NT SURVEY

THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON–BY THE APOSTLE PAUL–COLOSSIANS 4:7-9

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THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON
COLOSSIANS 4:7-9
Introduction:

The epistle addressed to Philemon is one of the Prison Epistles probably sent about 51 AD. It is a letter of intercession written by the Apostle Paul and sent to Philemon at Colosse, Colossians 4:7-9.

Philemon was apparently a member of the church at Colosse, which seems to have held its assemblies in his house, Philemon 2. His benevolence, Philemon 5-7, and Paul’s request for him to prepare a lodging, Philemon 22, indicate that he was a man of some means. As Paul had never been in Colosse, Colossians 2:1, Philemon must have met him elsewhere, possibly in Ephesus, which was not far away. It would seem that he owed his conversion to the apostle, Philemon 19.

Onesimus was a runaway slave of Philemon. It is inferred that he robbed his master and fled to Rome, Philemon 18. Here he came under the influence of Paul and was converted, Philemon 10. He became a devoted disciple of Christ, Colossians 4:9. Paul would have chosen to have detained him in Rome as a helper, Philemon 13, but not having the consent of Philemon, Philemon 14, he felt it was his duty to send the slave back to his master. So the apostle writes this beautiful letter of intercession, pleading with Philemon to forgive and restore Onesimus to favor.

The book “is of priceless value as a teaching…

(1) In practical righteousness;

(2) In Christian brotherhood;

(3) In Christian courtesy;

(4) In the law of love.” — Scofield.

Synopsis: The divisions are four:

I. Greeting, vv. 1-3.

II. The character of Philemon, vv. 4-7.

III. Intercession for Onesimus, vv. 8-21.

IV. Salutations and conclusion, vv. 22-25.

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES–NT SURVEY

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THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
Introduction:

The Book of Acts “contains a history of the ministry and miracles of the apostles of Christ, and is a sort of a journal of their actions, from whence it takes its name. It begins at the ascension of Christ, and reaches to the imprisonment of the Apostle Paul at Rome; and is a history of upwards of thirty years: it gives an account of the first Gospel church at Jerusalem, and of the progress of the Gospel there, and in Judea, by the means of all the apostles, and particularly Peter, the minister of the circumcision, and who also first opened the door of faith to the Gentiles: it shows how the Gospel went forth from Jerusalem, and was spread in the Gentile world, especially by the Apostle Paul, whose companion Luke was, that was the writer of this book; for that it was written by him is very evident from the beginning of it, it being dedicated to the same person his Gospel is, and of which he makes mention.” — John Gill’s Expositor.

Writer: In the Acts of the Apostles Luke continues the account of Christianity begun in the Gospel which bears his name. In the “former treatise” he tells what Jesus “began both to do and teach”; in the Acts, what Jesus continued to do and teach through His Holy Spirit sent down.

Date: The Acts concludes with the account of Paul’s earliest ministry in Rome, A.D. 65, and appears to have been written at or near that time.

Main Theme: The history of the development of the early church, from the Ascension of Christ to Paul’s imprisonment at Rome, and the opening of his ministry there. Many Bible students see in the book the formal beginning of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The departing Christ makes the announcement of a great campaign of world-wide missions, through human agency under the power of the Spirit, Acts 1:8.

The book may be divided into two parts: The period of Home Missions, and the period of Foreign Missions.

I. The Period of Home Missions,

With Jerusalem as the center, the work was mainly in Palestine among the Jews; the apostle Peter being the most prominent figure.

A. The Preparatory Events.

1. The divine commission, Acts 1:4-8.

2. The Lord ascends to Heaven, Acts 1:10-11.

3. The baptism “with the Holy Ghost” empowering of the Church at Jerusalem, Acts 2:1-4.

4. The workers’ equipment, Acts 2:4; 4:31.

B. The Ministries:

1. Of Peter at Pentecost, Acts 2:14-40.

a. Peter’s second sermon, Acts 3:12-26.

b. Peter’s address to the Sanhedrin, Acts 4:5-12.

2. Of Stephen, Acts 7:1-60.

3. Of Philip and Peter, Acts 8:5-25.

4. Of Philip, Acts 8:26-40.

C. Facts Concerning the Church:

1. The growth of the Church:

a. On the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:41.

b. The Lord Added to the Church daily, Acts 2:47.

