Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/594

* LUKASZEWICZ. 528 LUKE. and the valuable hislory of Polish education, Hislon/a szlcol w Koronie i ^V. Ks. Lit., etc. (1849-51). LUKE (Lat. Lucas, Gk. Aouxac, Loukas, prob- ably contracted from Lat. lA(canus). The au- thor of the third Gospel and the Book of Acts in the New Testament. There is little direct infor- mation concerning Luke. According to tradition and an old reading of Acts xi. 27. which Zahn (Einleitung, p. 334) thinks reliable, he was a member of the church at Antioch as early as e.40 A.v. This, however, is not certain. The 'we' sections of Acts (xvi. 10-18; x.. 5-xxi. 18; x.Kvii. 1-xxviii. 10) show that he was a member of Paul's missionary company when the latter, on his second journey, c.50 a.d. {Acts v. 3(i-xviii. 17 ), sailed f iom Troas to ilacedonia. He seems to have stayed at Philippi until the Apostle stopped at that place (spring of 50) on his return from his third journey (Acts xx. 0). Luke accom- panied Paul to .Jerusalem, and was probably in attendance on him during his two years' im- prisonment at Cssarea. As one of Paul's com- panions on the voyage to Rome, he experienced the shipwreck and its attendant sufferings. _ At Kome. during the Apostle's two years' imprison- ment (o'.Mii). he seems to have resumed his practice of medicine (cf. Col. iv. 14), and also assisted Paul in Christian work (cf. Philem. 24). He was a faithful attendant on Paul in his sec- ond Roman impriscmmcnt (c. 04-05). even when other friends had deserted him (II. Tim. iv. 11). Later in life, probably after Paul's death, he wrote his Gospel, primarily for the benefit of one Theophilus, a man of some rank, according to tradition a resident of Antioch (cf. Luke i. 1 sqq.). He afterwards wrote the Acts, dedicat- ing it to the same friend (Acts i. 1). Luke was of Gentile extraction. His works show him to have been a man of culture, and his faithfulness to Paul, with the latter's affectionate mention of him (Col. iv. 14), is evidence of a sincere, warm-hearted spirit. Contrary to the common view. Professor Ramsay thinks that Luke was a native of Macedonia and met Paul first at Troas (Acts xvi. 10). For details as to Luke's writings, see Luke, Gospel of, and Acts OF THE Apostles. Consult, besides the conmien- taries on Luke: Zahn, Einlcitiinfi in das Neue Testament, vol. ii. (Leipzig. 1900) ; Ramsay, Saint Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen (New York, 1896). LUKE, Gospel of. The third of the New Tes- tament Gospels. It is peculiar in the amount and arrangement of its material, the reason for which is given in the prologue to the narrative (i. 1-4). In this prologue it is clearly stated that the author's purjiose in writing the narra- tive was that its recipient, Theophilus. might know the certainty frrji' aa-<paeLav) regarding the word {yan') in vhich he had lieen catecheticallv instrvictcd [KarrixV^V')- '^^'it'i ^ '■''^ew to this he desired to write him an orderly record (KaOeJ^s) of this history, having carefully followed it up from its beginning (verse 3), consulting. evidently, not merely such fragiuentary ac- counts 'of it as had been variously prepared (verse 1), but also the primary witnesses to it and proclaimers of it on whose personal evidence these accounts rested (verse 2). His plan was, consequently, much more historical in its con- ception than that of Matthew or Mark, and presents in its working out the naturally result- ant characteristics which we should expect tu find. Of the four Gospels its narrative is tin- most complete in its extent, beginning not merel with the annunciation of Jesus' birtli (i. 20-38) — as JMattliew does — but with that of the birth ut .lohn the Baptist { i. 5-25), and ending with a ]iassage which nuist be taken as the Kvangelist'.^ statement of the ascension (xxiv. 50-53) . With- in these limits this Gospel is also the fullest in the number of events which it records, almost one-third of all the sections contained in the Svnoptic narrative being peculiar to it. This specialty of material is seen particularly in its account of what is connnonly known as Jesu>' last journey to Jerusalem (ix. 51-xix. 28). Tliougli some of the items in this long passage evidently belong elsewhere in the narrative, no otlier of tlie Gospels gives this portion of the history so fully as does this one, the larger part of these ten chapters being peculiar to it. In view of these facts the arrangement which the Evangelist has given his material is inter- esting. After the prologue there is a passage devoted to the prefatory history, containing the annunciation of the births of -lohn the Baptist and of Jesus (i. 5-38), with the visit of Mary to Elizabeth (i. 39-50) ; the birth of .Tolm. with the prophetic song of Zacharias ( i. 57-80) ; the birth of Jesus, preceded by the enrollment decree and followed by the visit of the shepherds (ii. 1-20) ; the circumcision and presentation in the Temjile, with the prophetic song of Simeon (ii. 21-40) ; and the later visit of the boy Jesus to Jerusalem (ii. 41-52). The ministry of Jesus is then introduced by the preliminary narrative prefaced by a statem'ent of the political situation at that time (iii. l-2a), and containing an ac- count of the ministry and death of the Baptist (iii. 2b-20), and the symbolic induction of Jesus into His work (iii. 21 -iv. 13), in the midst of which is inserted the genealogical record (lii. 23=38). The public ministry of Jesus is di- vided, largely as in Jlark. into two main por- tions. The first gives an account of Jesus' work among the people ( iv. 14-ix. 17). Unlike Mark (q.v.). however, or even Matthew (q.v.), the scene of this work is wholly confined to Galilee, no account being given of the popular work in the region north of Galilee. This is then followed by the second portion, which is apparently in- tended by the Evangelist to describe Jesus' work of instrtjction, mainly among His disciples (ix. 18-xix. 28). The scene of this portion is un- equally divided, a few verses being given to the instruction in the regions near to (Jalilee (ix. 18-.-.0)— which thus, after all, attaches Lukes narrative geogra])hicallv to .Tesus' work in the north country, the larger part being given to the instruction on Jesus' so-called last journeymgs to Jerusalem (ix. 51-xix. 28). Of these two por- tions the former, thoiigh so much smaller, con- tains that which is fundamental to the whole in- struction recording the disciples' confession at Ca-sarea Philippi (ix. 18-21). the transfiguration (ix ''8-30) and the initial announcements by Jesus"of His passion (ix. 22-27, 43-45) : the lat- ter IS conspicuous for the parabolic, element in it (see chs. xii.-xix.). The ministry in .Terusalem (xix. 29-xxi. 38) gives the public entry into the city (xix 29-48). the conflict with the leaders of the people (xx. 1-471. and Jesus' eschatological discourse (xxi. 1-30)— the narrative closing with