* in.
Ac 2:46,47 5:41,42
* Amen.
Mt 28:20 Mr 16:20 Re 22:21
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON LUKE'S GOSPEL.
Luke, to whom this Gospel has been uniformly attributed from the
earliest ages of the Christian church, is generally allowed to
have been "the beloved physician" mentioned by Paul, (Col 4:14;)
and as he was the companion of that apostle, in all his labours
and sufferings, for many years, (Ac 16:12; 20:1-6; 27:1,2;
28:13-16. 2Ti 4:11. Phm 24,) and wrote "the Acts of the
Apostles," which conclude with a brief account of Paul's
imprisonment at Rome, we may be assured that he had the
Apostle's sanction to what he did; and probably this Gospel was
written some time before that event, about A.D. 63; or 64, as is
generally supposed. He would appear, from Col 4:10, 11, and his
intimate acquaintance with the Greek language, as well as from
his Greek name [Loukas [,] to have been
of Gentile extraction; and according to Eusebius and others, he
was a native of Antioch. But, from the Hebraisms occurring in
his writings, and especially from his accurate knowledge of the
Jewish rites, ceremonies, and custom, it is highly probable that
he was a Jewish proselyte, and afterwards converted to
Christianity. Though he may not have been, as some have
affirmed, one of the seventy disciples, and an eye-witness of
our Saviour's miracles, yet his intercourse with the apostles,
and those who were eye-witnesses of the works and ear witnesses
of the words of Christ, renders him an unexceptional witness, if
considered merely as an historian; and the early and unanimous
reception of his Gospel as divinely inspired is sufficient to
satisfy every reasonable person.
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