Luke was a physician and a close friend of the apos­tle Paul. Luke’s Gospel is noted for several features. It is the only book in all the Bible written by a non-Jew.

Luke was a Greek man from the city of Philippi and joined Paul in Troas, a port city on the west coast of Asia Minor. So Luke’s story of the growth of the Christian faith reflects some of his non-Jewish perspectives.

Luke tells about the racial tolerance of Jesus and also the significance of women in His ministry. For example, only Luke tells about the Good Samaritan, a story of interracial acceptance. And only the Book of Luke tells about the early years of Jesus with Mary, His mother.

Luke was the first Christian historian, writing both a Gospel and the book of Acts. His work is exact, careful, and descriptive.