LUKE, GOSPEL OF (ante), has occupied the third place in the arrangement of the gospels during all the Christian centuries back to the close of the first. The council of Laodicea, and the historian Eusebius in the 4th c., recognized it as one of the canonical books of Scripture; Origen and Tertullian, in the third, frequently quoted it; Irenteus, 180, acknowledged tt as Luke's work; the Muratorian fragment, about 170, assigns it the third place; Tatian, also in the 2d c., constructed his Diatessaron, a harmony of the four gospels, the third of which was Luke's. Justin Martyr, in his defense of Christian ity, presented to the emperor in 139, quotes as in general use among the churchee memoirs of Christ which, it is morally certain, were the four gospels. See Joirti, GOSPEL OF. Clement of Rome, about 100, mentions Luke's gospel as one of the Chris tian books. These writers say that Luke wrote under the general superintendence of Paul. While this opinion is sustained by the long-continued intimacy and confidence existing between the evangelist and the apostle, Luke says in his preface that, having diligently investigated all things from the very beginning, lie wrote out an account of the facts which were already fully believed in the Christian church, and in which Theoph ilus, for whom he wrote, had been orally instructed. The facts had beeu spread abroad, first, by the preaching and conversation of those who, from the beginning, were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word; and, secondly, by many written accounts rendered necessary by the increasing number of converts to the Christian faith. Luke's work fully justifies his declaration that lie had searched out all things from the begin ning, as it gives the genealogy of Jesus back to Adam, narrates the annunciation by the angel to Zacharias and to Mary, and records various facts connected with the birth, infancy, and childhood of Jesus which had probably been furnished by Mary herself.
The contents of the gospel are: the preface addressed to Theophilus; the pre announcement by the angel Gabriel of the birth of John to Zacharias, and of Jesus to Mary; date of the birth of Jesus connected historically with the reign of Augustus; information concerning his birth given by the angel to the shepherds of Bethlehem; account concerning his childhood and youth; date of John's ministry connected histori cally with the reign of Tiberius and the Roman governors of Palestine; baptism of Jesus, and genealogical table ascending to Adam; the teniptations; return to Galilee and ministry there; address at Nazareth; teaching and mighty works in Capernaum; the calling of Peter, James, and John; the leper cleansed; great multitudes of the sick restored, the paralytic forgiven and cured; call of Levi (Matthew) the publican, followed by the feast at which a great number of publicans and sinners were guests; claim of Jesus to be lord of the Sabbath, sustained by restoring the withered hand; the choice of the 12 apostles; multitudes from all parts of the land healed; discourse corresponding with the " sermon on the mount;" the centurion's servant healed; the widow's son raised; the message from John the baptist in prison, the answer returned, and the testi mony concerning-him; the woman in the Pharisee's house; parable of the sower, and of the lighted candle; the storm on the lake; the man among the tombs, and the demons among the swine; the woman healed by touching the hem of Jesus's garment; the daughter of Jairus raised; the 12 apostles sent forth; Herod perplexed; the 5,000 fed; Peter's avowal of faith; the transfiguration; the evil spirit cast out; the ambition of the disciples condemned, their narrow views corrected, their intolerance reproved; the 70 sent forth and their joyful return; the lawyer's question answered; the good Samaritan; Martha's care and Mary's choice; instructions concerning prayer; demons cast out; the sign of Jonah given to the Jews; the lighted candle used in parable a second time; denunciations against the Pharisees, lawyers, and scribes; warnings against their hypocrisy, and against covetousness, illustrated by the parable of the rich man; counsel to dismiss anxious thought, to trust God's providential care, and give supreme attention to his service; \yarning against measuring guilt by suffering; the barren fig-tree; the woman healed on the Sabbath; parable of the mustard seed. and the leaven; the strait
gate; lamentation over Jerusalem; the man healed on the Sabbath; seeking the chief places at feasts; the great supper and the excuses made; counting the cost, salt losing its savor, parables of the lost sheep, of the lost money, of the prodigal son, of the unjust steward, of the rich man and Lazarus; against offenses; forgiveness to be proportioned to repentance; the power of genuine faith; the ten lepers cleansed; the sudden coming of the Son of man; the unjust judge, the Pharisee and publican ; infants brought to Jesus; the young ruler; the death of the Son of man foretold; the blind man at Jericho; Zacchmus the publican ; the parable of the pounds; entrance into Jerusalem and lamenta tion over its doom; cleansing of the temple; question to the chief priests and others con cerning John's bapsism; the lansbandmen and the vineyard; hypocritical question of the Pharisees concexnuig tribute, scoffing question of the Sadducees concerning the resurrec tion, and silencing question of Jesus concerning the Messiah; the gifts of the rich men ;Ind of the poor widow; the destruction of the temple foretold, with the captivity of the Jews, the treading down of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Son of man; conspiracy of the OM pilegtsZibc1 scribes against Nsni kia their covenant with Judas; the pass over 'kept by Jesus and the twelve, with the pre-announcement of the betrayal, of Peter's denial, and the institution of the Lord's-supper; prayer and conflict at the mount of. Olives; betrayal, arrest, denial by Peter, condemnation by the council, examination by Herod and Pilate, the latter proclaiming the innocence of Jesus, yet ordering his death; the crucifixion and scenes connected with it; the body given to Joseph and buried by him in a new rock-hewn sepulcher; appearance of angels to the women at the tomb; annonneing the resurrection of Jesus; visit of Peter to the spot; appearance of Jesus to' two disciples and afterwards to the company of thern; expounding of the. &raptures' to them, with the direction that the gospel should be preached among all nations, begin ning at Jerusalem; ascension of Jesus to heaven from Bethany in the midst of the disl ciples, and their subsequent thanksgiving and praise.