2. The Filling of the believers by the Holy Spirit making them bold to preach the Gospel, Acts 4:31.

3. The unity and goodwill of the Church at Jerusalem, Acts 4:32-37.

4. The spiritual power of the Church at Jerusalem, Acts 5:12-16.

5. The appointment of deacons, Acts 6:1-6.

D. The Persecutions of the Church, Acts 4:1-3, 17-22; 5:17-18, 40; 6:8-15.

1. Persecutions under Saul of Tarsus, Acts 8:1-3; 9:1.

II. The Period of Foreign Missions.

Beginning with Jerusalem as the center of operations, and later transferring the center to Antioch in Syria.

A. Preliminary Events leading up to World-wide Missions.

1. The ministry of Philip in Samaria, in association with Peter and John, Acts 8:5-25.

2. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Paul), who becomes the great missionary, and the leading figure in the churches during this period, Acts 9:1-30.

3. The broadening of Peter’s views by his vision at Joppa, resulting in his ministry among the Gentiles at Caesarea, Acts 10:1-43.

4. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentile believers at Caesarea, and the vindication of Peter’s ministry there, Acts 10:44—11:18.

5. The encouraging of the work at Antioch by Barnabas, the representative of the church at Jerusalem, Acts 11:22-24.

6. The bringing of Paul from Tarsus to Antioch by Barnabas, and the co-operation of the two men in establishing the church in the place where the disciples were first called Christians, Acts 11:25-26.

7. Parenthesis, The persecution of the church at Jerusalem by Herod. The death of James and the imprisonment and deliverance of Peter, Acts 12:1-19.

B. The Significant Event in the History of Foreign Missions, Acts 13:1-5.

1. Under the Direction of the Holy Spirit, the sending forth of Paul and Barnabas as missionaries by the church at Antioch, vv. 1-4.

2. John Mark accompanies them, v. 5.

C. Paul’s First Missionary Journey.

1. Missionaries, Paul, Barnabas and John Mark, Acts 13:4—14:26.

2. Places visited and outstanding events:

a. The island of Cyprus where the proconsul was converted and Saul’s name changed to Paul, Acts 13:4-12.

b. Perga in Pamphylia, where John Mark returned to Jerusalem, Acts 13:13.

c. Antioch in Pisidia, Paul’s great sermon in the synagogue, Acts 13:14-41.

d. Opposition by the Jews and work among the Gentiles, Acts 13:44-49.

e. Driven from the city by the Jews, the missionaries go to Iconium. Here they work for some time, but persecution arising, they flee to Lystra and Derbe, Acts 14:6.

f. The healing of the lame man at Lystra results in the people proposing to worship Paul and Barnabas, but the Jews stir up opposition and Paul is stoned. Undaunted, the two heroes escape to Derbe, where they preach the gospel and teach many, Acts 14:8-20.

g. From this point the missionaries retrace their steps, revisiting and organizing the churches, and return to Antioch in Syria, where they make a report of their journey, Acts 14:21-28.

D. The Council at Jerusalem.

1. The question of circumcision, Acts 15:5-6.

2. Peter’s argument in favor of Christian Liberty, Acts 15:7-11.

3. Paul and Barnabas relate their experiences, Acts 15:12.

4. The speech of James and the decision of the Council in favour of exempting the Gentiles from the rules of the ceremonial law, Acts 15:13-29.

5. Judas and Silas are sent to Antioch to deliver the letter from the Council to the churches, Acts 15:27-30.

E. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, Acts 15:36—18:22.

1. Preliminary events, Acts 15:36-40.

a. A disagreement between Paul and Barnabas concerning John Mark, vv. 36-39.

b. Silas is chosen by Paul to accompany him on the journey, v. 40.

