Gospel of Luke Overview: Podcast Notes
Listen to Episode 5: Gospel of Luke Overview on our podcast for more info!
Have you ever felt like an outcast? Like you sit on the outside looking in? If so, the gospel of Luke will be a great encouragement to you.
Every gospel book in the New Testament includes a unified yet unique look at the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Luke, however, is the only known Gentile to write a book in the Bible. This truth directly impacts the details he hones in on, specifically the inclusion of women, Samaritans, Gentiles, and the poor as recipients of God's saving grace.
Hands down, this book of the Bible reminds us of the Good News of Great Joy afforded to believers through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross!
Before studying our newest study in Luke (available on iPhones, Androids, or in PDF version), let’s get familiar with the book’s overview.
WHAT TYPE OF BOOK IS THIS?
Well, we know Luke is a gospel account of Christ's life from the title! More importantly, we will find as we read that this book hinges on the life and person of Christ Jesus.
The gospel genre refers to the Greek word euangelion, which means a grand proclamation. Typically, an emperor's declaration or an update of a victorious battle were never written but announced in the town square. However, how lucky are believers today that we have a written account of the best news from over two thousand years ago: the Good News of Christ's death and resurrection!
Interestingly, the gospel genre takes a cue from the cultural setting of the time, for this type of writing mimics the modern-day biographies of significant figures. Nowadays, biographies tend to look at the ins and outs of a person's childhood to the present day to expose the events that made them. However, Roman biographies focused on unveiling a person's identity to explain one's great deeds. There wasn't a lot of backstory or development added unless it was a major event.
This is true in the gospel of Luke. As you will see while reading Luke, we get a little glimpse into Christ's early years. But most of what we see throughout this gospel revolves around Christ's person, ministry, and resurrection.
WHO WROTE THIS BOOK?
Nowhere in the book of Luke does it say, I, the beloved doctor, Luke pen this gospel. However, according to early church history, there was no debate that Luke, Paul's coworker and colaborer for the gospel, wrote this book. Theologians such as Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian referenced Luke as the author throughout many of their works. Therefore, we’re going to safely say that Luke was the writer of this gospel account!
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR?
Paul mentions Luke several times throughout the New Testament. For instance, Colossians 4:14 says, "Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas." Paul mentions that Luke was a beloved physician in his letter to the Colossian church. You'll notice throughout this gospel that Luke pays close attention to details surrounding Christ's miracles and healings. No doubt his experience as a physician influenced this attention to physical healing. Calling Dr. Luke!
But also from this passage, we see that Luke was a Gentile. Paul's final greetings distinguish that Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus are the only men of circumcision. This means that Luke was not Jewish!
Again, Paul mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:11 that "Luke alone is with me." In Paul's last letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, we see Luke staying by Paul's side. He was a faithful minister, encouraging his colaborer in ministry up until Paul's final days.
Lastly, Luke was mentioned in Philemon 23-24. It says: "Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers."
Now, another unique reference to Luke can be found throughout Acts. (Which Luke wrote as well! More on this later.) Throughout the book of Acts, there is a pronoun shift from them to us.
Acts 16:6-10 reads, "And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Clearly, we see that Luke was a part of Paul's missionary journeys. He accompanied Paul on his final trip to Jerusalem around 57-58 AD. This is most likely the time that Luke spent compiling his resources for the two-fold book of Luke-Acts.
WHO IS THIS BOOK WRITTEN FOR? WHO IS THE INTENDED AUDIENCE?
Both Luke and Acts address Theophilus in the initial greetings of each book. This name means "friend of God" or "beloved by God." Many scholars agree this was a Roman with high social status, most likely a wealthy believer in Christ Jesus. Verse two talks about the things "that have been accomplished among us." Many
Some also believe the most pressing need for this gospel account was used in Paul's court appearance before Caesar.
WHAT IS THE SETTING AND LOCATION OF THIS PASSAGE?
A huge factor in how we date and pinpoint a location throughout Luke weighs heavily on the dating of Acts. Scholars typically believe that Luke was finished in the early 60s AD in the Middle East.
HOW DOES THIS BOOK FIT INTO THE TIMELINE OF SCRIPTURE? WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE IT? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER IT?
As Warren Wiersbe stated, "It was indeed a dark day for the nation of Israel. The people had heard no prophetic word from God for four hundred years, not since Malachi had promised the coming of Elijah (Mal. 5-6)." Spiritual leaders focused heavily on religious tradition during this era, also known as the Intertestamental Period. Therefore, their spiritual rulers imposed burdens on man from instructions not sent from God.
Additionally, Herod the Great ruled over the Jews during the Hasmonean dynasty. He was an especially vicious man, murdering several of his family members. Under this harsh dictator of a king, God interjects His Son into the world's timeline to save believers from their sin. It was a time in need of the Prince of Peace!
WHAT IS THE CENTRAL THEME?
Christ brought physical salvation to people by healing diseases, liberating demons, restoring life, and rescuing from disaster. More importantly, the Son of Man offered spiritual salvation and forgiveness of sins through His atoning work on the Cross. Anyone—male or female, child or adult, Jew or Greek—could receive eternal life through repentance and believing in Christ Jesus!
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