New Testament · Gospel

The Gospel of Luke: Author, Context and Complete Study

Luke is the first volume of a two-part work completed by Acts, an orderly account of Jesus' life written after careful research. It presents Jesus as the Savior who came to seek out and rescue the lost, bringing good news to the poor, outsiders, women and sinners and opening salvation to all nations.

Updated on November 14, 2026

What is Luke about?

The Gospel of Luke is an orderly, carefully researched account of Jesus' life, from the births of John and Jesus to the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Written by the author of Acts for a man named Theophilus, it presents Jesus as the Savior of all people, who came to seek out and rescue the lost (Luke 19:10). Luke includes many stories found nowhere else, such as the shepherds of Bethlehem, the good Samaritan, the prodigal son, Zacchaeus and the road to Emmaus, and highlights prayer, joy, the Holy Spirit and God's care for the poor and the outcast.

Author: The text is anonymous; it shares its author with Acts, and early tradition (Irenaeus, the Muratorian fragment) names Luke, the physician and coworker of Paul (Colossians 4:14).
Date: Many date it c. AD 60-62, others AD 70-90; its events run from the last years of Herod (before 4 BC) to AD 30 or 33.
First readers: Written for Theophilus, probably a Gentile of high rank, and through him for Gentile believers who needed solid assurance about the faith they had been taught (Luke 1:1-4).
Genre: Gospel
Chapters: 24 chapters
Key verse: Luke 19:10

Historical context

Luke anchors his story in world history more than any other Gospel writer. The births of John and Jesus take place in the days of Herod the Great, king of Judea (Luke 1:5), and a census decreed by Caesar Augustus brings Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem (2:1-5). John's ministry begins in the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, around AD 28-29, when Pontius Pilate governed Judea, Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, his brother Philip ruled Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Annas and Caiaphas held the high priesthood (3:1-2). Israel lived under Roman occupation: tax collectors were despised as collaborators, Samaritans were treated as outsiders, the poor were burdened with debt, and the sick and unclean were pushed to the margins of society.

Luke writes a generation later for a church spreading through the Greek-speaking Roman world. Gentiles were joining Jewish believers, and serious questions arose. Was this faith truly the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel or a new sect? Was Jesus a rebel against Rome? Luke shows that Roman officials found Jesus innocent, that the gospel grew out of the temple and the Scriptures of Israel, and that the inclusion of the nations was part of God's plan from the beginning (2:30-32).

Geographical context

Luke's Gospel begins and ends in Jerusalem, in the temple (Luke 1:8-9; 24:52-53). Jerusalem is the goal of the story: from 9:51 Jesus sets his face to go there, and the long central section of the book is told as a journey toward the city. Along the way Luke mentions a village of Samaria (9:52), the border between Samaria and Galilee (17:11), Jericho (18:35; 19:1) and the dangerous road from Jerusalem down to Jericho, the setting of the parable of the good Samaritan (10:30).

Before that, the action unfolds in Galilee: Nazareth, where Jesus grew up and preached in the synagogue (4:16), Capernaum (4:31), the lake of Gennesaret (5:1) and the village of Nain (7:11). Bethlehem, the city of David, is the place of his birth (2:4), and the book closes on the road to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem (24:13), and near Bethany, where Jesus blesses his disciples and is carried up into heaven (24:50-51).

Why does the book of Luke exist?

Luke states his purpose in the prologue: having followed everything carefully from the beginning, he writes an orderly account so that Theophilus can be sure that what he was taught is reliable (Luke 1:3-4). Luke is a historian and a theologian at the same time. He draws on eyewitnesses and earlier accounts (1:1-2), anchors events in rulers and dates, and shows that the story of Jesus fulfills what God promised in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (24:44).