2. Places visited and outstanding events:

a. Visitation of the churches of Syria and Cilicia, Acts 15:41.

b. At Lystra, Timothy joins the missionaries, and various cities of Asia Minor are visited and the churches strengthened, Acts 15:41—16:5.

c. The Spirit guides them to Troas, where they are called into Europe by the Macedonian vision, Acts 16:7-10.

d. At Philippi Paul and Silas are imprisoned, and the jailor converted, and a church is established, Acts 16:12-34.

e. The next important event is the founding of the church at Thessalonica, where persecution arises and they depart for Berea. Acts 17:1-10.

f. Here the missionaries find some candid students of The Word who become ready converts, Acts 17:11-12.

g. The storm of persecution breaks out again, and Paul goes on to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy to establish the church at Berea, Acts 17:13-15.

h. At Athens Paul finds a city filled with idols, and preaches a sermon on Mar’s Hill, but secures only a few converts to the faith, Acts 17:15-34.

i. At Corinth Paul is soon joined by Silas and Timothy, and a church is established. The work is carried on in the midst of persecution for eighteen months, Acts 18:1-17.

j. After a considerable time Paul bids the brethren farewell, and sets sail for Syria, making a brief stop at Ephesus, and closes his journey at Antioch, Acts 18:18-22.

F. Paul’s Third Missionary Journey, Acts 18:23—21:15.

1. Places visited:

a. Visitation of the churches in Galatia and Phrygia, Acts 18:23.

b. Parenthesis,—Apollos at Ephesus, Acts 18:24-28.

2. Outstanding Events:

a. Paul returns to Ephesus and finds a company of imperfectly instructed disciples, and leads them into an understanding of Christ, Acts 19:1-7.

b. He continues in the work at Ephesus for two years, Acts 19:8-10.

c. The Lord showed His power by bestowing upon Paul the gift of healing, Acts 19:11-12.

d. Sinners were converted to Christ and many burned their evil books, Acts 19:11-20.

e. Then there arose a great uproar among the silver-smiths, fearing that Paul’s doctrine would destroy their business of idol making, Acts 19:23-41.

3. Paul leaves Ephesus, and after visiting the churches of Macedonia, comes to Greece, Acts 20:1-2.

4. He spends three months in Greece, then returns to Macedonia, and comes to Troas, and preaches, Acts 20:3-12.

5. From Troas he goes to Miletus, and sends for the Ephesian elders to come to him. Here at Miletus he delivers his great farewell address to the elders, Acts 20:17-38.

6. From Miletus Paul starts for Jerusalem, although warned by the Spirit of the sufferings awaiting him there, Acts 21:1-17.

G. Paul in Jerusalem and Caesarea.

1. He relates to the church the experiences of his ministry among the Gentiles, Acts 21:18-20.

2. To silence suspicion, he is urged to take a Jewish vow, which he does, Acts 21:20-26.

3. Paul is seized by Jewish enemies in the Temple, and rescued from their fury by Roman soldiers, Acts 21:27-40.

4. His defense before the multitude, Acts 22:1-21.

5. He asserts his Roman citizenship to escape being scourged, Acts 22:25-30.

6. His appearance before the Sanhedrin, Acts 23:1-10.

7. The Lord appears to him in the night with a message of cheer, Acts 23:11.

8. A conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, leads to his being sent to Caesarea, Acts 23:12-33.

9. The accusation brought against him by the Jews, and his defense before the governor, Felix, Acts 24:1-21.

10. His testimony before Felix concerning his faith in Christ, Acts 24:24-26.

11. His defense before Festus and his appeal unto Caesar, Acts 25:1-12.

12. His address before Agrippa, Acts 26:1-29.

H. Paul’s Journey to Rome as a Prisoner, Acts 27:1—28:16.

1. The first stage of the voyage, Acts 27:2-13.

2. The storm and the controlling influence of Paul, Acts 27:14-36.

3. The shipwreck and the escape to land, Acts 27:38-44.

4. The experiences on the Island of Melita, Acts 28:1-10.

5. The arrival at Rome and Paul’s ministry there, Acts 28:16-31.

THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS–NT SURVEY

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THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

Introduction:

“Though this epistle is in order placed the first of the epistles, yet it was not first written: there were several epistles written before it, as the two epistles to the Thessalonians, the two to the Corinthians, the first epistle to Timothy, and that to Titus: the reason why this epistle stands first, is either the excellency of it, of which Chrysostom had so great an esteem that he caused it to be read over to him twice a week; or else the dignity of the place, where the persons lived to whom it is written, being Rome, the imperial city.” — John Gill’s Expositor.

