Greetings: The study that Pastor Pat brings on Sunday mornings is a reflection of the study for that week. It represents a lot of research. Not all of what he has prepared is communicated. In an attempt to continue the learning process, he is making available his study notes to the congregation. These notes are edited, but not book ready. To the critical eye, mistakes can possibly be found. Therefore, he asks that you take the material with humility, teach-ability, and charity. Enjoy and if you should have any questions or corrections, please do not hesitate to email him at pastorpat@waukeshabible.org. Date: February 15, 2015 Sermon Title: Series Title: Text: Luke - An Introduction The Gospel of Luke Miscellaneous Author: Patrick J. Griffiths 2015 Waukesha Bible Church is a family of families seeking to live in the Storyline of the Bible. She is determined by design to have a God-centered, Christ-exalting worship; a Word-centered teaching focused on personal discipleship through intentional and systematic instruction; a Global-impacting mission that resolves to be a church planting church; and a Grace-based fellowship where disciples are invited to live under a reigning grace characterized by a Gospel-driven sanctification that celebrates a divine monergism to the Christian life.
Date: February 15, 2015 Title: Introduction to the Four Gospels of the New Testament Text: Misc. Theme: Understanding the placement of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament canon. The main theme of the Gospel is the nature of Jesus Messiahship and mission, and a key verse is 19:10. 1 Introduction: We have recently finished our eight-lesson study in the Book of Genesis. In a moment, I will show how Genesis and Luke fit together. However, we noted the book s primary theme and the means used by the author to communicate this idea. As a reminder, two dominant ideas control how we understand our Bibles and life. This is the meta-narrative. 2 At its simplest, the word represents a Big Story, or a comprehensive explanation of many little stories. 3 First, God created so that we might know and experience the joy He has within Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His presence grants and guarantees fullness of joy and pleasures forever more (Ps. 16:11). Second, Jesus is the divinely appointed and established means of knowing and experiencing this joy. The Bible promises and pictures this as Seed Promise (Gen. 3:15) and Blood Picture (Gen. 3:21). The entire Storyline of the Bible tells this single Story. Our desire in this study is to understand how the Gospel of Luke fits into this epic tale. Knowing the overarching meta-narrative enables us to understand our pieces making up our stories. It also enables us to understand the two broad categories of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and all of the subsections of the Bible. The journey narrative is a special feature of Luke s gospel. Within this literary framework are some of the most familiar and loved stories of Jesus. Some are found only in Luke, and recognized by traditional titles, such as The Good Samaritan and The Prodigal Son. Other parables, sayings, and teachings have parallels in Matthew and Mark but do not occur in the same order. The arrangement of material within the journey to Jerusalem is clearly intentional. The author reminds readers at key points in the narrative that we are on our way to Jerusalem (see 13:21 and 17:10) and enjoins us to connect the individual stories to the larger literary context. 4 I. Part One Understanding the Biblical Canon The Bible is a collection of 66 books written over a period of 1500 years by 40 different authors from all occupations: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings all telling a single Story with Jesus at the center. Such consistency, cohesiveness, and unification is the result of the Holy Spirit. Its formation began around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ). The Story is a running narrative. It has two broad categories. The first broad grouping tells the 1
