In this lesson we are to have the autobiography of one of the most faithful and noble men in the Bible.
In Colossians 4:14 the apostle Paul calls this man, “Luke, the Beloved Physician.” He is mentioned in Philemon 24 - II Timothy 4:11. Luke is mentioned at the end of Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians. How then are we to have Luke’s autobiography?
We quote Acts 16:10 - Acts 21:15 - Acts 27:20 and 37 and Acts 28:16: “And after he had seen the vision, immediately ‘WE’ endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called ‘US’ for to preach the gospel unto them. “And after those days ‘WE’ took up ‘OUR’ carriages and went up to Jerusalem.” “And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on ‘US,’ all hope that ‘WE’ should be saved was taken away.” “And ‘WE” were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.” “And when ‘WE’ came to Rome.”
Luke went through that storm and shipwreck with Paul. The Beloved Physician was on a piece of the wreck that reached the shore. (Acts 27:44).
Then Acts 28:16, “And when ‘WE’ came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard.” Then several years later Paul wrote II Timothy 4:11, “only Luke is with me.”
If you want to study the biography of this noble, courageous faithful servant of the Lord, find the “WE” used about fifty times in Acts, the “Us” and “OUR”, quoted more than twenty-five times, that tell of the heroic deeds of Luke, the Beloved Physician.
Here are some of the references: Acts 16:10, 11, 12, 13, 16 - Acts 20:6, 13, 14 and 15 - Acts 21:1.2, 3. 4. 5, - Acts 27:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 29, 37, - Acts 28:1, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 - Luke 1:1 to 3 - Acts 1:1 and 2.
The Beloved Physician is included in the ‘WE’ in these verses; for Dr. Luke wrote the Book of Acts. The ‘WE’ included Paul. What a comfort and encouragement Luke must have been to Paul all the way, until the time of Paul’s death, when Paul wrote, “only Luke is with me.” (II Timothy 4:11).
Luke wrote, what has been called, the Third Gospel, Although there are more chapters in Matthew and Acts than in Luke, yet Luke’s Gospel contains more words than any other Book in the New Testament Scriptures. Luke also wrote Acts. One word is almost enough to convince us of this, if we need be convinced, the word “certain,” found in Luke more than 40 times and in Acts more than 50 times.
In Luke and Acts there are 2158 verses; whereas in all of Paul’s Epistles to the Church and to Gentiles, 13 messages (not including Hebrews), there are 2034 verses.
In these Epistles of Paul, Paul used the first person pronoun in speaking of himself about 1000 times. He was the chief human actor; the wise masterbuilder. (I Corinthians 3:10). We can read the wonderful achievements of Paul in these Records, but we must “dig” for Luke’s achievements.
But Paul was neither presumptuous, deluded nor egotistical. Luke was his fellow-laborer, and a good one. (Colossians 4:14 - Philemon 24). Paul was in jail in Rome when he wrote these Epistles. Luke was with him undoubtedly unto the end.
Now note Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1: “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus.” “The former treatise have I made O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and to teach.” Here we learn of the only time that Luke used “I” and “me.” Even in Luke 1:1 and 2 he said “us.”
In Acts 16:10 (Luke) the writer of Acts used the “we” to let us know when he joined Paul. Then in the verses following we have Luke’s journey with Paul from Troas by several cities thence to Philippi.
On the sabbath Luke went to prayer (16:13). This, and Acts 16:20 causes any true Berean to doubt if Luke was a Gentile.
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
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