![\"Marko](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Marko-Marina-Author-Bart-Ehrman.png\" "\\"Marko")
<\/span><\/p>\nWritten by Marko Marina, Ph.D.<\/a><\/p>\n Author | Historian<\/p>\n Author | Historian | BE Contributor<\/p>\n Verified! See our guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n Verified! See our editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n \nDate written: October 10th, 2023<\/p>\n Edited by Laura Robinson, Ph.D.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\nDate written: October 10th, 2023\n Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n Luke\u2019s Gospel, one of the four canonical books of the New Testament, offers readers a profound glimpse into Jesus’ life and teachings. Yet, as with any ancient text, understanding its true meaning and significance requires delving into the rich tapestry of the historical setting of the Gospel of Luke<\/em>.<\/p>\n In this exploration, we journey through time to unravel the world in which Luke penned his account. By closely examining his distinctive message, we will uncover how the social and political climate of his era shaped the words and narrative he crafted.<\/p>\n The Gospel of Luke is the first book of a two-volume work that scholars typically call \u201cLuke-Acts\u201d. Luke gives us not merely an account of Jesus\u2019 ministry and death but also the first history of the Christian movement – from the origins in Jerusalem to Rome, the center of the Empire. <\/p>\n While discussing the Gospel of Mark<\/a>, I was reluctant to use the term \u201cChristian\u201d because Mark never uses it. However, Luke does! It shows up in Acts 11:26. Luke implies that outsiders in Antioch first used that term to label Jesus\u2019 followers. <\/p>\n The appearance of the name suggests that Luke thinks of the Jesus movement as a distinct group separate from Judaism. It\u2019s a movement that now deserves its own history. In other words, the historical setting of the Gospel of Luke differs from that of Mark or Matthew.<\/p>\n This insight, as we\u2019ll see soon, can give us a small window into the social and political background of Luke. <\/p>\n Most scholars date Luke-Acts between 85.-100. C.E.<\/a> By this time the author, whose name is not known<\/a>, but I\u2019m calling him Luke for convenience, could look back at how much had happened since Jesus was born. <\/p>\n In the opening sentence of the Gospel of Luke, the author informs us that he is not the first person to write these things. \u201cMany\u201d, Luke says, \u201chave undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us (Lk 1:1).\u201d In other words, Luke used previous writings to create his account of Jesus\u2019 life and death. <\/p>\n Moreover, Luke presents himself as a historian – someone who investigated and used his sources. One source was the Gospel of Mark, which provided him with a basic plot.<\/p>\n However, Luke changed and edited Mark, presented his theology and core message, and gave us a particular portrayal of Jesus. By closely examining the theme of the Book of Luke, one can discover Luke\u2019s specific political and social setting. What is the historical context of Luke\u2019s Gospel?<\/p>\n From the beginning, it’s clear that Luke aims to situate Jesus’ life within a broader, empire-wide context<\/strong>. Specifically, the birth account of Jesus in Luke\u2019s Gospel highlights the author’s keen interest in the political dynamics of power distribution. By looking at the way he crafted his birth account, we can understand the historical setting of the Gospel of Luke.<\/p>\n He situates Jesus\u2019 birth within the empire-wide census under the Caeser Augustus (Lk 2:1-7). The explicit naming of Caesar Augustus reveals Luke\u2019s particular message. He juxtaposed Jesus with Augustus to emphasize that Jesus, not the Roman Emperor, is a true savior of the world.<\/p>\n Did You Know?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jesus wasn\u2019t the only miracle-working Son of God in the Roman Empire. Augustus, for example, was celebrated as a divine savior who brought peace to the world. The Priene Calendar Inscription<\/a> describes Augustus’ birth as the “beginning of the good tidings (\u03b5\u1f50\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03ad\u03bb\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd) for the world that came by reason of him.” <\/em><\/p>\n Even though Augustus is not a savior, Luke uses him for a different rhetorical purpose. As Joseph Fitzmyer in his Commentary<\/a> observes: \u201cIn introducing Caesar Augustus, the supreme ruler of the Roman world, Luke depicts him as an agent of God, who by his edict of registration brings it about that Jesus is born in the town of David.\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, from a pagan emperor worshiped by many, Augustus became a servant of one true God by creating perfect circumstances for Jesus\u2019 birth<\/strong>. In an excellent essay<\/a>, Leif E. Vaage showed how Luke\u2019s birth narrative corresponds with the \u201cPax Romana\u201d ideal. By crafting his birth narrative, Luke didn\u2019t want to deny the imperialist ideal of peace and prosperity (the good tidings), but only to shift credit from Augustus to Christ.<\/p>\n Consequently, the Gospel of Luke utilized the political context of the Roman Empire and the reign of Augustus to impose a particular narrative about Jesus, his death, and resurrection.<\/p>\n FREE COURSE!<\/p>\n WHY I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN<\/p>\n Raw, honest, and enlightening. Bart’s story of why he deconverted from the Christian faith.<\/p>\n __CONFIG_colors_palette__{“active_palette”:0,”config”:{“colors”:{“10c55”:{“name”:”Main Accent”,”parent”:-1}},”gradients”:[]},”palettes”:[{“name”:”Default”,”value”:{“colors”:{“10c55”:{“val”:”rgb(255, 133, 34)”}},”gradients”:[]},”original”:{“colors”:{“10c55”:{“val”:”rgb(19, 114, 211)”,”hsl”:{“h”:210,”s”:0.83,”l”:0.45,”a”:1}}},”gradients”:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__ <\/span> GET FREE ACCESS!