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Luke 1

May 07, 2024

Luke 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. With 80 verses, it is one of the longest chapters in the New Testament. This chapter describes the birth of John the Baptist and the events leading up to the birth of Jesus.[1] Two canticles, the canticle of Mary (the Magnificat) and the canticle of Zechariah (the Benedictus), are both contained within this chapter. The unnamed author of Luke names its recipient, Theophilus, who is most likely a real (but unknown) person,[2] but the term could simply mean a fellow believer, since theo philus is Greek for God lover.[3] Early Christian tradition uniformly affirms that Luke composed this Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles,[4] the companion volume to Luke, which is addressed to Theophilus in the same way.[5] The title "The Gospel of Luke", found in many Bibles and some manuscripts, was added later with no indication that it was originally part of the text.

Luke 1
← Mark 16
The beginning of the Gospel of Luke (chapter 1:1-7a), folio 102 in Minuscule 481, made in 10th century.
BookGospel of Luke
CategoryGospel
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part3

Text edit

 
Luke 1:1-7 in Codex Nitriensis (c. 550), Tischendorf's edition.

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 80 verses.

Textual witnesses edit

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Old Testament references edit

New Testament references edit

Prologue (1:1–4) edit

The evangelist, Luke, begins his "orderly account" with the following statement:

1Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.[10]

The narratives are claimed to be an accurate history and meant to confirm the things that Theophilus has already been taught about Jesus, being written by a believer for the purpose of confirming belief.[11]

The writer clearly states there are other accounts about Jesus circulating and he is aware of them. Protestant theologian Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer and Lutheran biblical commentator Johann Albrecht Bengel think that Mark is among those Luke has in mind,[12] but Bengel suggests that Matthew and John were not.[13] Luke also states he is not himself an eyewitness but belongs to another generation that received its information from "eyewitnesses" to these events in a previous generation. Some argue Luke thus states that he is getting his information from the disciples and Apostles, which the tradition about Luke being a follower of Paul accords with. Luke, however, does not say explicitly that he knew or interviewed Jesus' disciples, at least in the Gospel, and so some think "handed down to us" means the traditions and other documents about Jesus that came from witnesses of the previous generation, which Luke carefully researched, not necessarily from someone Luke actually knew. [11] Some sections of Acts, however, have the author relating events with the author and Paul together.[14]

According to Franciscan theologian Robert J. Karris,[15] "Luke alone of the evangelists introduces his work with ... finely crafted, periodic Greek."[16] The first sentence gives the "since" clause, the main clause is given in the first part of the second sentence, and the purpose clause is given by "so that you may know...". Luke uses the word Greek: επειδηπερ, epeidēper, "inasmuch as", or "since indeed", to commence his account. This literary word which does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament or in the Septuagint, the Greek text of the Hebrew Bible, although it was frequently used by other classical writers.[12] Luke uses diēgēsis for "an account", which taken alone seems to mean a personal storytelling, but when compared to other usages at the time, such as with the works of Josephus, is to be taken as meaning a well planned account, although he might use it in the original meaning in Luke 8:39. He uses the word καθεξης (kathexēs) for orderly account, which would mean a logical, spatial, or chronological account. Karris argues that the use of the word as well in Acts indicated that Luke is composing in a logical sequence, with Luke building a logical argument for his view of God fulfilling his promises through Jesus.[16] Many scholars have seen parallels between this style and the openings to the Greek histories of Herodotus and Thucydides as well as scientific manuals and treatises of the Hellenistic world.[11]

John the Baptist's parents (1:5–25) edit

 
The Latin text of Luke 1:5–8 in Codex Gigas (13th century).

Verse 5 edit

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.[17]

Luke begins to show what he thinks of as the fulfillment of God's promises. He gives us a description of John the Baptist's parents, Zechariah, a priest of the Abijah priestly division (1 Chronicles 24:10), and Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron. They are both getting old and have no children. Luke says this all occurs during the reign of "Herod king of Judea" (Luke 1:5), who is identified as Herod the Great (reign: 37–4 BCE).[18]

Zechariah is on duty one day and goes into the Temple to light incense. During this time, priests served in the temple once a week twice a year, there being twenty four divisions of priests. Luke says εγενετο δε (egeneto de, "...it so happened...") that he was on duty at the time.[19] Some scholars [who?] see this as Luke imitating the style of the Septuagint in order to make his book sound like the Jewish scriptures. The majority of modern English translations choose not to include this phrase.[18]

