Name Meaning
- Luminous / White
- Given Luke’s role as a Gospel writer who sheds light on the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as the early Church, it’s possible that these symbolic meanings have been retroactively applied to his name. Nonetheless, this interpretation is not based on the etymological origins of the name but rather on symbolic or spiritual associations that have developed over time.
- The name “Luke” is of Greek origin and is derived from the name “Loukas,” which means “from Lucania.” Lucania is a region in Southern Italy.
- The name has been traditionally understood to possibly signify someone who is a native of this region or associated with it.
- In the biblical context, the name Luke doesn’t carry any particular theological or symbolic meaning as some other biblical names do.
- The New Testament doesn’t provide details about why Luke was named as he was or what significance his name might have had for him personally or in his cultural context.
Biography of Luke:
Details about Luke’s life are sparse and largely derived from the New Testament and early Christian tradition.
- Luke was a well-educated physician and a close companion of the Apostle Paul.
- He wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, aiming to provide a historical account of the life of Jesus and the early Church.
- His writings are dated to the late 1st century AD and are considered reliable historical documents.
- Luke is described as a physician in Colossians 4:14, which suggests that he had some level of education and medical training.
- Luke was a close companion of the Apostle Paul and is often assumed to be the “we” in the “we passages” of the Book of Acts. These passages describe events in the first person, suggesting that Luke was personally present.
- Luke is often considered to be a Gentile, making him the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. This is inferred from Colossians 4, where Paul distinguishes between those who are “from the circumcision” (Jewish Christians) and others like Luke.
- Luke is the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. These two works are often considered a two-volume set, with the Gospel telling the story of the life of Jesus and Acts continuing the story with the early Church.
- Both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are addressed to Theophilus. The identity of Theophilus is not definitively known, but the name means “Friend of God” in Greek. Some speculate that he may have been a patron or a high-ranking official.
- Most scholars date the Gospel of Luke to around 80-90 AD, although some argue for earlier or later dates. The dating often takes into account the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, which is not explicitly mentioned in Luke.