A close friend and helper of the apostle Paul. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
If we accept Luke, the friend of Paul, as the author of Luke-Acts, we can learn much about him from this two-part work. The introduction to the Gospel shows that Luke was not an eyewitness or someone who directly followed Jesus during his life. He explains that he did thorough research and wrote an organized account of Jesus's life.
What Makes Luke's Gospel Unique?
Luke wrote about some things that the other Gospel writers did not include in their books. One special thing about Luke's writing is that he wrote two connected books: the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Together, these books show how God's message spread from the Jewish people to people all over the world. This fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah had said would happen long ago.
Luke was especially interested in showing that God's message was for everyone, not just the Jewish people (Luke 2:14; 24:47). This is often referred to as Luke's universalism. In his Gospel, Luke often wrote about:
Individual people and their stories
People who were rejected by society
Women and children
Rich and poor people and their relationships
The importance of prayer
The work of God's Holy Spirit
These choices in what Luke wrote about help us understand what kind of person he was and how he understood the Christian faith. His writing is often filled with joy and praise to God.
What Do We Learn About Luke from the Book of Acts?
In the book of Acts, there are several sections where the author uses the word "we" instead of "he" or "they." This suggests that the author was there during these events. If Luke wrote Acts, as most early Christians believed, then we can trace his travels with Paul:
First, Luke met Paul in the city of Philippi (Acts 16:10–17). Some people think Philippi might have been Luke's hometown.
Later, when Paul came back to Philippi, Luke joined him again (Acts 20:5–15).
Luke then traveled with Paul on his way to Jerusalem and stayed with Philip at Caesarea (Acts 21:1–18).
Then, after Paul’s two-year imprisonment in Caesarea, Luke sailed with him to Rome (Acts 27:1–28:16).
What Do We Learn About Luke from Paul's Letters?
We can learn more about Luke from Paul's letters (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24). Colossians 4:11 and 14 seem to indicate that Luke was a gentile (non-Jewish) and a doctor. Luke's interest in healing and medical details supports the idea that he was a doctor. For example, he carefully describes several times when Jesus healed people:
What Did Early Christian Writers Say About Luke?
Early Christian writers from the first few centuries also tell us more about Luke. They say he was a doctor who lived in the city of Antioch. According to these writers, Luke wrote his Gospel while in Achaia (a region in Greece) and lived to be 84 years old.