Monday, June 6, 2016

Who Wrote the Book of . . . Luke?


Who Wrote the Book of . . . Luke?
posted by Clark Bates on June 6, 2016

      As it regards the Gospel according to Luke, there is very little debate, still existing surrounding its authorship. Just as with the other gospels, formal titles were not believed to have been applied to this gospel prior to AD 130. Debate over the reliability of this belief was discussed in a previous article (here), making it sufficient to merely comment here that the belief that the fourfold Gospel was transmitted for more than a century without any form of identification or distinguishing titles, seems implausible and unlikely, especially given the testimonies of the early church. Just as the other three gospels, Luke is formally anonymous. The author of tradition is the “faithful companion” of the apostle Paul, referred to as the “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14 ESV). Most of what can be known about the presumed author comes from external evidence, but a considerable amount of internal support can be found from the book of Acts.


Internal Evidence


      The opening of the gospel clearly suggests that the author was not an eyewitness of the Lord Jesus and, therefore, not an apostle (Lk. 1:1-4). Some debate exists regarding the meaning of the phrase, “having followed things closely” (ESV translation, of the Greek pareklouthekoti) v.3. Cadbury argues that this phrase is best translated as, “one who kept a close personal watch over the events that transpired”, implying that the author provides a form of personal account, but he stands apart from the larger body of tradition which translates the phrase to be, “one who investigated” without any direct personal observation.1 The third gospel betrays a heavier interest in Gentiles than the other synoptics and may point to a Gentile author. The Greek of Luke is formal and in keeping with educated classical style, suggesting an educated man, very aware of the Roman literature of the first century.



      The opening to the book of Acts connects it to the Gospel according to Luke by way of a common recipient, the unknown “Theophilus” (Acts 1:1). Whether the critic ascribes the authorship to the traditional Luke or some other source does not dispute that it is unanimously accepted that Luke and Acts were written by the same author as a collection. It is in this book that the most light is shed on the identity of the author of the third gospel. There are multiple passages within the book of Acts known as the “we” passages.2 In these sections of Scripture the author identifies himself as a companion with the apostle Paul. The argument against the authenticity of these passages rests largely on the theory that they are used as a literary device rather than an attribution to personal experience.3 This perspective has rightly diminished over the years, particularly in light of how arbitrarily the “we” sections are applied. Were these sections meant to b a literary device it would only serve an effective purpose if they were used to introduce more portions of text or various theological points. As Bock notes, “The 'we' sections are more than mere inserts of notes from someone else, and their haphazard use reflects authenticity.”4



      If the author of Acts is a fellow-laborer with the apostle Paul (which seems to be the case) and the author of the third gospel as well, then we are left with a narrow group from which to choose. This companion was with the apostle on his first missionary journey to Philippi (16:10-17), third missionary journey (20:5-15; 21:1-18), and on his voyage to Rome (27:1-28:16). The perspective of the account reveals that he author could not have been any of the fellow travelers named in these accounts, and given his travels to Roman, would suggest that he would be a companion listed in one of the letters written by the apostle from that period of time.5 The companions named in these letters are: Mark, Jesus Justus, Epaphras, Demas, Luke, Tychicus, Timothy, Aristarchus, and Epaphroditus. While internal evidence cannot take us much farther than this list, it has also been noted that the Gospel according to Luke appears to contain an assortment of “medical language” absent from any other biblical writing, which could further bolster the traditional authorship to the “beloved physician” of Colossians 4:14.6 This leads us to the external evidence of the early church.



External Evidence



      The heretic known as Marcion (famous for printing his own version of the Bible) identified Luke as the author of the third gospel in second century. This same attribution is made by the Muratorian Canon circulated sometime between the second and fourth centuries. The early church father Irenaeus (AD 130-202) claimed Luke, a companion of Paul and doctor, wrote the gospels.7 In addition to Irenaeus, Tertullian (AD 160-220) characterized the third gospel as a summary of the gospel according to Paul.8 The earliest extant copy of the Gospel of Luke, known as the Bodmer Papyrus XIV or P75, ascribes the work to Luke and is also dated between AD 175 – 225.

      While there still remains an element of skepticism to this external evidence, it must again be stated that the likelihood of first century writings being transmitted without some form of authorial attribution is highly unlikely. While both Luke and Acts remain formally anonymous, not having an author explicitly stated within the text, the earliest copies would have been shipped with an attached tag bearing the author's name.9 It should also be acknowledged that no recorded opposition to Lukan authorship exists within the early church. Given the more common requirement of apostolic authorship for canonicity it seems even more reasonable that Luke's name would even be attached to the third gospel from the beginning. To quote Carson, “The universal identification of a non-apostle as the author of almost one-quarter of the New Testament speaks strongly for the authenticity of the tradition.”10

      Lastly, returning to the ascription to Luke in the letter tot he Colossians, we read that in verses 10-11 of chapter 4 that Paul transmits greetings from three men followed by, “These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers. . .” (ESV), indicating that the previously mentioned three were Jews, whereas those that follow are not (i.e. Gentiles). It is at this point the apostle extends greetings from Epaphras and Luke, leading to the early tradition that Luke was a Gentile believer and subsequently supporting the earlier stated facts regarding the Greek writing of the gospel and its Gentile emphasis.


 “The universal identification of a non-apostle as the author of almost one-quarter of the New Testament speaks strongly for the authenticity of the tradition.”

Conclusion



      Given the weight of the evidence, both internal and external, it is highly likely that the Gospel according to Luke was written by the physician/follower of the apostle Paul. Its quick and early acceptance into the canon by the early church is a substantial support for the book's authority and historicity. The author's careful attention to detail has long since garnered him respect within the historical community and serves as a commanding force toward confidence in the Christian text. As with the discussion regarding the previous gospels, authorship does not determine truth, but continues to serve as a bedrock behind the cumulative case for the reliability of the New Testament.


1For Cadbury see: F.J. Foakes Jackson and Kirsopp Lake, The Beginnings of Christianity Part 1: The Acts of the Apostles, “The Tradition” (London: Macmillan, 1920-33), 2.501-3. For the more traditional response, see: Darrel L. Bock, The NIV Application Commentary:Luke, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996).

2Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16.

3E. Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary, (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1971), 85.

4Darrell L. Bock, The NIV Application Commentary: Luke, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 20.

5During his Roman imprisonment it is traditionally accepted that Paul wrote Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and possibly Philippians. Although there is dispute about Pauline authorship of Colossians and Ephesians.

6D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction tot he New Testament: Luke, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 204.

7Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.1.1, 3.14.1.

8Tertullian, Against Marcion, 4.2.2, 4.5.3.

9Martin Debelius, Studies in the Acts of the Apostles, (ET: London: SCM, 1956), 148.

10Carson and Moo, Introduction, 206.

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