The Story Luke Tells: Luke's Unique Witness to the Gospel

by Justo L. González

Among all the writers of the New Testament, no one has been
more undervalued than Luke. Not only are Luke’s Gospel and
Acts more extensive than all of Paul’s epistles put together;
Luke’s particular slant on the story he tells also sets him apart.
In this book Justo Gonzalez examines Luke’s characteristic
perspective and its relevance for the church today.


Gonzalez highlights eight themes in Luke’s writing, including
his concern for gender inclusivity, his emphasis on Jesus as
Savior, his interest in eating and its connection to worship,
and his stress on the great upheaval that God is bringing about.
Focusing especially on the unique perspective that Luke brings
to his writing as a historian, Gonzalez shows how Luke’s
narrative invites us into his story and connects us with the
entire history of humanity.

Genres: Theology, New Testament, Religion, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christianity

143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2015

About the author

Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought and other major works, attended United Seminary in Cuba, received his MA at Yale, and was the youngest person to be awarded a PhD in historical theology at Yale. He is one of the few first generation Latino theologians to come from a Protestant background. He helped to found the Association for Hispanic Theological Education and the Hispanic Theological Initiative. Dr González is now on the faculty of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Reviews

[Anna Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

accessible and narratively-focused, written for the preacher.

[Wade Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the brief but rich understanding of Luke. He highlight certain aspects of this gospel such as shared meals, women, and history that I haven’t given any thought to. Great for people who don’t speak the theology language

[Chad King · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you thought the most prolific writer in the New Testament was Paul or John, you might be surprised to know it's actually Luke, author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. In this book González highlights the deep theology and subtle nuances Luke emphasizes in his writings. González shows many of these by juxtaposing the stories of Matthew and Mark with those found (and sometimes not found) in Luke's books, and shows others by comparing the teachings of Luke with those of Paul.

Three topics were particularly interesting to me: (1) Luke's treatment of gender, especially his inclusion of women in the narrative, (2) Luke's focus (and near obsession) with food, meals, and eating, and (3) the manner in which Luke discusses the Holy Spirit and its role in the expansion of Christ's church. Although all of these topics appear in other New Testament books, Luke is unique in his attention to each. González does a fine job of expounding on these topics and exploring why Luke chose to focus on them.

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in better understanding Luke, his contribution to the New Testament, and how those contributions intersect with other New Testament writings.

4 out of 5 stars.

[Rick Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes Truly Unique Witness to the Gospel!

This is the first time I have read any of Justo’s writings and I was thoroughly impressed! I have heard of his writings on Church History so I was curious about his thoughts on Luke. Its short a book, very easy to read, but full of wonderful theme’s developed in Luke’s Gospel account & Acts! There are some great takeaways here for study & teaching!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great little book on Luke (with a lot of Acts thrown in there too). Lot of “bang for your buck” here. I love Justo González, and this short book is a great example of his Hispanic theology of Christianity from “Mañana” on display.

The most beneficial chapters to me were on Luke and Gender, Luke and Salvation (not until now did I notice that the term salvation never shows up in Matthew or Mark, and only once in John!), and Luke and Worship.

[Tim Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read that engages most of the central themes in Luke-Acts. González is a prolific historian, and I have loved several of his major works. This was the first biblical theology piece I have read from him. Clear. Engaging.

Shows how some of the main themes in Luke's writings intertwine and play off one another. I was surprised that he did not include a chapter on Luke's view of Jesus. Among the Synoptics, only Luke's story refers to Jesus as Lord pre-resurrection--not to mention the portrayal of Jesus in Acts as exalted Lord.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justo Gonzalez illustrates in detail the depth in which the Gospel Writer Luke writes about the history of humankind, the history of Israel, and Luke's open invitation to the reader at the end of his books.

In addition, the reader will examine Luke's understanding of the great reversal, gender, salvation, food and drink, worship, and the Holy Spirit.

This book is a helpful guide for anyone who is studying the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

[Sean-david · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good primer. I have always appreciated Gonzalez, and this book reminds me of why. I use this for a course I teach. He brings up important issues. I especially appreciate and think the gender and great reversal chapters are of significant import for our cultural context. I would have liked to have seen a bit more on Luke’s political themes.

[Ron Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew of Justo Gonzales’s work from his two volume history of the church. This little book on Luke the Physician is brilliantly insightful. Justo makes some fascinating connections between the two works and gives a grand overall view of both volumes to Theophilus. Excellent work. To be certain, I will be reading more of his work.

[Caryl M. Chilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great study of Luke!

Dr. Gonzalez does a thorough review of Luke’s writings. His in-depth study relating to the oldest available copies of Luke show how the ancient copies reveal how words can be interpreted which provide a deeper meaning for the thoughts are expressed in Luke. Again, a thoughtful in-depth study of Luke. As with all of his books, very well done…

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything I ever read from Justo Gonzalez, this book is no exception. He takes a look at Luke's Gospel (the esteemed Church historian takes a look at the first 'Church historian') and explores the themes of Luke's gospel. There are some real gems here.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short...Sweet

I loved this book. It was so rich with the insight that only a seasoned historian could provide, but at just the right length to read it in a day or two. I highlighted so much to come back and refer to later.

