Luke the Evangelist

Luke the Evangelist is unique among the New Testament authors as the only Gentile writer of Scripture and the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles — together comprising roughly one-quarter of the entire New Testament. The Epistle to the Colossians identifies him as 'the beloved physician,' and his writings display both the careful observation of a trained medical practitioner and the literary sophistication of a Hellenistic historian. Luke was a companion of the Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys, as evidenced by the 'we passages' in Acts (chapters 16, 20–21, 27–28) where the narrative shifts from third person to first person, indicating the author's direct participation in the events described. He remained with Paul during his final imprisonment in Rome, with Paul noting in his second letter to Timothy, 'Only Luke is with me.' His Gospel, likely composed between AD 80 and 90, is distinguished by its literary elegance, its emphasis on God's mercy toward the marginalized, and its particular attention to women, the poor, and social outcasts. Luke alone preserves some of the most beloved parables — the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Rich Man and Lazarus — as well as the canticles of the Magnificat and the Benedictus that have become central to Christian liturgical prayer. His nativity narrative, with its angels appearing to shepherds and the infant laid in a manger, has shaped Christmas tradition for two millennia. The Acts of the Apostles, Luke's second volume, provides the only continuous historical account of the early Church from the Ascension of Jesus through Paul's arrival in Rome, covering approximately thirty years of the most formative period in Christian history. An ancient tradition, attested by several Church Fathers, holds that Luke was also a painter, and numerous Byzantine icons of the Virgin Mary are attributed to him. He is the patron saint of physicians, artists, and surgeons.