Summary of the Gospel of Luke
This summary of the
Gospel of Luke provides information about the title, author(s), date of
writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the
chapters of the Gospel of Luke.
The author's name does
not appear in the book, but much unmistakable evidence points to Luke. This
Gospel is a companion volume to the book of Acts, and the language and
structure of these two books indicate that both were written by the same
person. They are addressed to the same individual, Theophilus, and the second
volume refers to the first (Ac 1:1). Certain sections in Acts use the pronoun
"we" (Ac
16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1 -- 28:16), indicating that the author was with Paul
when the events described in these passages took place. By process of
elimination, Paul's "dear friend Luke, the doctor" (Col 4:14) and "fellow worker" (Phm 24),
becomes the most likely candidate. His authorship is supported by the uniform
testimony of early Christian writings (e.g., the Muratorian Canon, a.d. 170,
and the works of Irenaeus, c. 180).
Luke was probably a
Gentile by birth, well educated in Greek culture, a physician by profession, a
companion of Paul at various times from his second missionary journey to his
final imprisonment in Rome, and a loyal friend who remained with the apostle
after others had deserted him (2Ti 4:11).
Antioch (of Syria) and
Philippi are among the places suggested as his hometown.
The Gospel is
specifically directed to Theophilus (1:3), whose name means "one who loves
God" and almost certainly refers to a particular person rather than to
lovers of God in general. The use of "most excellent" with the name
further indicates an individual, and supports the idea that he was a Roman
official or at least of high position and wealth. He was possibly Luke's
patron, responsible for seeing that the writings were copied and distributed.
Such a dedication to the publisher was common at that time.
Theophilus, however,
was more than a publisher. The message of this Gospel was intended for his own
instruction (1:4)
as well as the instruction of those among whom the book would be circulated.
The fact that the Gospel was initially directed to Theophilus does not narrow
or limit its purpose. It was written to strengthen the faith of all believers
and to answer the attacks of unbelievers. It was presented to displace some
disconnected and ill-founded reports about Jesus (see 1:1-4 and note). Luke wanted to show that the
place of the Gentile Christian in God's kingdom is based on the teaching of
Jesus. He wanted to commend the preaching of the gospel to the whole world.
The two most commonly
suggested periods for dating the Gospel of Luke are: (1) a.d. 59-63, and (2)
the 70s or the 80s (see essay and chart, p. 1943).
The place of writing
was probably Rome, though Achaia, Ephesus and Caesarea have also been
suggested. The place to which it was sent would, of course, depend on the
residence of Theophilus. By its detailed designations of places in the Holy
Land, the Gospel seems to be intended for readers who were unfamiliar with that
land. Antioch, Achaia and Ephesus are possible destinations.
Luke had outstanding
command of the Greek language. His vocabulary is extensive and rich, and his
style at times approaches that of classical Greek (as in the preface, 1:1-4), while at other times it is quite Semitic (1:5 -- 2:52) -- often like the Septuagint (the
pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT).
The third Gospel
presents the works and teachings of Jesus that are especially important for
understanding the way of salvation. Its scope is complete from the birth of
Christ to his ascension, its arrangement is orderly, and it appeals to both
Jews and Gentiles. The writing is characterized by literary excellence,
historical detail and warm, sensitive understanding of Jesus and those around
him.
Since the Synoptic
Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) report many of the same episodes in Jesus'
life, one would expect much similarity in their accounts. The dissimilarities
reveal the distinctive emphases of the separate writers. Luke's characteristic
themes include: (1) universality, recognition of Gentiles as well as Jews in
God's plan (see, e.g., 2:30-32 and notes on 2:31; 3:6); (2) emphasis on prayer, especially Jesus'
praying before important occasions (see note on 3:21); (3) joy at the announcement of the gospel
or "good news" (see note on 1:14); (4) special concern for the role of women
(see, e.g., 8:1-3 and notes); (5) special interest in the
poor (some of the rich were included among Jesus' followers, but he seemed
closest to the poor; see note on 12:33); (6) concern for sinners (Jesus was a friend
to those deep in sin); (7) stress on the family circle (Jesus' activity
included men, women and children, with the setting frequently in the home); (8)
repeated use of the Messianic title "Son of Man" (used 25 times;
see 19:10; Da 7:13 and notes); (9) emphasis on the Holy
Spirit (see note on 4:1); (10) inclusion of more parables than any
other Gospel; (11) emphasis on praising God (see 1:64; 24:53 and notes).
