. I am going to teach the Gospel of Luke by and through the TVAR! Hot off the presses. And which (again) is a translation/version of other translations and versions along with appealing to unique and what I hope are better Greek Terms. So here we go!

Verse 1-3 of how Luke explains how he wrote this Gospel as he says:

1 Since many have gone about to set in order a recitation of those things which have been accomplished among us,

2 and just as they were delivered to us by eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning;

3 It seemed good to me also, having had diligent understanding of all things from the very start, to write an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

4 That you might with certainty know of the things that you have been taught.

So, there we have it. Luke says that the things he was able to write were from “eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word.” We note that he cites plural sources – and not just Paul – but eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word.

Relationship Between Luke and Paul

Now according to Acts 16:10,11; Acts 16:11-17; 21:1-6) Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. As a result it is a common belief (of the post-return of Christ Christians) that this gospel is the best representation of the Gospel that Paul preached during his lifetime. Irenaeus wrote, "Luke, the companion of Paul, put down in a book the gospel preached by him," and also, "Luke was not only a companion, but also a fellow-laborer of the apostles, especially of Paul." And Origen also wrote, referring to the four gospels, "The third is that according to Luke, the gospel commended by Paul, published for the sake of the Gentile converts."

Maybe you didn’t catch it (well get back to it in our verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty. study) but Luke is the only writer who claims to have written in chronological order. The other gospels tend to be written in thematic order which was common in those days.

Finally, we might wonder, “How did Luke – and even Matthew know things where nobody was present? For instance, everyone was sleeping when Jesus was in Gethsemane and his sweat fell to the ground like great clods of blood. Who was able to see and report this?

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Gospel Writing

Certainly not Luke, nor Paul, nor anyone else! And how did they know what Jesus said in his prayer during this trying time?

The answer is that in the mouth of two or three witnesses all things are established and that a constant witness to inspired writing (which is what we call canon) was the Holy Spirit. We stand by this based on passages like 2nd Peter 1:20-21 where Peter wrote:

First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

So whether Luke or Paul was there or not is almost irrelevant to those who walk by faith – which many critics do not do today and so we have them wondering how Luke was able to fill in such gaps. We also recall Jesus saying to his own disciples in John 14:26:

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

So, it seems probable that Luke was a physician in Troas, and that he was there converted by

Luke's Companionship with Paul

Paul.

And though he appears to have attached himself to Paul and accompanied him to Philippi, he did not share his imprisonment there, nor did he accompany him further after his release. According to Acts 20:5-6, on Paul's third visit to Philippi we again catch up with Luke, who probably had spent all the intervening time in that city, or about 8 years. From this time forward, it appears that Luke was Paul's constant companion during his journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6-21:18), but then he disappears again during Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem and Caesarea only to reappear when Paul sets out for Rome (as reported in Acts 27:1), and he accompanies and remains with him till the close of his first imprisonment (Philemon 1:24; Colossians 4:14 – which we have read). The last scriptural notice of the "beloved physician" is in 2nd Timothy 4:11.

Many people suggest that Luke reveals his medical knowledge in and through his writings, but Bart Erhman claims that this is simply not true upon closer scrutiny.

The Gospel of Luke

So, let’s talk a bit about the actual Gospel of Luke itself. Over the years this Gospel account has been called a number of things including, "the Gospel for the Greeks,” “the Gospel of the saintly life;" "the Gospel for the future or for progressive Christianity, the gospel of Universiality, the historic Gospel; the Gospel of Jesus as the good Physician and the Saviour of mankind;" the "Gospel of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man;" "the Gospel of womanhood;" "the Gospel of the outcast, of the Samaritan, the publican, the harlot, and the prodigal;" "the Gospel of tolerance."

One scholar said that the main characteristic of this Gospel can be contained by the phrase, "Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil." In it, we find a different approach than the other synoptics Matthew and Luke because Luke was writing to the non-Jew. Out of 1,151 verses, Luke has 389 in common with Matthew and Mark, 176 in common with Matthew alone, and 41 in common with Mark alone, leaving 544 original to himself. In many cases, all three use identical language.

