Last night I watched this movie at the theater. Paul and Luke were major players in the film.
After the movie, I’ve spent a few hours learning about Luke. Fascinating man and writer.
A few facts about Luke:
- traveled much with and wrote much about Paul
- thought to be a Gentile, not Jewish
- wrote both the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles
- is thought to be a physician
- is a very careful writer, giving many details
- he knows he’s writing a biography in the Gospel, and uses forms found in other great men from the ancient world (Plato, Augustus, etc); he’s more self-conscious
- references Theophilus. Who is Theophilus? Called most excellent. Perhaps wealthy man. Perhaps fictional: word comes from God + friend.
- was not himself an eyewitness; he interviewed others and compiled sources, as other Gospel writers admit
- probably wrote his Gospel around 70 AD (Peter and Paul already dead)
- used Mark’s Gospel and the Q source (other quotes of Jesus in circulation), interviewed Mary the mother of Jesus, and others to create another account of Jesus