SERMON 171: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
Germaine Charles Lockwood

The Gospel According to Luke and The Acts of the Apostles were written by Luke the Physician. Luke worked with the Apostle Paul. We first meet Luke in Acts 16:10 at Troas, Asia Minor. In Acts 16:10, Luke changed from writing about them and they to us and we. Luke was with the Apostle Paul in Philippi (Acts 16:10-17). Luke staid in Philippi when Paul left. Later Luke went with Paul to Israel, and was with him during his imprisonment in Caesarea, Israel for two years (Acts 20:6-26:32). Luke went with the Apostle Paul by ship to Rome (Acts 27:1-28:16). Luke was with the Apostle Paul in Rome during the first imprisonment in Rome (Col. 4:14; Philemon 24). Later Luke was with Paul in Rome during the time of Paul's last imprisonment (2 Tim. 4:11). We read in Luke's introduction to The Gospel According to Luke:

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which are most surely believed among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus. Luke 1:1-3.

Doctor Luke wrote as a historian. He wrote down what the eyewitnesses had delivered to him. Luke was in Israel while Paul was in prison from A.D.57-59. ( See: St. Paul, the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, by Wm. M. Ramsay, p. 289, 90.) During this time, he was near the apostles, the other eyewitnesses and ministers. He wrote an orderly account in accuate Greek. Luke had perfect understanding of all things from the very first. He addressed both The Gospel According to Luke and The Acts of the Apostles to Theophilus. The two books go together.

In Acts 1:1, we learn that The Gospel According to Luke had been written before The Acts of the Apostles was started. Luke wrote in:

Acts 1:1: The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach. Acts 1:1.

So then, Luke had already written The Gospel before he began to write Acts. The Acts of the Apostles comes to an abrubt end when Paul had been under house arrest in Rome for two years. This was the spring of A.D. 62. There is no mention of the trial of Paul or the persecution by Nero. The Acts of the Apostles was completed in A.D. 62; therefore, The Gospel According to Luke was written before A.D. 62, about A.D. 59, since The Gospel of Luke was written before The Acts of the Apostles was started. Sir William M. Ramsay dated Acts 20:6 in A.D.57. [St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, (Baker Book House, 1962) p.289.]

In John McRay’s book, Paul, p.78 (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), he dates the first Roman imprisonment of Paul at March 57-c. Feb. 59. Luke was with Paul when Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea, Israel for two years, before Paul was sent to Rome. Acts 23:33-26:32. While Luke was in Israel helping Paul, Luke had the opportunity to get historical information about the life of Messiah from the eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus Christ. Luke got information from the apostles in Jerusalem. It appears that the first three chapters of Luke contain information from Mary the mother of Jesus. Other possible eyewitnesses were the half brothers of Jesus, James and Jude. Also there were Joanna and Cleopas. 

Luke was under the direction of the Holy Spirit inspired Apostle Paul. Paul was chosen by Jesus to be an apostle to the Gentiles, Jesus appeared to him. Paul became an eyewitness to the resurrection of Christ. Jesus appointed Paul as an apostle (Acts 26:12-18; Gal. 1:1; 1 Cor. 2:13; 14:37). Jesus promised His apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. Jesus said in:

John 16:13: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into All truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will Speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13.

Luke was an evangelist, He had the laying on of the hands of an apostle, receiving gifts of the Holy Spirit as it was with Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:6. Luke would have had the gifts of wisdom and the word of knowledge through the Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:8. Luke and Paul were in Israel in A.D. 58-60 or 55-57 for the research and writing of The Gospel According to Luke. 

Eusebius wrote (Ecclesiastical History, III.xxiv.):

But Luke also in the commencement of his narrative, presmises the cause which led him to write, showing that many others, having rashly undertaken to compose a narration of matters that he had already completely ascertained, in order to free us from the uncertain suppositions of others, in his own gospel, he delivered the certain account of those things, that he himself had fully received from his intimacy and stay with Paul, and also, his intercouse with other aspostles.
 	
The Gospel According to Luke was written for those who do not know the Old Testament scriptures, the Greeks, Romans and all the other Gentiles. We all need to study this book very carefully.

The Gospel According to Matthew, The Gospel According to Luke, and The Gospel According to Mark were all written before A.D. 70. The Gospel According to Luke was written before A.D. 62, most likely by A.D. 59, or according to McRay before 59, most likely by 56.

Professor Eta Linnemann has shown in her book, IS THERE A SYNOPTIC PROBLEM, p. 80, that 39.98 percent of The Gospel According to Luke is unique. 39.98 percent of Luke is without parallel in the other gospels. 57.09% of Luke is not in common with Mark. 82.98% of Luke is not in common with Matthew. This shows that 40 percent of The Gospel According to Luke is unique historical testimonies of eyewitnesses recorded by Dr. Luke. 60 percent is historical eyewitness testimonies, which are confirmed and supplimented by the other three gospels, Matthew, Mark and John. Sir William M. Ramsay was an archaeologist and New Testament scholar. He wrote:

You may press the words of Luke in a degee beyond any other historian’s, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment, provided always that the critic knows the subject and does not go beyond the limits of science and of justice. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, p. 89. Quoted in: Sir William M. Ramsay, Archaeologist and New Testament Scholar, by W.Ward Gasque, p.27 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966.)

There are four Gospels. They are four independent historical witnesses to you. Each gospel recorded unique historical information not covered in parallel by the other three. We need to read and study the four gospels, in order to know as much as we can about Messiah Jesus. We need to know Him, His teaching and His works. We need to know the word of God to us, the New Covenant, which was given through Messiah Jesus our King, our Lord, our High Priest, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Mediator and Judge.

 The gospel is that Messiah Jesus died for our sins; He was buried. He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Will you believe in Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God? When you come to believe in Messiah Jesus, you can turn away from your sins, repent, then confess your faith in Him and be baptized into Christ, into His death, buried with Him and raised up to walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3,4. It is written in:

Acts 2:38: . . . "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38.

Yes, through your own faith in Messiah Jesus you need to be baptized in His name for the forgivness of your sins. Infant baptism is not valid. Jesus said in
:
Mark 16:16: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16.

Will you be saved from sin and hell? Be buried with Messiah Jesus in baptism, then you will be raised up to walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4. 
 
Amen!