The Angel Gabriel appears to him and tells him he will soon have a son, to name him John, and to not allow him any alcoholic drinks, and that "he will be great in the sight of Jehovah" (verse 15). Numbers 6:3 has abstaining from alcohol as a requirement to be a nazarite. Zechariah doubts Gabriel and Gabriel takes away his power of speech until this happens. Zechariah leaves the temple, unable to speak, and goes home. Elizabeth is soon pregnant. She declares "he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people" (verse 25). Infertility was often believed to be proof of disfavor with God.[20] Similarly Rachel, wife of Jacob, had said “God has taken away my reproach", when she bore a son.[21]

Luke thus starts with the Temple and then ends the book at the Temple in Luke 24:53: they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.[22] Zechariah, being unable to speak and so complete his liturgy, may be contrasted with the "good news" brought by Jesus.[23]

There is much debate on the historicity of this information, as skeptics would reject appearances by angels and God's intervention in history in this manner. Whether one believes in such things or not, it is entirely possible that John's parents were childless throughout most of their life until John's birth. Some see Luke as taking a historical event or tradition he received and interpreting it in terms of events in the Old Testament. Very similar narratives recounting the birth of Samson in Judges 13:2–5, as well as Samuel in the opening chapter of 1 Samuel are alluded to. Luke seems to follow an Old Testament pattern in the sequence of his information here, specifically an announcement of impending birth, the child being given a name, and then discussion of their destiny.[24] This pattern can be seen in Genesis with Ishmael in 16:11–12 and Isaac in 17:19. Abraham and Sarah were also childless well into their old age. Josiah is announced this way in 1 Kings 13:2, King Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22:9–10, and the Immanuel prediction, used in Matthew 1:23, from Isaiah 7:14–17. Others see a five step pattern, with two extra steps of objections and confirmatory signs.[23] Gabriel appeared to Daniel in the Book of Daniel 9:21.[25]

The annunciation (1:26–38) edit

 
The Annunciation, by El Greco (completed 1575)
Main article: Annunciation

Luke then tells the story of Gabriel's visit to Mary, informing her that she will soon have a virgin conception by God. The account is recorded differently in Matthew 1:20, where an unnamed angel appears to Joseph after he has discovered that Mary is pregnant. Gabriel goes to Nazareth and visits Mary, who Luke tells us is a virgin engaged or betrothed to Joseph. The name Mary means "excellence", while Joseph means "May Yahweh add".[23]

Verse 28 edit

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"[26]

Gabriel greets her with the word κεχαριτωμενη, kecharitōmenē, meaning favored or graced, presumably by God. The Textus Receptus and some ancient manuscripts have here, "Blessed are you among women",[27] which is omitted in NU.[28] Mary does not seem to understand why she is favored, but Gabriel then tells her:

Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.[29]

This announcement seems to follow the same pattern as the announcement of John's birth and is also about fulfillment of God's promises. Theologian Eric Franklin notes that there are parallels in the two accounts, but suggests that the narrative of the annunciation to Mary is the "climax" to which the annunciation to Zechariah only acts as a "prelude".[2]

Verse 31 edit

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

The name "Jesus", or ιησουν in the Greek text,[30] means "God Saves".[23] Irish Archbishop John McEvilly notes that Mary was to name him, rather than Joseph (cf. Luke 2:21 in some translations, they gave him the name Jesus,[31] and Matthew 1:25, where Joseph gives the child his name).[32]

Verses 34-38 edit

Mary asks Gabriel how this can be, since she is a virgin, but Gabriel says God will give her the child, and thus he will be the Son of God. He then points out how her relative Elizabeth, though old, is now carrying a child, and how "nothing is impossible with God".(Luke 1:37) He then leaves her (verse 38). Luke states Mary is a virgin, and that she is somehow descended from Aaron (since she is a cousin with Elizabeth, descendant of Aaron), but here says Jesus will inherit his "father"'s throne, or David's. According to Luke's genealogy, Jesus' descent from David comes via Joseph.[33] Since David is not of Aaron's line, this may indicate that Mary's mother was a descendant of Aaron and her father a descendant of David.[23]

In Daniel 9:24–27 Gabriel gives a prophecy about seventy weeks and the "Anointed One". If one adds the 180 days that Elizabeth was pregnant before Mary's conception plus the 270 days of Mary's pregnancy plus the forty days of "purification" in Luke 2:22, one gets 490 days, or seventy weeks.[34] Many Christians have seen this as a fulfillment of prophecy, but skeptics tend to counter that Luke could be constructing his story to fit what he sees as fulfillments of prophecy, whether real or not. God's promise of a messiah from the house of David is foretold in 2 Samuel 7.[35]

