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LUKE'S GOSPEL SETS FORTH CHRIST AS "THE MAN".
According to Eusebius and Jerome, Luke was born at Antioch, in Syria. He is
reckoned among the uncircumcision by Paul (Col. 4:), and was by profession a
"physician" (Col. 4: 14). Tradition also has it that Luke was a painter of no mean skill.
A fellow-labourer of Paul, he joined the apostle at Troas and accompanied him to
Macedonia as far as Philippi, where he apparently left him for a time. Van Doren says of
Luke's gospel "we are plainly not listening to the Galilean fishermen, but to the educated
citizen of Antioch, well versed in the literary language of empire".
"Origen, Eusebius and Jerome understand the expression `my gospel' is used in
Rom. 2: 16 of the Gospel of Luke. But the language of Luke's preface forbids the notion
of any exclusive influence of Paul" (Van Doren).
The truth concerning this expression lies midway, though Paul did not come into
contact with Christ during His earthly ministry, the peculiar Gentile trend of Luke's
Gospel would provide a complete background for the gospel preached by the apostle of
the Gentiles.
The outline suggested by Dr. Campbell Morgan for Luke's Gospel is an adaption of
the words found in Luke 13: 32. Omitting lesser subdivisions, here it is in substance.
Luke's Gospel.
The Man.
A 1: - 3:
PERFECT
i.1-4. Prologue.
(1) 1: 5 - 2: 39. Being and Birth.
(2) 2: 40-52. Childhood and Confirmation.
(3) 3: Development and Anointing.
B 4: - ix.36.
PERFECTED
(1) 4: 1-14. Temptation.
(2) 4: 15 - 9: 27. Teaching.
(3) 9: 28-36. Transfiguration.
C 9: 37 - 24: PERFECTING
9: 37-50. Prelude.
(1) 9: 51 - 18: 30. Purpose and Preparation.
(2) 18: 31 - 24: 12. Approach and Accomplishment.
(3) 24: 13-53. Administration.
Of the four Gospels Luke's is the one that is associated with the gospel as preached by
Paul, not merely because Luke was a fellow-worker with the apostle, but because he so
evidently wrote with the Gentile convert in mind.
Sadler has devoted a considerable portion of his introduction to Luke's Gospel to the
links that are observable between the Epistles of Paul and the Gospel of Luke. For the
benefit of the reader, we will epitomize these observations, but their full force can only
be felt when the parallel passages are actually read together, unfortunately limitations of
space make it impossible to set out these parallels here.