Knowra Luke the Evangelist Luke the Evangelist Luke is a figure in early Christianity traditionally identified as the author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles, and as a companion of Paul.
Gospel of Luke : A New Testament Gospel recounting Jesus’s life, teachings, death, and resurrection. Christian tradition identifies Luke as its author, though the text itself is anonymous.
Muratorian Fragment : A fragmentary early Christian list of books recognized as authoritative, usually dated to the late second century. It identifies Luke as a physician and describes his Gospel as written in Paul’s company.
Theophilus (biblical figure) : The person addressed at the beginning of both the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Luke–Acts dedicates both volumes to Theophilus, but does not explain his identity.
Authorship of the Gospel of Luke : The historical question of who composed the Gospel of Luke, an internally anonymous text. The traditional attribution to Luke is not stated within the Gospel itself.
Feast of Saint Luke : The Christian feast honoring Luke, observed on October 18 in many Western churches. The feast preserves his status as an evangelist and a revered figure in Christian calendars.
Acts of the Apostles : A New Testament narrative of the early Christian movement, especially the spread of the message from Jerusalem to Rome. Its author presents Paul’s travels in passages that use “we,” linked by tradition to Luke.
Irenaeus of Lyons : A second-century Christian bishop and theologian who defended the authority of four Gospels. He explicitly attributed the third Gospel to Luke, a companion of Paul.
Colossians : A New Testament letter traditionally attributed to Paul and addressed to Christians in Colossae. Its closing greetings name Luke as a beloved physician and fellow worker.
Authorship of the Acts of the Apostles : The historical question of who composed Acts, a narrative whose author does not name themself. Identifying Acts’ author with Luke depends on linking it to the Gospel and interpreting its “we” passages.
Saint Luke as patron saint : The devotional tradition that regards Luke as a patron of physicians, artists, and other groups. Traditions about Luke as a physician and painter shaped his later devotional associations.
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