<\/strong><\/span><\/span> <\/a> <\/p>\n Over 6,000 enrolled!<\/em><\/p>\n What is the social context of the Gospel of Luke? As it turns out, Luke displays several interesting accounts that can help us answer that question. The most interesting is Jesus\u2019 \u201cinaugural sermon\u201d.<\/strong> <\/p>\n In Luke 4:14-28 Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee after the devil tempted him. He arrives in his hometown of Nazareth, goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and reads from the prophet Isaiah. He concludes by saying: \u201cToday this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Lk 4:21).”<\/p>\n However, the gathered people are not pleased. Regarding his miracles, Jesus anticipates their reaction: \u201cAnd you will tell me: \u2018Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum\u2019 (Lk 4: 23).” But he warns him that no prophet is accepted in his hometown. <\/p>\n Then, Jesus reminds them of incidents from the careers of the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha. The latter, for example, didn\u2019t cleanse any lepers of Israel but only Namaan who was not a Jew (Num. 2:5-19). This sermon is only found in Luke\u2019s account. When the gathered people heard this, they became enraged and drove Jesus out of the town. But why?<\/p>\n Because the incident that Jesus was describing showed the prophets bringing their message to Gentiles, not Jews! This is a major theme of Luke-Acts volume<\/strong> and it reveals an important element of the historical setting of the Gospel of Luke. To be more precise, it opens up a window into the social context of the Gospel of Luke. What do I mean by that? <\/p>\n In the late 1st century C.E.<\/strong> when the Gospel of Luke was penned, it’s important to note that most Christians were Gentiles<\/strong>, even though both Jesus and his apostles were devout Jews. This circumstance presented a theological dilemma. <\/p>\n After all, the Messiah had been prophesied for the Jewish people. So, a pressing question arose: How could Jesus be recognized as the Jewish Messiah when his Church consisted predominantly of Gentiles? <\/p>\n Why did Luke write his Gospel for the Gentiles? In his Introduction to the New Testament, Delbert Burkett notes that \u201cone of Luke\u2019s primary purposes is to explain or justify this situation.\u201d To do that, Luke insists that God opened his salvation to Gentiles because the Jews rejected Jesus\u2019 message. <\/p>\n Another example of the same theme is found in Acts 13: 13-31. Luke describes how Paul and Barnabas went on the Sabbath to the synagogue in Antioch. Despite his passionate preaching, the Jewish crowd sharply criticized Paul. <\/p>\n After that, Paul announces: \u201cThe people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath (Acts 13:27).” <\/p>\n In other words, Paul is emphasizing that because of their rejection, he is turning his message to Gentiles. After that, the angry Jews drive Paul and Barnabas out of their region.<\/p>\n In The New Testament<\/a>, Dr. Ehrman observes that the Jewish rejection of Jesus in Luke meant the rejection of God. Consequently, Jesus had to take his message elsewhere. In other words, the good news will spread among all other people. And this is all according to God\u2019s plan. The same plan continues with the initial spread of the Christian community as depicted in the Acts. <\/p>\n This rhetorical device embedded into the narrative of both Luke and Acts reveals a state of developed Christian identity, separated from the Jewish religion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In reality, the Jewish population rejected Christians and their message first. Consequently, Luke projects this context onto his account of Jesus\u2019 life and death. This represents a proper historical setting of the Gospel of Luke.<\/p>\n As with the other two Synoptic Gospels<\/a>, Luke\u2019s core message is about the arrival of the Kingdom of God. He does soften Mark\u2019s strong emphasis on the immanence of the Kingdom\u2019s arrival (Lk 17:20-21), but the Jewish apocalyptic message<\/a> is intact. <\/p>\n However, Luke shifts his focus to specific social groups as those who will enter into the Kingdom of God. In a nutshell, the Gospel of Luke insists that those who occupy the margins of society will be the first to enter into the eternal Kingdom. <\/p>\n For Luke, it all starts with Jesus. He is portrayed as someone who has a reputation for being \u201ca friend of tax collectors and sinners (Lk 7:34).\u201d This represents a common theme in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus places special concern on the \u201clittle man\u201d. <\/p>\n In other words, the underdogs are of the most importance to Jesus. In one instance Luke has Jesus saying: \u201cI didn\u2019t come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Lk 5:32).\u201d In another place Jesus asserts that \u201cthe Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10).\u201d<\/p>\n Explore the slight but significant difference between Matthew\u2019s and Luke\u2019s Sermon on the Mountain in the table depicted below.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Historical-Setting-of-the-Gospel-of-Luke-Investigating-Social-and-Political-Context.png\" "\\"The")
<\/span><\/p>\nThe Authorship, Dating, and Sources: The Gospel of Luke<\/h2>\n
Jesus\u2019 Life within the Grand Scale of the Empire<\/h2>\n
Salvation, But for Whom? Jews or Gentiles?<\/h2>\n
Salvation, But for Whom? Luke\u2019s Message for the Underdog<\/h2>\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/What-is-the-social-context-of-the-Gospel-of-Luke.png\" "\\"What")
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