It is significant that Luke states that Mary lives in Nazareth, considered a small backwater town. He thus has God's grace bestowed on a young, unmarried woman living in an insignificant town. Luke frequently has favor shown on women, sinners, and various "unimportant" people. [34]

Paul never mentions a virgin birth for Jesus, but in Romans 1:3–4 he speaks of him as the Son of God by virtue of his resurrection, and states he had a more than human nature. Luke here has Jesus' divine nature declared from the first moment of his conception.[23]

Mary and Elizabeth (1:39–56) edit

 
The Latin text of Luke 1:8–3:23 in Codex Gigas (13th century).
Main article: Visitation (Christianity)

Mary then goes and visits her relative Elizabeth. Upon meeting the pregnant Mary, Elizabeth feels John move in her womb and is "filled with the Holy Spirit" (verse 41). This may be related to Genesis 25:22. Elizabeth gives praise to Mary: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!", words which echo Moses' declaration to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 7:13: "[God] will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb". Mary, in her Magnificat, then gives praise to God: she first thanks God for favoring one so "humble" as herself, then praises God for his "mercy" and "help" to all people. God's mercy (το ελεος αυτου, to eleos autou) is mentioned five times within the Magnificat and Zechariah's Benedictus hymn. Many see the Magnificat patterned on Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1–10.[36]

In verses 51–53 Luke uses the past tense six times, implying Jesus' conception has fulfilled or is fulfilling these actions of God. These verses speak of the downfall of the proud and rich and the favor of the downtrodden. This might be a general statement, or an allusion to Israel and its Gentile rulers. Some have speculated these represent Ebionite views. Mary then mentions Abraham, again linking this with God's original covenant.[34] Mary stays for three months and leaves shortly before John's birth. Some find the idea of a young pregnant woman making the trip from the Judean hills to Nazareth improbable, but it is certainly not impossible.

John the Baptist's birth (1:57–79) edit

Main article: Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Friends and neighbors come to circumcise him and try to name him after his father, but his mother protests and then his father writes down that his name will be John, and is suddenly allowed to speak again. He becomes "...filled with the Holy Spirit...", as his wife before him. He sings a song, the Canticle of Zechariah, praising God. Karris sees relating the circumcision, as Luke also does for Jesus in Luke 2, as Luke's way of linking John and Jesus, and therefore Christianity, to a fulfillment of Israel.[36]

The first part of Zechariah's song praises the still unborn Jesus in verses 68–75. He says "He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David", with a horn representing strength, such as in Psalms 89:17 and 92:10. (Miller 120) There is then a praising and foretelling of John in verses 76–77, then the song switches back to Jesus in 78–79. Raymond E. Brown thought these sections might have been Jewish Christian hymns linked together by Luke.[36] It is a common thesis that the Magnificat, the Canticle, and the two songs in chapter 2, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo and the Nunc dimittis, were added by Luke to his original composition from a collection of hymns written in Greek. A minority of scholars think the Magnificat and Canticle might be Jewish hymns taken by the Christians, but Jewish hymns of the period reflect a future hope of God's help whereas these refer to it already having been fulfilled. Another group of scholars, also a minority, argue these were originally composed in Aramaic or Hebrew and so might come from original testimony and so usually argue for these songs' historicity. Scholars often see these as primitive and so probably composed before other songs in the New Testament, such as Philippians 2:6–11.[37] David is mentioned in the first section, once again linking Jesus to fulfillment of Israel's past. The song ends with a note of peace, a common Lukan theme. "Peace" is the first thing he says to all the gathered Apostles in Luke 24.

Luke's source for this information is unknown and frequently debated. Even if the Q hypothesis is correct, these stories of John's and Jesus's birth were not in it, nor are they in Mark. Luke does not mention anything about an Angel visiting Joseph, which suggests that either Matthew and Luke received their information on this subject from different sources, or Luke has access to both stories, knows Matthew is already circulating, and is filling in the story told in Matthew. If Luke is right, Jesus and John were cousins of some sort.

