An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

An Introduction to the Gospel of Luke August 30, 2014

Here is an introduction to the Gospel of Luke and the purpose for its being written.

The Author of Luke

Luke the Physician has also been called Luke the Historian because of the detailed accuracy of this gospel account to which scholars and tradition holds to him being the author.  Luke is the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, which at one time was one book and was only later broken down into two separate books.   Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul during his missionary travels and has also been called Luke the Evangelist because of this very reason.  Luke was not one of the Apostles but was likely a Greek by birth who was very well educated and (Col 4:11) who was possibly brought to faith in Christ by Paul during one of his missions.

There is external and internal evidence indicating that both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts may have been written at the same time (61-64 A.D.).  There is no mention in the Book of Acts of historical events after A.D. 62 and nothing is said of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and since we know that Luke was careful to include accurate details of people, places, times, and events, it is inconceivable that he would not have mentioned any of the events after A.D. 64.

The Audience

Since Luke was a Greek it appears that he wanted the Gentile Christian’s to understand that God offers salvation to all who would trust in the Son of God. This third gospel presented the works and the teachings of Jesus Christ in a way that the non-Jew would more easily understand and this is why this gospel was not intended specifically for the Jews.  It seems evident, just as in the Book of Acts, that Luke wrote this to give an historical and factual account of Jesus Christ’s ministry for Theophilus, who was likely a converted Gentile but many biblical scholars believe that the name Theophilus is not a person but the Christian community in general because the name means “love of God” so there is reason to believe that this gospel was written for the larger, Christian community and not just for one man.   The fact that his main interest was in the redemptive plan of salvation of what God had planned from the beginning is testimony to the fact that the audience was those who were within the Body of Christ and were Gentile by birth.  The style of Luke’s writing has an apologetic nature to it with highly accurate details and genealogies that we might expect of someone of a higher, Greek up-brining and which the Greeks of the day would better appreciate.  It seems that Luke is interested in those who the world neglects, especially the Jewish religious leadership of the day.  Those who were being neglected like children, women, and the poor, were an emphasis in this gospel so it would appear that his audience also included those who were disenfranchised in Judea during the 1st century.

The Purpose of the Gospel of Luke

Luke gives us the purpose in the very beginning, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 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,  that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4).  As with Luke’s Book of Acts, he gives us an exacting, accurate, and detailed account of Jesus’ earthly ministry and writes it in such a way as to be one of the most historically reliable accounts that stands up to ancient and modern historicity standards and scholarship.

One of the reasons for Luke’s writing this gospel was to stress the humanity of Christ which may be why he gave a highly accurate and vividly detailed genealogy of Jesus Christ and account of His birth.  He tells us in the very first chapter that his intention was to give a well-ordered, accurate account of the ministry of Christ and reminds his reader of this in writing “to know the certainty” of these things that he has learned (1:4).

Gospel of Luke

Conclusion

The Gospel of Luke gives hope to those who in that day and in this world have little of; the poor, women (particularly in the 1st century), and children and he reveals that salvation is offered by grace and not narrowly limited by race.  Salvation originally believed to be limited to the Jews is now openly stated to be offered to Jew and Gentile alike. The audience of Luke then is an appropriate audience since most of the readers of Luke, even today, are outside of the Jewish heritage and besides, for the most part, the Jews have rejected Jesus as their Messiah, even up to this present day.  The Gospel of Luke was written by one of the most intelligent men of that day but is still easily understood enough by those who have little biblical knowledge in the present day.   The Gospel of Luke is still among the most favorite of all the gospel accounts and is still being used powerfully around the world to bring the good news that God offers salvation to any who repent, confess their sins, and see their need for the Savior and then put their trust in Him.  That’s why the word “gospel” means “good news.”  For those who reject the gospel, they only have a future that is decidedly filled with the worst of all news (Rev 20:11-5; Dan 12:1-3).  My hope is that this is not the news you will receive someday (John 3:18b, 3:36b).  There is certainly no need to have a gloom and doom future, when this very day can be your day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon


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