The Gospel of Luke

An Overview of the Third Gospel in the New Testament

Apr 23, 2009

Luke Writing the Gospel (Andrea Mantega c. 1454), Wikimedia Commons

The third of the New Testament gospels, Luke attempts to provide an accurate history of the life of Jesus and to give evidence that he is the Christ.

The gospel of Luke is the third book of the New Testament which recounts the life of Jesus.

It is one of the three Synoptic Gospels, along with Matthew and Mark, which contain many of the same parables and events.

Who Wrote the Gospel of Luke?

The gospel does not reveal the author's name but Eusebius and Irenaeus identify him as Luke.

A Greek, who is believed to have been raised in Antioch in Syria, Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14) but served as a Christian evangelist.

He worked with the apostle Paul on his second missionary trip (Acts 16), traveled with him on his return to Asia (Acts 20) and accompanied Paul to Rome (Acts 28) when Paul traveled there as a prisoner.

Luke also wrote the book of Acts and is the only known Gentile author in the New Testament.

When was the Gospel of Luke Written?

Luke identifies his sources as those who "from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word" (1:2). Scholars generally believe that the gospel of Mark (circa 55-65 AD) was written prior to Luke's gospel and served as one of his sources.

Still, Luke is the longest of all the gospels and includes many details not found in the others, so it is likely that Luke met others during his travels who knew, saw or heard Jesus and provided additional information.

Based on those considerations, Luke's gospel was probably written somewhere between 60 and 70 AD.

Why Was the Gospel of Luke Written?

Throughout Luke's gospel, Greek expressions are used in place of Jewish expressions and he generally does not link events in Jesus' life to Old Testament prophecies so scholars conclude that Luke was written for Gentile Christians.

Luke begins his gospel by writing, "since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus."

Theophilus could have been an acquaintance of Luke's who wanted to learn more about Christ; however, Theophilus means "one who loves God," so Luke could have been dedicating his gospel to Christians in general.

Outline of the Gospel of Luke

The gospel of Luke can be broken down into the following sections:

The birth and preparation of Jesus, 1:1-4:13, gives detailed accounts of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, Jesus' baptism by John and temptation by Satan and John's imprisonment by Herod.
Jesus' ministry in Galilee, 4:14-9:50, where he selects twelve disciples, gives the Beatitudes, feeds five thousand people and is transfigured.
Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, 9:51-19:27, details numerous parables, sending out of the 72 messengers, his grieving over Jerusalem and numerous other events and teachings.
Jesus' Ministry in Jerusalem, 19:28-21:38, covers Jesus' arrival, teaching in the temple and his prediction of devastation to the temple and Jerusalem.
The death and resurrection of Jesus, 22:1-24:53, recounts the Last Supper, Jesus' betrayal, trial, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.

How the Gospel of Luke is Unique

The gospel of Luke contains the most number of unique events:

In depth details involving the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus (1:5-80)
Stories of Jesus as an infant and a twelve-year old (2:1-52)
John's imprisonment by Herod (3:19,20)
Jesus' rejection in Nazareth (4:16-30)
The miraculous catch of fish by Jesus (5:1-11)
Jesus' raising to life of a widow's dead son (7:11-17)
A sinful woman anointing Jesus' feet with perfume (7:36-50)
Several women, whom Jesus had healed, traveling with him (8:1-3)
Numerous miracles, teachings and other events in the months preceding Jesus' death (10:1-18:14)
The story of Zacchaeus and the parable of the king's ten servants (19:1-27)
The trial of Jesus before Herod (23:6-12)
A portion of Jesus' last words before his ascension (24:44-49)

Summary of Gospel of Luke

Taking eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus and writing under the inspiration of God, Luke's gospel builds a case to prove that Jesus lived and was the Son of Man, the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind.