This week, I must admit I’ve been a little distracted from the topic for our next series, simply because there is so much going on in the World right now, that I believe we should all be on checking the Bible daily to see how things are lining up with end times prophecy and on guard. Because if we are in the end times, there will be so much deception and delusion that Jesus warned, could deceive, if it was possible, even the elect.
Even though I’ve been happy to hear Donald Trump make declarations on things like only 2 genders, the removal of men from women’s sport and the drug cartels as terrorist organisations, I’m super cautious when I hear 7 mountain mandate and revived Roman Empire being tied to the conservative and Christian right.
Christians come from all walks of life. Matthew was a tax collector, John was a fisherman, Mark was thought to be the son of Peter, another working class man. We wanted to go through a Gospel this year and I’ve picked out the Gospel of Luke.
What do we know about Luke?
- From Antioch in ancient Syria, modern Turkey
- Doctor
- Author of 27% of the New Testament (by volume)
- Historian
- Missionary to the Gentiles
This is a map of Paul’s 3 missionary journeys and his one way trip to Rome after he was arrested which we covered in 2023 when we studied Philippians.
⁃ The blue line is Paul’s first missionary journey
⁃ The red line is Paul’s second missionary journey when he most probably met Luke as we shall see which started and finished in Antioch
⁃ The purple line is Paul’s third missionary journey
⁃ The green line follows his imprisoned journey from Caesarea to Rome. Remember, after being arrested for preaching the Gospel at the temple in Jerusalem, Paul boldly made an appeal to Festus to have his trial in Rome following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
If you’ve ever flown to Europe, you will appreciate that Paul’s journey by land and boat into spiritually hostile territory was some undertaking. Antioch was an important location in the story of the early Church. Paul was from Tarsus about 140 km from Antioch.
Acts 11:25-26
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Now
1. Luke was from Antioch in ancient Syria, modern Turkey.
Luke probably first encountered Paul at Antioch and travelled with him from the beginning of his 2nd missionary journey but something seems to have happened at Troas that really got Luke involved in the mission.
How do we know this?
Paul had written a letter in Jerusalem before he started his 2nd missionary journey which you can read in
Acts 15:23
They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
Antioch is where Paul started his 2nd missionary journey. We can deduce something very interesting by the grammar Luke uses in chapter 16.
Acts 16:8-12
So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.
See how the grammar changes from the 3rd person « they » ie. Paul and Barnabas to the 1st person « we » in Acts 16 just before left Troas for Philippi. This is the first time Luke uses the 1st person in Acts. Mission was no longer something « they » did, the super Christians like Paul and Barnabas. It was something Luke now felt engaged in, what « we » did. He decided to make a full commitment. Are you ready to be part of the « we »?
2. A doctor
Colossians 4:14
Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
Luke describes medical matters far more and to a greater degree than the other Gospels. In Luke 4:38, Luke is sure to note that Simon Peter’s mother-in-law suffered from a high fever. In Luke 14:2, the author describes a man who had dropsy. Such details indicate a man who has an eye for medical matters.
3. The author of 27.5% by volume of the New Testament (His 2 books just outweigh Paul’s 13 letters plus Hebrews)
How did he know so much about Jesus’s life. He was a doctor. Was he the family doctor? No, according to the Bible, Luke did not personally encounter Jesus while he was alive; instead, Luke learned about Jesus through detailed research and interviews with eyewitnesses, most notably through his close association with the Apostle Paul after Jesus' death and resurrection.
Luke was a close companion of Paul, accompanying him on missionary trips, which is reflected in the « we » sections of Acts where the author appears to be directly involved in the event.
How did you encounter Jesus. Was it a friend, or maybe a foe. Was it your Mum and Dad or a relation. Was it the Minister at your Church or your Youth Pastor or a teacher at school. Or a workmate. People encounter Jesus through the witness of others. Were you a lost sheep and he came and found you?
4. A historian of first rank
Luke’s books are blockbusters, full of incredible detail to encourage us in our own walk and service of Jesus. They differ from Paul’s work in that they are historical accounts rather than the personal letters that Paul wrote.
The question must be asked how accurate a historian was Luke? One of the greatest archaeologists of all time, Sir William Ramsay, didn’t think Luke was very accurate. In fact, he traveled throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and other places during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s in an attempt to refute Luke’s historical records in the Book of Acts.
Before his travels he believed that Luke couldn’t have been very accurate because of a lack of archaeological evidence to support Luke’s claims. Ramsey, after years of study, found the exact opposite to be true, and he completely reversed his position. In fact, Ramsey went on to comment:
“Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true historic sense … in short, this author should be placed along with the greatest of historians.”
We expect our doctors to be trustworthy and of good judgment so we can be confident in the reliability of Luke’s account.
5. Luke focuses on Jesus’s ministry to the Gentiles and to the outcasts of society. He presents a more compassionate view of outsiders such as in the Parable of the Lost Son and the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Good Samaritan which are unique to his Gospel. Luke notes that people came to hear Jesus from all around. The author notes that many of the people who heard Jesus were Gentiles from the region of Tyre and Sidon.
According to most biblical scholarship, around 35% of Luke's content is unique and not found in the other Gospels; this means a significant portion of Luke's material is distinct from the other gospel accounts, particularly including details about Jesus' infancy that give a greater insight into the whole of Jesus’s life not just his ministry as in Mark and John. Then he followed it up with Acts - the Book of Actions by the Early Church as it branched out into the World. As we saw last week in Matthew 25 when we looked at the parable of the talents. There must be action that follows the grace we have been given, otherwise we are just like the unprofitable servant.
Acts 1:1-3
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
It is impossible to do the acts without the Holy Spirit - his leading and his gifting, again as in the Parable of the Talents. The talents or gifts belong to God not us and we are to trade to multiply the wealth entrusted to us. Are you the same person the day you were born again? I don’t think so if you are like the other 2 profitable servants who took risks, who grew knowing the Master wants a good return and that he is good. Did they know they would get a reward? Not really. They did it to please the Master.
Luke 1:1-4
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
Luke did the research. He went and found the truth out for himself. Once he understood, he was able to write an orderly account, to take events that maybe looked random to others and make sense of them. We will encounter difficulties in our faith journey too. Sometimes moving forward positively, sometimes going backward, sometimes shipwrecked. But as our knowledge of the truth increases and our faith in Jesus becomes more solid, we also will see the fingerprints of God in our lives.
