VI. Luke As A Writer

Luke’s gospel is not organized according to a tightly structured pattern, but there are signs of a studied and often concealed artistry in his work. There is a symmetry about the opening and closing events of the gospel, both of which take place in the temple. Many of the themes stated in the opening chapters are repeated later in the work. And special emphasis is placed on Jesus' last journey to Jerusalem, which frames nearly half the contents of the gospel. Some of the allusions to the OT are made in such a way that the gospel can be read at two levels, either as a simple story or as a statement of the ways in which the events of Israelite history were reenacted in the life of Jesus. It is not surprising that Luke is one of the most widely read of biblical writers.