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Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston  Gift of the Gospels
Commentary on the Gospel of Luke
Lesson 1: Overview
The New Testament: A Library of Books
Whenever we purchase a new book we look at the table of contents. In the case of the
New Testament, the table of contents consists of 27 books, written by different authors
at different times to address different audiences. Thus the New Testament is not a book but rather a library
of books. These books were written in koine Greek, the vernacular Greek of the first century. They
constitute the canon of the New Testament, that is, they are seen as authoritative by Christians for religious
belief.
The Canon of Sacred Scripture
The English term “canon” comes from a Greek word that originally meant “ruler” or
“measuring rod.” A canon was used to make straight lines or to measure distances. When applied
to a group of books, it refers to a recognized list (body) of literature. With reference to the Bible, the
term canon denotes the collection of books that are accepted as authoritative by a religious body,
the church. Thus, for example, we can speak of the canon of the Old Testament or the canon of
the New Testament.
The Layout of the New Testament
Gospels: The Beginning of Christianity
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts: The Spread of Christianity
Acts of the Apostles
Epistles: Letters Addressed to Early Christian Communities
Pauline Epistles
Romans
1 and 2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 and 2 Thessalonians
1 and 2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
General Epistles
Hebrews
James
1, and 2 Peter
1, 2, and 3 John
Jude
Apocalypse: Literature to Inspire Hope to Christians during Times of Persecution
Book of Revelation
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The Gospels: “Written So That You May Come to Believe” (John 20:31)
The Gospels have as their purpose to evoke faith. They are based on reliable testimony and
eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus (see John 21:24). They do not always provide detailed and exact
historical information but, rather, they present revelations about Jesus and his followers that are directed at
inspiring readers to appropriate such a lifestyle.
The Gospels are faith literature, which were written by people of faith to inspire faith. They are not
video camera recordings or DVD’s of events; rather they are proclamations of belief. They were written to
inspire peoples’ belief, not to simply report information, or as the Gospel of John states so well: “But these
are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through
believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31).
Stages of Gospel Development
The Gospels went through three stages of development, as outlined by the Roman Pontifical Biblical
Commission in its “Instruction on the Historical Truth of the Gospels.” In this document, biblical scholars of
the Catholic Church present the first stage of Gospel development as: PUBLIC MINISTRY OR ACTIVITY OF JESUS
OF NAZARETH (the first third of the first century). Jesus did things of note, such as heal people, perform
miracles, preach and teach. He orally proclaimed his message, and interacted with others, namely John the
Baptist, Jewish religious figures, and his disciples. The interpreted memories of Jesus’ words and deeds are
what the Gospels record. These memories were selective and do not include such trivia as Jesus’ weight and
height, the color of his eyes and hair.
The second stage of Gospel development is: (APOSTOLIC) PREACHING ABOUT JESUS (the second third
of the first century). Those who had seen and heard Jesus had their choice to follow him confirmed through
post-resurrection appearances; and they came to full faith in the risen Jesus as the one through whom God
was manifested. That post-resurrection faith illumined the memories of what they had seen and heard during
the pre-resurrection period; and so they proclaimed his words and deeds with enriched significance. These
preachers are referred to as apostolic because they understood themselves as being sent forth (Greek:
apostallein) by the risen Jesus, and their preaching is often described as kerygmatic proclamation intended to
bring others to faith.
Another factor operative in this stage of Gospel development was the necessary adaptation of the
preaching to a new audience. While Jesus was a Galilean Jew of the first third of the first century who spoke
Aramaic, by mid-century his Gospel was being preached in Greek throughout the Diaspora (Jews living
outside of Palestine) to urban Jews and Gentiles. This change of language involved translation in the
broadest sense of that term. It required a rephrasing in vocabulary and patterns that would make the message
intelligible and alive for new audiences.
The final stage of Gospel development is: THE WRITTEN GOSPELS (the last third of the first century).
During this stage, oral traditions and preachings were collated together into a written form. The era from 65100 A. D. is when all four canonical Gospels were written. It was the stage of articulation. As for the
evangelists or Gospel writers/authors, according to traditions stemming from the second century and
reflected in titles prefaced to the manuscripts of Gospels circa 200 A.D. (or even earlier), the Gospels were
attributed to apostles. (For a more detailed explanation of the three stages of formation of the Gospels, see
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 126).
This recognition — that the evangelists were dependent on eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry — is
important for understanding the differences among the Gospels. Eyewitnesses remember things differently.