Although Luke
acknowledges that many others had written of Jesus' life (1:1), he does not indicate that he relied solely
on these reports for his own writing. He used personal investigation and
arrangement, based on testimony from "eyewitnesses and servants of the
word" (1:2)
-- including the preaching and oral accounts of the apostles. His language
differences from the other Synoptics and his blocks of distinctive material
(e.g., 10:1 -- 18:14;
19:1 -- 28) indicate independent work, though he
obviously used some of the same sources (see essay, p. 1943).
Luke's account of
Jesus' ministry can be divided into three major parts: (1) the events that
occurred in and around Galilee (4:14 -- 9:50), (2) those that took place in Judea and
Perea (9:51 -- 19:27), and (3) those of the final week in
Jerusalem (19:28 -- 24:53). Luke's uniqueness is especially seen in the
amount of material devoted to Jesus' closing ministry in Judea and Perea. This
material is predominantly made up of accounts of Jesus' discourses. Twenty-one
of the 28 parables that occur in Luke are found in 10:30 --19:27. Of the 20 miracles recorded in Luke, only 5
appear in 9:51 -- 19:27. Already in the ninth chapter (see note
on 9:51),
Jesus is seen anticipating his final appearance in Jerusalem and his
crucifixion (see note on13:22).
The main theme of the
Gospel is the nature of Jesus' Messiahship and mission, and a key verse
is 19:10.
- The Beginning of the Ministry
in Galilee (4:14-41)
- The First Tour of Galilee (4:42;5:39)
- A Sabbath Controversy (6:1-11)
- The Choice of the 12 Apostles
(6:12-16)
- The Sermon on the Plain (6:17-49)
- Miracles in Capernaum and Nain
(7:1-18)
- The Inquiry of John the
Baptist (7:19-29)
- Jesus and the Pharisees (7:30-50)
- The Second Tour of Galilee (8:1-3)
- The Parables of the Kingdom (8:4-21)
- The Trip across the Sea of
Galilee (8:22-39)
- The Third Tour of Galilee (8:40;9:9)
- The Narrow Door (13:22-30)
- Warning concerning Herod (13:31-35)
- At a Pharisee's House (14:1-23)
- The Cost of Discipleship (14:24-35)
- The Parables of the Lost
Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son (ch. 15)
- The Parable of the Shrewd
Manager (16:1-18)
- The Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31)
- Miscellaneous Teachings (17:1-10)
- Ten Healed of Leprosy (17:11-19)
- The Coming of the Kingdom (17:20-37)
- The Persistent Widow (18:1-8)
- The Pharisee and the Tax
Collector (18:9-14)
- Jesus and the Children (18:15-17)
- The Rich Young Ruler (18:18-30)
- Christ Foretells His Death (18:31-34)
- A Blind Beggar Given His Sight
(18:35-43)
- Jesus and Zacchaeus (19:1-10)
- The Parable of the Ten Minas (19:11-27)
- The Triumphal Entry (19:28-44)
- The Cleansing of the Temple (19:45-48)
- The Last Controversies with
the Jewish Leaders (ch. 20)
- The Olivet Discourse (ch. 21)
- The Last Supper (22:1-38)
- Jesus Praying in Gethsemane (22:39-46)
- Jesus' Arrest (22:47-65)
- Jesus on Trial (22:66;23:25)
- The Crucifixion (23:26-56)
- The Resurrection (24:1-12)
- The Post-Resurrection Ministry
(24:13-49)
- The Ascension (24:50-53)
From the NIV Study
Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, Luke
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Audio Bible - NLT
Click on the Link to hear the Chapter of Luke
Luke 1
1 Many people have set out to write
accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.
2 They used the eyewitness reports
circulating among us from the early disciples.
3 Having carefully investigated everything
from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you,
most honorable Theophilus,
4 so you can be certain of the truth of
everything you were taught.
