Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

Who was Luke?

Early Christian tradition identifies Luke as a native of Antioch in Syria. He was not one of the original apostles and did not belong to the circle of eyewitnesses who accompanied Jesus during his earthly ministry. Instead, Luke belonged to the next generation of Christian witnesses, receiving the apostolic testimony and carefully preserving it in written form.

Luke was also a traveling companion of the apostle Paul. This is inferred especially from the “we” passages in Acts, where the narrative shifts from the third person to the first-person plural, indicating that the author had joined Paul and his companions on their journeys (Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16). Paul himself refers to Luke as “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14), suggesting that he was medically trained and personally valued by the apostle. Luke was probably a Gentile, since Paul appears to distinguish him from those who were “of the circumcision” in Colossians 4:10–14.

Luke was the author of a two-volume work consisting of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Together, these books provide a continuous account of the beginnings of the Christian movement, from the birth and ministry of Jesus to the expansion of the gospel throughout the Roman world. Both volumes are dedicated to Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), who may have been Luke’s patron or a person of official rank. The title “most excellent” used in Luke 1:3 may suggest that Theophilus held some position of social or governmental prominence.

In the prologue to his Gospel, Luke emphasizes historical research, eyewitness testimony, and orderly presentation (Luke 1:1–4). He explains that he carefully investigated the events associated with Jesus and drew upon traditions handed down by those who had been eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. His aim was to provide Theophilus with a reliable and well-ordered account so that he might have certainty concerning the things he had been taught.

Luke’s literary skill is evident throughout both volumes. His Greek style is among the most polished in the New Testament, and he is capable of adapting his language to different settings and subjects. At times he writes in a refined literary style; at other times, especially in the opening chapters of the Gospel, he adopts a form of Greek strongly influenced by the language and patterns of the Old Testament.

By quantity of writing, Luke is the most extensive author in the New Testament. The combined length of Luke and Acts accounts for approximately 27 percent of the New Testament, slightly more than the letters traditionally attributed to Paul, which comprise about 24 percent. Luke therefore made an especially substantial literary contribution to the New Testament canon, preserving both the story of Jesus and the early expansion of the gospel through the mission of the apostles.

“An Orderly Account”

Luke undertook careful research in order to produce what he calls “an orderly account” of the historical origins of Christianity (Luke 1:1–3). He did not claim to have witnessed all the events himself. Instead, he investigated the available testimony, drew upon accounts handed down by eyewitnesses, and organized his material into a coherent narrative. His purpose was not merely to preserve isolated traditions about Jesus but to explain how the Christian movement began and developed.

The result is a substantial two-volume work consisting of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Acts refers back to the Gospel as “the first book” (Acts 1:1), confirming that the two writings belong together as a unified account. Luke’s Gospel narrates the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus, while Acts continues the story by tracing the mission of the apostles and the spread of the gospel.

Luke-Acts therefore explains to second-generation Christians, in effect, “how we got here.” It shows how Christianity arose from within Israel’s history and Scriptures, centered upon Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises, and then expanded beyond Jerusalem and Judea into the wider Gentile world. Luke presents this development not as a rejection of Christianity’s Jewish roots, but as the divinely intended extension of Israel’s hope to all nations. The worldwide church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus, is thus the result of God’s unfolding plan of salvation.

Luke’s Purpose

Luke’s ultimate purpose is to present the gospel within the unfolding plan of God’s redemptive history. He understands salvation as developing in two broad stages. The first is the Old Testament period of promise, in which God revealed his saving purposes through Israel’s history, institutions, prophets, and covenant promises. The second is the New Testament period of fulfillment, beginning with the ministry, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus and continuing through the witness of the Spirit-empowered church.

For this reason, Luke’s “orderly account” is not merely chronological or historical. It is also redemptive-historical. Luke seeks to show how God’s promises to Israel reach their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and how that fulfillment then becomes the foundation for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The saving work accomplished by Christ does not remain confined to Israel but is announced “to the ends of the earth” through the mission of the church (Acts 1:8).

Luke and Acts therefore form a unified account of God’s great plan of salvation. The Gospel of Luke tells the story of salvation as it is accomplished in the person and work of Jesus, who fulfills the promises given to Israel. Acts continues the same story by showing how the message of salvation moves outward from Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the Gentile world. Acts 1:8 provides the programmatic outline for this movement and, in many respects, for the entire second volume.