For example, John (chapter 2) reports the cleansing of the Temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and
Matthew (chapter 21) reports the cleansing of the Temple at the end of the ministry.
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In sum, the Gospels are “Good News,” i.e., information that is inspiring in order “…that you may
know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed” (Luke 1:4).
Matthew, Mark and Luke
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often called the “Synoptic Gospels.” This is because they have so
many stories in common that they can be placed side by side in columns and “seen together” (the literal
meaning of the word “synoptic”). Indeed, not only do these Gospels tell many of the same stories, they often
do so using the very same words.
This phenomenon is virtually inexplicable, unless the stories are derived from a common literary
source. Consider a modern day parallel. You may have noticed that when newspapers, magazines, and
books all describe the same event, they do so differently. Take any three of today’s newspapers and compare
their treatment of the same news item. At no point will they contain entire paragraphs that are word for word
the same, unless they happen to be quoting from the same source, for example, an interview or a speech.
These differences occur because every journalist wants to emphasize certain things and has his or her own
way of writing. When you find that two newspapers have exactly the same account, you know that they have
simply reproduced a feature from somewhere else. This happens, for example, when two newspapers pick
up the same news story from the Associated Press.
We have a similar situation with the Gospels. There are passages shared by Matthew, Mark, and
Luke that are verbatim (see Matthew 13:1-9; Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8). This can be scarcely explained unless
all three of them drew these accounts from a common source. But what was it? The question is complicated
by the fact that the synoptics not only agree extensively with one another, they also disagree. There are some
stories found in all three Gospels, others found in only two of the three (see Matthew 3:7-10; Luke 3:7-9),
and yet others found only in one (see Luke 3:10-14). Moreover, when all three Gospels share the same story,
they sometimes give it in precisely the same wording and sometimes word it differently. Or sometimes two
of them will word it the same way and the third will word it differently. The problem of how to explain the
wide-ranging agreements and disagreements among these three Gospels is called the “Synoptic Problem.”
“Synoptic Problem”
Biblical scholars have offered a number of theories over the years to solve the Synoptic Problem. We
will focus on the one that most scholars have come to accept as the least problematic.
This explanation is sometimes referred to as “four-source hypothesis.” According to this hypothesis,
Mark was the first Gospel to be written. It was used by both Matthew and Luke. In addition, both Matthew
and Luke had access to another “source,” Q (from the German word for “source,” quelle). Q provided
Matthew and Luke with the stories that they have in common that are not, however, found in Mark.
Moreover, Matthew had a source (or group of sources) of his own, from which he drew stories found in
neither of the other Gospels. Scholars have simply labeled this source(s) “M” (for Matthew’s special
source). Likewise, Luke had a source(s) for stories that he alone tells; this is called “L” (for Luke’s special
source). Hence, according to this hypothesis, four sources lie behind our three Synoptic Gospels: Mark, Q,
M, and L. No written copies of Q, M, and L exist.
To help prepare for our study of the Gospels, the following timeline is presented:
Timeline
30-100 A.D. Oral and Written Tradition about Jesus
___________________________________________________________________
4 B.C.E.—30 A.D.50-60
Life of Jesus
Letters of Paul
65-70
80-85
95-100
Mark
Luke, Matthew
John
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Before reading any of the four Gospels it will be helpful to have some information about the various Jewish
religious sects that existed at both the time of Jesus and the writing of the Gospels.
Jewish Groups and the Gospels
Jewish Scribes in the first century represented the literate elite, those who could read and study
the sacred traditions of Israel and, presumably, teach them to others. Recall that most Jews, as
well as most other people in the ancient world, were not highly educated by our standards; those
who were educated enjoyed a special place of prominence.
Pharisees, were Jews who were reformers strongly committed to maintaining the purity laws set
forth in the Torah and who developed their own set of more carefully nuanced laws to help them do
so. They appear as the chief culprits in the Jewish opposition to Jesus during much of his ministry
in Mark’s Gospel, as well as the other Gospels.
Herodians were a group of Jews whom Mark mentions but does not identify (3:6; 12:13; see also
Matt. 22:16). They are described in no other ancient source. Mark may understand them to be
collaborationists, that are supporters of the Herods, the rulers intermittently appointed over Jews in
Palestine by the Romans.
Sadducees were Jews of the upper classes who were closely connected with and strong
advocates of the Temple cult in Jerusalem. They were largely in charge of the Jewish Sanhedrin,
the council of Jews that advised the high priest concerning policy and served as a kind of liaison
with the Roman authorities.
