Gospel of Luke

LUKE, GOSPEL OF, a narrative dealing with the life of Jesus of Nazareth, included in the list of books used by the Christian church as a New Testament. In this canon it came to occupy the third place among the Gospels. It is, however, only the first volume of a longer work written by the same author and addressed to the same patron, Theophilus (Luke i. 3, Acts i. ). Another New Testament book, the Acts of the Apostles, is the succeeding volume. Since much of the contents of this gospel (as well as nearly all of Acts) is not preserved in other writings, this writer is for us the most important historian of the begin nings of the Christian movement. His distinctive qualities of mind and style give his work additional interest and attractiveness. Because other gospels are extant, dealing with the same figure of history and with many of the same events and teachings, any consideration of the Gospel according to Luke inevitably suggests comparison with them.

Contents.

The first long sentence is a preface, introductory, probably, to the whole book, setting forth the reasons for writing. The first book which follows consists of narrative episodes loosely strung together, and of utterances of Jesus (and some others) sometimes more and sometimes less associated with the narrative context. Few main divisions are suggested by the author, but on the basis of the geography and contents of the other gospels, subdivision of the text is often attempted by modern scholars. The author himself used for purposes of division (or connection) at most such summary statements as appear at i. 8o; ii. 4o, 52; iii. 18; iv. 14-15,37,44; xiii. 22 ; xxi. 37, 38 and the like in Acts. At i. 5; iii. 1-2 ; viii. 2-3 and perhaps elsewhere it is natural to suspect that the words are introductory, not merely to a single incident, but to a larger series.

Some of the more significant sections are: (i.) Prediction and birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus (i.

4o). These are parallel narratives alternating between the experiences in the two families with special emphasis on the predictions of future greatness. There is a poetic character in the words of rejoicing of

Zacharias (the Benedictus), of Mary (the Magnificat), of the angels (the Gloria in Excelsis) and of Simeon (the Nunc Dimittis). These songs and also the narrative are Semitic in style and reminiscent in wording of the Old Testament. The account is completely independent of our other ancient account of Jesus' birth in Matthew i.–ii.

(ii.) Jesus' precocity as shown in the Temple when twelve years old (ii. 41-51). This is closely bound with the preceding and is not recorded elsewhere.

(iii.) Genealogy from "Jesus the son of Joseph as was supposed" to "Adam the son of God" (iii. 23-38), independent of and apparently at variance with the genealogy from Abraham to Joseph in Matt. i. 2-15.

(iv.) Address in the synagogue at Nazareth (iv. 16-3o) , comparable to a scene in Mark vi. 1-6—Matt. xiii. 54-58, but notable in giving the text and contents of Jesus' address and the murderous effect on the hearers.

(v.) Call of four fishermen as disciples (v. I–II), comparable to a scene in Mark i. 16-2o—Matt. iv. 18-22, but relating a remarkable catch of fishes as in John xxi.

(vi.) An address (vi. 2o–vii. I) briefer than Matthew's Sermon on the Mount (Matt. v., vi., vii.) but with beginning, middle and end of identical contents. In both gospels there follows the like concluding sentence and the same miracle, viz., the cure made, in absentia, on the request of a centurion in Capernaum (vii. 2-1o).

(vii.) Raising from the bier the deceased only son of a widow at Nain (vii. .

(viii.) Discussion by Jesus about John the Baptist (vii. 18-35), also found in Matthew.

(ix.) Anointing of Jesus by a sinful woman in the house of Simon, a Pharisee ; and discussion including the parable of two debtors, vii. 36-5o. The incident is independent of the anointing (by Mary accord ing to John) as told in the three other gospels, though in both cases there was an alabaster cruse and the house owner had the same name ("Simon the leper," Mark xiv. 3).