Story under the first testament and the second broad grouping tells the Story under the New Testament. We know each grouping by the captions: Old and New Testament. The idea of a testament is that of a covenant. A covenant is a contract. It is an agreement between two parties. The contract is binding and in the case of the Bible, such covenants are unconditional. God fulfills the covenant regardless of the recipients faithfulness. Let us consider the canon of the Bible. The First Testament has 39 books under five subsections. The New Testament has 27 books under five subsections. The first four books are the GOSPELS Matthew Mark Luke John The second subsection is HISTORICAL Acts The next 13 books are LETTERS and are from Paul (Romans Philemon; Hebrews?). The next seven Letters are GENERAL LETTERS and are non-pauline (James Jude). The final book inside the New Testament is APOCALYPTIC or ESCHATOLOGICAL (Revelation). The thought that we gather as a free people without ecclesiastical or political intrusion possessing a Bible in our mother tongue and free to read it and understand it without mediation is a miracle. Each of us should readily read and study our Bibles. Why, if for no other reason than it tells us about God and the Story He wrote. 2 II. Part Two Understanding the Four Gospels in General We need to keep a handful of ideas in mind when reading our New Testament record. Canon 1: The Evangelists are selective in narration; the principle of selection: to show Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. 5
3 Each Gospel writer has a distinct purpose in writing. Matthew = King Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. (Matt. 2:2) Mark = Servant For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) Luke = Son of Man 1 In as much as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4) John = Son of God 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30, 31) 24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written. (John 21:24, 25) The first three Gospels [Matthew, Mark, and Luke] are considered synoptic gospels in so far they see the same thing. The Gospel of John is part of this body of literature, but considered distinct since much of his material is unique to his writing. When looking at the Gospels, it is important to keep certain things in mind. 1. Although much material overlaps, each Gospel has its own unique contribution to the Story. Don t harmonize the Gospels. That s like taking four paintings and combining them into one. You come up with something no one painted and no one intended to paint. Let each Gospel author be an artist in his own right. However, a Gospel synopsis are very useful and important in comparing Gospel texts to one another WITHOUT harmonizing them. 6 Canon 3: The Evangelists disagree in their words, but agree in meaning. 7 2. When you interpret anything in the Gospels as if the words were spoken or the incident happened in the contemporary world (especially the west), you are almost certainly headed in the wrong direction. The Gospels come to us from another time and place. They aren t inaccessible, but they require us to let them be what they are and not attempt to contemporize them. 8
3. Jesus did and said a lot of things that he didn t explain. Ever. At all. I don t believe there are special keys to understanding difficult sayings laying around for us to find in some spiritual treasure hunt. If Jesus first century hearers were often confused, then we will probably be confused too some of the time. 9 4. Big ideas dominate the Gospels: Who is Jesus? What kind of messiah is he? What does it mean to be a disciple? How does the law and the temple relate to Jesus? What do we learn from Jesus suffering? How did the resurrection change everything? What is the Kingdom of God? The smaller the question, the less likely it is that the Gospels are answering it directly. Perhaps indirectly or less than certainly. 10 5. Our present order follows the sequence of the Story. It is not in order of writing. In order of writing, the Gospels follow the Letters. Canon 2: The Evangelists do not preserve chronological order; they join teachings and events together that occurred on different occasions. 11 Canon 5: Christ applies the same saying, repeatedly, to different subjects. 12 The Gospels were, with the possible exception of a very early Mark, written after most of the early and Pauline epistles. This is a very, very important piece of information in understanding the Gospels. The epistles show us what Christianity looked like organically, and this helps us understand the emphases of the Gospels in relation to the developing church. The Gospels came out of the environment of being church, church planting, church problems and church mission. The Gospels sync with this. 13 4 III. Part Three Understanding the Gospel of Luke Specifically Part of our desire is to see the bridge between the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of Luke. His use of the Old Testament text is too extensive to note with any degree of thoroughness. However, we would do well to note the eight references in Luke s Gospel from the Book of Genesis. Luke 1:55 Gen. 22:18; Gen. 17:19 Luke 1:73 Gen. 22:16; Gen. 12:3 Luke 11:51 Gen. 4:8 Luke 17:27 Gen. 7:7 Luke 17:29 Gen. 19:16 Luke 17:32 Gen. 19:26 Even a casual reading of Luke helps one see the repeated occurrence of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Luke s record (1:33; 3:8; 13:16, 28; etc.). But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the [passage about the burning] bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. (Luke 20:37)
