The Gospel
according to Luke
The Gospel according to Luke presents Jesus Christ as the Savior promised by God, the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost, and the Lord whose salvation reaches beyond Israel to the nations.
Luke writes with the care of a historian and the heart of a theologian. He is deeply interested in what happened, when it happened, who witnessed it, and how the events of Jesus' life fit within the larger plan of God. His Gospel gives particular attention to prayer, the Holy Spirit, mercy, repentance, the poor, women, outsiders, sinners, and the worldwide scope of the Gospel.
From the opening chapters, Luke makes clear that the story of Jesus is not an isolated religious event. It is the continuation and fulfillment of God's work in Israel and the beginning of a message that will eventually be carried to the ends of the earth.
Who Wrote Luke?
Historic Christian tradition identifies the author as Luke, the physician and companion of the Apostle Paul mentioned in the New Testament.
Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke begins with an explicit statement about how he prepared his account. He explains that many had already undertaken to record the events fulfilled among them and that he had carefully investigated everything from the beginning in order to write an orderly account.
Luke does not present himself as one of the original eyewitnesses of Jesus' earthly ministry. Instead, he distinguishes himself from those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and indicates that he relied upon their testimony and other carefully examined sources.
The same author also wrote the book of Acts. Together, Luke and Acts form a two-volume account tracing the work of God from the coming of Jesus through the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem outward into the Roman world.
Who Was Luke Writing To?
Luke directly addresses his work to Theophilus.
It is not certain whether Theophilus was a specific individual of social standing, a Christian patron, an interested inquirer, or whether the name carried a broader symbolic resonance. Luke treats him as a real recipient and states his purpose clearly: he wants Theophilus to know the certainty of the things he has been taught.
At the same time, Luke's Gospel clearly reaches beyond one man.
His readership appears to include a significant number of Gentile believers and seekers who needed to understand how Jesus, Israel's Messiah, also brings salvation to the nations.
Luke frequently explains Jewish geography, customs, and expectations in ways that suggest he is writing for readers who may not have grown up inside the Jewish world.
What Is Luke About?
Luke presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Savior of the world.
His Gospel begins with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, places both events within Israel's covenant hopes, and repeatedly shows God's promises moving toward fulfillment.
Luke gives particular attention to the compassion of Jesus. The poor are remembered. Sinners are called to repentance. Women appear prominently throughout the narrative. Samaritans and Gentiles repeatedly challenge narrow assumptions about who may receive God's mercy.
Some of Jesus' best-known parables are found only in Luke, including the Good Samaritan and the account commonly called the Prodigal Son. These stories reveal the mercy of God and the radical nature of love, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.
Luke also emphasizes prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prays at major moments throughout the Gospel, and the Spirit is active from the opening chapters onward.
The story moves steadily toward Jerusalem, where Jesus is rejected, crucified, and raised from the dead. The Gospel then closes by preparing the reader for the continuation of the story in Acts.
Why Was Luke Written?
Luke states his purpose more directly than most biblical authors.
He writes so that his reader may know the certainty of the things he has been taught.
He wants to provide an orderly, carefully investigated account of Jesus Christ and the work of God surrounding Him.
Luke also shows that the Gospel is both deeply rooted in Israel and intended for the entire world.
Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises.
He is the Savior announced to Israel.
He welcomes sinners.
He seeks the lost.
He brings good news to the poor.
He shows mercy to outsiders.
He dies.
He rises.
And the message about Him will be proclaimed to all nations.
The movement of the Gospel can be summarized simply: THE SAVIOR HAS COME. God's promises are being fulfilled. The lost are being sought. Mercy is being offered. Salvation is moving outward. And the risen Christ prepares His witnesses to carry the message to the world.
When Was Luke Written?
The exact date is uncertain.
Many scholars place Luke somewhere between the AD 60s and 80s, with proposals depending heavily upon how the relationship between Luke and Acts is understood and how Jesus' predictions concerning Jerusalem are dated.
The evidence does not permit the date to be established with certainty, so it is best to speak in terms of a probable first-century range rather than claim a precision the text itself does not provide.
What Was Happening Around Luke and His Readers?
Luke and his readers lived within the Roman Empire, a world marked by enormous social divisions, political hierarchy, religious pluralism, slavery, wealth, poverty, ethnic distinction, and devotion to imperial power.
Christian communities were spreading rapidly into major Gentile cities. That growth created important questions.
How did Gentile believers relate to Israel's Scriptures?
Did the promises of God belong only to Israel?
How should Jewish and Gentile believers understand one another?
What kind of community should form around Jesus?
Luke addresses those questions by showing that the Gospel is rooted completely in Israel's story while also moving deliberately outward toward the nations.
If Luke was written in the decades after the earliest missionary expansion recorded in Acts, his readers were living in a Church that was becoming increasingly Gentile while remaining dependent upon a Jewish Messiah, Jewish apostles, and Israel's Scriptures.
That tension helps explain why Luke so carefully shows continuity between God's promises to Israel and the worldwide mission that follows.
The Roman world also placed enormous value on status, wealth, citizenship, patronage, and public honor. Luke repeatedly records Jesus reversing those social assumptions. The proud are brought low. The humble are lifted up. The poor receive good news. The outsider may become the example of faith. The sinner who repents may stand nearer to God than the religious person who trusts in his own righteousness.
Where Was Luke Written?
Luke does not identify the location where he composed the Gospel.
Various places within the Roman world have been proposed, including regions connected with Paul's ministry, but no location can be established with confidence from the Gospel itself.
What is clear is that Luke writes from within the broader Greco-Roman world and assumes a readership that will benefit from explanation, historical order, and careful presentation of Israel's story.
How to Read Luke
Read each passage for its complete thought before comparing individual verses. Use TWMC for the paraphrase and KJV for comparison. Keep the author, purpose, audience, and setting described above in view, and record questions for further study.
For Deeper Study
A fuller discussion of Luke's authorship, relationship to Acts, historical method, sources, audience, major themes, textual questions, translation decisions, and theological significance is provided in the individual THE WORD, MADE CLEAR — The Gospel According to Luke: Paraphrase & Study Guide edition.