“For WHAT CLASS of Christians was this Epistle principally designed—Jewish or Gentile? That a large number of Jews and Jewish proselytes resided at this time at Rome is known to all who are familiar with the classical and Jewish writers of that and the immediately subsequent periods; and that those of them who were at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10), and formed probably part of the three thousand converts of that day, would on their return to Rome carry the glad tidings with them, there can be no doubt.” — Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary.

“If we may compare scripture with scripture, and take the opinion of some devout and pious persons, in the Old Testament David’s Psalms, and in the New Testament Paul’s Epistles, are stars of the first magnitude, that differ from the other stars in glory. The whole scripture is indeed an epistle from heaven to earth: but in it we have upon record several particular epistles, more of Paul’s than of any other, for he was the chief of the apostles, and laboured more abundantly than they all. His natural parts, I doubt not, were very pregnant; his apprehension was quick and piercing; his expressions were fluent and copious; his affections, wherever he took, very warm and zealous, and his resolutions no less bold and daring: this made him, before his conversion, a very keen and bitter persecutor; but when the strong man armed was dispossessed, and the stronger than he came to divide the spoil and to sanctify these qualifications, he became the most skilful zealous preacher; never any better fitted to win souls, nor more successful.” — Matthew Henry.

Writer: The Apostle Paul; addressed to Roman Christians, Romans 1:7.

Key Verses: Romans 1:16; 5:1.

The epistle may be divided into two main sections:

Part I: doctrinal, Romans 1:1—11:36.

Part II: practical, Romans 12:1—16:27.

Main Theme:

Part 1:

1) The Plan of Salvation.

2) Justification by Faith.

3) Sanctification through the Holy Spirit.

Part 2: Mainly Exhortations concerning Christian Duties.

The Apostle’s Argument:

In Part 1, the Apostle proceeds to prove that the entire human race is surrounded by three insurmountable barriers:

1) The barrier of guilt, Romans 1:1—3:31.

2) The barrier of sinful tendencies and fleshly lusts, Romans 7:15-24.

3) The barrier of the supposed salvation of a certain portion of the race, and the divine condemnation of all others, Romans 9:7-18.

NOTE: In the midst of his argument showing the awful situation of the natural man, he points out the doors of divine mercy provided for in the plan of salvation, by which all men can escape the impending judgments of God if they will.

4) The “Doors of Escape” or “Divine Mercy” in the “Barriers” are:

a. Redemption, Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

b. Justification by Faith, Romans 3:24—5:1.

c. Universal Opportunity to Believe, Romans 10:8-14.

Synopsis:

I. The Plan of Salvation.

A. The Need of Salvation, based on the sinfulness of man:

1. The need of the Gentiles because of sin, Romans 1:18—2 7.

2. Likewise the Jews are under the condemnation of the law, Romans 2:8-3:20.

3. All are sinners, Romans 3:10-12, 23.

B. The Method of Salvation and Redemption is by faith in Christ, Romans 3:21-28.

1. Salvation by faith in Christ is for both Jew and Gentile, Romans 3:29-30.

2. Salvation by faith in Christ honors the law by establishing it, Romans 3:31.

C. Salvation by faith is illustrated in the life of Abraham, Romans 4.

1. Apart from works, Romans 4:1-6.

2. Apart from ordinances, Romans 4:9-12.

3. Apart from the law, Romans 4:13-25.

D. The blessings of salvation are made effective through the love of God as manifested in the sacrificial death of Christ, Romans 5:1-11.

E. The scope of the free gift of salvation expounded, Romans 5:12-21.

F. The free gift does not encourage the continuance in sin, but demands rather the crucifixion of man’s corrupt nature, and a life of holy service to God, Romans 6:1-23.

G. In chapter seven, Paul is evidently speaking of the struggle with sinful tendencies and fleshly lust, Romans 7:7-24.

H. The culmination of the divine plan of salvation is pictured in Romans 8.

1. It is a new spiritual life of liberty and righteousness by faith in Christ.

2. This is one of the great spiritual chapters of the Bible; in it the Holy Spirit is referred to nineteen (19) times.

I. Parenthesis, Paul’s concern for his own people, Romans 9:1-5.

J. The Mystery of God’s dealings with Israel:

1. The Special Privileges of Israel, Romans 9:4-5. See also Romans 3:12.

2. The Distinction between the Natural and Spiritual seed of Abraham, Romans 9:6-13.

3. The mystery of the divine sovereignty, Romans 9:14-24; v. 15, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

4. The Prophets Predicted… Romans 9:25-33.

a. The Failure of the Jews to live up to their privileges.

b. The calling of the Gentiles.

c. Their acceptance of the divine plan of righteousness by faith.

