Luke Introduction

Luke - the author of the third Gospel, was a physician by trade. Because of this, he rendered an invaluable service to the physically affected Paul. Luke apparently joined Paul on his second missionary journey. His familiarity with the Greek language was of great aid to Paul and it was probably on his urging that Paul took the Gospel into the European continent. He was with Paul during the two years that the Apostle was imprisoned at Caesarea and it was probably at that time that Luke recorded much of his preliminary work on his Gospel. He sailed with Paul on his trip to Rome.
Luke was probably a Greek and while Paul implies in Colossians 4:10-14, that he was a Gentile, some believe he was at least part Jew. He was well versed in many trades. He was acquainted with navigation, had excellent literary skills, a marked memory and served as a "literary bridge" between the Jewish and the Gentile world. He wrote especially for the Romans and the Greeks. His training as a physician is reflected in his accounts of the birth of John and Jesus. He refers to the "great fever" in Chapter 4, the ability of the "healed" daughter of Jairus to eat meat and the parable of the Good Samaritan with its first-aid episode. Luke was a "kindly, evangelistic, literary genius" and first century physician who dedicated all that he had to the "Universal Christ" in varied service to his fellow man.
It seems natural that Luke should then be the Author of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles also. One who had been with them so much of the time. The Gospel of Luke and the Book of the Acts, together, originally formed a two-volume book on the origin of Christianity and its spread from Jerusalem to Rome. In the second century, when the four Gospels began to be circulated together as "The Gospel", the Book of Acts became seperated.
The Author is nowhere mentioned by name in either book, but he does speak of himself in the Prologue of the Gospel and indicates in the "we" sections of the Book of Acts (Ch. 16:10) that he was present. Nowhere does Luke claim to have been a personal witness of Jesus, but rather to have been in touch with those who were and to have studied the work of previous Gospel writers. Nearly half of Luke's material is found only in his Gospel and most of these are some of Jesus' most memorable parables. Such stories as:

The birth narratives.
The Good Samaritan.
Mary and Martha.
The Loss Coin and the Loss Son.
Dives and Lazarus.
Zacchaeus.
The Penitent Thief on the cross.
The Ascension.

From this partial list we can see how much of the teachings of Christ recorded in Luke gives it its characteristic quality. Luke's purpose was to compile, from existing records, an account of Christian beginnings that would be accurate, well arranged and authoritative. It was especially recommended to the intelligent Gentiles outside the church.
He ascribed for universal appeal. He emphasized prayer and the teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit. He displays an absence of theology. The revolutionary record of Barabbas in Chapter 23 was given to impress the law-respecting Romans with the injustice done to Jesus.

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