Luke

The gospel of Luke was probably written in the mid-60's Ad furing the time of the tyrannical reign of Nero Caesar.  Luke starts off the gospel by addressing Theophilus(lover of God).  The purpose of the book is that those who convert to the Christian faith may know the certainty of the things they have been taught.  Luke then goes into the birth of John the Baptist and gives the account of how Zechariah was mute for not believing the angel.  Luke contains the song of Mary as she finds out she is carrying the Christ child.  Luke also explains the reason why Christ was born in Bethlehem as a census is issued by Augustus Caesar.  It then gives an count of the circumcision of Jesus.  Then talks about Simeon and Anna who have been awaiting the Messiah.  Luke is the only gospel that contians the account of Jesus' childhood at the tmple.  Though he was not Jewish, Luke does put Jewish emphasis and talk in many ways like a Jew would in writing his gospel.  Luke gives a genealogy of Jesus which contains many levitical priesthood names.  This has given rise to speculation that perhaps Jesus was also descended from the tribe of Levi.  Luke gives an account of the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth.  Then it goes into the miracles of Jesus which for the most part are covered in the book of Mark.  Like in Matthew, part of the Seromon on the Mount is contianed.  The do not judge statement by Jesus is often taken out of context as he refers to those who have a plank in their eye and tell them to remove the plank in their eye before they point out their brother's plank. When you have a plank in your eye, your vision is blurred.  Luke contains the confession by Peter that Jesus is the Christ.  It also tells about the seventy-two disciples.  There is one portion of Luke that is often criticizzed by liberal scholars because it says that Jesus spoke to about several thousand people from the Sea of Galilee.  The criticism has to fo with whether or not the people could hear him.  recently the site was found where this occurred and it turns out it is a natural amphitheater.  Luke contains several of the parables of Jesus.  Most of the parables of Jesus are directed towards the Pharisees.  Luke 16 presents the story of the rich man and Lazarus a beggar as they were now in the rift of Hades.  Luke tells of Jesus' emphasis on the little children.  It also tells of the conversion of Zacchaeus the tax collector.  Luke contians many of the stories when the Pharisees and Sadducees question Jesus.  It contains parts of the little apocalypse from Matthew 24.  Like the other synoptics, it tells of the account of Jesus before Pilate and Herod Antipas.  Luke is often called the gospel to the Gentiles.  Luke is mentioned in Paul's letters.  Luke was a doctor and it is apparent that he converted to Christianity through the ministry of Paul.Luke concludes with the ascension, which is the prelude to the book of Acts, which is also written by Luke.