[Kevin Wolz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, accessible little book that introduces readers to some important contours of Luke/Acts. This is very helpful for preaching Luke’s writings, but it can be used by most Christiana for personal/corporate study. I highly recommend it.

[Gary Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is a gem and a must read for anyone interested in the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. It is brilliantly concise, covering major themes without laboring the point. I highly recommend it for students of the New Testament.

[Bogdan Javgurean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and helpful. Pointing out how Luke is unique among other evangelists, what are his unique points of interest and how it all relates to the historical setting. Definitely helps to understand Luke and other gospels better.

[Nathan Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read and accessible summary of Luke's Gospel

"Luke presents us with a narrative that is connected with the entire history of humanity."

Gonzalez gives a concise and accessible primer to Luke's Gospel. Lay people and pastors alike will enjoy.

[Charlene Hios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justo does not disappoint

All 8 chapters are done in the author's style of extracting exactly what needs to be revealed. Excellent read. Bravo

[Michael Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief introduction to Luke.

[Nathaniel Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gonzalez writes great, accessible stuff and this is no exception. Excellent short overview of Luke’s Gospel and Acts, setting out what makes them unique. For instance: of the four Evangelists, the words “savior” and “salvation” are almost completely exclusive to Luke. Well I never!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no nonsense approach to Luke’s gospel. Definitely worth a read.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite religious reads. Very informative but just feels like you're getting blocks of information and it can be a bit dull.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

History as González learned it in school was primarily the study of the past, but today, in the age of mass communication, he sees a renewed interest in history as we become a part of it, for it is actually a continuum of past, present, and future. Interpretation of the past is a valuable resource for shaping the present and building hope for the future. González, as a professor of historical theology, recognizes Luke as the historian evangelist. His analysis of Luke’s “orderly account,” told in the third Gospel and continued in the book of Acts, reflects this continuum view. He presents Luke’s story of Jesus not only in its first-century setting but also in its present and future applications. His book is organized around aspects of the "Lukan" portrait of Jesus that are unique or are stressed more by Luke than by the other evangelists. For example, Luke’s emphasis on the role of women, not only in Jesus’ ministry, but in the account of his birth (vs. Matthew’s focus on Joseph). Or his emphasis on “great reversal” stories (the first shall be last and the last first, etc.). An entire chapter is devoted to food and drink in Luke’s theology, and this theme is further developed in the chapter “Luke and Worship.” Luke’s focus is on celebration. Commemoration of the Last Supper, as Luke presents it in the book of Acts, is not the somber occasion often seen in churches today but a joyful remembrance of Jesus’ life and gift of salvation, his presence in the Holy Spirit, and his promise to return — a perfect example of the broader view of history mentioned above. I was delighted to find this book by a lecturer my husband and I had the privilege of hearing at our previous church four decades ago. Justo González has written over 100 books published in 10 languages. I recommend The Story Luke Tells to anyone looking for a well-written, insightful study of Luke/Acts.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic commentary of the books of Luke and Acts. Unlike some commentaries that focus on the minutia of the text, this book examines some of the broad themes of Lukan texts and helps the reader understand the overall ark of the story Luke tells in Luke and Acts. Because Gonzalez is a historian, he begins by showing how the Lukan narrative fits into the the history of the world and the history of the Israelites. It is, I think, a brilliant way to begin because it helps the reader understand the importance of the foundation that history provides. I would certainly recommend this to pastors who may be using the lectionary right now and may be preaching several sermons on Luke. I would also recommend it for use in a Bible study on Luke and Acts.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been interested recently in reading the Gospels beginning to end. This book was a very helpful guide to some of the unique themes of Luke and Acts. The book is highly readable. I found that the author does not waste words. At one point I found myself marveling that the author was able to demonstrate his point so efficiently.

I also appreciated the depth at which this book treats its subject. This is by no means a work for the academy, but neither is it a light devotional treatment either. The only thing else I would have liked to see is a short bibliography for further reading.

[Kathleen Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows several themes through the Gospel of Luke, and then through Acts also, such as women, food and meals, and the Holy Spirit. Gonzalez claims that the "Acts of the Apostles" should be called the "Acts of the Holy Spirit." I really enjoyed this book. Luke was already my favorite Gospel, and this book solidified that feeling.

[David Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent discussion of Luke's Gospel and Acts. Many helpful insights. Highly recommended.

[T.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Gonzalez does an excellent job summarizing several of the major themes of Luke-Acts. The book is written in a very accessible style, perfect for lay readers. And yet, Gonzalez is able to skillfully convey profound truths which will engage pastors and scholars. I'd highly recommend this work to anyone seeking a better understanding of Luke-Acts.