Verse 76 edit

[Zechariah said:] "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,"[38]

John's development (1:80) edit

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.[41]

Luke states in verse 80 that John grew up and went into the deserts (Greek: ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις, en tais heremais, plural), more specifically the desert of Judah.[12] This is the only near contemporary account of John's family found anywhere. Raymond E. Brown sees this verse as an echo of the births of Samson in Judges 13:24–25 and Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:21.[42]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
  2. ^ a b Franklin, E., 58. Luke in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary 2017-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, pp. 926-7
  3. ^ Marshall, I. Howard (1978). NIGTC: The Gospel of Luke. Paternoster Press; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. pp. 43–44. ISBN 0-8028-3512-0.
  4. ^ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
  5. ^ Acts 1:1
  6. ^ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kirkpatrick 1901, p. 839.
  8. ^ Kirkpatrick 1901, p. 838.
  9. ^ Kirkpatrick 1901, p. 840.
  10. ^ Luke 1:1–4 NKJV
  11. ^ a b c Brown 1997, p. 227.
  12. ^ a b c Meyer, H. A. W. (1880), Meyer's NT Commentary on Luke 1, translated from the German sixth edition, accessed 17 December 2021
  13. ^ Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament on Luke 1, accessed 13 May 2018
  14. ^ Acts 20:5, 7, 13–15
  15. ^ Noted Scripture scholar Robert Karris develops book of reflections for 30 days, published 17 September 2012, accessed 13 May 2018
  16. ^ a b Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy 1990, p. 678.
  17. ^ Luke 1:5 MEV
  18. ^ a b Miller 1992, p. 118.
  19. ^ Luke 1:8
  20. ^ Miller 1992, p. 119.
  21. ^ Genesis 30:23; Farrar, F. W. (1891), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Luke 1, accessed 1 July 2020
  22. ^ Luke 24:53
  23. ^ a b c d e f Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy 1990, p. 680.
  24. ^ Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy 1990, p. 679.
  25. ^ Daniel 9:21
  26. ^ Luke 1:28 NKJV
  27. ^ Footnote at Luke 1:28, New Revised Standard Version
  28. ^ Note on Luke 1:28 in NKJV
  29. ^ Luke 1:30–33
  30. ^ Luke 1:31: 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament
  31. ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), Luke 2:21
  32. ^ McEvilly, J., An Exposition Of The Gospels by The Most Rev. John Macevilly D.D. on Luke 1:31, accessed 19 August 2023
  33. ^ Luke 3:23–31
  34. ^ a b c Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy 1990, p. 681.
  35. ^ 2 Samuel 7
  36. ^ a b c Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy 1990, p. 682.
  37. ^ Brown 1997, p. 232.
  38. ^ Luke 1:76 MEV
  39. ^ Note [a] on Luke 1:76 in NET Bible
  40. ^ Note [c] on Luke 1:76 in NET Bible
  41. ^ Luke 1:80 NKJV
  42. ^ Brown 1997, p. 233.

Sources edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gospel of Luke - Chapter 1.
  • Brown, Raymond E. (1997). An Introduction to the New Testament. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-24767-2.
  • Brown, Raymond E.; Fitzmyer, Joseph A.; Murphy, Roland E. (1990). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-614934-0.
  • Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  • Luke 1 NIV Accessed 15 October 2005
  • Miller, Robert, ed. (1992). The Complete Gospels. Polebridge Press. ISBN 0-06-065587-9.

External links edit

  • Luke 1 King James Bible - Wikisource
  • English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate 2021-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  • Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
  • Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)
Preceded by
Mark 16 		Chapters of the Bible
Gospel of Luke 		Succeeded by
Luke 2