K. The Misunderstanding of the divine plan by the Jews, resulting in their self-righteousness, Romans 10:1-3.

L. The Plan of “Salvation by Faith” expounded and its universal application set forth, Romans 10:4-18.

M. God’s dealings with Israel, Romans 10:19—11:12.

N. The Gentiles warned not to boast because of their privileges, but to take heed lest they fall under condemnation, Romans 11:13-22.

O. The Restoration of Israel predicted and the mysteries of God’s ways declared to be Unsearchable, Romans 11:23-36.

II. Practical Applications

A. Chiefly Exhortations and Instructions concerning Christian Duties, Romans 12:1-16:27.

1. One of the finest summaries of Christian Duties found in the Scriptures, Romans 12.

2. Civic and social duties, Romans 13:1-10.

3. The duty of living as “children of the day,” Romans 13:11-14.

4. Duties to the Weak, Romans 14:1 to 15:7.

a. Charitableness in judging, Romans 14:1-13.

b. Carefulness not to give offence to you “brother,” Romans 14:15-23.

c. Bearing the infirmities “of the weak, and not to please ourselves,” Romans 15:1-7.

B. Paul’s Closing Thoughts: Mainly personal experiences and greetings. Romans 15:8—16:27.

1. Reasons for glorifying “God for his mercy” on the part of the Gentiles and the Apostle’s wide-spread ministry among them, Romans 15:8-21.

2. Paul’s desire to visit Rome and his greetings to the various Christian friends, Romans 15:22-16:16.

3. Final words and benediction, Romans 16:17-27.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN–NT SURVEY

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Introduction:

“The theme of John’s Gospel is the Deity of the Savior. Here, as nowhere else in

Scripture so fully, the Godhood of Christ is presented to our view. That which is outstanding in this fourth Gospel is the Divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus. In this book we are shown that the One who was heralded by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds, who walked this earth for thirty-three years, who was crucified at Calvary, who rose in triumph from the grave, and who forty days later departed from these scenes, was none other than the Lord of glory. The evidence for this is overwhelming, the proofs almost without number, and the effect of contemplating them must be to bow our hearts in worship before “the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).” — Arthur Pink in Pink’s Gleanings.

Writer, John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, the brother of James the greater; he outlived the rest of the disciples, and wrote this Gospel after the other evangelists.

Date: The date of John’s Gospel falls between A.D. 85 and 90; probably the latter.

To whom written: “As to the readers for whom it was more immediately designed, that they were Gentiles we might naturally presume from the lateness of the date; but the multitude of explanations of things familiar to every Jew puts this beyond all question.” — Jamieson, Fausset, Brown.

Key Verse: John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

THEME: This is indicated both in the Prologue (1:1-14), and in the last verse of the Gospel proper (20:31), and is: The incarnation of the eternal Word, and Son of life; that as many as believe on Him as “the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31) may have eternal life. The prominent words are, “believed” and “life.”

s the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Distinctive Features:

1) It is considered by many to be the deepest and most spiritual book in the Bible.

2) In it Christ gives a more complete revelation of himself, and of God, than in either of the Synoptic Gospels.

a. Of his person and attributes.

b. Of his Divinity, John 1:1; 10:30-38; 12:45; 14:7-9; 16:15.

c. Of the work of the Holy Spirit.

d. Of his own divine commission. For example in the fifth chapter he declares himself to be sent from God six times consecutively, John 5:23, 24, 30, 36, 37-38.

e. Of the Fatherhood of God:

1. Christ speaks of God as “The Father” over one hundred times.

2. God is the Spiritual Father, John 4:23.

i. The true worshippers.

ii. The one true God.

iii. All must worship him in spirit and in truth.

