jan 1, 56 - Luke

Description:

Writer(s): Luke
Place Written: Caesarea
Writing Completed: c. 56-58 C.E.
Time Covered: 3 B.C.E.-33 C.E.

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. (Lu 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 description of afflictions healed by Jesus are more specific than in the other accounts. - Compare Mt 8:14; Mr 1:30; Lu 4:38; Mt 8:2; Mr 1:40; Lu 5:12.

It was evidently before writing the book of Acts that Luke completed his Gospel. (Ac 1:1, 2) Since he had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem at the end of the apostle's third missionary journey (Ac 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.). - Ac 21:30-33; 23:26-35; 24:27.

it-2 pp. 282-284

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