Luke also wants his readers to see how far God's grace reaches. Jesus announces good news to the poor and freedom to captives (4:18), eats with tax collectors and sinners, honors women, praises Samaritans and Gentiles, and tells parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. The Gospel prepares the way for Acts: the risen Jesus declares that repentance and forgiveness of sins must be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem, and promises power from on high (24:47-49).

Outline of Luke

Chapters 1-2
Prologue and the births of John and Jesus
Luke's statement of purpose, the angel's announcements to Zechariah and to Mary, the songs of Mary and Zechariah, the birth in Bethlehem, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, and the boy Jesus in the temple.
- 1
- 2
Chapters 3-4
Preparation and the sermon at Nazareth
John preaches repentance, Jesus is baptized while praying, his genealogy is traced back to Adam, he resists temptation and announces his mission in the synagogue of Nazareth, where he is rejected.
- 3
- 4
Chapters 5-9
Ministry in Galilee
The great catch of fish, healings and controversies, the choice of the Twelve, the sermon on the plain, the widow's son at Nain, the forgiven woman, Peter's confession, the Transfiguration and the turn toward Jerusalem (9:51).
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Chapters 10-13
On the road: mission, prayer and warning
The sending of the seventy, the good Samaritan, Martha and Mary, teaching on prayer, the rich fool, calls to readiness and repentance, and Jesus' lament over Jerusalem.
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chapters 14-16
Banquets, lost things and money
Jesus heals at a Pharisee's table, teaches humility and the great banquet, counts the cost of discipleship and tells the parables of the lost sheep, coin and son, the shrewd manager and the rich man and Lazarus.
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapters 17-19
The end of the journey and the arrival of the King
Ten lepers healed, the persistent widow, the Pharisee and the tax collector, the rich ruler, Zacchaeus, the parable of the minas, the entry into Jerusalem, Jesus weeping over the city and the cleansing of the temple.
- 17
- 18
- 19
Chapters 20-21
Teaching in the temple
Questions about Jesus' authority, the parable of the tenants, taxes to Caesar, the resurrection, David's son, the widow's offering and the discourse on the fall of Jerusalem and the coming of the Son of Man.
- 20
- 21
Chapters 22-23
The passion
The Last Supper, prayer on the Mount of Olives, the arrest, Peter's denial, the hearings before the council, Pilate and Herod, the crucifixion between two criminals, Jesus' death and his burial.
- 22
- 23
Chapter 24
Resurrection and ascension
The women at the empty tomb, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appearing to the disciples and opening the Scriptures, the commission to all nations and the ascension near Bethany.
- 24

Famous passages in Luke

Luke 1:26-38
The announcement to Mary
In Nazareth the angel Gabriel tells Mary, a virgin engaged to Joseph, that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of the Most High, heir to David's throne. Her humble answer of trust has made her a model of faith, and the scene stands at the heart of the Christmas story.
Study Luke 1 →
Luke 2:1-20
The birth of Jesus and the shepherds
A Roman census takes Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born and laid in a manger. An angel announces to shepherds in the fields good news of great joy: a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born, and a heavenly host praises God. It is the best-known Christmas passage of all.
Study Luke 2 →
Luke 10:25-37
The good Samaritan
When a lawyer asks who his neighbor is, Jesus tells of a man beaten on the road to Jericho, passed by a priest and a Levite and rescued by a Samaritan, a member of a despised people. Jesus turns the question around: the real question is how to be a neighbor to anyone in need.
Study Luke 10 →
Luke 15:11-32
The prodigal son
A younger son wastes his inheritance, comes home in shame and is welcomed by a father who runs to embrace him, while the older brother refuses to join the feast. The third parable of a chapter about lost things, it shows God's joy over repentant sinners and confronts the self-righteous.
Study Luke 15 →
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus
In Jericho a rich chief tax collector climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus. Jesus invites himself to his house, and Zacchaeus promises to give half his goods to the poor and repay fourfold anyone he has cheated. Jesus declares that salvation has come to that house, for he came to seek out and rescue the lost.
Study Luke 19 →
Luke 23:39-43
The criminal beside Jesus
One of the criminals crucified with Jesus mocks him, but the other rebukes him, admits his own guilt and asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus promises that today he will be with him in paradise, a powerful picture of grace received at the last hour.
Study Luke 23 →
Luke 24:13-35
The road to Emmaus
On the day of the resurrection two discouraged disciples walk to Emmaus with a stranger who shows them from the Scriptures that the Messiah had to suffer and enter his glory. They recognize Jesus when he breaks the bread and hurry back to Jerusalem to tell the others.
Study Luke 24 →

