Luke, The Greek Historian

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Kenneth S. Wuest

"LUKE WAS a Greek, educated in the Greek = schools, prepared=20 for the medical practice which was held in high regard as a = profession,=20 and among the Greeks had attained to a place of eminence among the = nations=20 of the world. Greek doctors of medicine were in attendance upon = many of=20 the royal families of other nations. The Greeks were by nature and = training, a race of creative thinkers who pursued their studies in = a=20 scientific manner. Their sense of what really constituted = scientific=20 accuracy and method in the recording of history was well=20 developed.

The writings of Luke, both his Gospel and = The=20 Acts, demonstrates Luke's training as an historian. He writes his = Gospel=20 to a Gentile friend, Theophilus. The name means "a god-lover," or=20 "god-beloved," and may have been given him when he became a = Christian. The=20 words "most excellent" according to Ramsay, were a title like = "Your=20 Excellency," and show that he held office...Luke wrote the Gospel = for=20 Theophilus to use as a standard whereby to judge the accuracy of = the many=20 inspired accounts of our Lord's life which were written in the = first=20 century.

The facts he records were most surely = believed by=20 the first century church. Luke arranges the facts of our Lord's = life in=20 historical order as they occurred. The other Gospels do not claim = to do=20 that. The arrangement of events was dictated by the purpose which = each=20 author had in writing his account. The sources of Luke's = information were=20 oral and written, from eye-witnesses of the events=20 recorded.

He as a trained historian would carefully = check=20 over these accounts, investigating and verifying every fact. And = this is=20 what he has reference to when he uses the words "having had = perfect=20 understanding of all things from the very first." The words = "having had=20 perfect understanding" are literally, "having closely traced." The = verb=20 means "to follow along a thing in the mind." The word was used for = the=20 investigation of symptoms. Thus it speaks of a careful = investigation of=20 all sources, oral and written, which purport to be accounts of our = Lord's=20 life.

Luke had the historian's mind, a thing native = to the=20 educated Greek. Herodotus, the father of Greek history, exhibited = the=20 Greek determination to get at the truth no matter how much work it = required, when he travelled to central Africa to verify the = account of the=20 annual rise and fall of the Nile River. In those days this was a = long and=20 difficult journey. Sir William Ramsey said, "I regard Luke as the = greatest=20 historian who has ever lived, save only Thucydides." Thus we have = no doubt=20 but that Luke made a personal investigation of all the facts he = had=20 recorded. He interviewed every witness, visited every locality. If = Mary=20 was still alive, he, a doctor of medicine investigated the story = of the=20 virgin birth by hearing it from Mary's own lips. And as Professor = John A.=20 Scott, a great Greek scholar has said, "You could not fool Doctor=20 Luke."

But Luke was not dependent alone upon his = personal=20 investigations for the accuracy of his record. He says that he = closely=20 traced all things from above. The words "from above" are from a = Greek word=20 translated "from the very first," in the Authorized Version. The = word=20 occurs in John 3:31; 19:11; James 1:17; 3:15, 17, and is in every = instance=20 translated "from above." It is used often in contrast to a word = which=20 means "from beneath." Paul had doubtless heard the account of the=20 institution of the Lord's Supper from the eleven, but he also had = it by=20 revelation from the Lord (I Cor. 11:23). He had received his = gospel by=20 direct revelation in Arabia, and this was his check upon the = gospel he=20 heard at Jerusalem from the apostles.

So Luke claims = to have=20 closely investigated the facts he had received, and to have done = so=20 through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which fact guarantees = the=20 absolute accuracy of the record (Luke = 1:1-4)."

Kenneth S.=20 Wuest, "Word Studies In The Greek New Testament" (Grand Rapids, = MI:=20 Eerdmans 1979) pp. 52-54

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Disclaimer: I may not agree = with some of=20 these quotes but I believe in the general statement that "all = truth is=20 God's truth."