Zealots were a group of Jews characterized by their insistence on violent opposition to the Roman
domination of the Promised Land. A group that had been centered in Galilee fled to Jerusalem
during the uprising against Rome in 66-70 C.E.; they overthrew the reigning aristocracy in the city
and urged violent resistance to the bitter end.
Essenes A group of Jews whose name may come from an Aramaic word meaning “pious,”
withdrew from Jerusalem and active participation in the Jerusalem Temple. They settled in the
Judean wilderness in isolated monastic communities where they studied the Scriptures and
developed their rule of life. Essenes were known for their piety such as daily prayer, prayer before
and after meals, strict observance of the Sabbath, daily ritual bathing, emphasis on chastity and
celibacy, wearing white robes as a symbol of purity, communal meals, and sharing all property in
common.
Chief Priests were the upper classes of the Jewish priesthood who operated the Temple and
oversaw its sacrifices. They would have been closely connected with the Sadducees and would
have been the real power players in Jesus’ day, the ones with the ear of the Roman governor in
Jerusalem and the ones responsible for regulating the lives of the Jewish people in Judea. Their
leader, the high priest, was the ultimate authority over civil and religious affairs when there was no
king in Judea.
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The Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke is part of a two-volume set; the other is Acts of the Apostles. Both volumes
were composed by the same author. They were intended to be read in sequence. Luke presents the good
news of Jesus, the Gospel; and Acts of the Apostles presents the good news of the Church and what people
did in response to that Gospel. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus moves from Galilee to Jerusalem, toward the
center of the Jewish world. In Acts of the Apostles, the “way” — a synonym for the followers of Jesus —
moves from Jerusalem to Rome, the center of the Greco-Roman world.
Outline of the Gospel of Luke
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Luke 1:1-4: the Prologue
Luke 1:5-2:52: The Infancy Narrative
Luke 3:1-4:13: Preparation for the Ministry of Jesus
Luke 4:14-9:50 The Ministry of Jesus in Galilee
Luke 9:51-19:27: The Journey to Jerusalem
Luke 19:28-21:38: Jesus’ Ministry in Jerusalem
Luke 22:1-24:53: The Passion and Resurrection Narratives
Luke the Evangelist
Not much is known about the evangelist Luke. Church tradition says that he was both a physician
and an artist from Syria who completed his gospel between A.D. 80 and 90.There are three brief references
to “Luke” in the New Testament. Philemon mentions a “Luke” as Paul’s fellow worker (verse 24); and 2
Timothy 4:11 notes that a “Luke” was alone in staying with Paul in the days of Paul’s imprisonment.
Finally, Colossians 4:10-14 mentions a “Luke,” a physician and Gentile. Are these references to Luke the
evangelist? It is unclear!
Who was this highly gifted and reflective evangelist? The only thing that can be said with certainty
is that Luke was a second generation Gentile Christian. No ancient tradition suggests a place of composition
for the gospel. Scholarly consensus holds that the Gospel was composed in Antioch. Luke’s gospel comes
from the middle period of gospel writing (83-90 C.E.); it was written after Mark (on which it depends) and
before John.
Luke’s Writing Style
Luke is an economical writer who avoids repetitions and superfluous information. His use of Greek is
among the finest in the New Testament, and he is well versed in Greco-Roman literary style. Luke uses
polished prose, tells a story well and always takes his audience into consideration when he writes.
Luke writes with an eye toward influencing Rome positively toward Christianity. The primary
audiences for Luke’s writing were Gentiles, some of whom were Roman citizens. For these people, a literary
approach that would not jar educated tastes was required. And so, using the Septuagint (the Greek
translation of the Old Testament) as his stylistic model, Luke writes in the mode of a Roman historian, using
literary forms and designs drawn from that world. Luke is a classic defender of the faith. To counter the
Romans who viewed Christianity as having sordid origins since it sprang from the Jews who the Romans
considered suspect, Luke demonstrates Christianity’s universality. The salvation offered by Jesus is
available to everyone, not just Jews: “…and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6).
Dedicated to a Gentile, the Theophilus of Luke’s prologue (1:1-4; see Acts of the Apostles 1:1-5) the
two-volume set commends Christianity to a Gentile world; Luke argues that Church and state can live
peaceably together. His writings were not only a defense to the Empire, but a tool for its evangelization.
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Further, since theophilus means “God lover” some scholars suggest that Luke is writing to all God lovers not
just a particular historical person.