5 All of this pushes us back to the Genesis Story. The Gospel of Luke is unique or different from other two synoptic gospels. He is the only non- Jew writer in the New Testament. He was probably a Greek. Only this gospel has a sequel the Acts in the New Testament. Luke is the longest gospel that covers twenty-five percent of the entire New Testament. 14 Not only as an historian, but also as a medical doctor, Luke paid great attention to detail, including dates and events that happened throughout the life of Christ. A theme that is emphasized in the Gospel of Luke is the humanity of Jesus Christ and his perfection as a human. Jesus was the perfect man who gave the perfect sacrifice for sin, therefore, providing the perfect Savior for humankind. 15 The Gospel according to Luke is the first part of a two-volume work that continues the biblical history of God s dealings with humanity found in the Old Testament, showing how God s promises to Israel have been fulfilled in Jesus and how the salvation promised to Israel and accomplished by Jesus has been extended to the Gentiles. The stated purpose of the two volumes is to provide Theophilus and others like him with certainty assurance about earlier instruction they have received (Lk 1:4). To accomplish his purpose, Luke shows that the preaching and teaching of the representatives of the early church are grounded in the preaching and teaching of Jesus, who during his historical ministry (Acts 1:21 22) prepared his specially chosen followers and commissioned them to be witnesses to his resurrection and to all else that he did (Acts 10:37 42). This continuity between the historical ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the apostles is Luke s way of guaranteeing the fidelity of the Church s teaching to the teaching of Jesus. 16 His purpose in writing. Luke is concerned with presenting Christianity as a legitimate form of worship in the Roman world, a religion that is capable of meeting the spiritual needs of a world empire like that of Rome. To this end, Luke depicts the Roman governor Pilate declaring Jesus innocent of any wrongdoing three times (Acts 23:29; 25:25; 26:31 32). At the same time Luke argues in Acts that Christianity is the logical development and proper fulfillment of Judaism and is therefore deserving of the same toleration and freedom traditionally accorded Judaism by Rome (Acts 13:16 41; 23:6 9; 24:10 21; 26:2 23). THE BIG PICTURE: 1. Who wrote it? The author s name does not appear in the book, but much unmistakable evidence points to Luke. This Gospel is a companion volume to the book of Acts, and the language and structure of these two books indicate that both were written by the same person. Luke-Acts makes up 28% of the New Testament--more than that written by either Paul or John. 17 They are addressed to the same individual, Theophilus, and the second volume refers to the first (Ac 1:1). Certain sections in Acts use the pronoun we (Ac 16:10 17; 20:5 15; 21:1 18; 27:1 28:16), indicating that the author was with Paul when the events described in these passages took place. By process
of elimination, Paul s dear friend Luke, the doctor (Col 4:14) and fellow worker (Phm 24), becomes the most likely candidate. His authorship is supported by the uniform testimony of early Christian writings (e.g., the Muratorian Canon, a.d. 170, and the works of Irenaeus, c. 180). Luke was probably a Gentile by birth, well educated in Greek culture, a physician by profession, a companion of Paul at various times from his second missionary journey to his final imprisonment in Rome, and a loyal friend who remained with the apostle after others had deserted him (2Ti 4:11). Antioch (of Syria) and Philippi are among the places suggested as his hometown. 18 Luke is the longest Gospel. Luke-Acts contain the largest number of verses by any author in the New Testament (if one rejects Hebrews as Pauline). He is a Gentile and a second-generation Christian (someone who did not see or know Jesus during His earthly life). 19 Luke writes the most grammatically correct and polished Koine Greek of all the New Testament writers, with the possible exception of the author of Hebrews. Greek apparently was his mother tongue. He was also highly educated and a physician (cf. Col. 4:14). 20 2. When was it written? The two most commonly suggested periods for dating the Gospel of Luke are: (1) a.d. 59 63, and (2) the 70s or the 80s (see essay and chart, p. 1943). 