luke Summary and Overview

the evangelist, was a Gentile. The date and circumstances of his conversion are unknown. According to his own statement (Luke 1:2), he was not an "eye-witness and minister of the word from the beginning." It is probable that he was a physician in Troas, and was there converted by Paul, to whom he attached himself. He accompanied him to Philippi, but did not there share his imprisonment, nor did he accompany him further after his release in his missionary journey at this time (Acts 17:1). On Paul's third visit to Philippi (20:5, 6) we again meet with Luke, who probably had spent all the intervening time in that city, a period of seven or eight years. From this time Luke was Paul's constant companion during his journey to Jerusalem (20:6-21:18). He again disappears from view during Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem and Caesarea, and only reappears when Paul sets out for Rome (27:1), whither he accompanies him (28:2, 12-16), and where he remains with him till the close of his first imprisonment (Philemon 1:24; Col. 4:14). The last notice of the "beloved physician" is in 2 Tim. 4:11. There are many passages in Paul's epistles, as well as in the writings of Luke, which show the extent and accuracy of his medical knowledge.

(light-giving), or Lu'cas, is an abbreviated form of Lucanus. It is not to be confounded with Lucius, #Ac 13:1; Ro 16:21| which belongs to a different person. The name Luke occurs three times in the New Testament-- #Col 4:14; 2Ti 4:11|; Phle 1:24 --and probably in all three the third evangelist is the person spoken of. Combining the traditional element with the scriptural we are able to trace the following dim outline of the evangelist's life. He was born at Antioch in Syria, and was taught the science of medicine. The well known tradition that Luke was also a painter, and of no mean skill, rests on the authority of late writers. He was not born a Jew, for he is not reckoned among those "of the circumcision" by St. Paul. Comp. #Col 4:11| with ver. 14. The date of his conversion is uncertain. He joined St. Paul at Troas, and shared his Journey into Macedonia. The sudden transition to the first person plural in #Ac 16:9| is most naturally explained after all the objections that have been urged, by supposing that Luke the writer of the Acts, formed one of St. Paul's company from this point. As far as Philippi the evangelist journeyed with the apostle. The resumption of the third person on Paul's departure from that place, #Ac 17:1| would show that Luke was now left behind. During the rest of St. Paul's second missionary journey we hear of Luke no more; but on the third journey the same indication reminds us that Luke is again of the company, #Ac 20:5| having joined it apparently at Philippi, where he had been left. With the apostle he passed through Miletus, Tyre and Caesarea to Jerusalem. ch. Acts 20:6; 21:18 As to his age and death there is the utmost uncertainty. He probably died a martyr, between A.D. 75 and A.D. 100. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name, and also the book of Acts.

LUKE (Greek Lucas), Col 4:14; 2 Tim 4:11; Phile 24, is probably an abbreviation of Lucanus, possibly of Lucilius, but not of Lucius. Acts 13:1; Rom 16:21. The evangelist was not a Jew, as is evident from Col 4:14, where the "beloved physician" is distinguished from "those of the circumcision." The opinion that he was a native of Antioch may have arisen from confounding him with Lucius. That he was one of the Seventy or of the two who were walking to Emmaus is unlikely, as he was not himself an "eye-witness," Col 1:2, of the gospel facts. According to the N.T., he was a physician, and his style in general, as well as his mode of describing diseases, proves him to have been an educated physician. Tradition adds that he was also a painter. He comes into historical prominence as the companion of Paul in his later journeys, though his presence is modestly indicated in his own narrative only by the change to the first person plural. Joining the apostle at Troas, Acts 16:10, he accompanied him to Philippi on his second journey; rejoining him some years later at the same place, Acts 20:5, he remained with Paul until the close of his first Roman captivity. Acts 28:30. Of his subsequent life nothing certain is known. According to common consent and internal evidence, he is the author of the Gospel named after him, and of the Acts. Luke, The Gospel of, was written primarily for the use of one Theophilus. Luke 1:3. As this name means "lover of God," some have supposed that it ought to be applied to any Christian reader in general, but it is better to refer it to a person of high rank ("most excellent," equivalent to our word "honorable"), who was either a convert or a catechumen. To the same person the Acts are dedicated. Acts 1:1. The minute description of places in Palestine indicates that this person was not an inhabitant of that country, while the mention of small places in Italy as familiarly known. Acts 27:8-16, makes it probable that his home was at Rome -- a view confirmed by the abrupt conclusion of Acts. In any case, he was a Gentile, and the Gospel was designed mainly for Gentile Christians, representing the universal import of the coming of Christ for all nations and for all classes of men. This agreement with Paul is a natural result from the close personal intimacy between the apostle and the author, but there is no evidence that Paul dictated the Gospel or referred to it as his Gospel. 2 Tim 2:8. The verbal resemblances, especially in the account of the words of institution of the Lord's Supper, Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-25, are such as would naturally result from companionship with Paul. In other respects the peculiarities of the third Gospel are marked. The style closely resembles that of the Acts, but has a larger number of Hebraisms, especially in the first two chapters, which indicate the use of Hebrew documents by the evangelist. Where he describes scenes he had witnessed himself, the style is far more pure. A large number of words are peculiar to Luke, and to him we are indebted for nearly all the chronological notices which link the Gospel facts with ancient history in general. The narrative is more complete than the others, and contains several portions peculiar to it; as, for instance, the account of the Nativity, the presentation in the temple, the miraculous draught of fishes, the sending out of the Seventy, the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Barren Fig Tree, the Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son, the Unjust Steward, Dives and Lazarus, etc. The Gospel was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, and also before the Acts. Acts 1:1. It is probable that it was written at Caesarea in Palestine during Paul's imprisonment there, 58-60. Some, however, date it still earlier. LUKE'WARM denotes the indifferent, who receive the call from the Lord, but, without either accepting or formally refusing it, remain entirely unimpressed by it. Rev 3:16.

front Contracted from Lucanus, as Silas is contracted from Silvanus. A slave name. As Luke was a "physician," a profession often exercised by slaves and freedmen, he may have been a freedman. Eusebius (H.E. iii. 4) states that Antioch was his native city. He was of Gentile parentage before he became a Christian; as appears from Colossians 4:11,14: "Luke the beloved physician" (one of "my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God which have been a comfort unto me") is distinguished from those "of the circumcision." That he was not of "the seventy" disciples, as Epiphanius (Haer. i. 12) reports, is clear from his preface in which he implies he was not an" eye witness"; the tradition arose perhaps from his Gospel alone recording the mission of the seventy. His history in Acts is first joined with that of Paul at Troas (Acts 16:10), where the "we" implies that the writer was then Paul's companion. He accompanied the apostle in his journey to Jerusalem and Rome, at Paul's first Roman imprisonment "Luke my fellow labourer," Philemon (Philemon 1:24) written from Rome, as also Colossians (Colossians 4:14); also in Paul's last imprisonment there, when others forsook him Luke remained faithful (2 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 4:11 "only Luke is with me".) His death by martyrdom between A.D. 75 and 100 is generally reported.