The Gospel of Luke

1. The Gospel of Luke

2. Details About the Gospel • Written in Greek by an anonymous author after Mark (70-85CE)—perhaps earlier date b/c no mention of the destruction of the Temple • Early church tradition (2nd century) attributed authorship to Luke, a physician and travelling companion of the apostle Paul (IrenaeusAdversusHaereses 3.1.1, Tertullian AdversusMarcionem 4.2, Clement of Alexandria Stromateis 1.21) • Same author also wrote the Book of Acts • Luke is the longest Gospel • The author wrote more than any other New Testament writer

3. Comparative Method • A method used to study a literary text by noting its similarities to and differences from other, related, texts, whether or not any of these other texts was used as a source for the text in question • If you can find key differences in the way two authors describe the same event, or deal with a certain subject or theme, these differences may be useful for revealing something about the unique preoccupations and interests of each author

4. Luke’s Interests • Luke is particularly concerned to explain how salvation moved from the Jewish people to non-Jews (the Gentiles –“the nations”) • Emphasizes Jesus’ role as a prophet, comparable to the “social” prophets of the Hebrew scriptures (who were often rejected and even killed for their criticisms of rulers and Jewish society) • The role of prophet (unlike that of messiah) was a role that would have been understood by polytheists (Salvation and forgiveness of sins by a god through repentance)

5. The Prologue • A key difference between Luke and the other Synoptic gospels is the prologue (1:1-4) • Luke's prologue can also be called an exordium, which is a literary device that was also used by other Greek writers • Exordium typically contain (1) indication of author’s efforts to do extensive research, (2) references to sources, (3) assessment of superiority of work to previous works and (4) a dedication to a sponsor

6. Luke 1:1-4 • Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

7. Criticizing Mark? • The references to “writing an orderly account” so that the reader might know “the truth” might be a criticism of the Gospel of Mark and its poor Greek style and theological emphasis on Jesus suffering and death as a sacrificial “atonement” • Luke is perhaps the best written of the Synoptic gospels in terms of literary style

8. Who was Luke? • In certain sections of Acts, the author uses the first person plural in the narrative (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-8; 27:1-28:16) • Luke is mentioned three times in the New Testament and from these references it is evident that Luke was a physician (Col 4:14) and a companion of Paul (2 Tim 4:11; Philem 1:24) • Attribution to a physician fits with highly literary quality of the Gospel

9. Birth Narratives

10. Genealogies • The genealogies of Matthew and Luke are different from each other • Luke’s gospel also goes back further, not just to Abraham, but all the way back to Adam and God (the original father of all humankind) • Luke seems to be emphasizing that Jesus belongs to all people, both Jews and Gentiles

11. Luke’s Gentile Emphasis • Unlike other synoptics, Luke begins his account with Jesus rejected 1st sermon in his home-town synagogue • Also recounts stories of ancient Hebrew prophets reaching out to non-Jewish people • Luke also demonstrates Jesus as being sympathetic towards Samaritans and Gentiles (e.g. Good Samaritan 10:30-37; Centurion 7:2-10, see also 2:32) • Contrast with Matthew 10.5: “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans…”

12. The end of times? • In the other synoptics there is an emphasis on the imminent arrival of God’s final judgment and the complete coming of God’s final kingdom • In Luke these passages are expressed differently, so that they express a vision of the slow or partial coming of the kingdom in the here and now through the influence of the prophetic ministry of Jesus and his followers • Luke lacks any emphasis on the idea of Jesus’ suffering and death being an atoning sacrifice (Last supper reference to “the covenant in my blood” 22:20 and the crucifixion involving “bloody sweat” 22:43-44 are likely later additions)

13. Luke’s Social Agenda • Compare Matthew’s beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” with Mark’s “Blessed are the poor” • Mary’s “Song of Praise” (magnificat): “he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”

14. Text Criticism/Lower Criticism • a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in texts • Ancient scribes often made errors or alterations when copying manuscripts by hand • The ultimate objective of the textual critic's work is the production of a "critical edition" containing a text most closely approximating the original