21 It is not possible to pin-point a date for Luke once Luke 21:20 is not required to be post A.D. 70. 1 However, if Acts is dated around A.D. 64/65, then it does seem reasonable that The Gospel of Luke could have been written a few years before Acts (A.D. 58/60). 22 3. To whom was it written? By its detailed designations of places in the Holy Land, the Gospel seems to be intended for readers who were unfamiliar with that land. 23 4. Why was it written? Luke establishes that Jesus is the Son of God, the Son of Man. His means of establishes his claim is through our Lord s power/authority over demons, disease, and death. Because of His position, everyone must choose. Either Jesus is the Son of God / Son of Man or He is not. Those who choose Him follow Him. Those who do not choose Him do not follow Him. 5. An Outline for the Gospel of Luke Luke s account of Jesus ministry can be divided into three major parts: (1) the events that occurred in and around Galilee (4:14 9:50), (2) those that took place in Judea and Perea (9:51 19:27), and (3) those of the final week in Jerusalem (19:28 24:53). Luke s uniqueness is especially seen in the amount of material devoted to Jesus closing ministry in Judea and Perea. This material is predominantly made up of accounts of Jesus discourses. Twenty-one of the 28 6
parables that occur in Luke are found in 10:30 19:27. Of the 20 miracles recorded in Luke, only 5 appear in 9:51 19:27. Already in the ninth chapter (see note on 9:51), Jesus is seen anticipating his final appearance in Jerusalem and his crucifixion (see note on 13:22). 24 The Birth and Preparation of Jesus the Savior - Luke 1:1-4:13 The Message and Ministry of Jesus the Savior - Luke 4:14-21:38 The Death and Resurrection of Jesus the Savior - Luke 22:1-24:53 I. The Prologue (1:1 4) II. The Infancy Narrative (1:5 2:52) III. The Preparation for the Public Ministry (3:1 4:13) IV. The Ministry in Galilee (4:14 9:50) V. The Journey to Jerusalem: Luke s Travel Narrative (9:51 19:27) VI. The Teaching Ministry in Jerusalem (19:28 21:38) VII. The Passion Narrative (22:1 23:56) VIII. The Resurrection Narrative (24:1 53) Time keeps us from thoroughly examining all of Luke in this short study. However, let us take a moment and note his simple premise that Jesus is the Son of God / Son of Man. Luke seeks to show with certainty (1:4) that Jesus is the SON OF GOD. His compilation of material has the expressed purpose of proofing Jesus is the SON OF GOD. The angel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear Him who is the Son of God. 7 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end... 35 The angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:31-33, 35) To the shepherds, the angel of the Lord identifies the birth of Jesus as a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11) It is the question being asked of John the Baptist as to whether or not he is the Christ (Luke 3:15). 15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3:15, 16)
8 His genealogy traces Him all the way back to the Son of God. the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:38) The Devil challenged His claim to being the Son of God. And the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. (Luke 4:3) And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; (Luke 4:9) His audience identified Him with, Is this not Joseph s son? (Luke 4:22). The questioned source and origin. And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, Is this not Joseph's son? (Luke 4:22) The demons know who He is (Luke 4:34) and identify Him as the Son of God (Luke 4:41). Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, You are the Son of God! But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. (Luke 4:41) This is the question John asks of Jesus in Luke 7:19, 20. Remember, John is already in prison when he asks the question (Luke 3:20). 19 Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else? 20 When the men came to Him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else? (Luke 7:19, 20) It is the same question confronting His disciples when He shows Himself to be Lord of the elements (Luke 8:25). And He said to them, Where is your faith? They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him? (Luke 8:25) He asks His disciples directly the question and Peter s response is emphatic (Luke 9:20). 18 And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, Who do the people say that I am? 19 They answered and said, John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again. 20 And He said to them, But who do you say that I am? And Peter answered and said, The Christ of God. (Luke 9:18-20) When the Chief Priests and Scribes challenge His authority, it is a question of source and origin (Luke 20:1, 2).
