Luke Lecture

 

 

I.  Luke-Acts, a single work in two volumes (Lk 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-5)

 

Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, F1 to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.  (Lk 1:1-4 NRSV)

 

 

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While staying F1 with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:1-5,, NRSV)

 

Theophilus (means lover of God in Greek) a real or ideal patron with Greek name.

 

Parallels between Luke and Acts extensive and planned

 

Similar to other Greek prologues

 

Genre:  Ancient Historiography?  (not modern)

 

II. Literary Character and Style

 

A.  Formal and Septuagintal Greek at appropriate places

 

B.  Speeches appropriate to the person delivering them.

 

C.  Structure

 

1.  Geography - Jerusalem (and Temple) - Rome

 

2.  Journey as Organizing Device

 

Luke 9:51 (NRSV):  "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem."

 

Acts 19:21 ( NRSV):  "Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, 'After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.'"

 

D.  Use of Sources  -  See Mark Allan Powell -  7.1 Material Unique to Luke - Download as a PDF ; 7.2 Luke’s Use of Mark - Download as a PDF and 7.3 Expanding Mark: How Matt and Luke Arranged Their Gospels - Download as a PDF

 

III.  Historical Background

 

A. Date - circa 85 C.E.  In the preface Lk describes himself as of the second or third generation  (1:1f).  He at least knows of Paul in Rome (c. 60) and seems to know of the destruction of Jerusalem in some detail.  He delays the parousia, uses Mark, and if not addressing himself to Gentiles primarily at least seems to be writing at a time when Judaism and Christianity have or are in the process of splitting.

 

B.        Locale/Author/Audience - Much Debated

 

1.         Gentile and Hellenistic Jewish Christian - associated with Conzlemann written in Greek, style and form of Greek historiography, dedicated to Theophilus (means lover of God in Greek) a real or ideal patron with Greek name.

moves from Jerusalem to Rome as new sacred center

history divided into three epochs.  The first, from Adam to John the Baptist, concludes the time of the law and prophets.  The readers are now in a new time, the period of the church.

emphasis on human birth as well as divine (shepherds) and bodily resurrection

doesn't know Palestinian geography and avoids Semitic words (his Greek in many sections Septuagintal.)  See comments below for further support.--

--Gospel uses more universal term “savior” (soter) as opposed to Jewish terms “Son of Man” or “messiah” 1:69; 2:11; Acts 3:13-15  

 

2.         Hellenistic Jewish Christian - associated with Jacob Jervell ( basis of Donald Juel, An Introduction to New Testament Literature.  Section on Luke.  See especially pages 234-235.)

 

C.        Fall of Jerusalem

 

Lk knows of the fall.  Jesus travels from Galilee to Jerusalem, which is the place of his passion (Lk 9:51 - 18:14).  Paul travels from Jerusalem to Rome where he ends up preaching openly and unhindered (Acts 19:21 - 28:31, but  Lk doesn't seem to know of Paul's passion).  View no. 1 above argues that Lk finds a new sacred place in Rome to replace the fallen and disreputable Jerusalem.  There are no appearances in Galilee as foretold in Mk (the site of the parousia) and as actually occurs in Mt.  Lk finds a new sacred center in the time of Jesus to which the Christian relates by imitating Jesus.

 

D.        Delay of the Parousia

 

Lk defers the expectation to the indefinite future.  He makes sense of the extended interim as the time of the church=s work and witness in the world.  He seems relatively at ease with the delay and so is the first to write a history of the church (Acts).

 

E.        Judaism

 

Christianity is portrayed as the fulfillment of Judaism.  Those who believe in Jesus are the true Jews.  Jewish opponents are false Jews.  The Jewish leadership is blamed for the death and persecution of Jesus and other Christians.  This may be due to a desire to shift blame from the Romans or to interpret the rejection of some Jews as the rejection of false Jews.  See also below under Gentile Mission/Judaism.

 

F.         Roman Authority

 

1.         Since the parousia is put off indefinitely, there is a need to organize a Christian relationship to Rome.  Luke-Acts may be, at least in part, an apologetic designed to convince Rome that Christianity is not seditious.  Roman officials portrayed positively.  They declare Jesus and other Christians innocent under Roman law (Lk 23:1-25; Acts 23:26-30; 25:13-27; 26:30-32).  The story placed in a Roman time scheme. Augustus Caesar.  Joseph and Mary follow Rome’s census.  Customs are Agentilized@ so that a non-Jew would understand them. (See Hayes, 371-372) 

 

2.         True, but: Roman officials don=t always appear in such a positive light.  A Jewish mob sways Pilate and Pilate permits this.  Felix leaves Paul in prison both because he has not received a bribe and out of deference to the Jews.  Romans are portrayed as being unable to make sense out of the dispute between Paul and the Jews (Acts 23:28-29; 25:18-20, 25-27).  There is little reason to expect that Roman officials would have been able to understand all of Lk-Acts as an apologetic.

 

The blame placed on Jews for persecution and death of Jesus and others is not distinguishing between true Jews who believe in Jesus and others who are excluding themselves by disbelief.

 

G.        Gentiles/Gentile Mission and Judaism

 

1.         The Gentile mission is foreshadowed even in Jesus= own ministry (Lk 2:32; 4:24-27).  Jesus commissions the disciples after the resurrection to go to all nations (Lk 24:46-49).  Lk-Acts moves from Israel to Rome in an ever-expanding arc.  Individual Gentiles and Samaritans are portrayed in a positive light.  The Spirit of God comes on Gentiles who believe in Jesus even without circumcision (Acts 10 - 15).  God forces Peter to go to Cornelius.  Jewish rejections leads to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47; 18:6; 28:28).  Lk=s genealogy extends back to Adam, father of all humanity.  Matthew=s extended back only to Abraham.  Lk contains only one positive reference to Jesus as Son of David (18:38f) besides the genealogy.