Characteristics and Themes in Luke’s Gospel
Pairing Men and Women
A technique used by the writer of the Gospel of Luke is the pairing of men and women. He pairs the
birth announcement to Zechariah (1:5-20) about the birth of John the Baptist with the birth announcement to
Mary (1:26-38) regarding the birth of Jesus. In the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, both the man Simeon
and the woman Anna receive the infant Jesus (2:25-38). Jesus cures both the male demoniac and Peter’s
mother-in-law (4:33-39) as well as the male centurions’ slave (7:1-10) and the raising of the dead son of a
widow (7:11-5).
The Gospel of Luke and Women
In Luke’s gospel, women have a prominent role, one that at times puts them on a par with men.
There are ten named and unnamed women in Luke’s gospel. In Jesus’ teaching in Luke, women are
mentioned 18 times; speak 15 times; and in 10 of these instances their words are given. In Luke, there are
women disciples who provide for Jesus and his disciples out of their financial means (Luke 8:1-3). Two of
Jesus’ closest friends are Martha and Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:38-42). Further, women follow Jesus to
Calvary (23:27-31), are present at the crucifixion (23:49; see 23:55-56), and discover the empty tomb after
Jesus’ resurrection (24:1-12).
The Gospel of Luke and the Holy Spirit
In Luke’s gospel, the role of the Holy Spirit is underlined. Often known as the Gospel of the Holy
Spirit, Luke provides more references to the Holy Spirit than any other of the Synoptic Gospels (see Luke
1:15, 35, 41, 67; 2:26-27; 3:16; 3:21-22; 4:1-14; 4:18-19; 12:12). As a matter of fact, the expression “Holy
Spirit” appears 13 times in the Gospel of Luke and 41 times in Acts of the Apostles, which was composed by
the same author.
From the very beginning of the Gospel of Luke, the Holy Spirit plays a key role. Zechariah is told
that his son, John the Baptizer, will “even before his birth be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15). Jesus’
very origin is said to be from the Holy Spirit, for the angel says to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon
you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you . . .” (Luke 1:35). When Mary visits Elizabeth, the
Gospel of Luke points out that “. . . Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41). Why? Because
Mary, who is the pregnant one bearing Jesus, transfers to John and his mother Elizabeth God’s Spirit. Even
unborn, Jesus is a bearer of the Spirit to all whom he encounters.
Once Zechariah, the father of John the Baptizer, is able to speak, he proclaims a canticle about the
meaning of his son’s birth and Luke is quick to point out that John’s “. . . father, Zechariah, was filled with
the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:67) as he began to proclaim “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.”
In the story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple — which is found only in the Gospel of Luke
— the aged Simeon is said to have had the Holy Spirit rest on him and promise him that he would not see
death before he saw the messiah (Luke 2:25-27).
Jesus is preeminently the man of the Holy Spirit, and the giver of the Spirit in the Gospel of Luke.
John the Baptizer identifies Jesus’ role as being the living conduit of the Spirit. John says: “I baptize you
with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire” (Luke 3:16).
A pivotal point in Jesus’ life, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke, is his baptism (Luke 3:21-22).
When Jesus is baptized, we see clearly that the Holy Spirit is being poured out upon him. And the Spirit
appears in the form of a dove. Why a dove? The dove is the sign of a new season in the Song of Songs
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(2:12), and the herald of the new world after the flood (Genesis 8:8-12); and its presence at the baptism of
Jesus suggests the opening of a new age.
For Luke, Jesus’ baptism is God’s decisive intervention in our history. Here at the Jordan River,
Jesus saw and experienced in a most vivid and human way the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him, and it is
under the auspices of the Spirit that Jesus’ ministry begins. In the power of the Spirit, Jesus was driven into
the wilderness (desert) (Luke 4:1); in the power of the Spirit he returned to Galilee (Luke 4:14).
Further, Luke is quite clear that Jesus brought the Spirit of God. In fact, when Jesus begins his public
ministry he stands up in the synagogue in Nazareth and applies to himself the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent
me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). Luke sees Jesus as a vehicle of the Spirit and the
instrument of a new prophetic outpouring.
The Gospel of Luke and the Themes of Poverty, Mercy and Forgiveness
Luke’s gospel is also known as the Gospel of the poor, and the Gospel of mercy and the forgiveness
of God. Luke sees Jesus as friend and advocate of those whom society ignores or turns from in distaste, the
poor, handicapped persons, public sinners, and all who found themselves on the fringes of the community.
