What the book is
Luke is the longest of the Gospels, and the only one that begins by explaining how it was written. Its author says that many have already told the story, and that he has “followed the whole course of things closely from the start” in order to write it out “in order” for a man named Theophilus (1:1–4). The same author wrote Acts, also for Theophilus, so that the two books tell one story: from the birth of Jesus to the gospel reaching Rome.
Much of what readers love best in the Gospels is found only in Luke: the songs of Mary and Zechariah, the shepherds and the angels, the boy Jesus in the temple, the good Samaritan, the lost son and his father, Zacchaeus in the tree, and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Its heart is in one sentence:
The Son of Man came to look for what was lost and to save it.”
Who wrote it, and when
The book does not name its author. From the second century it was credited to Luke, “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14) and a companion of Paul (Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11). In parts of Acts the narrator says “we” (from 16:10), which many read as the author’s own presence on Paul’s journeys. Many scholars accept Luke as the author; others think the author is unknown, a well-educated Christian of the next generation. Most date the Gospel to the 80s AD, after Mark, which it uses; some date it before AD 64, since Acts ends with Paul still awaiting trial in Rome.
How the book is laid out
- Prologue (1:1–4): why and how the book was written.
- Birth and childhood (1:5–2:52): the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, told side by side.
- In Galilee (3:1–9:50): John’s preaching, the baptism, the sermon at Nazareth where Jesus reads from Isaiah, the calling of disciples, healings, and the transfiguration.
- The journey to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27): Jesus “turned his face toward Jerusalem”, and on the way comes most of the teaching found only in Luke, including the parables of the good Samaritan, the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.
- In Jerusalem (19:28–24:53): the entry into the city, the last supper, the arrest, the trials, the crucifixion, the empty tomb, the road to Emmaus, and the ascension.
What to look for
Luke shows Jesus turning to the people others pass over: the poor, the sick, tax collectors and sinners, Samaritans and women. Prayer marks every turning point, and the Holy Spirit is at work from the first chapter. Joy runs through the book, from the angel’s “good news, a great joy that is for all the people” (2:10) to the disciples returning to Jerusalem “with great joy” (24:52). And the Gospel ends where Acts begins, with the promise of power from on high.
How Open Word Bible translates Luke
Peace on earth (2:14). The angels sing of peace “to the people he favors”: the SBL text reads “of good pleasure”, meaning those on whom God’s favour rests. Many later manuscripts read “goodwill toward people”, the wording of older English Bibles, given in a footnote.
The census (2:2). Luke dates the census to when Quirinius was governing Syria. A decision explains who he was, and notes that “first registration” may mean the first of the censuses or one held before the better-known census under Quirinius.
The last supper (22:19–20). A few manuscripts end Jesus’s words at “This is my body” and leave out the cup after supper. The draft keeps the longer text, as almost all manuscripts have it, and the footnote explains the shorter one.
Drops of blood (22:43–44). The angel who strengthens Jesus and his sweat “like thick drops of blood” are missing from several early manuscripts. The draft translates them as part of the text, as its Greek text does, marks the decision uncertain and explains the evidence in a footnote.
”Father, forgive them” (23:34). The prayer from the cross is also missing from some early manuscripts. The draft includes it, again marked uncertain, with the evidence in a footnote. See When the manuscripts disagree.
Today in paradise (23:43). The Greek has no punctuation, so “today” could go with “I tell you” or with “you will be with me”. The draft says “this very day you will be with me in paradise”, and the footnote gives the other reading. See Punctuation the apostles never wrote.