Who is Luke?

Before diving into the content of the Acts of the Apostles, let’s confirm few things: (1) Who is Luke? (2) When was this book written? (1) Luke is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, but little is known about him. It is an indisputable fact that he had a higher education. He was a doctor. Which means that regarding miracles of healing, he was able to testify from a medical perspective. (2) It is commonly believed that Luke was a Gentile (based on Col. 4:14). In Colossians 4:10-11, Paul lists the names of Jewish believers, but Luke’s name is not among them, rather is included in the group of Gentiles. (3) However, there is also a theory that Luke was Jewish. According to this theory, Luke is considered a Diaspora Jew. It is said that behind the excellent Greek literature written by Luke, there are elements of Hebraism. Luke also was well-versed in Jewish theology and customs. Moreover, he shows deep interest in Jerusalem. Personally, I think it is highly likely that Luke was a Diaspora Jew.

When was this book written?

 (1) It was written before 70 AD. The destruction of Jerusalem occurred in 70 AD. If that had already happened, Luke would not have omitted it. (2) It was written before 66-68 AD. Traditionally, Paul is said to have died around 66-68 AD. If it was written after Paul’ death, Luke would not have omitted it. (3) It was written before 64 AD. Nero’s persecution of Christians began immediately after the “Great Fire of Rome.” If it was written after the persecution by Nero, the “Roman verdict recognizing Christianity as legal,” which is mentioned in this book would become meaningless. (4) It was written around 60-62 AD. Paul was imprisoned in Rome during 60-62 AD. It is believed that the book was written during this period. (5) The final verse of the Acts of the Apostles (28:30-31) describes the situation around 60-62 AD. This means that this book is not a completed work with a conclusion but rather a compilation of the church history up to the point of writing. Luke wrote about 25 percent of the New Testament. Thanks to his contribution, it became possible for us to obtain historical documents of about first 30 years of the church. Christianity is a faith based on historical facts. Let us also remember that we ourselves are writing the continuation of the Acts of the Apostles.