Introduction to St. Luke

The scraps of information about St. Luke scattered in the New Testament form the basis for the fictive life of the author of the Third Gospel and the book, Acts of the Apostles.

Although fervid in his belief, The New Way that was later on called Christianity in the year A.D. 40, Luke's whole life was mainly sustained by his calling as a beloved physician.

To the very end of his life, Luke remained an active practitioner of medicine. His training in this art, where case histories had to be recorded for each patient probably gave him that polished edge to write with great style.

Luke's Background and Travels

What little is known about Luke comes from his association with St. Paul who was also responsible for baptizing the doctor. By joining Paul's missionary journeys, Luke was able to travel through the cities of Asia Minor, and the northern and southern regions of Greece.

The climax of his travels with Paul was a trip to Jerusalem accompanied by other Greek disciples. Here in this sacred city, Luke received from the apostles the commission to write the early history of The New Way. Of course, he also undertook writing the Third Gospel.