WHO WROTE:  Luke.

 

That Luke is the author of this Book see Colossians 4:14, where Luke is with Paul and known as his traveling companion in Second Timothy 4:11 (see also Phm. 1:24).  And just as Luke is writing to Theophilus in Luke 1:3, so he is writing to Theophilus in Acts 1:1, the opening of both Books.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  B.C. 4 - 31 A.D.

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  In regards to the Book of Luke, the date of its composition is argued.  It must have been written before the Book of Acts, the date of the composition generally being fixed at about 63 or 64 A.D.  This Gospel was written, therefore, probably about 60 or 63 A.D., when Luke may have been at Caesarea in attendance with Paul, who was then a prisoner.  Others have conjectured that it was written at Rome during Paul’s imprisonment there (discussed below).  That It was definitely written before the Book of Acts is found in the Acts 1:1 statement that Luke had written a “former account” before the Book of Acts.

 

If, as is very probable, Second Timothy was written during Paul’s second imprisonment at Rome, around 67 or 68 A.D., Luke was the only one with Paul at that time to record any of the closing events of Paul’s life, as his faithful companion to the last (see 2Ti. 4:11).  It is well established that the Book of Acts was written after Luke wrote his Gospel.  Since Luke leaves out a most important event, the death of Paul, it is a fair assumption that the Book of Actswas written around this time (67 or 68 A.D.; Note, some scholars have Paul being killed by Nero in 64 A.D.).

 

However, many other scholars believe that the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are merely the legal documents that preceded Paul to Rome.  These documents were the legally required documentation of the circumstances that lead to the defendant’s purpose for asking for or requiring a trial under Roman law procedures.  The reason for this conclusion is that as you read Luke’s narrative you find that Luke goes out of his way to identify and discuss things of Roman concern.

 

For example, when Luke points out all the uprisings that Paul was accused of or involved in, Luke is very careful to point out that it was the Jewish contingent that caused the uprisings and not mentioning any involvement of Roman appointed governors or magistrates that may have also been involved.  Also, all through Luke’s writings the centurions are always the good guys.  Such as at Capernaum, Luke points out that the centurion built the Synagogue there (see Luke 7:5).  Thus, the Book of Luke can be considered as Part 1, and the Book of Acts as Part 2.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  An important FACT to bring up here is that out of the 101 references to places that Luke gives us, all have been verified to have existed at the right time period in which Luke was writing; including the events that took place in those geographical locations.

 

When combining the two Books of Luke and Acts we find that they comprise 27 percent of the entire New Testament, making Luke the largest contributor.  And since Paul refers to Luke as a Gentile coworker (see Col. 4:11, where these “are of the circumcision” and Col. 4:14, where Luke is not), Luke is the only non-Jewish author of a New Testament Books.

 

Out of a total of 1151 verses, the Book of Luke has 389 in common with Matthew and Mark, 176 in common with Matthew alone, 41 in common with Mark alone, leaving 544 peculiar to himself.  In many instances all three use identical language.  Luke uses a few Latin words (Luke 7:41; 8:30; 11:33; 12:6; 19:20), but no Syriac or Hebrew words, with the exception of “sikera,” in Luke 1:15, which comes from the Hebrew, “shaker,” meaning of the intoxicating kind (see Lev. 10:9).  It has never been doubted that the Gospel was written in Greek, whilst Hebraisms are frequent, classical idioms and Greek compound words abound, for which there is classical authority.

 

Luke, being a gentile, is interested not in Jewish things per se, but focuses upon the humanity of Christ, presenting Him to us as “The Son of Man.”  The only other instances of this title appearing, is in Daniel 7:13, Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:56, and in Revelation 1:13 & 14:14.  The title appears more than 80 times in the Gospels, with 25 of those appearances in the Book of Luke alone.  But the other Gospel writers use the term mostly as our Savior’s way of self-designation.  Whereas Luke uses the term more as His title.

 

However, Luke does get specific, that this Humanity of Christ is also Divine, by stating in Luke 6:5: “That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath,” and in Luke 5:24, “that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins.”  Notice the inclusion of “upon earth,” which keeps with Luke’s emphasis of Christ’s humanity; clothed in Divinity of course.  For in Luke 9:56 & 19:10, Luke states that “The Son of Man” came to seek and save that which was lost.  But first, this Humanity, this “Son of Man,” must suffer many things and be rejected and be killed in Luke 9:22.  Finally, Luke sees the “Son of Man” in His glorified human form in Luke 9:26; 12:4; 17:24 & 26 & 30; 21:36; 22:69, returning to the earth to reward His saints and finalize the Great Controversy.

