Who Is Luke?
Paul is the most prolific writer in the New Testament. Who’s second? That would be Dr. Luke.
Luke wrote a biography of Jesus, called “The Gospel According to Luke” (or simply “Luke”). Later he reported on the activities of the early church in “The Acts of the Apostles” (or just “Acts”). These two books account for about 25 percent of the content in the New Testament and give us valuable historical information about Jesus and his followers. Luke’s writing provides a compelling two-book set that can inform our faith and enlighten the practices of our church community.
Luke was a doctor and the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament. As such, his words are that of an outsider, which may more readily connect with those on the outside, that is, non-Jews. This includes me, and it may include you. Luke wrote with simple, yet captivating, language. He also gives us details not found in the other three biblical biographies of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, and John).
However, despite having penned two major books in the Bible—and the longest two in the New Testament—we don’t know much about Luke. He’s only mentioned three times in the Bible.
This is what we know:
First, we learn that Luke is a dear friend of Paul. Next, he’s a doctor. Third, he’s esteemed by Paul as a fellow worker. Last, in one of his darker hours, Paul laments that everyone is gone, and only Luke has stayed with him. As such, we see Luke as a faithful, persevering friend. Luke emerges as a man of noble character.
We also know that Luke is a firsthand observer in many of the events he records in the book of Acts. We see this through his first-person narratives in some passages when he uses the pronoun “we.” (Read more about Luke and the book of Acts in this book’s sequel, Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts.)
Although Luke wasn’t a church leader or an apostle, his contribution to our faith and our understanding of Jesus and his church is significant. Dr. Luke’s ministry function wasn’t leading or preaching. Instead, he played a silent and almost unnoticed supporting role.
Though his work was quiet, his legacy lives on, loudly influencing Jesus’s followers two millennia later.
What can we do to leave a faith legacy that will influence others after we die?
[Discover more in these passages about Luke in Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24, and 2 Timothy 4:11. Read Luke’s first-person accounts in Acts 16:10–17, 20:4–15, 21:1–18, 27:1–29, 27:37, and 28:1–16.]
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1. So That You May Know
Luke 1:1–4
. . . so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:4)
It’s easy to miss the first four verses in the book of Luke. In many Bibles, this passage carries the heading of “Introduction.” Most people skip introductions. I know. I usually do.
Even if we read these first four verses, we typically read them fast. We want to get to the good stuff about John the Baptist that starts in verse five, so we can get to the really good stuff about Jesus that starts in chapter two.
We need to slow down.
Luke starts his book admitting that many others have undertaken the task of writing about the life of Jesus. We don’t know if they finished their works or what happened to their writings, but we do know Luke wants to write his own account—one thoroughly researched and backed by eyewitnesses to what Jesus said and did.
As a non-Jew, Luke carries with him the detached perspective of a religious outsider. And as a doctor he possesses the training to note details and create an accurate record. He confirms that he carefully investigated everything to write an orderly account about Jesus.
Why?
For Theophilus.
Who?
The Bible tells us nothing about Theophilus, but Luke addresses both his books to this mysterious person. The reason is significant. Luke wants Theophilus to know—for certain—the things he was taught.
Think about that.
People told Theophilus about Jesus. Perhaps Theophilus believes, but maybe he still isn’t convinced. He might carry a tinge of doubt about this Jesus, the man who changed religion into a relationship. It’s so countercultural that it’s revolutionary. Regardless, Luke feels it’s worth his time to help Theophilus know Jesus—for sure.
If you’ve ever had doubts—and, if we’re being honest, we all have at one time or another—wouldn’t it be amazing to know for sure? Who wouldn’t want to chase away lingering worries about our faith and replace them with confident conviction? That’s Luke’s goal. And that’s precisely why we should read the book of Luke.
This is a grand undertaking that Luke made. Not only did he spend time writing a book, but even more so, he did the required research.
Luke’s biography of Jesus is the longest book in the New Testament, at just under 20,000 words. His sequel, “The Book of Acts,” is the second longest. Together they’re almost the length of a short novel. That’s a lot of words, a lot of writing, and a lot of research.
Though Luke writes this book with one person in mind, Theophilus, it’s available for us two thousand years later. Like Theophilus, we too can read Luke’s account of Jesus so that we can know for certain the things we’ve been taught.
Would we be willing to research and write a book for just one person? What other things can we do to help others be sure of their faith?
[Discover more about Theophilus in Acts 1:1–2. Read why John wrote his biography about Jesus in John 20:31.]
