The Synoptic Gospels & Acts

Quick Facts: Gospel of Luke


Riding a Harley can be complicated, but once you feel comfortable in the saddle, you can cruise down main street with elegance. The Gospel of Luke is not for beginners. It is the most complicated of the synoptic Gospels and yet it is also the most elegant. Luke, being a physician and well-educated man, uses Greek literary styles to write his Gospel. An example of this is that he writes a formal prologue. He explains his purpose, method and his sources. None of the other Gospels do this. His writing is compared to the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Whenever Luke references something from Mark or Matthew, he changes the word to be more elegant. Being a physician, Luke notes the inner feelings and attitudes of people. For example, he often notes how Mary pondered the mysterious events of Christ in her heart. Luke uses 2055 words, of which 957 are hapax legomena. This is over 800 more than Matthew. Luke likes to put scenes in liturgical settings, such as at the Last Supper, Jesus pronounces the appropriate liturgical blessings. Luke’s Gospel is for more advanced Christians.

Riding a Harley can be complicated, but once you feel comfortable in the saddle, you can cruise down main street with elegance. The Gospel of Luke is not for beginners. It is the most complicated of the synoptic Gospels and yet it is also the most elegant. Luke, being a physician and well-educated man, uses Greek literary styles to write his Gospel. An example of this is that he writes a formal prologue. He explains his purpose, method and his sources. None of the other Gospels do this. His writing is compared to the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Whenever Luke references something from Mark or Matthew, he changes the word to be more elegant. Being a physician, Luke notes the inner feelings and attitudes of people. For example, he often notes how Mary pondered the mysterious events of Christ in her heart. Luke uses 2055 words, of which 957 are hapax legomena. This is over 800 more than Matthew. Luke likes to put scenes in liturgical settings, such as at the Last Supper, Jesus pronounces the appropriate liturgical blessings. Luke’s Gospel is for more advanced Christians.

Author: Luke, a physician, companion of Paul, probably a convert to Judaism, from Syrian Antioch
Date: 60-67 AD
Symbol: the Ox
        -many scenes of temple-where animals such as oxes were sacrificed
Place of composition: unknown
         -perhaps Rome, Achaia, or Philippi
Audience: written for Theophilus
Key topics in Luke:
          -prayer
          -Jesus the Lord
          -Holy Spirit
           -joy
            -announcing the Gospel to all people
Preferred scene: temple
Theology: God through Jesus was faithful to promises made to Israel, but in an unexpected way to include Gentiles, women, outcasts, etc.