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Bible Dictionaries
Luke (2)
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Luke, the Gospel of. This is the third in order of the gospels, attributed commonly to the evangelist whose name it bears. It is addressed to Theophilus, and begins by stating the object of writing, namely, to put on record an authentic orderly account of our Lord's history from his birth to his ascension. 1:1-4. Then follows a narrative of Christ's birth with attendant circumstances, and particulars of his infancy and youth. 1:5-2:52. Afterwards we have a notice of John's ministry, to his imprisonment. 3:1-20. And then commences the history of Christ's public ministration, headed with a mention of his baptism, vs. 21, 22; his genealogy, vs. 23-38: his temptation, 4:1-13; his discourses, miracles, and transactions in Galilee. 4:14-9:50. The gospel closes with Christ's Peræan ministry, his last journey to Jerusalem, his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. 9:51-24:53. Luke wrote his gospel in Greek. His writings prove him to have been a man of education and attainment. His style is pure, copious, and flowing, more classical than that of the other evangelists: the preface, indeed, is pure classical Greek. Still, there are many Hebraisms, and certain peculiarities of diction apparent. The writer, moreover, evinces a thorough acquaintance with Jewish customs. This is not surprising in so clear-sighted an observer, especially as he certainly visited and perhaps more than once resided in Palestine. He had, too, the close intimacy of the apostle Paul. A singular propriety has been observed in the way in which he names and describes the various diseases he has occasion to mention. The thoughtful comments, too, which he frequently makes upon the circumstances he records, with the notice of the causes which led to particular events, admirably correspond with what we might expect from a well-informed medical man.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Luke (2)'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/l/luke-2.html. 1893.