3. He is the Life-giving Father, John 5:21.

4. The Message is the Father’s, John 7:16.

5. The Father is Greater than all, John 10:29.

6. The Works are the Father’s, John 14:10.

7. God is the Indwelling Father, John 14:23.

8. The Eternal Father, John 17:5.

9. he Holy Father, John 17:11.

10. The Righteous Father, John 17:2.

3) Perhaps the most notable of all the peculiarities of this gospel is the fact that over one half of the space in the book is given to events of Christ’s life, and his sayings during his last days.

4) Discourses and conversations found only in John:

a. The talk with Nicodemus, John 3:1-21.

b. The talk with the woman of Samaria, John 4:1-26.

c. The discourse to the Jews at the Feast of Tabernacles, John 7:14-39 8:3-58,

d. The parable of The Good Shepherd, John 10.

e. The series of private instructions to the disciples, his comforting words and intercessory prayer, John 14:1-17:26,

f. His meeting with the disciples at the Sea of Galilee, John 21.

5) John records eight miracles of Christ (beside his own resurrection) to prove his divinity. Six of these are found only in this gospel:

a. The water made wine, John 2:1-11.

b. The healing the nobleman’s son, John 4:46-54.

c. The healing the man at the pool, John 5:1-9.

d. The man born blind, John 9:1-7.

e. The raising of Lazarus, John 11.

f. The second draught of fishes, John 21:1-6.

6) There are two great currents of thought flowing through the book which it is profitable to follow:

a. Faith, John 3:16-18; 5:24; 6:29, 40; 7:38; 8:24; 10:37-38; 11:25-27; 12:46; John 14:12.

b. Eternal life, John 3:15-16, 36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27, 51; 11:26; 12:50; 17:3; John 20:31.

Synopsis: The book may be divided into five parts:

1) The Introduction: the Eternal Word Incarnate, John 1:1-18.

2) The Manifestation of Christ’s Divinity to the world accompanied by a Six-fold Testimony, John 1:19-12:50:

a. That of John the Baptist.

b. That of the Holy Spirit.

c. That of the disciples.

d. That of Christ’s mighty works.

e. That of the Father.

f. That of the Scriptures.

3) The Private Revelation and Instruction to the Disciples, John 13:1-17:26.

4) The Savior’s Humiliation and Triumph over Death, John 18:1-20:31.

5) The Conclusion, the times and manner in which Jesus showed Himself after His resurrection, John 21:1-23.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE–NT SURVEY

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The Gospel of Luke
Introduction:

“THE four walls and the twelve gates of the Seer looked in different directions, but together they guarded, and opened into, one City of God. So the four Gospels look in different directions; each has its own peculiar aspect and inscription; but together they lead towards, and unveil, one Christ, “which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” They are the successive quarterings of the one Light. We call them “four” Gospels, though in reality they form but one, just as the seven arches of color weave one bow; and that there should be four, and not three or five, was the purpose and design of the Mind which is above all minds.

“Turning to the third Gospel, its opening sentences strike a key-note unlike the tone of the other three. Matthew, the Levite Apostle, schooled in the receipt of custom—where parleying and preambling were not allowed—goes to his subject with sharp abruptness, beginning his story with a “genesis,” “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ.” Mark, too, and John, without staying for any prelude, proceed at once to their portrayals of the Divine Life, each starting with the same word “beginning”—though between the “beginning” of St. Mark and that of St. John there is room for an eternity. St. Luke, on the other hand, stays to give to his Gospel a somewhat lengthy preface, a kind of vestibule, where we become acquainted with the presence and personality of the verger, before passing within the temple proper.” — Expositor’s Bible Commentary.

Luke’s “intimate acquaintance with Jewish customs, and his facility in Hebraic Greek, seem to show that he was an early convert to the Jewish faith;… His fluency in classical Greek confirms his Gentile origin. The time when he joined Paul’s company is clearly indicated in the Acts by his changing (at Acts 16:10) from the third person singular (“he”) to the first person plural (“we”). From that time he hardly ever left the apostle till near the period of his martyrdom (2 Timothy 4:11).” — Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary.

