Book 42 of 66 · New Testament
Luke
An orderly, detailed account of the life of Jesus, with special attention to the poor, women, and outsiders.
24 chapters1,151 versesWritten in GreekSet Judea and Galilee, the life of Jesus (c. 4 BC – AD 30)
Overview
Luke is the third and longest Gospel. Written for a man named Theophilus as "an orderly account," it tells the life of Jesus from the announcements before his birth to his death and resurrection. It gives more attention than the others to the poor, to women, and to outsiders, and it holds some of the best-known parables — the good Samaritan and the prodigal son. It is the first half of a two-part work, continued in the book of Acts.
Book facts
- Author
- Luke, by traditionThe book is anonymous. Early tradition names Luke, a physician and travelling companion of Paul.
- Date written
- c. AD 60–85After the Gospel of Mark, which it appears to draw on.
- Original language
- GreekThe most polished Greek of the four Gospels.
- Setting
- Judea and Galilee, the life of Jesus (c. 4 BC – AD 30)Addressed to "Theophilus" as an orderly, investigated account.
How it came to be
Luke opens by addressing "most excellent Theophilus" and stating its purpose. The writer says he investigated everything carefully and set it down in order, drawing on those who were eyewitnesses from the first.
Early tradition names the author as Luke, a physician who travelled with Paul; the Gospel and the book of Acts are its two halves.
What is arguedWhether Luke the physician wrote it, and how it used its sources. Most scholars agree it drew on the Gospel of Mark and other material; the traditional authorship is widely but not universally held.
The whole book, chapter by chapter
| Chapter | What happens | Who is in it | Where it takes place |
|---|---|---|---|
Birth and preparation — the announcements, birth, and start of Jesus' work, chapters 1–4 | |||
| Chapter 1The announcements | An angel promises a son, John, to old Zacharias and Elisabeth, then promises Mary that she will bear Jesus; Mary visits Elisabeth. | , , Mary | — |
| Chapter 2The birth | Jesus is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger; shepherds come, and the child is later presented in the temple, where Simeon and Anna recognise him. | Mary, , , , | , |
| Chapter 3The baptizer | John preaches and baptizes in the wilderness and baptizes Jesus; a genealogy traces Jesus back to Adam. | , | |
| Chapter 4The synagogue at Nazareth | Jesus is tempted in the wilderness, then reads in the synagogue at Nazareth and begins teaching and healing in Galilee. | , , | |
Ministry in Galilee — Jesus' teaching and miracles in the north, chapters 5–9 | |||
| Chapter 5The great catch | Jesus calls his first disciples after a miraculous catch of fish, heals a leper, and forgives a paralysed man. | , | |
| Chapter 6The plain sermon | Jesus chooses twelve apostles and preaches the blessings and woes on a level place. | — | |
| Chapter 7The widow of Nain | Jesus raises a widow's son at Nain, answers John's question from prison, and is anointed by a weeping woman. | , | , |
| Chapter 8The storm stilled | Jesus tells the parable of the sower, calms a storm, frees a demon-possessed man, and raises Jairus's daughter. | , | |
| Chapter 9The mount of glory | Jesus feeds five thousand, is revealed in glory on the mountain, and sets his face toward Jerusalem. | , | — |
The road to Jerusalem — the long journey south, holding many of the parables, chapters 10–19 | |||
| Chapter 10The good Samaritan | Jesus sends out seventy, tells the parable of the good Samaritan, and visits Martha and Mary. | , | — |
| Chapter 11The prayer taught | Jesus teaches his disciples to pray and warns the religious leaders. | — | |
| Chapter 12The rich fool | Jesus warns against greed with the parable of the rich fool and urges trust rather than anxiety. | — | |
| Chapter 13The narrow door | Jesus calls for repentance and urges people to enter by the narrow door. | — | |
| Chapter 14The great supper | At a meal Jesus teaches humility and tells the parable of the great supper. | — | |
| Chapter 15The prodigal son | Three parables of the lost — a sheep, a coin, and a son who returns home. | — | |
| Chapter 16The unjust steward | The parables of the shrewd steward and of the rich man and Lazarus. | — | |
| Chapter 17The ten lepers | Jesus heals ten lepers, and only one returns to thank him. | — | |
| Chapter 18The persistent widow | Parables on persistent prayer and humility; Jesus blesses children and heals a blind man near Jericho. | ||
| Chapter 19The tax collector in the tree | Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see Jesus; Jesus tells the parable of the pounds and enters Jerusalem. | , | , |
Jerusalem: the cross and after — the final week, death, and resurrection, chapters 20–24 | |||
| Chapter 20The vineyard question | In the temple Jesus answers challenges about his authority and about paying taxes to Caesar. | ||
| Chapter 21The coming days | Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple and the troubles to come. | ||
| Chapter 22The upper room | Jesus shares the last supper, prays in agony, is betrayed by Judas, and denied by Peter. | , , | |
| Chapter 23The skull hill | Jesus is tried before Pilate and Herod, crucified at "the place of a skull," and buried. | , | |
| Chapter 24The road to Emmaus | The empty tomb is found; the risen Jesus walks with two disciples to Emmaus and appears to the others. | , | |
All 24 chapters. Start reading →
Worth knowing
Key people
Tap a name to see who they are.
Key places
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Known for
Some of the best-known passages in Luke — tap the verse to read it.
- The good SamaritanLuke 10:33
- The prodigal sonLuke 15:20
- "Glory to God in the highest"Luke 2:14
- The road to EmmausLuke 24:13