The Lucan Jesus has great compassion for all of these. In Luke’s day, none bore the brunt of ostracism more
than the Samaritans. Only Luke tells the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), and in the story of the
cleansing of the ten lepers by Jesus, the only leper to return with gratitude to thank Jesus is a Samaritan (see
Luke 17:11-19). The most famous of Jesus’ parables on forgiveness — the parable of the prodigal son (Luke
15:11-32) — is found only in Luke.
The Gospel of Luke and Prayer
Luke’s gospel stresses prayer. Jesus is portrayed in Luke as praying “without ceasing.” Jesus prays
often in the Gospel of Luke (see 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 9:28-29; 11:1; 22:40-46). In Luke, Jesus prays at
every major decision-making moment in his life. Luke provides this as a model for all who would be
followers of Jesus. In addition, in the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells three parables about prayer
The Gospel of Luke and Parables
Luke’s gospel contains the largest number of parables, the two most famous being the parable of the
Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Luke’s gospel alone contains three
parables about poverty and riches: the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21), the shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-13), and
the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Luke records three parables on prayer: the friend at midnight
(Luke 11:5-8), the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), and the parable of the Pharisee and the tax
collector (Luke 18:9-14). Further, Luke provides parables on being a disciple: the parable of the two
builders (Luke 6:47-49), the tower builder and the warring king (Luke 14:28-33), and the parable of the
unworthy servant (Luke 17:7-10).
The Gospel of Luke and Jesus’ Table Fellowship
Luke is also known as the Gospel of table fellowship. There are ten meal stories in Luke. They
include: a meal at the house of Levi (5:27-39), at the home of Simon the Pharisee (7:36-50), breaking bread
in Bethsaida (9:10-17), dining at the home of Martha (10:38-42), at the home of a Pharisee (11:37-54), a
Sabbath meal with a leading Pharisee (14:1-24), a meal at the house of Zacchaeus (19:1-10), Jesus’
celebrating of the Passover meal with his disciples (22:14-38), the risen Jesus breaking bread with the
disciples on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35) and with his disciples in Jerusalem (24:36-53). Often, when
Jesus dines in the Gospel of Luke, an outcast or socially unacceptable person becomes included in Jesus’
table fellowship.
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Luke: The Gospel of Joy
Finally there is the theme of joy. The word “joy” appears more often in the third Gospel than in any
other New Testament work. In the theological world view of the Gospel of Luke we live in a world
redeemed and transformed by the birth, life, ministry, passion and death of Jesus Christ. In such a world
there can be no other Christian response than joy.
The Prologue of the Gospel of Luke
Read Luke 1:1-4
The Gospel opens with a single sentence typical of ancient literature. A Gentile audience would
expect such a prologue, and Luke is simply supplying it. He addresses it to a person named Theophilus
whose identity is unknown. The guesses as to his identity include the possibility that he was a benefactor, a
Church leader or even a civil authority. On the one hand, it seems most likely that Theophilus represents an
audience of believers of Gentile origin whose adherence to Christianity Luke wishes to confirm by
communicating a new sense of their identity precisely as Gentile members of the People of God. On the
other hand, using the name Theophilus (literally, “Beloved of God”) universalizes the identity allowing
every reader to be the Gospel’s addressee.
The prologue also tells us a great deal about Luke and his understanding of himself and about the
methods and aims of his writing. First, he locates himself in the sweep of the tradition. At the beginning
stand those who were “eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (verse 2). The reference is presumably to the
original disciples (notably the apostles), who after Pentecost were empowered by the Spirit to proclaim what
they had seen and experienced. Later there were others who “set their hands” to composing the narratives of
the “events that have been fulfilled among us.”
Secondly, Luke’s aim is to write ---in contrast it would seem, to his predecessors---an “orderly
account,” designed to produce in the reader “firm assurance” in regard to things in which he has been
instructed. The term “orderly” as used here does not necessarily mean an account that narrates things in strict
chronological order. The sense is rather that of setting the various episodes pertaining to Jesus so as to
demonstrate the truth and inner meaning of the whole story.
Third and finally, for Luke, the purpose of all of this is to provide assurance to his Gentile audience
who had never experienced the historical Jesus that their choice to become disciples of Jesus is a valid one.
Review and Discussion Questions
How do you react to the stages of development that the Gospels went through?
What do we know about the author of the Gospel of Luke?
With which themes in the Gospel of Luke can you readily identify?
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