The Gospel According to Luke

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary

Dale Maxfield

I. Authorship; Date and Place of Composition

    - there are 7 major, ancient witnesses about the author including Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius and Jerome.

    - Luke was a Syrian from Antioch who wrote this Gospel derived from Paul

    - was probably written in Achaia or Rome

    - he was a physician and companion or collaborator with Paul

    - composed around AD 70 and because there is no knowledge of the bitter persecutions or the severe controversy between synagogue and Church; the date could be as late as AD 80-85.

II. Literary Style and Characteristics

-          Luke is a talented artist and theologian; a master of Greek

-          Luke uses sources creatively by means of parallelism; joins together various traditions to convey his Christology which include Mark, and Q.

III. Luke’s Theology and Sitz im Leben

-          addresses a primarily Gentile audience

-          a key question addresses theodicy; Luke teaches that God will be faithful to his promises;

-          Luke demonstrates that God through Jesus was faithful to the promises made to Israel, but also includes gentiles, the unclean, the poor, women, Samaritans, rich toll collectors and assorted other outcasts.

IV. Continuity of the Old

-          shows Jesus will at times lay aside the prescriptions of the law; but is nevertheless and upholder of the law.

-          Christianity stands in the best tradition of Judaism, founded on the 12 tribes of Israel and Luke shows how Jesus selected Twelve and how the Twelve was restored after the death of Judas.

-          The Gospel begins in Jerusalem and in the Temple.

V. Internal and External Controversies

    - Luke wages theological battles on two fronts: one, he confronts those who want new converts to strictly keep the Jewish laws and two, who are the children of Abraham and heirs of God’s promises? 

     - social status, ethnic heritage, and religious self- justification don’t cut it; for the lame, blind, and maimed now also belong to the elect.

      - women play a prominent role

      - the main external problems faced were those of harassment primarily from local Jewish leaders

 VI. The Lucan Jesus

-          Jesus is compassionate and lays the foundation for a reconstituted Israel

-          Jesus’ mission is an inclusive one as He seeks out the lost and sinners and restores them to God.

-          Jesus is a prophet but this is lost on the religious leaders not so much because they are stubborn, but because the are blind and refuse to see.

-          Jesus is the rejected prophet;

-          Jesus shows us God’s faithfulness in sending His Son, Jesus and by raising Him from the dead.

-          As God was faithful to Jesus, He will be faithful to us, the followers of Jesus.