 

There are seventeen of our Lord’s parables which are particular to this Gospel.  Luke also records seven of our Lord’s miracles, which are omitted by Matthew and Mark.  Luke’s key phrase, making his Gospel read more like a novel, emphasizing again the humanity of Christ, states, “now it came to pass.”  He uses this phrase no less than 40 times.  You can almost walk through Luke’s Book as if you are living and breathing with Jesus in His humanity.

 

The last notice of Luke, the “beloved physician,” is in Second Timothy 4:11.  It should be noted why this Gospel was written in the first place and how we should also take note of It, “That thou [Theophilus / place yourself here] mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”  The ancient opinion that Luke wrote his Gospel under the influence of Paul rests on the authority of Irenreus, Tertulian, Origen and Eusebius.

 

From MH:140-141 we read:  “[140] Luke, the writer of the Gospel that bears his name, was a medical missionary.  In the Scriptures he is called ’the beloved physician.’ Colossians 4:14.  The apostle Paul heard of his skill as a physician, and sought him out as one to whom the Lord had entrusted a special work.  He secured his co-operation, and for some time Luke accompanied him in his travels [141]

 

“from place to place.  After a time, Paul left Luke at Philippi, in Macedonia.  Here he continued to labor for several years, both as a physician and as a teacher of the gospel.  In his work as a physician he ministered to the sick, and then prayed for the healing power of God to rest upon the afflicted ones.  Thus the way was opened for the Gospel message.  Luke’s success as a physician gained for him many opportunities for preaching Christ among the heathen.  It is the Divine plan that we shall work as the disciples worked.”

 

Here is a true story about, “Trueory” [unsure of spelling], a 12-year-old girl [as told by Chuck Missler, of Koinonia House Ministries].

 

In 1835 A.D., the “Bible Society,” published 100 copies of the Gospel of Luke, in “Maori,” an official language in New Zealand.  In 1836 A.D., missionaries gave a copy of this Gospel of Luke to Trueory, who was at a mission school near Matamata, New Zealand.  She then read it to her father, who was the chief of the Waikato tribe; who lived along the Waikato River.

 

She kept her treasured copy of this Gospel of Luke under her pillow when she slept.  Under the threat of a neighboring tribe, called the Totorua, who lived near the Totorua lakes, the mission shool was in the process of relocating to Tauranga, New Zealand.

 

However, on October 19th, of 1836, at the Maori Falls, a raiding party from the Toroua tribe killed little Trueory and others of her tribe, and took the Gospel of Luke which they found under her pillow.  When presented to the Totorua chief, he discarded it because he could not read.

 

However again, a slave boy, who had been taken from the mission, was able to read, and he began to read the Gospel to whoever of the Totorua tribe that would listen.  Soon, the chief began to listen and was convicted of the contents of the Gospel of Luke.  He then resolved to become a Christian.  At this point I would like to point out that no Christian martyr dies for no reason.

 

What happens next is remarkable.  The Totorua chief then resolved to seek out the father of the 12-year-old girl, Trueory, and go to him and beg his forgiveness.  When he found the father of Trueory, the chief of the Maori tribe, and risking the endangering of, The Pact Of Revenge,” among all tribes of New Zealand, the father of the murdered Trueory forgave him.  As such, thus began a peaceful relationship between the two warring tribes.

 

To this day, this true story is distributed among the school children of the Maori tribe as part of their heritage.  The power of this Gospel, to transform people who have never heard of anyone such as Jesus or any Biblical characters, is only due to Its True Author.  In fact, in later years, when missionaries came to tell people from the Maori tribes about Jesus, the missionaries were astounded as to how much these people already knew, and they were told the account of a little 12-year-old girl by the name of Trueory.

 

On February 6, 1840, the Nation of New Zealand was born, by the signing of the, “Treaty of Watauga,” between the people of New Zealand and the people of the Maori tribes.  Primarily, the treaty dealt with land rights and other issues.  However, the foundational document of New Zealand, obligates the Crown of the United Kingdom (New Zealand was a British owed island as far as the rest of the world was concerned), [obligates] to safeguard the Maori’s rights to, “The Right of Worship.”

 

Now since a majority of the Maori tribes had been previously converted to Christianity by the time of this treaty, the government of New Zealand now became obligated to protect Christianity as being officially recognized in the country of New Zealand.  If you go to New Zealand today, you can still find Bibles in the schools, and home-schooling is encouraged.  Also, many Christian schools receive significant government support.  All because of one little 12-year-old missionary, if you will.