Main themes

Salvation for all people: Simeon calls Jesus a light that reveals God to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32), the genealogy reaches back to Adam (3:38), and the Gospel ends with forgiveness proclaimed to all nations (24:47). Samaritans, Roman soldiers and tax collectors all receive Jesus' mercy.
Good news for the poor and the outcast: Jesus' mission statement at Nazareth promises good news to the poor and liberty to the oppressed (Luke 4:18). He eats with sinners, touches lepers, praises a Samaritan and warns the rich, showing that God lifts up the humble and brings down the proud.
Women in the ministry of Jesus: Luke gives women a remarkable place: Elizabeth, Mary and Anna in the birth stories, the widow of Nain, the forgiven woman, Martha and Mary, and the women from Galilee who supported Jesus from their own means (Luke 8:1-3) and were the first to hear of the resurrection.
Prayer and the Holy Spirit: Jesus prays at his baptism, before choosing the Twelve, at the Transfiguration and on the Mount of Olives (Luke 3:21; 6:12; 9:28-29; 22:41). The Spirit fills Elizabeth and Zechariah, rests on Jesus, and the Father gives the Spirit to those who ask him (11:13).
Joy and praise: Luke is full of songs and rejoicing: Mary, Zechariah, the angels and Simeon praise God, heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7, 10), and the book ends with the disciples continually in the temple blessing God (24:52-53).
Salvation today: Luke stresses that God's salvation is present in Jesus now: today a Savior is born (Luke 2:11), today the Scripture is fulfilled (4:21), today salvation has come to the house of Zacchaeus (19:9), and today the dying criminal will be in paradise (23:43).

Main characters

Jesus: The Son of God born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, the Savior anointed by the Spirit to bring good news to the poor, who prays for those who crucify him, rises from the dead and ascends to heaven.
Mary: The young woman of Nazareth who receives the angel's message with faith, sings in praise of God and treasures in her heart all that happens around her son (Luke 2:19, 51).
Zechariah and Elizabeth: An elderly priest and his wife, righteous but childless, who become the parents of John. Zechariah is struck mute for doubting the angel and, when his son is named, praises God with a prophecy (Luke 1:5-25, 57-79).
John the Baptist: The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the prophet who prepares the way of the Lord, gives concrete instructions to the crowds, tax collectors and soldiers, points to one mightier than he and is imprisoned by Herod (Luke 3:1-20).
Simeon and Anna: Two elderly worshipers who recognize the baby Jesus in the temple: Simeon, who blesses God for letting him see his salvation, and the prophetess Anna, who speaks of the child to all who were waiting for redemption (Luke 2:25-38).
Peter: Simon the fisherman, called after a miraculous catch of fish. He confesses Jesus as the Christ of God, denies him three times, and the risen Lord appears to him (Luke 5:1-11; 22:54-62; 24:34).
Mary Magdalene and the women of Galilee: Women healed by Jesus, among them Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna, who traveled with him, supported the mission from their own means and were the first to hear that he had risen (Luke 8:1-3; 24:1-10).
Zacchaeus: The rich chief tax collector of Jericho who climbs a tree to see Jesus and, when Jesus comes to his house, promises to give to the poor and repay those he cheated (Luke 19:1-10).
Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas: The Roman governor and the ruler of Galilee, who both question Jesus and find no basis for the charges. Pilate declares him innocent three times, yet hands him over to be crucified (Luke 23:1-25).
Cleopas: One of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who walk with the risen Jesus without recognizing him until he breaks the bread with them (Luke 24:13-35).