May 07, 2024
luke, first, chapter, gospel, luke, testament, christian, bible, with, verses, longest, chapters, testament, this, chapter, describes, birth, john, baptist, events, leading, birth, jesus, canticles, canticle, mary, magnificat, canticle, zechariah, benedictus, . Luke 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christian Bible With 80 verses it is one of the longest chapters in the New Testament This chapter describes the birth of John the Baptist and the events leading up to the birth of Jesus 1 Two canticles the canticle of Mary the Magnificat and the canticle of Zechariah the Benedictus are both contained within this chapter The unnamed author of Luke names its recipient Theophilus who is most likely a real but unknown person 2 but the term could simply mean a fellow believer since theo philus is Greek for God lover 3 Early Christian tradition uniformly affirms that Luke composed this Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles 4 the companion volume to Luke which is addressed to Theophilus in the same way 5 The title The Gospel of Luke found in many Bibles and some manuscripts was added later with no indication that it was originally part of the text Luke 1 Mark 16chapter 2 The beginning of the Gospel of Luke chapter 1 1 7a folio 102 in Minuscule 481 made in 10th century BookGospel of LukeCategoryGospelChristian Bible partNew TestamentOrder in the Christian part3 Contents 1 Text 1 1 Textual witnesses 1 2 Old Testament references 1 3 New Testament references 2 Prologue 1 1 4 3 John the Baptist s parents 1 5 25 3 1 Verse 5 4 The annunciation 1 26 38 4 1 Verse 28 4 2 Verse 31 4 3 Verses 34 38 5 Mary and Elizabeth 1 39 56 6 John the Baptist s birth 1 57 79 6 1 Verse 76 7 John s development 1 80 8 See also 9 References 10 Sources 11 External linksText edit nbsp Luke 1 1 7 in Codex Nitriensis c 550 Tischendorf s edition The original text was written in Koine Greek This chapter is divided into 80 verses Textual witnesses edit Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are Papyrus 4 AD 150 175 extant verses 58 59 62 80 6 Papyrus 75 175 225 Codex Vaticanus 325 350 complete Codex Sinaiticus 330 360 Codex Bezae 400 Codex Washingtonianus 400 Codex Alexandrinus 400 440 Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus 450 extant verses 3 80 Papyrus 42 6th 7th century extant Greek verses 54 55 Coptic verses 46 51 Minuscule 481 10th century Old Testament references edit Luke 1 17 Malachi 4 5 6 Luke 1 49 Psalm 111 9c 7 Luke 1 50 Psalm 103 17 7 Luke 1 51 Psalm 89 10 7 Luke 1 53 Psalm 107 9 7 Luke 1 54 Psalm 98 3 7 Luke 1 68 Psalm 41 13 8 Psalm 72 18 7 Psalm 106 48 7 Psalm 111 9a 7 Luke 1 69 Psalm 132 17c 9 Luke 1 71 Psalm 106 10 7 Luke 1 72 Psalm 106 45 7 Luke 1 72 73 Psalm 105 8 9 7 New Testament references edit Luke 1 4 Acts 1 1Prologue 1 1 4 editThe evangelist Luke begins his orderly account with the following statement 1Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us 2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us 3it seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first to write to you an orderly account most excellent Theophilus 4that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed 10 The narratives are claimed to be an accurate history and meant to confirm the things that Theophilus has already been taught about Jesus being written by a believer for the purpose of confirming belief 11 The writer clearly states there are other accounts about Jesus circulating and he is aware of them Protestant theologian Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer and Lutheran biblical commentator Johann Albrecht Bengel think that Mark is among those Luke has in mind 12 but Bengel suggests that Matthew and John were not 13 Luke also states he is not himself an eyewitness but belongs to another generation that received its information from eyewitnesses to these events in a previous generation Some argue Luke thus states that he is getting his information from the disciples and Apostles which the tradition about Luke being a follower of Paul accords with Luke however does not say explicitly that he knew or interviewed Jesus disciples at least in the Gospel and so some think handed down to us means the traditions and other documents about Jesus that came from witnesses of the previous generation which Luke carefully researched not necessarily from someone Luke actually knew 11 Some sections of Acts however have the author relating events with the author and Paul together 14 According to Franciscan theologian Robert J Karris 15 Luke alone of the evangelists introduces his work with finely crafted periodic Greek 16 The first sentence gives the since clause the main clause is given in the first part of the second sentence and the purpose clause is given by so that you may know Luke uses the word Greek epeidhper epeideper inasmuch as or since indeed to commence his account This literary word which does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament or in the Septuagint the Greek text of the Hebrew Bible although it was frequently used by other classical writers 12 Luke uses diegesis for an account which taken alone seems to mean a personal storytelling but when compared to other usages at the time such as with the works of