LUKE, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO
An account primarily relating the events of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Its purpose was to present an accurate record in logical order, verifying the certainty of what Theophilus had been taught orally. (Luke 1:3, 4) As suggested by its having a place in the Bible canon, this record was also to benefit many other persons, both Jews and non-Jews. Whereas topical arrangement appears to predominate at times, this Gospel follows a chronological order in general outline.
WRITER AND TIME WRITTEN
Although not named therein, the physician Luke (Col. 4:14) has generally been credited with the writership of this account. There is written evidence to this effect from as early as the second century C.E., the Gospel being attributed to Luke in the Muratorian Fragment (c. 170 C.E.). Certain aspects of this Gospel may also be viewed as pointing to a well-educated physician as its writer. The vocabulary found therein is more extensive than that of the other three Gospels combined. At times the descriptions of afflictions healed by Jesus are more specific than in the other accounts.—Compare Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38; Matthew 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12.
It was evidently before writing the book of Acts that Luke completed his Gospel. (Acts 1:1, 2) Since he had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem at the end of the apostle’s third missionary journey (Acts 21:15-17), he would have been in a good position to trace accurately the things pertaining to Jesus Christ in the very land where the Son of God had carried out his activity. Following Paul’s arrest at Jerusalem and during Paul’s later imprisonment in Caesarea, Luke would have had many opportunities to interview eyewitnesses and to consult written records. So it is reasonable to conclude that the Gospel may have been written at Caesarea sometime during Paul’s confinement there for about two years (c. 56-58 C.E.).—Acts 21:30-33; 23:26-35; 24:27.
POINTS OF UNIQUENESS
As in the case of the three other Gospels, Luke’s account provides abundant evidence that Jesus is indeed the Christ the Son of God. It reveals Jesus to have been a man of prayer, one who relied fully on his heavenly Father. (Luke 3:21; 6:12-16; 11:1; 23:46) It contains numerous supplementary details, which, when combined with the three other Gospels, furnish a more complete picture of the events associated with Christ Jesus. Almost all of chapters 1 and 2 are without parallel in the other Gospels. Seven specific miracles and more than twice that number of illustrations are unique to the book. The miracles are: Jesus’ causing some of his disciples to have a miraculous catch of fish (5:1-6), his raising a widow’s son at Nain (7:11-15) and his healing a woman bent double (13:11-13), a man afflicted with dropsy (14:1-4), ten lepers (17:12-14) and the ear of the high priest’s slave (22:50, 51). Among the illustrations are: the two debtors (7:41-47), the neighborly Samaritan (10:30-35), the barren fig tree (13:6-9), the grand evening meal (14:16-24), the lost drachma coin (15:8, 9), the prodigal son (15:11-32), the unrighteous steward (16:1-8), the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31), and the widow and the unrighteous judge (18:1-8).
Chronological material appearing in this Gospel aids in determining when John the Baptist and Jesus were born and when they began their respective ministries.—Luke 1:24-27; 2:1-7; 3:1, 2, 23; see REGISTRATION.
AUTHENTICITY
Indicative of the authenticity of Luke’s Gospel and the harmony between it and other Bible books are the numerous Hebrew Scripture references it contains and the quotations made therein from the Hebrew Scriptures. (Compare Luke 2:22-24; Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 12:8; Luke 3:3-6; Isaiah 40:3-5; Luke 7:27; Malachi 3:1; Luke 4:4, 8, 12; Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:13, 16; Luke 4:18, 19; Isaiah 61:1, 2.) Further testifying to the book’s authenticity is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.—Luke 19:41-44; 21:5, 6.
OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
I. Purpose of account (1:1-4)
II. Events preceding Jesus’ earthly ministry (1:5–3:22)
A. Births of John and Jesus announced (1:5-38)
B. Mary visits Elizabeth (1:39-56)
C. John’s birth and early life (1:57-80)
D. Jesus’ birth and early life as a human (2:1-52)
1. Born at Bethlehem (2:1-7)
2. Visited by shepherds (2:8-20)
3. Circumcised and presented at temple (2:21-40)
4. Questions teachers in temple; continues growing in wisdom (2:41-52)
E. John’s early ministry and Jesus’ baptism (3:1-22)
III. Jesus’ genealogy (3:23-38)
IV. Jesus’ resisting of the Devil’s temptations (4:1-13)
V. Jesus’ earthly ministry (4:14–23:49)
A. From entry into Galilee until selection of twelve apostles (4:14–6:11)
1. Teaches in synagogues of Galilee; rejected in hometown (4:14-30)
2. Performs cures and causes Peter to have miraculous catch of fish (4:31–5:16)
3. Questioned on several issues by Pharisees and others (5:17–6:11)
B. From selection of twelve apostles until sending out seventy (6:12–9:62)
1. Chooses apostles after spending whole night in prayer (6:12-16)
2. Delivers Sermon on Mount (6:17-49)
3. Performs healing at distance; resurrects widow’s son (7:1-17)
4. Receives John’s disciples; defends John before crowd (7:18-35)
5. Illustrations: two debtors; sower (7:36–8:21)
6. Miracles: storm quieted; demoniac healed; woman cured of flow of blood; Jairus’ daughter resurrected (8:22-56)
7. Commissions twelve to preach; 5,000 fed (9:1-17)
8. Questions disciples about identity; is transfigured (9:18-36)
9. Heals demon-possessed boy whom disciples failed to cure; corrects disciples’ view of greatness and other matters; invites others to be followers but they offer excuses (9:37-62)
C. From sending out seventy until hearing Herod’s threat (10:1–13:30)
1. Seventy instructed and sent forth in twos; return with good report (10:1-24)
2. Answers questions about requirements for gaining life; illustration of neighborly Samaritan (10:25-37)
3. Is guest at home of Mary and Martha; counsels Martha (10:38-42)
4. Teaches disciples how to pray (11:1-13)
5. Refutes charge of expelling demons by means of Beelzebub; sign of Jonah (11:14-36)
6. Pronounces woe on religious opponents; warns crowd about Pharisees, fearing men, and materialism; discusses need for watchfulness and repentance; illustration of unproductive fig tree (11:37–13:9)
7. Heals bent woman on sabbath; illustrations about Kingdom and need for vigorous exertion to be saved (13:10-30)
D. From time of Herod’s threat until preparation for Passover of 33 C.E. (13:31–22:6)
1. Told that Herod wanted to kill him; denounces Jerusalem as killer of prophets (13:31-35)
2. Heals man of dropsy on sabbath (14:1-6)
3. Illustrations regarding meals and counting cost of discipleship; lost sheep; lost coin; prodigal son; unrighteous steward; rich man and Lazarus (14:7–16:31)
4. Teaches disciples: avoid stumbling others, be forgiving, have faith and do assigned work (17:1-10)
5. Heals ten lepers (17:11-19)
6. Explains Kingdom not to come with striking observableness; illustrates need for prayer, humility and difficulty for rich to get into Kingdom; heals blind man near Jericho (17:20–18:43)
7. Enters home of Zacchaeus; illustration about mines (19:1-27)
8. Preparations for and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (19:28-46)
9. Chief priests, scribes and others plot against Jesus (19:47–20:47)
a. Question his authority to act (20:1-19)
b. Efforts to trap Jesus on tax question and on teaching of resurrection fail (20:20-47)
10. Jesus visits temple with disciples and afterward foretells its destruction and provides many-featured sign, sign also constituting evidence about nearness of Kingdom (21:1-38)
11. Judas agrees to betray Jesus (22:1-6)
E. Events occurring during last two days Jesus spent on earth, up until his death (22:7–23:49)
1. Preparation for and celebration of Passover; institution of Lord’s Evening Meal (22:7-38)
2. Jesus’ betrayal and arrest (22:39-54)
3. Peter’s denial of Jesus (22:55-62)
4. Jesus tried by Sanhedrin, brought before Pilate, sent to Herod, brought back to Pilate, who finally yields to mob and hands Jesus over for impalement (22:63–23:31)
5. Jesus’ impalement; his promise to evildoer about being in Paradise; his death amidst unusual phenomena (23:32-49)
VI. Jesus’ burial, resurrection, post-resurrection appearances and ascension to heaven (23:50–24:53)
See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 186-192.