preview

The Gospel According To The Gospel Of Luke

Decent Essays

Introduction to the Gospel according to Luke
Before we begin our series on the Gospel according to Luke, let us have a look at what this gospel focuses on and what makes it unique compared to the other three gospels. The Gospel of Luke was probably the last to be written, between 59AD and 70AD. It is thought to have been written by Luke, a Greek, a physician and a companion of the Apostle Paul. Though personal information about his life is non-existent and like the other synoptics, the author does not clearly identify himself within the text. One of the few times Luke is mentioned is by Paul, in Colossians 4:14, it says “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor and Demas send greetings,” indicating that Luke was travelling with him at this time. …show more content…

Even though it is written in more of a Greek style, its subject matter covers the concerns of Christians, rather than the Greco-Roman world. Luke uses an extensive prologue to introduce his gospel, which is not seen in the other gospels. Luke 1:3-4 says “with this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” This formal introduction is not only Greek in nature, setting out the subject, purpose, method and audience, but is addressed to “Theophilus,” a name that means “Lover of God” or “friend of God.” This could be an individual, as it was a name given to men of authority or it could have simply been addressing every Christian. Here he writes to inform Theophilus of his intention, which is to lead the reader through an account of events, this was not to justify the Christian belief, but to encourage the faith of those who did believe. What makes Luke so interesting is that it is the only gospel to have a sequel, which is the book of Acts. It is believed that Luke and Acts were written as a two-part volume, with the style of writing and length being similar. Acts even begins by Luke addressing Theophilus, “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.” (Acts

Get Access