RYAN PASZKIEWICZ, CHRISTIAN FIORE, TYLER BEACH JOHN ENOCH, JOEY YOUNGBLOOD

WHO WAS LUKE? A Gentile Christian who did not know the historical Jesus in person nor came from the holy land Was a companion of Paul and a physician His style of writing shows that he was Greek Lived in the Greek city of Antioch He was well educated Some believe that he may have been a slave educated by his family in medicine Wrote the Acts of the Apostles as well

Who did he write it for? When did he write it? The Gospel of Luke was written between 75 and 90 AD His gospels main audience was Gentile Christians but Luke dedicates the gospel to Theophilus (links Gospel of Luke to Acts) Luke was written with 3 main sources: Mark’s Gospel (60%) Q – a common source of Matthew and Luke L – sources unique to Luke

The symbol for the Gospel of Luke is a winged ox or calf. The Book of Luke's Gospel deals with the sacrifice of Christ and oxen were common sacrificial animals. This is one of the ways that The Gospel of Luke links itself to Jesus through the culture of the day.

Common Themes of the Gospel of Luke There are 5 common themes of Luke’s gospel: Jesus as a prophet The church continues Jesus’ prophetic ministry The role of the Holy Spirit in Salvation History Prayer, peace, and joy The special role of Mary and women

Historical Perspective of Luke’s Gospel Luke relates the story of Jesus and the Church to events in contemporary Palestinian and Roman history He was concerned with presenting Christianity as a legitimate form of worship in the Roman Empire. Why? Did not want to present either the words or deeds of Jesus as a guide for the Christian lifestyle

Jesus’ Image In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is portrayed as a man who intimately knows the loving and helpful heart of his father One of the themes in the Gospel of Luke is Jesus as a prophet Not only is Jesus portrayed in a special way, but there is also a special role for Mary and women Luke’s gospel reveals what Jesus thought of himself. He is a Spirit-led prophet and delivers good news to the poor. He also announces God’s love for people.

Jesus the Prophet (Luke 4:18-19) “ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives And recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord”(Lk 4:18-19). This was read by Jesus at the synagogue and comes from the prophet Isaiah (61:1f) How does this compare to Luke’s image of Jesus in the Gospel?

Jesus as a Prophet Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of liberation when he: Heals people of their illnesses Touches and cures lepers that were not allowed to associate with others Treats women as equals Forgives and eats meals with sinners Exorcises the demons out of those in bondage with Satan

Important RQ material 3 Themes of parables: 1. They contain the heart of his message 2. They represent Jesus as an outstanding teacher 3. They reveal how Jesus dealt with his opponents Luke stresses the role of the Holy Spirit in Salvation History Women play a key role in the Gospel of Luke. Most importantly they see the tomb where Jesus’ body is laid and are the ones to discover it empty. Women are the central characters in 2 parables

Important RQ cont. Luke uses Jerusalem as a central symbol in his presentation Uses 2 sources of information other than his own Luke’s Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles make up more than ¼ of the New Testament Luke wants to show Theophilus and all readers that their instruction in the Christian faith is sound