The Purpose and Structure of Luke-Acts

Key Texts:

Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been
fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were
eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully
investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly
account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the
things you have been taught.
Acts 1:1-2 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and
to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the
Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Purpose:
Luke’s primary purpose in writing Luke-Acts was to confirm in Theophilus the things he
had been taught. However, Luke most like had a much wider audience in mind when he
wrote his orderly account. He wanted to confirm the faith of all those who had put their
trust in Jesus (perhaps most directly the Gentile God-fearers, who had exposure to the
Jewish Scripture through attendance at the synagogues, with the view that they formed the
ideal bridge between the synagogue and the Gentile world).

Luke may have had a number of secondary purposes in mind as he wrote Luke-Acts.
Some alternatives are below:
- Evangelism: preaching of the gospel to non-Christians, with particular concern for
the outcasts and those outside the worshipping community of Israel.
- Continuation of Salvation History: More than just a record of history but an
attestation to the validity of the apostolic tradition as part of the locus of salvation
truth.
- Identity of Early Christian Community: Clarifying the relationship between Israel
and the early church.
- Apologetic Treatise: For Christianity as a legitimate sect of Judaism (not just for
Paul’s trial in Rome as has been proposed).
- Solution to a Theological Problem: An explanation of potential theological
questions of the time; Why the delay of the parousia? Is Jesus’ death consistent
with his claim to be the Christ? Does suffering mean that God isn’t with the early
Christians? Etc..
- Conciliation: Peter and Paul represent opposing parties and Luke is trying to
reconcile their ideas in this work.
- Defence against Heresy: Against Gnosticism??
- Dealing with Social Problems: Poverty and wealth? Perhaps more helpfully
situated within a larger theme of reversal in the Lukan corpus.

A few of these suggested purposes are not particularly plausible, and none seem more
appropriate than Luke’s own expressed purpose. However, most of them can be seen as
themes throughout Luke-Acts and were possibly secondary purposes in Luke’s mind as he
wrote.