BIBLE STUDY BOOK OF LUKE WEEK # 1 (ANSWERS)

Questions:

 

1.   What nationality was Dr. Luke? A Gentile

 

2.   As we know John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark, spent time with Peter, who did Luke spend time with? Apostle Paul

 

3.   Luke was the only Gospel addressed to an individual, who was it? Theophilus.

 

4.   Why do you suppose Dr. Luke mention several time of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem?

Luke presents it as a single journey to reflect the theological truth that he was destined to die in Jerusalem and he never wavered from his goal.

 

5.   Who was the religious authorities during Jesus' ministry? The Sadducees were of the wealthy ruling class in Jesus' day. The Pharisees rose to prominence in what scholars call the second temple period. The priests at the temple in Jerusalem not only officiated over the religious life of the Jews, they were also rulers and judges.    

 

6.   Name a few parables unique to Luke's Gospel. The Good Samaritan, The friend at midnight

The rich fool, the returning master, the barren fig tree, the wedding banquet, the great banquet, the lost coin, the shrewd manager, Lazarus and the rich man, the unjust judge, the Pharisee and the tax-collector.

 

 

 

7.   Explain the cleansing of the Temple.

The "Cleansing of the Temple" tells of Jesus and the money changers, and occurs in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament.  In this Gospel episode Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover, where he expels the money changers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple into a den of thieves through their commercial activities.  In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to the Temple as "my Father's house", thus, in some views, making a claim to being the Son of God, although it is common in the Abrahamic religions to refer to God as God the Father. Some Christians think this is the only account of Jesus using physical force in any of the Gospels.

 

8.   What is the best way to read the Gospel of Luke? The best is to study it and the book of Acts as a continuous work written by the same author. For example, knowing how important the Holy Spirit is to the story in Acts helps us appreciate its role before and at Jesus' birth, and in guiding his ministry.

 

9.   Who is the main Character in the Gospel of Luke? God

 

10. Why did Dr. Luke use Greek words instead of Hebrew or Latin words?

Because the Gentile nation was included in the promises of God from the Old Testament, so Luke wrote in very good Greek for them.

 

11.  Name some events in the Gospel of Luke that is not written in the other Gospel.

Jesus' circumcision (2:21) His presentation at the temple (2:22-38) His growth as a child (2:40) His meeting at age 12 with the religious leaders in the temple (2:28-38) His continued development "in wisdom and stature" (2:52). These precise details establish Jesus as a person in history.

 

12. Only the Gospel of Luke records Jesus praying at certain crucial time, what are some of them?

At his baptism (3:21), before calling his disciples (6:12), before Peter's pivotal confession of Jesus as Christ (9:18), and before the transfiguration (9:28).