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was
a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of
Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.
6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous
in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth
was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the
Temple, for his order was on duty that week.
9 As was the custom of the priests, he was
chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
10 While the incense was being burned, a
great crowd stood outside, praying.
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.
12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed
with fear when he saw him.
13But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid,
Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a
son, and you are to name him John.
14You will have great joy and gladness, and many
will rejoice at his birth,
15 for he will be great in the eyes of the
Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled
with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
16And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord
their God.
17 He will be a man with the spirit and
power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will
turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who
are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be
sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in
years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I
stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good
news!
20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I
said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my
words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for
Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long.
22 When he finally did come out, he
couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence
that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.
23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the
Temple was over, he returned home.
24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth,
became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.
25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed.
“He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged
to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,
favored woman! The Lord is with you! ”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to
think what the angel could mean.
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told
her, “for you have found favor with God!
31 You will conceive and give birth to a
son, and you will name him Jesus.
32 He will be very great and will be called
the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor
David.
33 And he will reign over Israel forever;
his Kingdom will never end!”
34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this
happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby
to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has
become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has
conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.
37 For the word of God will never fail. ”
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s
servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel
left her.
39 A few days later Mary hurried to the
hill country of Judea, to the town
40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the
house and greeted Elizabeth.
41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting,
Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit.
42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed
to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.
43Why am I so honored, that the mother of my
Lord should visit me?
44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in
my womb jumped for joy.
45 You are blessed because you believed
that the Lord would do what he said.”
46 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises
the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant
girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has
done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to
generation to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous
things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their
thrones and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good
things and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel and
remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our
ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three
months and then went back to her own home.
57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to
be born, she gave birth to a son.
58 And when her neighbors and relatives
heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
59 When the baby was eight days old, they
all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah,
after his father.
60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is
John!”
61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one
in all your family by that name.”
62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s
father what he wanted to name him.
63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to
everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”
64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again,
and he began praising God.
65 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood,
and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.
66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on
these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of
the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
67Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with
the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited and redeemed his people.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the
royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised through his holy
prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
and from all who hate us.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by
remembering his sacred covenant—
73 the covenant he swore with an oath to
our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies so
we can serve God without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness for as long
as we live.
76 “And you, my little son, will be called
the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find
salvation through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the
morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
80 John grew up and became strong in
spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to
Israel.
Luke 2
1 At that time the Roman emperor,
Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
2 (This was the first census taken when
Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3 All returned to their own ancestral
towns to register for this census.
4 And because Joseph was a descendant of
King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He
traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who
was now obviously pregnant.
6 And while they were there, the time came
for her baby to be born.
7 She gave birth to her first child, a
son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger,
because there was no lodging available for them.
8 That night there were shepherds staying
in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among
them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were
terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be
afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all
people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the
Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
12 And you will recognize him by this sign:
You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast
host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and
peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven,
the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found
Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told
everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this
child.
18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were
astonished,
19 but Mary kept all these things in her
heart and thought about them often.
20 The shepherds went back to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the
angel had told them.
21 Eight days later, when the baby was
circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he
was conceived.
22Then it was time for their purification
offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his
parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s
first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD .”
24 So they offered the sacrifice required
in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 At that time there was a man in
Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for
the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him
26 and had revealed to him that he would
not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
27 That day the Spirit led him to the
Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as
the law required,
28 Simeon was there. He took the child in
his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant
die in peace, as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the
nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was
being said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to
Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to
fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God,
but many will oppose him.
35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of
many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
36Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple.
She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old.
Her husband died when they had been married only seven years.
37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of
eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night,
worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
38 She came along just as Simeon was
talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the
child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all
the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in
Galilee.
40 There the child grew up healthy and
strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to
Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they
attended the festival as usual.
43 After the celebration was over, they
started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents
didn’t miss him at first,
44 because they assumed he was among the
other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking
for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went
back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
46 Three days later they finally discovered
him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and
asking questions.
47 All who heard him were amazed at his
understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think.
“Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I
have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he
asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50 But they didn’t understand what he
meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them
and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and
in favor with God and all the people.
