Luke

Etymology

Shortened form of Loukas (Λουκᾶς), possibly from the Latin 'Lucanus' (from Lucania, a region in southern Italy) or from 'lux' (light). Paul calls him 'the beloved physician.'

Who they were

Luke was a physician, a Gentile, and the most literary writer in the New Testament. He is the only non-Jewish author of any biblical book, and he wrote more of the New Testament by volume than anyone else — his Gospel and Acts together exceed Paul's epistles in word count. His Gospel is distinctive for its attention to women, the poor, outsiders, and Samaritans. Only Luke tells the stories of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, Zacchaeus, and the ten lepers. Only Luke records Mary's Magnificat, Simeon's song, and the walk to Emmaus. His writing is elegant, medically precise (he describes symptoms and healings with clinical detail), and deeply human. In Acts, the narrative shifts at certain points from 'they' to 'we' — the 'we passages' — indicating that Luke was personally present for Paul's shipwreck, his journey to Rome, and his final imprisonment. Paul's last letter mentions that 'only Luke is with me' — the physician stayed when others left. His two-volume work (Luke-Acts) is essentially the story of how a Jewish Messiah became the hope of the whole world, and he tells it with the care of a doctor, the craft of a historian, and the heart of someone who watched it happen.

Character qualities

• Literary brilliance
• Medical compassion
• Loyalty to Paul
• Attention to the marginalised
• Stayed to the end

Key verse

Luke 1:3-4

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

Lucas · Luca · Luc · Lukas

Related names