Sources: Luke 1–24; Acts 1–28 (two-volume work by same author); Colossians 4:14 (Luke the physician); 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24.

The Gospel of Luke (~85 AD) is the first volume of a two-volume work (Luke-Acts) that together constitute the longest single literary work in the New Testament (~37% of the NT’s total word count). Luke’s distinctive theological emphases: (1) The Holy Spirit — the Spirit is pervasive in Luke-Acts (38 references to the Spirit in Acts alone), directing the mission’s geography and timing; (2) The poor and marginalized — the Beatitudes in Luke bless the literally “poor” (not Matthew’s “poor in spirit”); Mary’s Magnificat (1:46–55) celebrates the reversal of social hierarchies; the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (16:19–31) is uniquely Lukan; (3) Women — Luke names more women than any other Gospel (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, the widow of Nain, the bent woman, etc.); (4) Prayer — Jesus prays at every major turning point; (5) Universal mission — from Jerusalem to Rome, the gospel moves outward concentrically; (6) The travel narrative (9:51–19:44) is Luke’s unique structural contribution — Jesus’s long journey to Jerusalem framing his teaching. The “We” passages in Acts (16:10–17, 20:5–15, 21:1–18, 27:1–28:16) suggest the author joined Paul’s mission at Troas and traveled with him to Rome.