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Scripture Workshop Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. The Gospel According to Luke Introduction September 16, 2010. Who was Luke?. Tradition says Luke was a physician who accompanied Paul, that he was a Syrian from Antioch - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Scripture WorkshopEpiscopal Church of the Resurrection
The Gospel According to LukeIntroduction
September 16, 2010
Who was Luke?• Tradition says Luke was a physician who
accompanied Paul, that he was a Syrian from Antioch
• But there’s no textual evidence for this tradition. It dates from late 2nd century
• Academically familiar with Judaism. Familiar with Septuagint. Highly educated, aware of geography outside of Palestine, familiar with early church
• Writes from urban perspective, not the rural background of Jesus
• Tradition says Luke wrote in Antioch or Rome
When was Luke written?• Jesus: 3-33• Paul’s Letters: 51-58• Roman/Jewish War: 66-70• Gospel of Mark: 68-73• Rome destroys Jerusalem temple: 70• Gospel of Matthew: 80-90• Luke/Acts: 80-90• Gospel of John: 80-110• Revelation: 92-96• Other Epistles: 70-130 • Didache: 100-150• Justin Martyr: Mid 2nd Century• Gospel of Thomas: Mid 3rd Century
(earliest manuscript dates from 175-225 A.D.)
Is it Historically Accurate?• Gospels were “…not composed to record
historical remembrances about Jesus”• “History” as objective discipline did not exist
until 19th century.• Luke’s goal is to write a gospel, “evangelion”,
which is a message of salvation.• Goal: Preaching for conversion, identity claims
for Jesus, interpreting Jesus stories to Christian community
Writing Style
• Of the four Gospels, Luke uses the smoothest Greek prose
• Luke is well-versed in Greco-Roman literary style
Social Context of Text• Tradition of being oppressed by foreign
powers, in this case Roman Empire, which collude with Jewish hierarchy
• Honor/Shame Society: Pivotal social value was public reputation. Disputes have challenge/riposte dynamic. In-group /out-group behavior
• Collectivistic: Individuals defined by communal identity. Non-individualistic
• Kinship defines a person
Social Context of Text
• Spirit world: Good and evil spirits everywhere considered normal. Most human issues had spiritual corollaries
• Patron/Client structure: “socially fixed relations of reciprocity between social unequals”
• Purity: System of meaning that determines behavior as good or deviant. Elaborate rules
Social Context of Text
• Hellenistic world• Growing apocalypticism in face of Roman
occupation• Meals very ceremonial and microcosm of life• Poor• Agrarian
Levels Within the Text
• When reading, remember that Jesus lived in Palestine in the early 1st C, whereas Luke’s community probably lived elsewhere, so we’re dealing with different social contexts
• Luke is interpreting the Jesus events for a later audience in a different place
• The connection between the two communities is the oral tradition
Women in Luke• Property of fathers or husbands• Extremely ritually unclean when menstruating• Lived private lives in family, no social lives or
power outside kinship circle• Double standards• Jesus treats them in egalitarian way• Few are named or speak
Relationship to Imperial Rome• Rome dominated Mediterranean world• Enforced peace through violence• Roman soldiers throughout Palestine• Heavily taxed Jewish commerce, especially
agriculture, reducing people to virtual slaves• Used powerful Jews in patron/client structure:
appointed Jewish governors and the high priest. Used Jewish men to collect taxes
• Jews hated the Romans
Relationship to Imperial Rome
• Persecuted some early Christian communities• Rome is focus of apocalyptic projection• Romans considered emperor to be a God• Emperor’s image on all Roman coins, which
Jews had to use• Before the temple fell, Rome placed statue of
emperor in holy of holies• ROME DESTROYED HOLIEST JEWISH SITE
Relationship to Imperial Rome• Rome allowed many religions to thrive in
empire. Greco-Roman context was multi-religious, but Rome required subjects to recognize emperor as God
• Jews did not do this and Rome was suspicious• Caesar Augustus was believed to be the son of
God who brought peace to the world• Christians used many of the titles reserved for
Caesar for Jesus. Very inflammatory.