Josephus is to be taken as meaning a well planned account although he might use it in the original meaning in Luke 8 39 He uses the word ka8e3hs kathexes for orderly account which would mean a logical spatial or chronological account Karris argues that the use of the word as well in Acts indicated that Luke is composing in a logical sequence with Luke building a logical argument for his view of God fulfilling his promises through Jesus 16 Many scholars have seen parallels between this style and the openings to the Greek histories of Herodotus and Thucydides as well as scientific manuals and treatises of the Hellenistic world 11 John the Baptist s parents 1 5 25 edit nbsp The Latin text of Luke 1 5 8 in Codex Gigas 13th century Verse 5 edit There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea a certain priest named Zechariah of the division of Abijah And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth 17 Luke begins to show what he thinks of as the fulfillment of God s promises He gives us a description of John the Baptist s parents Zechariah a priest of the Abijah priestly division 1 Chronicles 24 10 and Elizabeth a descendant of Aaron They are both getting old and have no children Luke says this all occurs during the reign of Herod king of Judea Luke 1 5 who is identified as Herod the Great reign 37 4 BCE 18 Zechariah is on duty one day and goes into the Temple to light incense During this time priests served in the temple once a week twice a year there being twenty four divisions of priests Luke says egeneto de egeneto de it so happened that he was on duty at the time 19 Some scholars who see this as Luke imitating the style of the Septuagint in order to make his book sound like the Jewish scriptures The majority of modern English translations choose not to include this phrase 18 The Angel Gabriel appears to him and tells him he will soon have a son to name him John and to not allow him any alcoholic drinks and that he will be great in the sight of Jehovah verse 15 Numbers 6 3 has abstaining from alcohol as a requirement to be a nazarite Zechariah doubts Gabriel and Gabriel takes away his power of speech until this happens Zechariah leaves the temple unable to speak and goes home Elizabeth is soon pregnant She declares he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people verse 25 Infertility was often believed to be proof of disfavor with God 20 Similarly Rachel wife of Jacob had said God has taken away my reproach when she bore a son 21 Luke thus starts with the Temple and then ends the book at the Temple in Luke 24 53 they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God 22 Zechariah being unable to speak and so complete his liturgy may be contrasted with the good news brought by Jesus 23 There is much debate on the historicity of this information as skeptics would reject appearances by angels and God s intervention in history in this manner Whether one believes in such things or not it is entirely possible that John s parents were childless throughout most of their life until John s birth Some see Luke as taking a historical event or tradition he received and interpreting it in terms of events in the Old Testament Very similar narratives recounting the birth of Samson in Judges 13 2 5 as well as Samuel in the opening chapter of 1 Samuel are alluded to Luke seems to follow an Old Testament pattern in the sequence of his information here specifically an announcement of impending birth the child being given a name and then discussion of their destiny 24 This pattern can be seen in Genesis with Ishmael in 16 11 12 and Isaac in 17 19 Abraham and Sarah were also childless well into their old age Josiah is announced this way in 1 Kings 13 2 King Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22 9 10 and the Immanuel prediction used in Matthew 1 23 from Isaiah 7 14 17 Others see a five step pattern with two extra steps of objections and confirmatory signs 23 Gabriel appeared to Daniel in the Book of Daniel 9 21 25 The annunciation 1 26 38 edit nbsp The Annunciation by El Greco completed 1575 Main article Annunciation Luke then tells the story of Gabriel s visit to Mary informing her that she will soon have a virgin conception by God The account is recorded differently in Matthew 1 20 where an unnamed angel appears to Joseph after he has discovered that Mary is pregnant Gabriel goes to Nazareth and visits Mary who Luke tells us is a virgin engaged or betrothed to Joseph The name Mary means excellence while Joseph means May Yahweh add 23 Verse 28 edit And having come in the angel said to her Rejoice highly favored one the Lord is with you blessed are you among women 26 Gabriel greets her with the word kexaritwmenh kecharitōmene meaning favored or graced presumably by God The Textus Receptus and some ancient manuscripts have here Blessed are you among women 27 which is omitted in NU 28 Mary does not seem to understand why she is favored but Gabriel then tells her Do not be afraid Mary you have found favor with God You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever his kingdom will never end 29 This announcement seems to follow the same pattern as the announcement of John s birth and is also about fulfillment of God s promises Theologian Eric Franklin notes