Topic: Persons Of The Bible - Luke

The name "Luke" is from the Greek name Λουκας (Loukas) which meant "from Lucania". The name means "light-giving." An alternate form of the name is "Lu'cas" and is an abbreviated form of Lucanus.

Luke the evangelist, was a Gentile. It is not to be confounded with Lucius, (Acts 13:1; Romans 16:21) which belongs to a different person. The name Luke occurs three times in the New Testament-- (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11); Phle 1:24--And probably in all three the third evangelist is the person spoken of.

Combining the traditional element with the scriptural we are able to trace the following dim outline of the evangelist's life. He was born at Antioch in Syria , and was taught the science of medicine. The well known tradition that Luke was also a painter, and of no mean skill, rests on the authority of late writers.

The date and circumstances of his conversion are unknown. According to his own statement (Luke 1:2), he was not an "eye-witness and minister of the word from the beginning." It is probable that he was a physician in Troas , and was there converted by Paul, to whom he attached himself. He accompanied him to Philippi , but did not there share his imprisonment, nor did he accompany him further after his release in his missionary journey at this time (Acts 17:1). On Paul's third visit to Philippi (20:5, 6) we again meet with Luke, who probably had spent all the intervening time in that city, a period of seven or eight years. From this time Luke was Paul's constant companion during his journey to Jerusalem (20:6-21:18). He again disappears from view during Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem and Caesarea, and only reappears when Paul sets out for Rome (27:1), whither he accompanies him (28:2, 12-16), and where he remains with him till the close of his first imprisonment (Philemon 1:24; Col. 4:14). The last notice of the "beloved physician" is in 2 Tim. 4:11. There are many passages in Paul's epistles, as well as in the writings of Luke, which show the extent and accuracy of his medical knowledge.

Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries

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