9 1 On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, 2 and they spoke, saying to Him, Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority? (Luke 20:1, 2) The idea of His origin is throughout Luke s account. Here we see it again in His conversation with the Scribes in Luke 20. 39 Some of the scribes answered and said, Teacher, You have spoken well. 40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything. 41 Then He said to them, How is it that they say the Christ is David's son? 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 43 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET." 44 Therefore David calls Him Lord, and how is He his son? (Luke 20:39-44) This idea will not resurface until His crucifixion in Luke 22:70. He is still being asked, Are you the Son of God? In light of all He has said and done His answer is direct and final, Yes, I am. 66 When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying 67 If You are the Christ, tell us. But He said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69 But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD. 70 And they all said, Are You the Son of God, then? And He said to them, Yes, I am. (Luke 22:66-70) This is the same question asked by Satan in chapter four. The barrage against Him is relentless and the question lingers. Jesus fully manifested Himself to be the Messiah. Because of their hardness of heart, they refused His invitation. 34 But Jesus was saying, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One. (Luke 23:34, 35) The devil casts doubt leading to denial. Yet, in the swell of unbelief there is a statement of confirmation and belief by none other than a Roman Centurion (Luke 23:47). Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent. (Luke 23:47) o See also Matthew 27:54: Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God! (Matt. 27:54) After our Lord s resurrection, He draws near to two travelers on their way to Emmaus. The same question is being asked (Luke 24:21).
10 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. (Luke 24:21) Jesus assures them that He is THE ONE (Luke 24:25-27). 25 And He said to them, O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. (Luke 24:25-27) The Old Testament text speaks to this idea and Jesus is the confirmation of all previous prophecies. Remember, Luke s intent in writing is so that Theophilus might know the exact truth about the things [he] has been taught (Luke 1:4). Luke accomplished what he set out to do. The collective evidence offered by Luke is Jesus is the Son of God / the Son of Man. His resurrection from the grave is God s exclamation point to this overpowering declaration. Shepherding the Sheep: (What is the NEXT STEP?) 1. Jesus is the sole means whereby the eternal purpose of God is fulfilled. 2. If you will ever know the joy for which you were designed, then you must accept the Story written of Him. 1 http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-luke/ 2 Metanarrative or grand narrative or mater narrative is a term developed by Jean-François Lyotard to mean a theory that tries to give a totalizing, comprehensive account to various historical events, experiences, and social, cultural phenomena based upon the appeal to universal truth or universal values. In this context, the narrative is a story that functions to legitimize power, authority, and social customs. A grand narrative or metanarrative is one that claims to explain various events in history, gives meaning by connecting disperse events and phenomena by appealing to some kind of universal knowledge or schema. The term grand narratives can be applied to a wide range of thoughts which includes Marxism, religious doctrines, belief in progress, universal reason, and others. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/metanarrative 3 http://www.postmodernpreaching.net/the-biblical-metanarrative.html 4 http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=623 5 http://www.thesacredpage.com/2011/07/lapides-principles-for-interpreting.html 6 http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/ten-guidelines-for-interpreting-the-gospels 7 http://www.thesacredpage.com/2011/07/lapides-principles-for-interpreting.html 8 http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/ten-guidelines-for-interpreting-the-gospels 9 http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/ten-guidelines-for-interpreting-the-gospels 10 http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/ten-guidelines-for-interpreting-the-gospels 11 http://www.thesacredpage.com/2011/07/lapides-principles-for-interpreting.html 12 http://www.thesacredpage.com/2011/07/lapides-principles-for-interpreting.html 13 http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/ten-guidelines-for-interpreting-the-gospels 14 http://cafn.us/2011/01/11/the-gospel-of-luke-different-yet-similar-to-other-two-synotic-gospels/
15 http://christianity.about.com/od/newtestamentbooks/qt/gospellukeintro.htm 16 http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/0 17 https://bible.org/article/introduction-gospel-luke 18 http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-luke/ 19 https://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-luke 20 https://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-luke 21 http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-luke/ 22 https://bible.org/article/introduction-gospel-luke 23 http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-luke/ 24 http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-luke/ 11