Seventeen of the Lord's parables are unique to this Gospel and Luke also records seven of our Lord's miracles which are omitted by Matthew and Mark.

Comparative Statistics of the Synoptic Gospels

If the contents of each of the synoptic Gospels are represented by 100, then when compared to each other, we get the following results: Mark has 7 unique, 93 shared. Matthew 42 unique and 58 shared. And Luke has 59 unique and 41 shared. In other words, 13/14 of Mark, 4/7 of Matthew, and 2/5 of Luke describe the same things in very similar language as the others.

Luke's style is more finished and classical than that of Matthew and Mark. There is less in it of the Hebrew idiom. He even uses a few Latin words (found in Luke 12:6; 7:41; 8:30; 11:33; 19:20). The only Hebrew or Syriac words he ever uses is “sikera” or “shakar” that means, he is intoxicated. This Gospel contains twenty-eight distinct references to the Old Testament.

Date and Composition of Luke's Gospel

The date of its composition is uncertain but it must have been written before the book of Acts which is thought to have been written about 63 or 64 A.D. Therefore, this Gospel was probably written about 60 or 63 when Luke may have been at Caesarea with Paul who was at that time a prisoner. Others have conjectured that it was written at Rome during Paul's imprisonment there but we can’t be sure.

As stated, the general view is Luke wrote at the direction of Paul (and others as he says in verses 1-4 in this first chapter but either Paul greatly influenced or was influenced by Luke). We can say this because there are a number of passages and phrases that Luke employs that Paul uses in his epistles. They are not verbatim but in the Greek their emphasis is the same. These include:

Luke 4:22 with Colossians 4:6;
Luke 4:32 with 1st Corinthians 2:4
Luke 6:36 with 2nd Corinthians 1:3
Luke 6:39 with Romans 2:19
Luke 9:56 with 2nd Corinthians 10:8
Luke 10:8 with 1st Corinthians 10:27
Luke 11:41 with Titus 1:15
Luke 18:1 with 2nd Thessalonians 1:11
Luke 21:36 with Ephesians 6:18
Luke 22:19-20 with 1st Corinthians 11:23-29;
Luke 24:46 with Acts 17:3
Luke 24:34 with 1st Corinthians 15:5

So, with that under our belts, let's sojourn into the text of the Gospel of Luke – chapter 1 verses 1-6:

1Since many have gone about to set in order a recitation of those things

The Gospel According to Luke

which have been accomplished among us, 2and just as they were delivered to us by eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning; 3It seemed good to me also, having had diligent understanding of all things from the very start, to write an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4That you might with certainty know of the things that you have been taught. 5In the days of Herod, king of Judaea, there was a priest named Zacharias, in the circuit of Abia: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6And they were both righteous before YHWH, blamelessly walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

Insights into Abundant Records

Okay back to verse 1 where Luke writes:

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

It has been debated here who are referred to here by the word “many.” We remember that the Gospel of John had not yet been composed and so it does not seem that the term many could be speaking of Matthew and Mark. I think that Luke is giving us insight into the abundance of attempts that had been made by others to record a history or Gospel of the Life of Christ – some of which remain outside authorized canon today for numerous reasons.

We also know that many spurious gospels were written long after Luke wrote his so he might mean an abundance of historical fragments or parables or acts that many attempted to write in his day and age. I mean if we think about it, in light of all that Jesus did and taught – His miracles and his deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. and resurrection – and since writing had been around for quite some time, it is likely that the number of manuscripts floating around and Luke has decided to add his own research and record to the list. And what did the many attempt to do? He tells us, saying:

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

Simply put, many have attempted to compose a narrative that would declare the things which the Christians around them believed.

Eyewitnesses and Ministers

Verse 2

2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word

It seems to me that Luke is saying here in pretty plain language that those who attempted to set forth declarations delivered those declarations to “us” he says, supposing he refers to himself and perhaps Paul, and he adds:

Which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. Most scholars believe that Luke is referring to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark here, but I’m not so sure as it could refer to any sincere Christian who walked with them from the beginning and tried to write what they witnessed.

