| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | The '''Gospel of Luke''' is called "the most beautiful book ever written."<ref>See, e.g., [[NRSV]] Study Bible at 1502.</ref> It is the first historian's account of the life of [[Jesus]], as written in perfect [[Greek]].<ref>The Gospel of Luke is the finest [[Greek]] among [[the Gospels]], while the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is the finest Greek in all of literature.</ref> Luke did not claim to be an eyewitness, but instead one who has "carefully investigated everything from the beginning" ({{bible ref|Luke|1|3}}) who wanted to "write an orderly account" so that the Greek man Theophilus (or the entire world, as the name means "loved by [[God]]") would "know the certainty of the things" he had been taught. (Luke 1:3-4) The author Luke was a [[Gentile]], as confirmed by [[Paul]] at [[Colossians]] 4:11,14. The Gospel of Luke is the 3rd and longest [[the Gospel|Gospel]] (indeed, the longest book in the entire [[New Testament]]), placed after [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] and [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] and before the [[Gospel of John]]. [[Papyrus 4]] and [[Papyrus 75]] are two early surviving scrolls of this Gospel. Luke implies the existence of [[Gospels]] before his in {{bibleref|Luke|1|1-3}}: "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us ... it seemed good to me ... to write an orderly account." | + | The '''Gospel of Luke''' is called "the most beautiful book ever written."<ref>''See, e.g.'', [[NRSV]] Study Bible at 1502.</ref> It is the first historian's account of the life of [[Jesus]], as written in perfect [[Greek]].<ref>The Gospel of Luke is the finest [[Greek]] among [[the Gospels]], while the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is the finest Greek in all of literature.</ref> Luke did not claim to be an eyewitness, but instead one who has "carefully investigated everything from the beginning" ({{bible ref|Luke|1|3}}) who wanted to "write an orderly account" so that the Greek man Theophilus (or the entire world, as the name means "loved by [[God]]") would "know the certainty of the things" he had been taught. (Luke 1:3-4) The author [[Luke]] was a [[Gentile]], as confirmed by [[Paul]] at [[Colossians]] 4:11,14. The Gospel of Luke is the 3rd and longest [[the Gospel|Gospel]] (indeed, the longest book in the entire [[New Testament]]), placed after [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] and [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] and before the [[Gospel of John]]. [[Papyrus 4]] and [[Papyrus 75]] are two early surviving scrolls of this Gospel. Luke implies the existence of [[Gospels]] before his in {{bibleref|Luke|1|1-3}}: "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us ... it seemed good to me ... to write an orderly account." |
| | | | |
| | Unique to the Gospel of Luke are: | | Unique to the Gospel of Luke are: |
| Line 9: |
Line 9: |
| | *The promise of [[paradise]] to one crucified alongside Jesus; | | *The promise of [[paradise]] to one crucified alongside Jesus; |
| | *This Gospel and the [[Gospel of John]] praise the [[Samaritan]]s the most; | | *This Gospel and the [[Gospel of John]] praise the [[Samaritan]]s the most; |
| − | *Details about origins and birth of Jesus; and | + | *Details about the lineage and birth of Jesus; and |
| | *"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - {{bibleref|Luke|12|48|version=NASB}} | | *"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - {{bibleref|Luke|12|48|version=NASB}} |
| | | | |
| Line 18: |
Line 18: |
| | ==Authorship== | | ==Authorship== |
| | [[Image:Gospel of Luke in Arab.gif|thumb|This tenth-century Egyptian codex was donated to Pope Eugenius IV by the Coptic delegates at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. Translated from a Coptic original, it is one of the earliest Arabic versions of any part of the New Testament, none of which can be dated before the late eighth or ninth centuries.]] | | [[Image:Gospel of Luke in Arab.gif|thumb|This tenth-century Egyptian codex was donated to Pope Eugenius IV by the Coptic delegates at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. Translated from a Coptic original, it is one of the earliest Arabic versions of any part of the New Testament, none of which can be dated before the late eighth or ninth centuries.]] |
| − | '''The Gospel of Luke''' does not name its author, but as a companion volume to the [[book of Acts]], it can be inferred by the use of "we" when describing part of Paul's journeys that the author traveled with Paul and [[Luke]], the doctor, becomes the most likely candidate. The extremely sophisticated Greek of Luke also argues for a man who was very educated as does his attention to detail and the medical language in use matches that of other ancient Greek doctors. The ancient church father [[Irenaeus]] ascribed the work to Luke as does the Muratorian Canon. It is also mentioned by Clemente of Alexandria. | + | '''The Gospel of Luke''' does not name its author, but as a companion volume to the [[book of Acts]], it can be inferred by the use of "we" when describing part of Paul's journeys that the author traveled with [[Paul]] and [[Luke]], the doctor, becomes the most likely candidate. The extremely sophisticated Greek of Luke also argues for a man who was very educated as does his attention to detail and the medical language in use matches that of other ancient Greek doctors. The ancient church father [[Irenaeus]] ascribed the work to Luke as does the Muratorian Canon. It is also mentioned by Clemente of Alexandria. |
| | | | |
| | ==Place of Writing== | | ==Place of Writing== |