New Testament Gospels
Luke and John “At a Glance” and Controversial Questions
As I indicated a few posts ago, I have decided to add a feature to my discussion of each NT book some of the additional materials I present in my New Testament textbook the books I discuss. These are (a) rapid fire summaries of each book that I call “At a Glance” and (b) a set of study questions that challenge students to take a position on key aspects of the book, that I call “Take a Stand.” Here they are now for the Gospels of Luke and John. The Gospel of Luke AT A GLANCE: Luke was probably written around 80–85 c.e., by a Greek-speaking Christian living outside of Palestine. Among his sources were Mark, Q, and L. He dedicates his book to an otherwise unknown person, “Theophilus.” Theophilus may have been a Roman administrative official, or the name may be symbolic, referring to the Christian audience as those “beloved of God.” A comparative method of analysis, which considers Luke’s similarities with and differences from other Gospels, reveals several distinctive themes. [...]