IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:43 - 

IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN. - ACTS 10:36 - 

The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke and The Acts Of The Apostles must originally have been two parts of a book that today we should call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. These two books of the New Testament were closely associated.

( 1 ) By their Prologues: both are addressed to someone called Theophilus and having referred to the gospel as an 'earlier work', goes on by way of introduction to say why the gospel was written and to summarise its closing incidents, that is, appearances of the risen Christ, ( Jesus Christ resurrection from the dead.) and the Ascension. ( Jesus Christ was taken up to heaven.)

Prologue - The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke -
Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received. - Luke 1:1-4 -

Prologue - The Acts Of The Apostles -

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. - Acts 1:1-2 -

( 2 ) By their literary affinity: vocabulary, grammar and style are not only consistent all through Acts showing that it is a literary unity, but they are also characteristic of the third gospel which makes it almost certain that both books ( The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke and The Acts Of The Apostles ) are by the same author, that is,  Apostle/Saint Luke.

Hence, these two books of the New Testament were closely associated, and being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. Therefore, I faithfully believe that it is utmost important for us; all human beings to comprehend these two books, [All the others Old Testament and New Testament books are equally important, but as for now, we will start studying and read these two books first, that is, being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity', before continuing the other books.] to the best of our knowledge and enabling our spirit to acknowledges: "Who is God, and how, and in what ways, that is, God is with us. Amen!

Comparing Apostle/Saint Luke and his two sources, (a) - Apostle/Saint Mark, the best known, and (b) - the sources behind the Apostle/Saint Matthew passages which are paralleled in Apostle/Saint Luke, it becomes apparent that Apostle/Saint Luke was a craftsman whose concentration never slackened. His changes are very slight - just small omissions and additions - but through them he gives his work a character peculiarly his own. He avoids or whittles down anything he or his readers found offensive - 8:43, cf. Mark 5:26, he omits Mark 9:43-48, 13:32, etc. - or anything they could not be expected to understand (he omits Matthew 5:21f; Mark 15:34, etc.) He omits anything derogatory to the dignity of the apostles - Mark 4:13, 8:32f, 9:28f, 14:50 - and makes excuses for them - 9:45, 18:34, 22:45 - Luke explains obscure phrases - 6:15 - and clears up points of topography - 4:31, 19:28f,37, 23:51, etc.

In these innumerable small corrections, and even more especially in the fresh material he found by personal enquiry, it is possible to see what Apostle/Saint Luke's preferences were and to see the way his mind worked. Or, to put it more theologically, the Holy Spirit used Luke as his instrument to put the gospel into a completely new shape, packed with doctrine. The originality of Apostle/Saint Luke is not in his key ideas (they are identical with those of Apostle/Saint Mark and of Apostle/Saint Matthew) but in his religious mentality which apart from slight traces of Apostle/Saint Paul's influence, is overwhelmingly distinctive of Apostle/Saint Luke's personal temperament.

Apostle/Saint Luke, in Dante's phrase, is the 'scriba mansuetudinis Christi', the faithful recorder of Christ's loving-kindness. He is anxious to stress his Master's love of sinners - 15:1f,7,10 - to record his acts of forgiveness - 7:36-50, 15:11-32, 19:1-10, 23:34,39-43 - and to contrast his tenderness for the lowly and the poor with his severity towards the proud and towards those who abuse their wealth - 1:15-53, 6:20-26, 12:13-21, 14:7-11, 16:15,19-31, 18:9-14 - But in spite of this severity, the wicked however, deserving of punishment will not be condemned till the period set aside for mercy has come to an end - 13:6-9, cf. Mark 11:12-14 -

The one thing necessary is repentance, abdication of self, and on this the gentle, tolerant Luke takes a firm stand, insisting on unflinching and complete detachment - 14:25-34 - especially from riches - 6:34f, 12:33, 14:12-14, 16:9-13 - Another group of passages which are also found only in the third gospel is on the necessity of prayer - 11:5-8, 18:1-8 - of which Jesus set the example - 3:21, 5:16, 6:12, 9:28 -

Finally, Apostle/Saint Luke is the only one of the Synoptics to give the Holy Spirit the prominence, we find in Apostle/Saint Paul and in Acts (Luke 1:15,35,41,67, 2:25-27, 4:1,14,18, 10:21, 11:13, 24:49 ) These qualities, combined with that joy in God and that gratitude to him for his gifts which fill the third gospel - 2:14, 5:26, 10:17, 13:17, 18:43, 19:37, 24:51f - are the ones that go to make Apostle/Saint Luke's achievement the warm and human thing it is.

Prologue - Luke 1:1-4 - N. T. -

Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.

Cf. - Compare - Luke 15:27 - N. T. - "Your brother/sister has come" replied the servant "and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound."

- Compare - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - N. T. - "Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Sacred Scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day."

- Compare - Acts 1:8 - N. T. - "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth."

- Compare - Ephesians 3:7 - N. T. - "I have been made the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who give it to me by his own power."

- Compare - Acts 1:1 - N. T. - "In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning."
                                                               - PAGE  1 -

I.  THE  BIRTH  AND  HIDDEN  LIFE  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST  AND  OF  JESUS

The birth of John the Baptist foretold

In the days .......      PAGE  2

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. - Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Hence, these two books (The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke & The Acts Of The Apostles) of the New Testament were closely associated, and being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. Therefore, I faithfully believe that it is utmost important for us; all human beings to comprehend these two books, [ All the others Old Testament and New Testament books are equally important, but as for now, we will start studying and read these two books first, that is, being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity', before continuing the other books.] to the best of our knowledge and enabling our spirit to acknowledges: "Who is God, and how, and in what ways, that is, God is with us." Amen! 

When Sacred Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, Jesus Christ, who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask for his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Sacred Scripture say: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound.

Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As prophet Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ Jesus. [ 'Word of God' ] - Romans 10:11-17 -

How? And in what way, when it come to understanding matters: What I was always being told is: There are ways and preferences to comprehend all matters, whether it is of spirituality and unspirituality.

Firstly, in a literally manner: That is, used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true.

Secondly, in a humanly manner: That is, from a human point of view, in a humanly manner, by human means; within ability; with human feeling or kindness.

Thirdly, in a spiritually manner: That is, in a way that relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

Finally, in an unspiritual manner: That is, not spiritual. But secular and worldly.

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

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I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, He will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.

He will glorify Me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. Everything the Father has is Mine; that is why I said: all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. - John 16:12-15