Key Concepts in the Gospel of Luke

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts and details from the Gospel of Luke for exam preparation.

Who gathered information for the Gospel of Luke?

The author of Luke, from eyewitnesses and earlier written accounts.

To whom is the Gospel of Luke dedicated?

Theophilus.

How can Luke's authorship of the Third Gospel be inferred?

By comparing the 'we' sections in the book of Acts with the names of Paul's traveling companions.

What inference can be made about Luke based on his linguistic style?

Luke was most likely a Gentile.

What is a primary theme emphasized in the Gospel of Luke?

The universality of the gospel.

How does Luke portray Jesus and his followers?

As politically innocent.

How does Luke date events in his Gospel?

According to secular (Roman) history.

What special attention does Luke's Gospel pay to?

Social outcasts and women.

What distinctive contribution does Luke make regarding Jesus' early life?

His infancy and childhood narratives.

What does Luke stress about the traditions regarding Jesus in his prologue?

The certainty/orderliness of those traditions.

What was the name of John the Baptist's father?

Zacharias (or Zechariah).

What was the name of John the Baptist's mother?

Elizabeth.

What characteristic of John the Baptist's parents does Luke highlight?

Their piety/righteousness.

From whose perspective does Luke tell the story of Jesus' birth?

From Mary's standpoint.

What is the traditional name for the prophecy of praise by John the Baptist's father?

The Benedictus.

What is Mary's hymn of praise traditionally called?

The Magnificat.

What is the traditional name for the angelic song at Jesus' birth?

The Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

What is the tradition name for the praise of God by the aged man in the temple?

The Nunc Dimittis.

What problem does Luke reference related to Jesus' birth?

The governorship of Quirinius poses a dating problem.

Where was Jesus born?

Bethlehem.

What do 'swaddling clothes' refer to?

Strips of cloth wrapped around a newborn.

What is a manger?

A feeding trough.

What does 'Good will to men' signify in the angel's song?

God's peace/favor towards men.

How does Luke portray the development of the boy Jesus?

As a perfect human model.

What were the themes John the Baptist preached?

Charity, honesty, justice, and contentment.

To whom does Luke trace Jesus' genealogy?

All the way back to Adam.

What distinct feature does Luke include regarding Jesus' baptism?

Jesus was praying when the Holy Spirit descended.

How does the Holy Spirit appear at Jesus' baptism?

In bodily form, emphasizing the visible reality of the Spirit's presence.

What does Luke highlight in the account of Jesus' temptation?

Jesus' moral victory over the devil.

What does Jesus' ministry in Nazareth illustrate?

Both widespread admiration and hostility towards him.

What does Jesus omit during his synagogue reading in Nazareth?

A reference to the day of vengeance of our God.

How did the demons in the synagogue at Capernaum act?

They threw their victim into the middle of the congregation.

How does the healed paralytic's action vindicate Jesus?

By glorifying God in contrast to the accusation of blasphemy.

What presupposition underlies the Pharisees' question about Jesus' disciples eating with sinners?

Segregation between the holy and sinful.

What does Jesus illustrate with his statement about wine-drinkers preferring old wine?

The Pharisees' sticking to tradition and inability to accept new truths.

What Old Testament figure does Jesus appeal to in defense of his disciples' actions on Sabbath?

David.

What does Luke record that Jesus preached in his Sermon on the Plain?

Jesus' beatitudes balanced with woes.

What act of compassion did Jesus perform at Nain?

He raised the widow's son from the dead.

What was customary during a dinner that was overlooked in the story of the sinful woman?

The host rubbing olive oil on the guest's head.

What role did women play in Jesus' ministry according to Luke?

They financially supported him and his disciples.

Why were Jesus' mother and brothers unable to reach him according to Luke 8?

Because of the crowd.

What do the demons called 'Legion' not want to do?

Depart into the abyss, or bottomless pit/Hades.

What did the woman with the chronic flow of blood believe?

That she could stay anonymous/hidden.

What does Jesus' instruction to the disciples about being the Christ suggest?

He is avoiding the political/nationalistic connotations of that title.

What time frame does Luke indicate between a prediction and Jesus' transfiguration?

Eight days, softened by 'approximately'.

What did the Twelve do in contrast to Jesus regarding an exorcist?

They forbade him.

Through which region did Jesus travel on his way to Jerusalem?

Samaria.

How many others did Jesus send ahead besides the Twelve?

Seventy or seventy-two others.

What describes 'a son of peace'?

A person receptive to/worthy of God's peace.

What lesson does the parable of the Good Samaritan convey?

An example of neighborliness.

How does Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer differ from Matthew's?

It is shorter/more succinct.

What does Jesus' parable about prayer emphasize?

Persistence/importunity.

What does 'the finger of God' represent in the context of Jesus casting out demons?

God's power/spirit.

What literary styles does Luke appeal to in the Third Gospel?

Travelogues and biographies.

What nickname did Jesus give Herod Antipas?

A female fox.

Who do the invitees in the parable of a great banquet symbolize?

Jewish religious leaders, like lawyers and Pharisees.

What does Jesus mean when he speaks of joy in the presence of angels over one sinner?

God is rejoicing.

How does the parable of the prodigal son conclude?

With the elder brother's refusal to celebrate the prodigal's return.

What does the parable of the unjust steward teach?

The foresightedness of using wealth for eternal gain.

What does 'the mammon of unrighteousness' refer to?

Wealth that tempts people to act unrighteously.

What example does the practice of divorce in the Pharisees illustrate?

Spiritual adultery.

What is the theme of the parable of Dives and Lazarus?

The contrast between Lazarus and a rich man.

Who was the one leper who returned to thank Jesus?

A Samaritan.

What lesson does Jesus teach through the example of Lot's wife?

A warning about 'turning back'.

What does Jesus teach through the parable of the widow and the unjust judge?

About persistent prayer.

What does the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrate?

The hatred common people had for tax collectors.

What promise did Zacchaeus make after meeting Jesus?

To pay back more than the Mosaic law required.

What does the return of the nobleman in the parable of the minas represent?

The Second Coming/Christ's return.

What does the delay of the owner's absence in Luke's vineyard parable represent?

The period of God's patience.

What does Luke say will happen to the temple after Jerusalem's destruction?

It will be desecrated by Gentiles for a while.

Who is attributed as the one entering Judas to betray Jesus?

Satan/the devil.

What does Luke emphasize about the Passover in his account?

Eschatological/new covenant fellowship.

How did Peter's declaration of loyalty to Jesus compare to others?

More emphatic.

What instruction in Luke 22 did Jesus give his disciples?

To secure a sword.

What does Luke say Jesus did just before being arrested in the Mount of Olives?

He was praying and sweating great drops of blood.

What did Jesus do during his arrest concerning violence?

He renounced violence and restored a servant’s ear.

What main theme is presented in Luke's account of Jesus' trials?

Jesus' political innocence.

Who besides the Sanhedrin and Pilate interrogated Jesus during his trial?

Herod Antipas.

What does 'Via Dolorosa' mean?

The Way of Sorrow.

What term does Jesus use when speaking to a repentant criminal?

Paradise.

What were Jesus' final words on the cross according to Luke?

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

What declaration did the centurion make at Jesus' crucifixion?

That Jesus was righteous.

How did some women react at Jesus' tomb?

With perplexity at its emptiness.

What event did Jesus have after his resurrection on the way to Emmaus?

He traveled and conversed with two of his disciples.

What did Luke record to highlight the physicality of Jesus' risen body?

Jesus eating food in front of the disciples.

How does Luke conclude his Gospel?

With an account of Jesus' ascension.