MacArthur - Luke

LUKE

MACARTHUR BIBLE STUDIES

2007, John MacArthur.

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John MacArthur

Unleashing Gods Truth, One Verse at at a Time.

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Produced with the assistance of the Livingstone Corporation. Project staff include Jake Barton, Mary Horner Collins, and Andy Culbertson.

Project editor: Len Woods

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version.

1979, 1980, 1982, 1992 Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers.

Keys to the Text and Truth for Today material is taken from the following sources:

1 Corinthians (electronic ed.). 1984, 1996 by John MacArthur. MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series. Published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois. Used by permission.

God in the Manger. 2001 by John MacArthur. W Publishing Group, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The MacArthur Quick Reference Guide to the Bible. 2001 by John MacArthur.

W Publishing Group, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.). John MacArthur, General Editor. 1997 by Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Matthew, 17, 815, 1623, 2428 (electronic ed.). MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series. 1989 by John MacArthur. Published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois. Used by permission.

Truth for Today: A Daily Touch of Gods Grace. 2001 by John MacArthur. Published by J. Countryman Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

Twelve Ordinary Men. 2002 by John MacArthur. W Publishing Group, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Cover Art by Holly Sharp Design

Interior Design and Composition by Joel Bartlett, Livingstone Corporation

ISBN: 978-0-7180-3503-7

ISBN: 978-0-718-03522-8 (eBook)

15 16 17 18 19 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

As with the other three Gospels, the title is derived from the authors name. According to tradition, Luke was a Gentile. The apostle Paul seems to confirm this, distinguishing Luke from those who were of the circumcision (Col. 4:11, 14). That would make Luke the only Gentile to pen any books of Scripture. He is responsible for a significant portion of the New Testament, having written both this Gospel and the book of Acts.

Very little is known about Luke. He almost never included personal details about himself, and nothing definite is known about his background or his conversion. Both Eusebius and Jerome identified him as a native of Antioch (which may explain why so much of the book of Acts centers on Antiochsee Acts 11:1927; 13:13; 14:26; 15:2223, 3035; 18:2223). Luke was a frequent companion of the apostle Paul, at least from the time of Pauls Macedonian vision (Acts 16:9, 10) right up to the time of Pauls martyrdom (2 Tim. 4:11).

The apostle Paul referred to Luke as a physician (Col. 4:14). Lukes interest in medical phenomena is evident in the high profile he gave to Jesus healing ministry (e.g., 4:3840; 5:1525; 6:1719; 7:1115; 8:4347, 4956; 9:2, 6, 11; 13:1113; 14:24; 17:1214; 22:5051). In Lukes day, physicians did not have a unique vocabulary of technical terminology; so when Luke discusses healings and other medical issues, his language is not markedly different from that of the other Gospel writers.

AUTHOR AND DATE

The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts clearly were written by the same individual (see 1:14; Acts 1:1). Although he never identified himself by name, it is clear from his use of we in many sections of Acts that he was a close companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:1017; 20:515; 21:118; 27:128:16). Luke is the only person, among the colleagues Paul mentions in his own epistles (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24), who fits the profile of the author of these books. That accords perfectly with the earliest tradition of the church, which unanimously attributed this Gospel to Luke.

Luke and Acts appear to have been written at about the same timeLuke first, then Acts. Combined, they make a two-volume work addressed to Theophilus (1:3; Acts 1:1), giving a sweeping history of the founding of Christianity, from the birth of Christ to Pauls imprisonment under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:3031).

The book of Acts ends with Paul still in Rome, which leads to the conclusion that Luke wrote these books from Rome during Pauls imprisonment there (ca. AD 6062). Luke records Jesus prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (19:4244; 21:2024) but makes no mention of the fulfillment of that prophecy, either here or in Acts. Luke made it a point to record such prophetic fulfillments (see Acts 11:28), so it is extremely unlikely he wrote these books after the Roman invasion of Jerusalem. Acts also includes no mention of the great persecution that began under Nero in AD 64. In addition, many scholars set the date of Jamess martyrdom at AD 62, and if that was before Luke completed his history, he certainly would have mentioned it. So, the most likely date for this Gospel is AD 60 or 61.

BACKGROUND AND SETTING

Luke dedicated his works to most excellent Theophilus (literally lover of God1:3; see Acts 1:1). This designation, which may be a nickname or a pseudonym, is accompanied by a formal address (most excellent)possibly signifying that Theophilus was a well-known Roman dignitary, perhaps one of those who had turned to Christ in Caesars household (Phil. 4:22).

It is almost certain, however, that Luke envisioned a much broader audience for his work than this one man. The dedications at the outset of Luke and Acts are like the formal dedication in a modern book. They are not like the address of an epistle.

Luke expressly stated that his knowledge of the events recorded in his Gospel came from the reports of those who were eyewitnesses (1:12)strongly implying that he himself was not an eyewitness. It is clear from his prologue that his aim was to give an ordered account of the events of Jesus life, but this does not mean he followed a strict chronological order in all instances.

By acknowledging that he had compiled his account from various extant sources, Luke was not disclaiming divine inspiration for his work. The process of inspiration never bypasses or overrides the personalities, vocabularies, and styles of the human authors of Scripture. The unique traits of the human authors are always indelibly stamped on all the books of Scripture. Lukes research is no exception to this rule. The research itself was orchestrated by divine Providence. And in his writing, Luke was moved by the Spirit of God (2 Pet. 1:21). Therefore, his account is infallibly true.

HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Lukes style is that of a scholarly, well-read author. He wrote as a meticulous historian, often giving details that helped identify the historical context of the events he described (1:5; 2:12; 3:12; 13:14).

A running theme in Lukes gospel is Jesus compassion for Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and others often regarded as outcasts in Israel. Every time the Gospel mentions a tax collector, it is in a positive sense (3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:1013; 19:2). Yet, Luke did not ignore the salvation of those who were rich and respectablee.g., 23:5053. From the outset of Jesus public ministry (4:18) to the Lords final words on the cross (23:4043), Luke underscored this theme of Christs ministry to the pariahs of society. Again and again he showed how the Great Physician ministered to those most aware of their need (see 5:3132; 15:47; 3132; 19:10).