(made of tables or boards), The ascent of, a place in Moab, occurs only in (Isaiah 15:5) and the
parallel passage of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 48:5) In the days of Eusebius and Jerome it was still known,
and stood between Areopolis (Rabbath-moab) and Zoar.
Luke
(light-giving), or Lu’cas, is an abbreviated form of Lucanus. It is not to be confounded with
Lucius, (Acts 13:1; Romans 16:21) which belongs to a different person. The name Luke occurs
three times in the New Testament— (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11); Phle 1:24—And probably
in all three the third evangelist is the person spoken of. Combining the traditional element with the
scriptural we are able to trace the following dim outline of the evangelist’s life. He was born at
Antioch in Syria, and was taught the science of medicine. The well known tradition that Luke was
also a painter, and of no mean skill, rests on the authority of late writers. He was not born a Jew,
for he is not reckoned among those “of the circumcision” by St. Paul. Comp. (Colossians 4:11)
with ver. 14. The date of his conversion is uncertain. He joined St. Paul at Troas, and shared his
Journey into Macedonia. The sudden transition to the first person plural in (Acts 16:9) is most
naturally explained after all the objections that have been urged, by supposing that Luke the writer
of the Acts, formed one of St. Paul’s company from this point. As far as Philippi the evangelist
journeyed with the apostle. The resumption of the third person on Paul’s departure from that place,
(Acts 17:1) would show that Luke was now left behind. During the rest of St. Paul’s second
missionary journey we hear of Luke no more; but on the third journey the same indication reminds
us that Luke is again of the company, (Acts 20:5) having joined it apparently at Philippi, where he
had been left. With the apostle he passed through Miletus, Tyre and Caesarea to Jerusalem. ch.
Acts 20:6; 21:18 As to his age and death there is the utmost uncertainty. He probably died a martyr,
between A.D. 75 and A.D. 100. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name, and also the book of
Acts.
Luke, Gospel Of
The third Gospel is ascribed, by the general consent of ancient Christendom, to “the beloved
physician,” Luke, the friend and companion of the apostle Paul.
•Date of the Gospel of Luke .—From (Acts 1:1) it is clear that the Gospel described “the former
treatise” was written before the Acts of the Apostles; but how much earlier is uncertain. Perhaps
it was written at Caesarea during St. Paul’s imprisonment there, A.D. 58-60.
•Place where the Gospel was written.—If the time has been rightly indicated, the place would be
Caesarea.
•Origin of the Gospel.—The preface, contained in the first four verses of the Gospel, describes the
object of its writer. Here are several facts to be observed. There were many narratives of the life
of our Lord Current at the early time when Luke wrote his Gospel. The ground of fitness for the
task St. Luke places in his having carefully followed out the whole course of events from the
beginning. He does not claim the character of an eye-witness from the first but possibly he may
have been a witness of some part of our Lord’s doings. The ancient opinion that Luke wrote his
Gospel under the influence of Paul rests on the authority of Irenreus, Tertulian, Origen and Eusebius.
The four verses could not have been put at the head of a history composed under the exclusive
guidance of Paul or of any one apostle and as little could they have introduced a gospel simply
communicated by another. The truth seems to be that St. Luke, seeking information from every
quarter, sought it from the preaching of his be loved master St. Paul; and the apostle in his turn
employed the knowledge acquired from other sources by his disciple.
frankie
(Frankie)
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