The College Press Niv Commentary
Luke
Mark C. Black
New Testament Series Co-Editors:
Jack Cottrell, Ph.D. Cincinnati Bible Seminary | Tony Ash, Ph.D. Abilene Christian University |
| COLLEGE PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY Joplin, Missouri |
Copyright 1996
College Press Publishing Company
All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
All rights reserved.
The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Mark C. (Mark Cothran), 1956–
Luke / Mark C. Black.
p. cm.—(The College Press NIV commentary)
Includes bibliographic references.
ISBN 0-89900-630-2
1. Bible. N.T. Luke—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.
BS2595.3.B54 1995
226.4’077—dc21
96–29485
CIP
A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER
Years ago a movement was begun with the dream of uniting all Christians on the basis of a common purpose (world evangelism) under a common authority (the Word of God). The College Press NIV Commentary Series is a serious effort to join the scholarship of two branches of this unity movement so as to speak with one voice concerning the Word of God. Our desire is to provide a resource for your study of the New Testament that will benefit you whether you are preparing a Bible School lesson, a sermon, a college course, or your own personal devotions. Today as we survey the wreckage of a broken world, we must turn again to the Lord and his Word, unite under his banner and communicate the life-giving message to those who are in desperate need. This is our purpose.
FOREWORD
“Many have undertaken” to write commentaries on the Gospel of Luke, and a large number of these are very good. “It seemed good also to me” to attempt to place in the hands of a popular audience the best of recent scholarship in an easily readable form. My prayer will have been answered if those without specialized training are able to come to a deeper understanding of Luke’s message as a result of these efforts.
My debt to those who have written before me will be demonstrated throughout the commentary. I am equally indebted to many who have spent hours reading and making suggestions which have vastly improved my work. To my student assistant, Meg Grandstaff; to my mother, Peggy Black; and to my colleagues, Terry Briley, Brandon Fredenburg, and Gary Holloway, I can only say, “Thank you” and “I owe you one.” I must also thank Lipscomb University for the Faculty Summer Grant which gave me the summer of 1996 to work on the book.
My greatest gratitude goes to Margo, Sara, Jessica, and Allison, who have tolerated too many hours taken away from them. They fill all my days with joy, and I must ask with Elizabeth (Luke 1:43), “Why am I so ...
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About LukeWhat should Christians do about the poor? Are Christians saved by being good disciples, or is salvation an absolutely free gift? When can Christians expect Jesus to return? Does prayer really change God's plans? How can we be sure of the historical facts of the story of Jesus? Although they could be topics from last night's Bible study, these questions were of great importance to Luke and his first readers. In other words, Luke's questions are our questions. Luke and his first readers were very much like us. They were not among the first generation of believers. Yet these readers of the Gospel of Luke were educated people, having been raised on the best human thinking. Being bright and inquisitive, yet knowing the basics about Jesus and his followers, they had many questions. And Luke gave them answers. The single goal of the present commentary is to place modern readers into the shoes of the first readers of Luke's Gospel. The assumption behind this commentary is that we can only know what Luke means if we know what Luke meant. We are especially fortunate in this regard to be examining the Gospel of Luke, since Luke, more than any other Gospel writer, tells us what the message of Jesus meant in a later day. To give his readers this information, Luke provides a sequel—the book of Acts. The present commentary therefore looks at the Gospel of Luke from the perspective of Acts, the best commentary on Luke's Gospel, and with a view toward the modern church. |
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