Writer: Luke, the beloved physician, Colossians 4:14, author of Acts; both books being addressed to the same person. Luke was a close friend and traveling companion of Paul, as is shown in his personal allusions recording the journeys of the apostle. See in the book of Acts where the author changes the pronouns to “we” and “us,” indicating that he himself was present at these times, Acts 16:10; 20:6; 27:1; 28:16.

Many students see something of the stamp of Paul’s doctrine in Luke’s gospel. The exact date of the writing of the gospel is unknown. But if it were written after Luke came under Paul’s influence, it would be quite natural that the latter should give some coloring to the narrative.

To Whom Addressed: To Theophilus, an unknown person. Internal evidence indicates that the book was written especially for the Gentiles. This is inferred from the fact that the writer takes pains to explain Jewish customs and sometimes substitutes Greek names for Hebrew.

Purpose: To give a connected and orderly narrative of the life of Christ as seen by eye witnesses, Luke1:1-4.

Key Verse: Luke 1:4, “That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”

Distinctive Features:

1) It is a Gospel of the Universal Grace of God, Luke 2:32; 3:6; 24:47.

2) It is the Gospel of “The Son of Man.” It emphasizes Christ’s sympathetic attitude toward the poor, the lowly, and the outcasts. The Poor disciples, Luke 6:20, the sinful woman, Luke 7:37, Mary Magdalene, Luke 8:2, the Samaritans, Luke 10:33, publicans and sinners, Luke 15:1, the deserted beggar, Luke 16:20-21, the lepers, Luke 17:12, the dying thief, Luke 23:43, etc.

3) It is a Devotional Gospel; it especially emphasizes prayer.

a. It contains three parables on prayer not found in the other gospels:

1. The friend at midnight, Luke 11:5-8.

2. The unjust judge, Luke 18:1-8.

3. The Pharisee and publican, Luke 18:9-14.

b. It contains Christ’s prayers:

1. At his baptism, Luke 3:21.

2. In the wilderness, Luke 5:16.

3. Before choosing the disciples, Luke 6:12.

4. At the transfiguration, Luke 9:29.

5. Before giving the Lord’s Prayer, Luke 11:1.

6. For Peter, Luke 22:32.

7. In the garden of Gethsemane, Luke 22:44.

8. On the cross, Luke 23:46, etc.

4) In its early chapters it strikes the note of joy and praise:

a. The words of the angel to Mary, Luke 1:28-33.

b. Mary’s song, Luke 1:46-55.

c. Of Zacharias, Luke 1:68-79.

d. Of the heavenly angels, Luke 2:13-14.

e. The rejoicing of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32.

5) It greatly honors womanhood. Women appear prominently in Luke’s narrative.

a. In Luke 1, Mary, Elisabeth; Mary and her sister Martha.

b. In Luke 10, the daughters of Jerusalem.

c. In Luke 23:27, several widows are mentioned. See also Luke 2:37; 4:26; 7:12; 18:3; 21:2.

6) The Biography of Christ is more complete in Luke than in either of the other Gospels. About one half of the material in this book is not in the others. Many of the most important utterances of our Lord, and striking incidents of his life are recorded in this one gospel. Examples of this are:

a. The draught of fishes, Luke 5:6.

b. Raising the widow’s son, Luke 7:11-15.

c. The ten lepers, Luke 17:12.

d. Malchus healed, Luke 22:51.

Other incidents and saying recorded only by Luke:

1) Christ weeping over Jerusalem, Luke 19:41;

2) Reference to the conversation of Moses and Elias on the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke 9:30,31;

3) the bloody sweat, Luke 22:44;

4) Christ before Herod, Luke 23:8;

5) Christ’s words to the women of Jerusalem {#Luke 23:28;

6) the penitent thief, Luke 23:40;

7) the walk to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-31.

A Brief Summary of the Book:

1) The introduction, Luke 1:1-4:44. The birth of Jesus and incidents connected with his early life up to the time of his baptism and temptation, Luke 1:5–4:13.

2) The beginning of his public ministry, mainly in Galilee, Luke 4:14–9:50.

3) The journey toward Jerusalem, through Samaria and Perea; the ministry mainly in Perea, Luke 9:51–19:28.

4) The last days, including the events of Passion Week and the crucifixion, Luke 19:29—23:55.

5) Events connected with the Resurrection and the Ascension, Luke 24:1-51.