Baptist Commentary LUKE by Garner-Howes

Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Author and Time of Writing

The last of the three synoptic gospels does not bear any direct indication as to its author. The name of the recipient though is mentioned straight at the beginning: it is an otherwise unknown well-to-do man called Theophilus. To this very Theophilus the Acts of the Apostles are dedicated as well. Both these Bible books were ascribed to Luke in the 2nd century already. Luke, “the beloved physician” was no apostle and probably no Jew either (compare Colossians 4:11; Colossians 4:14; the Jewish-Christian brothers are mentioned especially in verse 11 and we may conclude, therefore, that Luke and Demas, the co-workers mentioned in verse 14, were heathen-Christians).

Subject and purpose of writing

Luke was probably the only non-Jew called of God to write a Bible book. The Gospel bearing his name is the longest of all. If we include the Acts of the Apostles Luke has written the greatest part of the NT after the Apostle Paul.