The Opening and Conclusion of Luke

The opening chapters of Luke establish this redemptive-historical perspective from the beginning. The birth narratives of Luke 1–2, which are largely unique to Luke, root the coming of Jesus deeply in Israel’s Scriptures and hopes. Their language, patterns, hymns, and prophetic declarations echo the Old Testament and present the birth of Jesus as the arrival of Israel’s long-promised salvation. Zechariah announces that God has “raised up a horn of salvation” for his people (Luke 1:69), while Simeon, holding the infant Jesus in his arms, declares, “My eyes have seen your salvation,” a salvation prepared “in the presence of all peoples” and destined to bring light to the Gentiles as well as glory to Israel (Luke 2:30–32).

The conclusion of the Gospel returns to the same theme (Luke 24). In the account of the road to Emmaus, also unique to Luke, the risen Christ interprets the Scriptures and shows that the Messiah’s suffering and entrance into glory were necessary parts of God’s revealed plan. The Gospel closes, therefore, not merely with the resurrection of Jesus but with the opening of the Scriptures and the commissioning of witnesses. Repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in Christ’s name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. In this way, the end of Luke leads directly into Acts: the salvation promised to Israel, fulfilled in Christ, is now carried outward through the Spirit-empowered mission of the church.

Outline of the Gospel of Luke

Infancy Narrative (1–2)
Introduction to Jesus’ Ministry (3:1–4:13)
Jesus in Galilee (4:14–9:50)
Travel Narrative (9:51–18:34): “He set his face to go to Jerusalem” (cp. Isa 50:7)
Ministry in or near Jerusalem (18:35–21:38)
Passion and Resurrection (22–24)

The Socially Marginalized in Luke

Luke highlights God’s concern for the socially marginalized: the poor, women, sinners, and outsiders. He is seeking to demonstrate that the gospel overturns social hierarchies and fulfills God’s promises of mercy.

Mary’s Magnificat (Lk 1:46–55): “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25–37)
Tax collectors saved (Lk 18:9-14; 19:1–10)

Passages such as these are interpreted in terms of Neo-marxist identity theory, the oppressor/oppressed dynamic, and postcolonialism. Representative scholars advocating some version of this “social justice” reading: Luke Timothy Johnson, Joel B. Green, Robert Tannehill.

But I argue that references to the poor, women, etc. must be understood redemptive-historically, not socio-politically.

The Contrast between the Sinners and the Righteous

A distinctive feature of Luke’s Gospel is its recurring contrast between those who recognize their spiritual need and those who trust in their own righteousness. This theme prepares the reader to understand both Jesus’ ministry and the later expansion of the gospel to the nations in Acts.

The lame, the poor, tax collectors, Samaritans, widows, etc. must not be interpreted in terms of political oppression, but in terms of the sorts of people who were ostracized or despised by the Jewish religious authorities.

Luke 18:9: “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”

The issue is not being oppressed by wealthy capitalists but being treated as so sinful that they are barred from heaven.

Luke 4:18: Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor, symbolic of spiritual poverty, in contrast with those who think they are righteous.

The category of “the poor” includes a rich man like Zaccheus.

The foil for “the poor” is the Pharisees

Symbolized by the older son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Lk 15:2: “Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”

This theme in Luke prepares for the inclusion of the Gentiles in Acts.

It also gives Luke a way of clearly showing the continuity between the Gospel of Jesus and the Gospel of the apostles in Acts. It is the same good news of salvation by grace.

Acts 8: “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ … 8 So there was much joy in that city … 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women … 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God ….”

Acts 15:7-11: Peter: “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Lk 1:46-55: Mary’s Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

The proud, the mighty, the rich = the Jewish religious authorities, the Pharisees and high priestly family in charge of the temple.

Those of humble estate, the hungry = the spiritually needy who come to Jesus in humble faith and adoration, and receive salvation through him.

These (not the Pharisees) are the offspring of Abraham, the beneficiaries of God’s covenant faithfulness.

Luke’s handling of the theme of “the poor” in his Gospel is a foreshadowing of the inclusion of the Gentiles which he will narrate in detail in Acts.