- Scholars disagree about exactly when Luke's Gospel was written, but they agree that it must have happened sometime between the years 60 and 90 A.D. Most who believe that it was written toward the earlier end of this range assume the author to have been Luke, the companion of Paul, mentioned in 2 Timothy, Philemon, and Colossians. In Colossians, Paul numbers "Luke, the beloved physician" among the uncircumcised followers of Christ.
- Luke probably intended for his fellow Gentiles to be his primary audience. For this reason, he often uses Greek translation of Aramaic words that would have been likely to confuse those with no knowledge of Semitic languages. This is because the main theme of Luke's Gospel is Christ as Savior, not merely the foretold Messiah of Israel and the Jewish people, but the redeemer of all, especially those who are downtrodden or oppressed: women, the sick and the poor.
- Luke's Gospel is also characterized by his interest in Christ's miracles, especially his healings, perhaps because of his medical background. Following his account of Christ's temptation in the desert, Luke shows Christ casting out demons, cleansing lepers, restoring the limbs of the paralyzed, healing the diseased, and giving life to the dying. Luke also uses the centurion, whose son Christ heals, as an example of Christian humility, a virtue he considered important for the acceptance of salvation.
- Luke provides the only source for many of Christ's most famous parables. One of these is the story of the Good Samaritan, in which bandits waylay a Jewish traveler and leave him for dead at the side of the road. A priest and a Levite, both of whom should be obligated to help the man, pass by without offering aid, but a Samaritan, who should be his enemy, binds his wounds and finds him shelter.
previous post