When Luke died at age 84 (if tradition is right), he left a legacy of devotion to the kingdom. He never saw Jesus in the flesh, but when he closed his eyes, he beheld Christ’s glory in a way we cannot yet imagine. His life was spent for Christ’s glory. And a life spent for such is a life without regret.

In the mid-second century, a heretic named Marcion tried to play cut and paste with the Bible. He unhitched from the Old Testament and even scalpeled the Gospel of Luke to suit his theology. This led to an interesting little document being written in response—a prologue to Luke’s Gospel from around A.D. 150. While this work is not Scripture, and probably includes a mix of history and tradition, it’s close enough to Luke’s lifetime to be worth considering.

Here’s what it says: “Luke was an Antiochian of Syria, a physician by profession. He was a disciple of the apostles and later accompanied Paul until the latter’s martyrdom. He served the Lord without [blame], having neither wife nor children, and at the age of eighty-four he fell asleep in Boeotia [in Greece], full of the Holy Spirit.”

I want to take some time in this post to reflect on the life of Luke. He’s not just the author of a Gospel and the book of Acts—he’s an example worth imitating (cf. Phil 3:17). He shows us what it looks like to use your gifts, your time, and your life in service to the Kingdom of Christ.

Luke’s Greek

One thing is crystal clear about Luke: the man was a writer. R.C. Sproul said of him, “His mastery of language and artistry with words reveal that he was an educated man.” Luke’s Greek is refined, precise, and beautiful.

I am in agreement with those who believe Luke was a Gentile. Colossians 4 gives us good reason to think so, since Paul seems to separate Luke from his Jewish companions (cf. 4:11, 14). Luke likely spoke Greek as his first language and may have been from Antioch. 

Luke’s Gospel and Acts, taken together, make up more of the New Testament (by word count) than any other author—including Paul. Luke may not have written the most books, but he wrote the most words—more than 27% of the New Testament.

Even if you give Paul Hebrews, Luke still has him beat. And if you give Luke Hebrews, will, it only adds to his prolificity. Even without Hebrews, if Acts and Luke were one book, it would be the longest book of the entire Bible by word count beating Jeremiah by some 4,000 words.

The New Testament’s most prolific writer was a Gentile. Fascinating.

Luke’s Gifts

Luke was talented. And what’s more, he put his talents to work for the Kingdom. Paul calls him “the beloved physician” in Colossians 4:14. That tells us something about Luke’s profession and his relationship with Paul—but it also reminds us that our work matters and I would encourage every reader to consider how to leverage our profession for the kingdom.

Luke was also a historian. Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar, says Luke is “a first-class ancient historian.” Luke researched, interviewed, investigated, and compiled. He wasn’t an eyewitness to everything he wrote about, but he was thorough, accurate, and Spirit led.

God’s inspiration doesn’t mean Luke turned into a robot. He wasn’t put in a trance. He studied, listened, asked questions, and wrote it all down. Yet, the Holy Spirit ensured every word was infallible, inerrant, sufficient, clear, necessary, and authoritative.

But of all Luke’s gifts, the greatest wasn’t medical knowledge or writing talent. It was grace. We don’t know exactly when Luke became a Christian. There’s no testimony story in Scripture about his conversion. But we do know that God gave him the gift of repentance.

Acts 11:18 tells us plainly that God grants repentance. That’s not about Luke specifically, but it is a truth that applies to all who come to Christ. Repentance is a gift. You don’t come up with it yourself. It’s not self-help. It’s grace.

Across Luke and Acts (52 chapters total) Luke uses the words repent, repentance, or turn 28 times. This theme saturated his theology and ministry. Repentance isn’t optional. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a divine demand.

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