Who was Luke in the Bible?
You can download this handout for free on the Printables page of our website.
Who was Luke in the Bible?
The Missionary Doctor
PROFILE
Luke was a friend of the Apostle Paul. He authored two books in the New Testament, Luke and Acts.
BIRTH & DEATH
Nobody knows the exact year of Luke’s birth or death. He was a contemporary of the Apostle Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and Titus.
LIFE & MINISTRY
We don’t know very much about Luke, but his contribution to the Church was significant. He is only mentioned by name 3 times in the New Testament (Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:11, and Phm 1:24). He was a doctor by trade. In Colossians 4:10-14, Paul referred to him as the “beloved physician.” Those same verses also seem to suggest Luke wasn’t Jewish, although there is still some debate. If Luke was a Gentile (a non-Jew), it means a Gentile wrote more of the New Testament than any single Jewish author.
Luke authored the parts of the Bible we call the “Gospel of Luke” and the “Acts of the Apostles.” The Gospel of Luke is a record of the birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth. The Acts of the Apostles records God’s work among the early Church and how the good news of salvation spread throughout the world in the 1st Century A.D.. Both of Luke’s works were addressed to a man named Theophilus.
Luke was a traveling companion of Paul the Apostle. From the text, it appears Luke joined Paul while he was in Troas on his 2nd missionary journey (Acts 16:10). Luke was a faithful companion and friend to Paul until the end of His life (2 Timothy 4:11).
CONSIDER THIS
Some people suggest Luke’s profession as a doctor was the reason he recorded so many of Jesus’ miraculous healings. No doubt they fascinated him from a medical perspective.