Theological Context of the Audience• Religion inseparable from social, political,
economic and psychological life• Jesus does not match Messianic expectations• Growing apocalyptic expectations• Expected Jesus to return very soon• Community of Jews, God-Fearers and Gentiles
Relationship to Judaism
• Christianity not distinct from Judaism when Luke was written
• Luke not creating a new religion. Fulfilling OT with Kingdom of God
• Jesus portrayed in prophetic tradition, challenging oppression
• Jesus challenges Jewish establishment• Jesus reaches out to Jews and gentiles
Luke’s Jesus
• Continuous with history of Israel, fulfilling the nation’s hopes
• Holy Spirit, which moved throughout Jewish history also present in JBap and Jesus
• Emphasizes God’s compassion, reaching out to margins of society, especially women, impious, sinners, poor, sick, oppressed
• Leaves door open to Pharisees as well
Luke’s Christology• Son of God: Rarely used, by angels, God or Satan.
Privileged knowledge for reader• Prophet: Comparisons to Elijah, John and David• Lord: Refers to other characters, God and Jesus• Messiah/Christ: Inside information, “anointed
one”• Son of Man: Most common self-reference,
meaning unclear• Savior: Only Luke uses this term,
Theology of Luke
• Jesus takes his message from the margins (Galilee) to the center of the Jewish world (Jerusalem) in the Gospel
• Then Paul takes Jesus’ message from the center of the Jewish world/edge of the Roman Empire (Jerusalem) to the center of the known world (Rome)
• Deals with: Jesus’ identity, discipleship, nature of salvation, character of Kingdom of God, repentance
Theological Themes• God’s redemptive purpose: God’s sovereignty,
fulfill scripture, scope of Jesus’ redemptive work• Salvation for all alike: Jesus came for ALL people,
Jews, gentiles, margins, etc• Blessings of poverty/dangers of wealth: Contrary
to popular theology• Table fellowship: Inclusivity, joy• Role of disciple:• Importance of accurate witness
Relationship to Other GospelsMark
Luke Oral TraditionQ TraditionMark Oral
TraditionMatthew Oral
TraditionJohn Oral Tradition
John
Luke
Matthew
Luke’s Sources
• 1:1-2:52 - Luke• 3:1-6:9 – Mark and some Q• 6:20-8:3 – Q and Luke• 8:4-9:50 – Mark • 9:51-18:14 – Q and Luke• 18:15-24:11 – Mark and Luke• 24:12-24:53 - Luke
Conflation and Amalgamation
• Each of the Gospels is very different and tells a different story
• We have to work hard to avoid conflating the four individual Gospel stories into a single, amalgamated narrative
• We have to work hard to avoid projecting our expectation of what a Gospel ought to say onto Luke
Who is Jesus• Mark: Enigmatic, tragic, misunderstood,
abandoned. Following means taking up his cross and suffering too
• Matthew: New Moses who fulfills scripture. Following Jesus keeping his teachings and making disciples
• John: Word incarnate, heavenly revealer sent from another world. Following means belief, rebirth.
• Luke: Compassionate friend to outcasts, relates to Israel and contemporary issues and unfolds God’s redemptive purpose
Outline of Luke
• Prologue, 1:1-4• Infancy narrative, 1:5-2:52• Preparation for public ministry, 3:1-4:13• Ministry in Galilee, 4:14-9:50• Journey to Jerusalem, 9:51-19:27• Ministry in Jerusalem, 19:28-21:38• Passion, 22:1-23:56• Resurrection, 24:1-53
Calendar
• 9/16 – Intro, full gospel• 9/23 – Infancy, prep for ministry, 1:1-4:13• 9/30 – Ministry in Galilee, 4:14-9:50• 10/7 – Journey to Jerusalem, 9:51-19:27• 10/14 – Ministry in Jerusalem, 19:28-21:38• 10/21 – Passion and resurrection, 22:1-24:53