| − | 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 "carefully investigated everything from the beginning" ({{bible ref|Luke|1|3}}), wanting to "write an orderly account" so that the recipient "Theophilus" (the entire world, as this 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." |