Studies in the Gospels: Luke the Gospel for the Greeks [pp. 448-475]

1875.] STUDIES IN THE GOSPELS. 457
then is the third Gospel suited to commend Jesus, the Nazarene,
to the Greek race? This is the second great question.
The hypothesis which is to be verified is, that, setting apart
from all others this man of universal humanity whose character
has just been sketched, the Holy Ghost proposed to commend
to his acceptance Jesus, the Nazarene, as his Saviour and sovereign, the expected deliverer of the world, and to do it in the
way best suited to the Greek character and antecedents. Ifthis
hypothesis accords with the facts, then, as Luke wrote by the
direction of the Holy Spirit for the Greek, the knowledge of
the Greek character and wants will bring out and explain the
peculiarities of this Gospel, and give such understanding of it
as nothing else can. It is proposed to make it appear, by considerations, general and particular, drawn from the third Gospel
itself, and by an analysis, that our hypothesis of its origin and
aim is the true one, and that the Greek idea, while it makes
clearer what is already clear, makes luminous what is otherwise obscure.
I. In general, the Gospel according to Luke may be shown
to be adapted to the wants of the Greek soul in its authorship,
point of view, structure, and material.
(I.) The authorship of the third Gospel accords with our
hypothesis. As Matthew was eminently fitted by his Jewish
nature and culture to embody the Gospel for the Jewish race,
Mark, the Roman, by his character, wide knowledge of the empire, and intimate association with Peter, the man of action, to
do the same work for the Roman race; and John, by his rich
and ripe spiritual experience and deep sympathy with his Lord,
to do like work at a later day for the gathered church; so it
may be shown that Luke was just the man to give shape to the
Gospel for the Greek race. Four things made him the proper
instrument for this work: that he was probably of Greek origin;
that Antioch was the place of his birth and residence; that he
was a physician by profession; and that he was the disciple and
companion of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentile world.
Trustworthy tradition, as preserved by Eusebius and Jerome,*
has it that Luke was a native of Antioch in Syria, or at least had
his usual residence there, and that he was a proselyte or follower
* H. E., iii: 4; Hieron., Li6. de viris illustribus, cap. vii.