Butler - Luke

To
Mary Martin
and Mary Webb
Used by God in the
midst of darkness
To let His light shine
again in my life

Today's church hungers for Bible teaching, and Bible teachers hunger for resources to guide them in teaching God's Word. The Holman New Testament Commentary provides the church with the food to feed the spiritually hungry in an easily digestible format. The result: new spiritual vitality that the church can readily use.

Bible teaching should result in new interest in the Scriptures, expanded Bible knowledge, discovery of specific scriptural principles, relevant applications, and exciting living. The unique format of the Holman New Testament Commentary includes sections to achieve these results for every New Testament book.

Opening quotations from some of the church's best writers lead to an introductory illustration and discussion that draw individuals and study groups into the Word of God. In a Nutshell summarizes the content and teaching of the chapter. Verse-by-verse commentary answers the church's questions rather than raising issues scholars usually admit they cannot adequately solve. Bible principles and specific contemporary applications encourage students to move from Bible to contemporary times. A specific modern illustration then ties application vividly to present life. A brief prayer aids the student to commit his or her daily life to the principles and applications found in the Bible chapter being studied. For those still hungry for more, Deeper Discoveries take the student into a more personal, deeper study of the words, phrases, and themes of God's Word. Finally, a teaching outline provides transitional statements and conclusions along with an outline to assist the teacher in group Bible studies.

It is the editors' prayer that this new resource for local church Bible teaching will enrich the ministry of group, as well as individual, Bible study, and that it will lead God's people to truly be people of the Book, living out what God calls us to be.

Twelve volumes designed for Bible study and teaching to enrich the local church and God's people.

Introduction to

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Luke, the physician, wrote his friend Theophilus to assure him that what he had heard was true: God had indeed fulfilled his purposes in the life and ministry of Jesus. Luke wrote from an unknown location about A.D. 70 to 75.

AUTHORSHIP

• Luke, the doctor (Col. 4:14), traveled with Paul on parts of his missionary journeys as indicated by the we passages in Acts (16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16). He:
• Received the Christian tradition from eyewitnesses.
• Was not an apostle or earthly follower of Jesus.
• Was highly educated and widely read.
• Was a research historian in his day.
• Was a Gentile who avoided controversial Jewish topics.
• Had a special interest in healings.
• Wrote Luke and Acts, over one-fourth of the New Testament.

GOSPEL PROFILE

• Sent by Luke to his friend Theophilus, whose Greek name means friend of God.
• Addressed to a Gentile audience.
• Showed continuity between God's promises in the history of Israel with Jesus' ministry.
• Emphasized Jesus' compassion for the needy and unfortunate.
• Showed work of the Holy Spirit.
• Used Mark and other early traditions as sources.
• More succinct, less emotional than Mark, describing a more gentle, sensitive Jesus.
• Centered in Jerusalem as the starting point of the universal mission of the church.

A Heavenly Savior in an
Earthly Womb

A verse-by-verse explanation of the chapter.

An overview of the principles and applications from the chapter.