The Formal Education Of The Author Of Luke Acts

Steve Reece proposes that the author of Luke-Acts was trained as a youth in the primary and secondary Greek educational curriculum typical of the Eastern Mediterranean during the Roman Imperial period, where he gained familiarity with the Classical and Hellenistic authors whose works were the focus of study. He makes a case for Luke's knowledge of these authors internally by spotlighting the density of allusions to them in the narrative of Luke-Acts, and externally by illustrating from contemporary literary, papyrological, and artistic evidence that the works of these authors were indeed widely known in the Eastern Mediterranean at the time of the composition of Luke-Acts, not only in the schools but also among the general public. Reece begins with a thorough examination of the Greek educational system during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods, emphasizing that the educational curriculum was very homogeneous, at least at the primary and secondary levels, and that children growing up anywhere in the Eastern Mediterranean could expect to receive quite similar educations. His close examination of the Greek text of Luke-Acts has turned up echoes, allusions, and quotations of several of the very authors that were most prominently featured in the school curriculum: Homer, Aesop, Euripides, Plato, and Aratus. This reinforces the view that Luke, along with other writers of the New Testament, lived in a cultural milieu that was influenced by Classical and Hellenistic Greek literature and that he was not averse to invoking that literature when it served his theological and literary purposes.

In this volume Joshua Paul Smith challenges the long-held assumption that Luke and Acts were written by a gentile, arguing instead that the author of these texts was educated and enculturated within a Second-Temple Jewish context. Advancing from a consciously interdisciplinary perspective, Smith considers the question of Lukan authorship from multiple fronts, including reception history and social memory theory, literary criticism, and the emerging discipline of cognitive sociolinguistics. The result is an alternative portrait of Luke the Evangelist, one who sees the mission to the gentiles not as a supersession of Jewish law and tradition, but rather as a fulfillment and expansion of Israel’s own salvation history.

"The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts provde researchers with new perspectives on some of the deepest longings of our time: the search for a transcendent perspective on the meaning of life, yearning for community, and other issues that resonate with contemporary concerns. In this book, Allen raises up common motifs that occur in Luke and Acts and shows how these motifs can be used for effective preaching." --

This is a fascinating, lucidly presented work offering fresh insights into a number of key passages in the Gospel and showing the fruitfulness of examining Luke's usage in the light of Judaism. Whatever their level of expertise, students of Luke and of the use of Scripture in Scripture will find useful and challenging material in this comprehensive volume. I. Howard Marshall, King's College Luke and Scripture is an important contribution to the study of comparative midrash and the role and function of authoritative, sacred tradition in the life of the early Christian community. This book sharpens the definition of midrash criticism in relation to other methods both in theory and practice and in the process sheds further light on Luke's understanding of Jesus, the origin of early Christianity, and his own experience in terms of Israel's sacred tradition and institutions. Mikeal C. Parsons, Baylor University

In this volume, Peter Davids offers a comprehensive study of the General or Catholic Epistles of James, 1-2 Peter, and Jude, which are often insufficiently covered in more general New Testament introductions, theologies, and surveys. Before discussing a theology of each of the four letters, Davids first deals with their common aspects—their shared background in the Greco-Roman world and a similar Christology, view of the source of sin, and eschatology—thus justifying their being treated together. In the chapters that follow, Davids embarks upon a theological reading of each letter informed by its social-rhetorical understanding—what they meant in the context of their original cultural settings—including: a survey of recent scholarship, a discussion of relevant introductory issues, a thematic commentary, a treatment of important theological themes, and a discussion of the place of the letter in the biblical canon and its contribution to New Testament theology. The Biblical Theology of the New Testament (BTNT) series provides upper college and seminary-level textbooks for students of New Testament theology, interpretation, and exegesis. Pastors and discerning theology readers alike will also benefit from this series. Written at the highest level of academic excellence by recognized experts in the field, the BTNT series not only offers a comprehensive exploration of the theology of every book of the New Testament, including introductory issues and major themes, but also shows how each book relates to the broad picture of New Testament theology.

This new study is intended as a first introduction to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, those two New Testament books which are so closely connected. Rather than getting caught up in the vast and complex discussions which have produced a vast scholarly literature, the author concentrates on interpretative questions which are connected with Luke-Acts as a whole. Why did the author of the Gospel, unlike other evangelists, choose to create a larger framework within which to interpret Jesus' ministry? What difference does it make to our interpretation of the Gospel and Acts that one follows the other? What themes distinguish and/or unite the two parts of Luke's history? Is the unified work of a different genre from either taken individuaily? Ore of the strong points of the book is the way in which it sees Luke-Acts against the general cultural background of its time and conveniently quotes passages from secular authors which illustrate Luke's approach and way of working.

This survey of the history of critical scholarship on the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles draws particular attention to the interpretation of Luke's treatment of Jews and Judaism. It notes that the Holocaust was a major turning point in the history of New Testament scholarship.

This book focuses on the authority and status of the author of Luke-Acts. What authority did he have to write a Gospel, to interpret the Jewish Scriptures and traditions of Israel, to interpret the Jesus traditions, and to update the narrative with a second volume with its interpretation of Paul and the other apostles who appear in the Acts narrative? Rick Strelan constructs the author as a Jewish Priest, examining such issues as writing and orality, authority and tradition, and the status and role of priests. The analysis is set within the context of scholarly opinion about the author, the intended audience and other related issues.