In-depth study of Luke

Introduction

Luke is the longest of the four Gospels and the first half of a two-part work. Together, Luke and Acts are longer than all of Paul's letters combined, which makes Luke the author of more of the New Testament than any other writer. He writes with the care of a historian and the warmth of a storyteller.

Much of what people love most about Jesus comes from Luke alone: the angel Gabriel's visit to Mary, the shepherds at the manger, the boy Jesus in the temple, the good Samaritan, the prodigal son, Zacchaeus in the tree, the criminal who asks to be remembered and the road to Emmaus. Luke shows a Savior who seeks out the people everyone else overlooks.

Who wrote Luke and when?

One author, two volumes

Luke and Acts are both addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), and Acts begins by recalling a first book about all that Jesus began to do and teach. Their style, vocabulary and themes match, so nearly all scholars agree they come from the same hand.

The we sections

In parts of Acts the narrator suddenly writes we instead of they (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16), showing that he traveled with Paul to Philippi, to Jerusalem and finally to Rome. Among the companions Paul names in letters from that period, Luke fits best (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11).

Ancient testimony

From the late second century, Irenaeus and the Muratorian fragment name Luke, the companion of Paul, as the author of the third Gospel, and no ancient writer proposes anyone else. Like Mark, Luke was not an apostle, so the attribution is unlikely to be an invention.

Luke says plainly that he was not an eyewitness himself. Many had already written accounts, and he based his work on what eyewitnesses and servants of the word had handed down (Luke 1:1-2). Most scholars believe he used Mark along with other sources, and the two years Paul spent in custody at Caesarea (Acts 24:27) may have given him time to interview witnesses in Judea and Galilee.

Dating views

Around AD 60-62. Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome for two years without reporting his trial or death (Acts 28:30-31), which suggests Acts was finished then and Luke slightly earlier.
AD 70-90. Others read Jesus' warning about Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20) in light of the city's fall in AD 70 and place the Gospel later.

Literary style and structure

Luke opens with a polished literary prologue, a single long sentence in the Greek, in the manner of the historians of his day (1:1-4). Then his style changes and the birth stories sound like the Greek translation of the Old Testament, as though the reader has stepped back into the world of Samuel and the prophets.

The shape of the book

Prologue and births (1:1-2:52), with the stories of John and Jesus told side by side.
Preparation (3:1-4:13): John's ministry, baptism, genealogy and temptation.
Galilee (4:14-9:50), opening with the programmatic sermon at Nazareth.
The journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27), about ten chapters of teaching and parables, with reminders that Jesus is on his way (13:22; 17:11).
Jerusalem (19:28-24:53): the temple, the passion, the resurrection and the ascension.

Favorite techniques

Parallels. Two announcements, two births and two songs present John and Jesus side by side, always showing Jesus as the greater.
Pairs of men and women. Zechariah and Mary, Simeon and Anna, the widow of Zarephath and Naaman (4:25-27), the man with the mustard seed and the woman with the leaven (13:18-21), the shepherd and the woman who lost a coin (15:4-10).
Songs. Mary's song (1:46-55), Zechariah's song (1:68-79), the angels' praise (2:14) and Simeon's song (2:29-32), still sung in Christian worship.
Meals. Many scenes take place at the table, from Levi's banquet (5:29) to the houses of Pharisees (7:36; 11:37; 14:1), the home of Martha (10:38-42), the Last Supper (22:14) and the supper at Emmaus (24:30).

Luke in the story of the Bible

Luke begins inside the Old Testament world. Zechariah is a priest serving in the temple (1:8-9), and he and Elizabeth, old and childless, recall Abraham and Sarah. Mary's song echoes the prayer of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10). The angel says John will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children (Luke 1:17), the promise that closes Malachi (Malachi 4:5-6).

