The Luke-Acts Volume
Part I: The Gospel of Luke
Jesus as the Promised One of God who proclaims the good news of the kingdom of God (See 4:43)
Jesus as the Son of Man who came to seek and save that which was lost
(see 19:10)
Jesus in revealing the kingdom "turns the world upside down"
· Luke and Acts share a common author, origin, and purpose: an account of what Jesus did and taught
· Author: most likely Luke, or another companion of Paul
- compiled the account from what had been "handed down" from eye-witnesses, most likely in both oral and written forms
- the "we" sections of Acts point to Luke as the author (Acts 16:10-17, 20:5-15, 21:1-18, and 27:1 – 28:16)
- Early church writings point to Luke as the author.
- Luke was a doctor (see Colossians 4:14)
· Luke probably dates to somewhere in the mid 60s CE, prior to the death of Paul (see the last chapter of Acts). Both volumes were probably released together, but this is not certain.
· Luke arranges the teaching and the story of the life of Christ in specific ways to both instruct and exhort on these key points:
1. Who is Jesus (Luke's gospel)
2. Jesus stands at the center of God's plan to save humanity (Luke's gospel)
3. The nature of God's work in the kingdom of God (Luke's gospel)
4. Life in the kingdom of God – the role of the Holy Spirit (Acts)
5. Answering questions about the new Jewish-Gentile relationships in the kingdom (Luke and Acts).
Key point: A central issue throughout the New Testament writings is how to deal with the new kingdom reality where both Jews and Gentiles can live side-by-side in harmony.
· Luke serves as an historical account, but also as a theological treatise on the nature of the kingdom of God, and the cost and call of discipleship.
The Luke-Acts Volume
Part I: The Gospel of Luke
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· The early years of Jesus (1:1 – 2:52)
· John the Baptist's call to get ready for Jesus (3:1 – 4:13)
· Jesus' Galilean Ministry (4:14 – 9:50)
· Jerusalem Journey Section: Discipleship (9:51 – 19:44)
· Jesus' trial, death, and resurrection (19:45 – 24:53)
· Parables unique to Luke
The two Debtors Luke 7:36-50
The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37
The Friend at Midnight Luke 11:5-13
The Wedding Feast Luke 12:35-40
The Wise Servant Luke 12:42-48
The Barren Fig Tree Luke 13:6-8
The Great Banquet Luke 14:15-24
The Lost Coin Luke 15:8-9
The Lost Son Luke 15:11-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31
The Shrewd Manager Luke 16:1-19
The Unworthy Servants Luke 17:5-10
The Persistent Widow Luke 18:1-8
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18:9-14
The Ten Minas Luke 19:11-26
· Parables found in Luke and at least one other gospel
New Cloth Luke 5:36
New Wine in Old Wineskins Luke 5:37-39
The House on the Rock Luke 6:46-49
The Sower Luke 8:1-15
The Yeast Luke 13:20-21
The Mustard Seed Luke 13:18-19
The Lost Sheep Luke 15:1-7
The Wicked Tenants Luke 20:9-19
The Fig Tree Luke 21:29-38
The Luke-Acts Volume
Part I: The Gospel of Luke
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· Understanding the parables:
Ø Jesus is showing how kingdom reality is not the same as worldly reality
Ø Jesus uses things the people are familiar with to "turn their thinking upside down" so they can begin to grasp kingdom reality
Ø Look for the following aspects in a parable to begin to understand what Jesus is teaching about the kingdom and about discipleship
- what comes before
- what comes after
- and what does this tell you about what Jesus is teaching?
· Example 1: The Parables of the Lost Son, the Lost Sheep, and the Lost Coin
Use the five questions outlined above to understand this parable.
The Luke-Acts Volume
Part I: The Gospel of Luke
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· Example 2: The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Use the five questions outlined above to understand this parable.