Writing to Theophilus

Luke adds:

3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

It also seemed good to me, Luke adds, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first. Now that is a huge statement. Other translations put it this way:

Lu 1:3 (RSV) it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, (TCNT) And, therefore, I also, since I have investigated all these events with great care from their very beginning, have resolved to write a connected history of them for you,

OR

(WEB) it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

OR

(WNT) it has seemed right to me also, after careful investigation of the facts from their commencement, to write for you, most noble Theophilus, a connected account,

OR

(YLT) it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus,

Whatever translation is best, the general thought is:

I thought it best, since I had followed/investigated/researched/traced the course of all things from the beginning (presumably of Christ’s ministry on earth – and even before) to write to Theophilus in order of the events as they transpired historically.

So, we automatically know a few things right off the bat from Luke himself. He was writing from what he believed was a well-researched and perfectly informed position to write.

Introduction to Luke's Gospel

He was writing in chronological order. And he wrote to a being – a man – perhaps a figment named Theophilus. The word Theophilus means literally “a friend of God,” (a compound of Theos (God) and Philos (friend). Many believe that Luke is not referring to a particular individual, but to any and all friends of God. But this may be a stretch. Names with great signification are common and there is no good reason to believe that this was not the proper noun name of an individual Luke knew.

The title "most excellent" helps to prove this in my opinion. The title occurs only in three other places in the New Testament, and is given to men who held offices (like Felix and Festus in Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25). Bottom line, we don’t know who Theophilus was but it seems most reasonable to believe that he was some distinguished Roman or Greek who had been converted, who was a friend of Luke, and who had requested an account of these things. It is even possible that this preface might have been sent to him as a private letter with the gospel and Theophilus chose to have them published together or that the entire thing was never meant to be more than a private communication to the man and the man took it out and shared it (like the book of Acts) with others.

The Certainty of Instruction

Luke does make it plain his reason for writing and giving this to Theophilus, saying at verse 4:

4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

From this we can see that Theophilus was instructed in the faith – perhaps by Paul – and that Luke’s intention was to provide him this gospel so that he, “could know the certainty of those things which he had been taught.”

Introduction of Key Figures

So at this point Luke embarks on his record and opens up by setting the stage and then introducing our first characters of the Apostolic record – Herod, and the parents of John the Baptist. So, he says at verse 5:

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Luke begins with Herod, and this is Herod the Great, the son of Antipater, an Idumean by birth, and a man who had professed himself a proselyte of the Jewish religion. In reality he had no regard for any religion unless it furthered his secular interests and ambitions. Therefore, for the first time, the throne of Judah was filled by a person not of Jewish extraction, a man who had been forced upon the people by the Roman government. This appears to fulfill an ancient prophecy, found in Genesis 49:10 that has Jacob say over his Son Judah:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

It appears that the word UNTIL in that prophesy was now fulfilled for the sceptre had departed from Judah: and now was the time, according to another prophecy, to look for the governor from Bethlehem, who should rule and feed the people of Israel. That prophesy is found in Micah chapter 5.

The Course of Abia

Luke adds: The course of Abiah. So when the sacerdotal families grew too numerous so that all could not officiate together at the tabernacle, David divided them into twenty-four classes, that they might minister by turns. This is described in 1st Chronicles 24:1. Each family would served a whole week, (2Ki 11:7; 2Ch 23:8) and Abiah was the eighth in the order in which they had been originally established (see 1st Chronicles 24:10). This is an amazing proof of the Gospel history as Luke provides this for anyone who wants to fact check John the Baptist and his history.

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

That is, Elizabeth was of one of the sacerdotal families and these facts show that John the Baptist was most nobly descended as his father was a priest and his mother the daughter of a priest; and thus, both by father and mother, he descended from the family of Amram, of whom came Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, some of the most illustrious characters in the

Righteousness of John's Parents

Whole Jewish history.

And Luke describes this couple further, saying:

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

They were both upright and holy in all their outward conduct in civil life relative to the Law before God.

Walking in Commandments

Luke adds

Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

This is an amazing description of John’s parents. I mean from it no one could lay any evil to their charge.

Devotion to the Law

Of course these descriptions of them are relative to the law, which the devoutly served their God.

We will continue next week into Luke’s narrative of this couple and their miracle Son – John called the Baptist.

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