At Nazareth Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1-2 and declares it fulfilled (Luke 4:16-21). Luke often recalls Elijah and Elisha: Jesus mentions the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (4:25-27), and his raising of the widow's son at Nain (7:11-17) echoes Elijah raising the son of a widow (1 Kings 17:17-24). At the Transfiguration Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus about his departure, literally his exodus, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem (9:31).

The book ends with Jesus showing that the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms spoke about him (24:44-47) and with the promise of the Spirit. Acts picks up at exactly that point, retelling the ascension and following the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts 1:1-11).

Luke and Jesus Christ

The Savior. The angels announce a Savior who is Christ the Lord (2:11). Among the Gospels only Luke and John give Jesus the title Savior.
The Son of God. He is called the Son of the Most High and the Son of God before his birth (1:32, 35), and the genealogy ends with Adam, the son of God (3:38), linking Jesus to all humanity.
The Lord. Luke often calls Jesus simply the Lord in his narration (7:13; 10:1), the same word used for God in the Greek Old Testament.
The Spirit-anointed prophet. The crowds at Nain call him a great prophet (7:16), and the disciples on the road describe him as a prophet mighty in deed and word (24:19). He is also more than a prophet: the Messiah anointed by the Spirit (4:18).
The friend of sinners. His critics complain that he welcomes sinners and eats with them (15:1-2), and Jesus answers with three parables of joy.
The innocent sufferer. Pilate declares him innocent three times (23:4, 14, 22), the criminal admits he has done nothing wrong (23:41), and the centurion praises God, saying Jesus was a righteous man (23:47). On the cross he prays for his executioners (23:34) and entrusts his spirit to the Father (23:46).
The risen and ascended Lord. He shows his hands and feet, eats before his disciples and blesses them as he is carried into heaven (24:39-51).

Interpretive challenges

The census of Quirinius

Luke says the census that brought Joseph to Bethlehem took place when Quirinius was governing Syria (2:1-2). Yet Roman sources place Quirinius's well-known census in AD 6, about ten years after Herod's death, and Luke himself knows of that later census (Acts 5:37). Proposed solutions include an earlier registration under Augustus during Herod's reign in which Quirinius held some official role, or a translation that reads this as a census before the one under Quirinius. No solution is certain, but Luke's proven care with names and titles elsewhere counsels patience before calling it an error.

Missing verses in some manuscripts

Some early manuscripts do not include the angel strengthening Jesus and his sweat like drops of blood (22:43-44), or his prayer asking the Father to forgive those who crucified him (23:34). Many Bibles print these verses with brackets or footnotes. Many scholars consider the prayer for forgiveness authentic, since it fits Luke's themes so well and is echoed by Stephen's prayer in Acts 7:60.

Is Luke against the rich?

Luke records woes on the rich (6:24), the parable of the rich fool (12:16-21) and the rich man who ignored Lazarus (16:19-31). Yet he also tells of wealthy women who supported Jesus (8:3), of Zacchaeus, and of Joseph of Arimathea, who gave his tomb (23:50-53). The point is not that wealth damns or poverty saves, but that riches are dangerous and that salvation transforms the way a person uses money.

Little-known facts

Luke is the only Gospel with a story from Jesus' boyhood: his visit to the temple at the age of twelve (2:41-52).
Luke alone gives Jesus' approximate age when his ministry began: about thirty (3:23).
The traditional Latin names of Luke's songs, Magnificat, Benedictus and Nunc Dimittis, come from their opening words in the Latin translation.
Manuscripts disagree on whether Jesus sent out seventy or seventy-two disciples (10:1, 17), which is why Bibles differ on the number.
Only Luke tells that Jesus healed the ear of the high priest's servant at his arrest (22:50-51) and that Herod and Pilate became friends that very day (23:12).

