9 Surprising Facts about the Apostle Luke

This book, written by Luke, is a prequel, as Luke goes on to write a second book called Acts. Both books are believed to have been written while Luke was with the Apostle Paul as he was imprisoned in Rome. 

3. The Gospel of Luke Was a Letter Written to Gentiles. 

Each of the gospels has a specific people group in mind when they write, as they are letters originally. Who they write to will ultimately determine how we then read these gospels in terms of their original context and audience. Luke very clearly writes with a gentile reader in mind, specifically gentile converts, those who had heard the gospel and were believers in Jesus. His purpose is made clear in Luke 1 when he talks about clarity and certainty. Luke spends time tracing Jesus’ lineage the whole way back to Adam, unlike Matthew, who wrote for a Jewish audience and therefore only traces Jesus' lineage back as far as Abraham. Luke's purpose in this was to show that Jesus was connected to the ‘father’ of the human race, not just the ‘Father’ of the Jews. 

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The Apostle Luke was a doctor, which we know because, in Colossians 4:14, he is referenced as “the beloved Physician” by Paul. Dr. Luke lived in Antioch, which was a Syrian metropolis (or city) that was brimming with those studying and practicing both Arts and Science. Given Luke's level of medical knowledge and interest in arts and sciences, it makes perfect sense that in Luke 1, he writes: “I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke does not ignore the fact that others have investigated or written first-hand information on the life of Jesus. Rather, he acknowledges that he wanted to write the life of Jesus in an orderly fashion, not rushed or haphazard. He collected the stories and formulated his letter well.

6. Luke Wrote His Gospel Account as a Letter to Theophilus. 

Theophilus is a mystery in some senses, but given that two full books of the New Testament are written to this person, we can assume his importance. The name Theophilus is a Greek name that means “Friend of God” or “Loved by God.” In chapter 1 of Luke, we see that he references Theophilus as “Most excellent.” This was a title of respect and could mean that this person was of official importance. It seems they were also a friend of Luke. Aside from these details, we have no idea who this person was; he is only mentioned twice in scripture, here in Luke 1 and again in Acts 1. We have no idea what role they held, how long they knew Luke, or what value they had in society. Some scholars have assumed that maybe Theophilus was a Jew from Alexandria, but that doesn’t quite fit for me. Others assumed he was a Roman official given Luke’s supposed title of “most excellent,” and some have concluded that the word Theophilus is just a friend of Luke's, and this title just means whoever was being written to was loved by God, as the name implies. 

Whoever Theophilus turns out to be for Luke, it was so important that this person had clarity on the gospel message they had heard that he investigated the gospel meticulously and then wrote a letter including lots of details to ensure they knew this Jesus they had been introduced to was indeed the real deal. That says a lot to me about how much value Theophilus had in their relationship with Luke. 

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Despite Luke's intricate and detailed account of the life of Jesus, our gentile Doctor never actually met Jesus in person. There is no doubt that Luke has a relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, but they have never met in person on earth. Luke was converted to Christianity when the Jews left Jerusalem and Caesarea to take the gospel beyond the Jewish borders. It is at his conversion that he leaves behind his role as a Doctor in his hometown and enters the world of missions, accompanying the Apostle Paul in his mission adventures, first starting off in Rome, which was then the capital of the known world. 

7. Luke Was a Wordsmith

Despite Paul having written most of the books of the New Testament, Dr Luke, in fact, writes more. The gospel of Luke has 24 chapters but holds within them 19,482 words, more than any other New Testament book of the bible. This proves the detail and intricacy held in the book. 

8. Luke Was an Artist. 

Luke was an icon painter, according to the church in the 8^th Century. They claimed he painted pictures of the Virgin Mary and the child. He is also said to have also painted Saints Peter and Paul and to have illustrated a gospel book. However, we do not have any hard proof of this. Given his time spent in Antioch I would not be too surprised given its Arts focus.

9. Luke Died a Martyr.

All of the apostles died a martyr’s death. Each one has a story of torture at the end, and Luke is no different. Luke was an evangelist and a missionary, and his death was by hanging in Greece following his preaching to the lost.

These nine facts on the gospel and the author of Luke are just a starting point to the unique and diverse book written by a Syrian Gentile Doctor and part-time artist who fell in love with Jesus and decided to give up everything to journey with those who were working for Him. There are many more interesting and worth researching facts about this man and the book. I would challenge you to read the book of Luke, as it tells us so many interesting details about our Saviour Jesus! 

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