Luke
A physician and companion of Paul. He did not witness most of Jesus' life, but says he carefully investigated the events and testimonies; tradition attributes to him the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
- Early Church
- Linked to a book of the Bible· according to tradition
- Missionary
Awaiting theological review
What we know — and how
Scripture tells us
- Paul calls him the beloved physician and fellow worker; the author of Luke–Acts says he followed all things closely from the beginning.(Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11; Luke 1:1–4)
Tradition holds
- From the second century, Luke the companion of Paul is named as author of the Gospel and of Acts.
Historians debate
- The identification is widely accepted but discussed; the “we” passages of Acts are often read as his eyewitness travel notes.(Acts of the Apostles 16:10–17)
Key passages