that there are parallels in the two accounts but suggests that the narrative of the annunciation to Mary is the climax to which the annunciation to Zechariah only acts as a prelude 2 Verse 31 edit And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus The name Jesus or ihsoyn in the Greek text 30 means God Saves 23 Irish Archbishop John McEvilly notes that Mary was to name him rather than Joseph cf Luke 2 21 in some translations they gave him the name Jesus 31 and Matthew 1 25 where Joseph gives the child his name 32 Verses 34 38 edit Mary asks Gabriel how this can be since she is a virgin but Gabriel says God will give her the child and thus he will be the Son of God He then points out how her relative Elizabeth though old is now carrying a child and how nothing is impossible with God Luke 1 37 He then leaves her verse 38 Luke states Mary is a virgin and that she is somehow descended from Aaron since she is a cousin with Elizabeth descendant of Aaron but here says Jesus will inherit his father s throne or David s According to Luke s genealogy Jesus descent from David comes via Joseph 33 Since David is not of Aaron s line this may indicate that Mary s mother was a descendant of Aaron and her father a descendant of David 23 In Daniel 9 24 27 Gabriel gives a prophecy about seventy weeks and the Anointed One If one adds the 180 days that Elizabeth was pregnant before Mary s conception plus the 270 days of Mary s pregnancy plus the forty days of purification in Luke 2 22 one gets 490 days or seventy weeks 34 Many Christians have seen this as a fulfillment of prophecy but skeptics tend to counter that Luke could be constructing his story to fit what he sees as fulfillments of prophecy whether real or not God s promise of a messiah from the house of David is foretold in 2 Samuel 7 35 It is significant that Luke states that Mary lives in Nazareth considered a small backwater town He thus has God s grace bestowed on a young unmarried woman living in an insignificant town Luke frequently has favor shown on women sinners and various unimportant people 34 Paul never mentions a virgin birth for Jesus but in Romans 1 3 4 he speaks of him as the Son of God by virtue of his resurrection and states he had a more than human nature Luke here has Jesus divine nature declared from the first moment of his conception 23 Mary and Elizabeth 1 39 56 edit nbsp The Latin text of Luke 1 8 3 23 in Codex Gigas 13th century Main article Visitation Christianity Mary then goes and visits her relative Elizabeth Upon meeting the pregnant Mary Elizabeth feels John move in her womb and is filled with the Holy Spirit verse 41 This may be related to Genesis 25 22 Elizabeth gives praise to Mary Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb words which echo Moses declaration to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 7 13 God will love you and bless you and multiply you He will also bless the fruit of your womb Mary in her Magnificat then gives praise to God she first thanks God for favoring one so humble as herself then praises God for his mercy and help to all people God s mercy to eleos aytoy to eleos autou is mentioned five times within the Magnificat and Zechariah s Benedictus hymn Many see the Magnificat patterned on Hannah s prayer in 1 Samuel 2 1 10 36 In verses 51 53 Luke uses the past tense six times implying Jesus conception has fulfilled or is fulfilling these actions of God These verses speak of the downfall of the proud and rich and the favor of the downtrodden This might be a general statement or an allusion to Israel and its Gentile rulers Some have speculated these represent Ebionite views Mary then mentions Abraham again linking this with God s original covenant 34 Mary stays for three months and leaves shortly before John s birth Some find the idea of a young pregnant woman making the trip from the Judean hills to Nazareth improbable but it is certainly not impossible John the Baptist s birth 1 57 79 editMain article Nativity of St John the Baptist Friends and neighbors come to circumcise him and try to name him after his father but his mother protests and then his father writes down that his name will be John and is suddenly allowed to speak again He becomes filled with the Holy Spirit as his wife before him He sings a song the Canticle of Zechariah praising God Karris sees relating the circumcision as Luke also does for Jesus in Luke 2 as Luke s way of linking John and Jesus and therefore Christianity to a fulfillment of Israel 36 The first part of Zechariah s song praises the still unborn Jesus in verses 68 75 He says He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David with a horn representing strength such as in Psalms 89 17 and 92 10 Miller 120 There is then a praising and foretelling of John in verses 76 77 then the song switches back to Jesus in 78 79 Raymond E Brown thought these sections might have been Jewish Christian hymns linked together by Luke 36 It is a common thesis that the Magnificat the Canticle and the two songs in chapter 2 the Gloria in Excelsis Deo and the Nunc dimittis were added by Luke to his original composition from a collection of hymns written in Greek A minority of scholars think the Magnificat and Canticle might be Jewish hymns taken by the Christians