Bible Dictionaries
Luke

Holman Bible Dictionary

Author of the Third Gospel and the Book of Acts in the New Testament, and a close friend and traveling companion of Paul. The apostle called him “beloved” (Colossians 4:14 ). Luke referred to his journeys with Paul and his company in Acts 16:10-17; Acts 20:5-15; Acts 21:1-18; Acts 27:1-28:16 . Many scholars believe Luke wrote his Gospel and Acts while in Rome with Paul during the apostle's first Roman imprisonment. Apparently Luke remained nearby or with Paul also during the apostle's second Roman imprisonment. Shortly before his martyrdom, Paul wrote that “only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11 ).

Early church fathers Jerome (about A.D. 400 and Eusebius (about A.D. 300) identified Luke as being from Antioch. His interest in Antioch is clearly seen in his many references to that city (Acts 11:19-27; Acts 13:1-3; Acts 14:26; Acts 15:22 ,Acts 15:22,15:35; Acts 18:22 ). Luke adopted Philippi as his home, remaining behind there to superintend the young church while Paul went on to Corinth during the second missionary journey (Acts 16:40 ).

Paul identified Luke as a physician (Colossians 4:14 ) and distinguished Luke from those “of the circumcision” (Colossians 4:11 ). Early sources indicate that Luke was a Gentile. Tradition holds that he was Greek. The circumstances of Luke's conversion are not revealed. An early source supplied a fitting epitaph: “He served the Lord without distraction, having neither wife nor children, and at the age of 84 he fell asleep in Boeatia, full of the Holy Spirit.” See Luke, Gospel of

T. R. McNeal