How to study Luke

A reading plan

With 24 chapters, Luke fits a plan of one chapter a day for 24 days, and many families and churches read it that way from December 1 to Christmas Eve. For a deeper study, read Luke and Acts together over two months to see how the story of Jesus continues in the story of the church.

What to look for

The word today and the theme of salvation arriving now.
Prayer, the Holy Spirit and joy.
Meals, and who is welcomed at the table.
Reversals: the humble lifted up and the proud brought low (1:52; 14:11; 18:14).

Teaching it

Luke works beautifully for a Sunday school class or small group. Give one session to chapter 15 and ask who represents the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son and the older brother in our own community. Read the parables aloud and let the group retell them in their own words before discussing them. End the series on the road to Emmaus, asking where Jesus has been walking beside us unrecognized, and memorize Luke 19:10 as the summary of the whole Gospel.

Luke chapter by chapter

Every chapter of Luke with a summary, key verses explained, themes, people, questions with answers and application.

Frequently asked questions about Luke

Who wrote the Gospel of Luke?

The Gospel does not name its author, but it was written by the same person as Acts, since both are addressed to Theophilus and Acts refers back to a first book (Acts 1:1). The we sections of Acts show that this author traveled with Paul, and early tradition, from Irenaeus and the Muratorian fragment in the late second century onward, identifies him as Luke, the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14).

When was Luke written?

Many scholars date Luke around AD 60-62, because Acts, its sequel, ends with Paul still under house arrest in Rome and does not report his trial or death. Others date it between AD 70 and 90, reading Jesus' words about Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20) in light of the city's fall. Both views are held by evangelical scholars.

What is the main message of Luke?

Jesus is the Savior promised in the Scriptures, who came to seek out and rescue the lost (Luke 19:10). In him God's salvation reaches the poor, sinners, women, Samaritans and Gentiles, calling everyone to repentance and faith. His death and resurrection fulfill the Scriptures, and forgiveness is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations.

How many chapters does Luke have and how is it organized?

Luke has 24 chapters. After a prologue (1:1-4) come the birth stories (1-2), the preparation for ministry (3:1-4:13), the ministry in Galilee (4:14-9:50), a long journey to Jerusalem filled with parables and teaching (9:51-19:27), the days in Jerusalem (19:28-21:38), the passion (22-23) and the resurrection and ascension (24).

Who was Theophilus?

Theophilus, whose name means friend of God or loved by God, is addressed at the start of Luke and Acts (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Luke calls him most excellent, the same title used for the Roman governors Felix and Festus (Acts 24:3; 26:25), so he was probably a person of rank, perhaps Luke's patron. Some have taken the name as symbolic of every lover of God, but most think he was a real person.

Which parables appear only in Luke?

Among the parables found only in Luke are the good Samaritan (10:25-37), the friend at midnight (11:5-8), the rich fool (12:16-21), the barren fig tree (13:6-9), the lost coin and the prodigal son (15:8-32), the shrewd manager (16:1-8), the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31), the persistent widow (18:1-8) and the Pharisee and the tax collector (18:9-14).

Was Luke a doctor and a Gentile?

Paul calls Luke the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14), and in the same passage he seems to list him apart from the coworkers who were of the circumcision (4:10-11), which suggests that Luke was a Gentile. If so, he is probably the only Gentile author in the New Testament. Older claims that his vocabulary proves medical training have been questioned, but his careful interest in illness fits his profession.

How does Luke's account of Jesus' birth differ from Matthew's?

Matthew tells the story from Joseph's side, with the magi and the flight to Egypt; Luke tells it from Mary's side, with Gabriel's announcement, the census, the manger, the shepherds and the presentation in the temple. The two accounts complement each other and agree on the essentials: the virgin conception by the Holy Spirit, Mary and Joseph, the birth in Bethlehem in the days of Herod and the childhood in Nazareth.