but Jewish hymns of the period reflect a future hope of God s help whereas these refer to it already having been fulfilled Another group of scholars also a minority argue these were originally composed in Aramaic or Hebrew and so might come from original testimony and so usually argue for these songs historicity Scholars often see these as primitive and so probably composed before other songs in the New Testament such as Philippians 2 6 11 37 David is mentioned in the first section once again linking Jesus to fulfillment of Israel s past The song ends with a note of peace a common Lukan theme Peace is the first thing he says to all the gathered Apostles in Luke 24 Luke s source for this information is unknown and frequently debated Even if the Q hypothesis is correct these stories of John s and Jesus s birth were not in it nor are they in Mark Luke does not mention anything about an Angel visiting Joseph which suggests that either Matthew and Luke received their information on this subject from different sources or Luke has access to both stories knows Matthew is already circulating and is filling in the story told in Matthew If Luke is right Jesus and John were cousins of some sort Verse 76 edit Zechariah said And you child will be called the prophet of the Highest for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways 38 dd You here Zechariah is addressing his son John 39 Prepare His ways alludes Isaiah 40 3 5 and Luke 3 1 6 40 John s development 1 80 editSo the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel 41 Luke states in verse 80 that John grew up and went into the deserts Greek ἐn taῖs ἐrhmois en tais heremais plural more specifically the desert of Judah 12 This is the only near contemporary account of John s family found anywhere Raymond E Brown sees this verse as an echo of the births of Samson in Judges 13 24 25 and Samuel in 1 Samuel 1 21 42 See also editDead Sea Scrolls 4Q521 Related Bible parts Judges 13 1 Samuel 2 Acts 1References edit Halley Henry H Halley s Bible Handbook an Abbreviated Bible Commentary 23rd edition Zondervan Publishing House 1962 a b Franklin E 58 Luke in Barton J and Muddiman J 2001 The Oxford Bible Commentary Archived 2017 11 22 at the Wayback Machine pp 926 7 Marshall I Howard 1978 NIGTC The Gospel of Luke Paternoster Press Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Co pp 43 44 ISBN 0 8028 3512 0 Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook Holman Bible Publishers Nashville Tennessee 2012 Acts 1 1 Aland Kurt Aland Barbara 1995 The Text of the New Testament An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism Erroll F Rhodes trans Grand Rapids William B Eerdmans Publishing Company p 96 ISBN 978 0 8028 4098 1 a b c d e f g h i j k Kirkpatrick 1901 p 839 Kirkpatrick 1901 p 838 Kirkpatrick 1901 p 840 Luke 1 1 4 NKJV a b c Brown 1997 p 227 a b c Meyer H A W 1880 Meyer s NT Commentary on Luke 1 translated from the German sixth edition accessed 17 December 2021 Bengel s Gnomon of the New Testament on Luke 1 accessed 13 May 2018 Acts 20 5 7 13 15 Noted Scripture scholar Robert Karris develops book of reflections for 30 days published 17 September 2012 accessed 13 May 2018 a b Brown Fitzmyer amp Murphy 1990 p 678 Luke 1 5 MEV a b Miller 1992 p 118 Luke 1 8 Miller 1992 p 119 Genesis 30 23 Farrar F W 1891 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Luke 1 accessed 1 July 2020 Luke 24 53 a b c d e f Brown Fitzmyer amp Murphy 1990 p 680 Brown Fitzmyer amp Murphy 1990 p 679 Daniel 9 21 Luke 1 28 NKJV Footnote at Luke 1 28 New Revised Standard Version Note on Luke 1 28 in NKJV Luke 1 30 33 Luke 1 31 1881 Westcott Hort New Testament Jerusalem Bible 1966 Luke 2 21 McEvilly J An Exposition Of The Gospels by The Most Rev John Macevilly D D on Luke 1 31 accessed 19 August 2023 Luke 3 23 31 a b c Brown Fitzmyer amp Murphy 1990 p 681 2 Samuel 7 a b c Brown Fitzmyer amp Murphy 1990 p 682 Brown 1997 p 232 Luke 1 76 MEV Note a on Luke 1 76 in NET Bible Note c on Luke 1 76 in NET Bible Luke 1 80 NKJV Brown 1997 p 233 Sources edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gospel of Luke Chapter 1 Brown Raymond E 1997 An Introduction to the New Testament Doubleday ISBN 0 385 24767 2 Brown Raymond E Fitzmyer Joseph A Murphy Roland E 1990 The New Jerome Biblical Commentary Prentice Hall ISBN 0 13 614934 0 Kirkpatrick A F 1901 The Book of Psalms with Introduction and Notes The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Vol Book IV and V Psalms XC CL Cambridge At the University Press Retrieved February 28 2019 Luke 1 NIV Accessed 15 October 2005 Miller Robert ed 1992 The Complete Gospels Polebridge Press ISBN 0 06 065587 9 External links editLuke 1 King James Bible Wikisource English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate Archived 2021 03 03 at the Wayback Machine Online Bible at GospelHall org ESV KJV Darby American Standard Version Bible in Basic English Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway NKJV NIV NRSV etc Preceded byMark 16 Chapters of the BibleGospel of Luke Succeeded byLuke 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Luke 1 amp oldid 1214259124 Prologue verses 1 4, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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