Contents Preface Luke's presentation of Christ ‘Aims, methods and explanations Part One: The coming Stage 1 The arrival 1:5-2:52 Stage 2. The introduction of the Son of God 3:14:44 Stage 3 Christ's way with sin and sinners 5:1~7:1 Stage 4 Christ's way of salvation 7:2-8:56 Stage 5 Christ and the goal of redemption 9:1-50 Part Two: The going ‘The nature of the joumey Stage 1 The path to glory 9:51~ 10:37 Stage 2. On judging aright life's necessities, priorities and proportions 10:38-13:21 Stage 3 The destination that awaits us 13:22—17:10 Stage 4 Preparing to reign with Christ 17:11—19:28 Stage 5 The king enters into his glory 19:29-24:53, Appendices 1 On the validity of applying Aristotle's canons of literary criticism to Luke's work 2 On the question whether the use of literary symmetry in. historical work is consistent with strict historicity 3 On the questions raised by different and mutually exclusive analyses of the literary structures of biblical narratives 10 26 66 8 124 153 179 186 206 256 281 303 357 358 360Preface ‘The seed from which this book has grown was planted in my mind some forty years ago by a remark made en passant by a preacher, Harry Lacey of Cardiff, that Luke would appear to set out the ‘material in his Gospel in an almost geometrical order. Since then widely different authors, classical, rabbinic and Christian have contributed to the development of my thinking about the nature of Luke's writing, while more people than I'can now remember have helped me by patient listening or active discussion to formulate my ideas. If I have unwittingly plagiarized anyone's material, 1 sincerely apologize Forty years ago study of the literary structure of biblical books {or thetorical criticism as it is called in some circles) was but a trickle; in the last decade or so it has become a flood. Not until the flood subsides will it be possible to sce clearly the final and per- ‘manent shape of the resultant landscape. Meanwhile a true sense of means and ends should remind us that a study of literary structure must always be kept subordinate to the primary ongoing endeavour to understand Luke's flow of thought and the message ‘which he was inspired to convey. An introductory chapter offers an explanation of my approach to the study of Luke's work; but readers may well find it preferable to begin with the commentary proper (p.26) and to leave the introduction until they have com= pleted the book. Unless I have indicated otherwise, all quotations from the Bible are my own translation. Various editors and advisers of the Press have made extensive and careful comments. I thank them all for their help, their enthusiastic encouragement, and not least for the tact with which they have coaxed and cajoled my English style to enter the last quarter of the twentieth century. For all remaining blemishes, linguistic, literary and theological, 1, of course, and not they, am to blame.According to Luke ‘The typing of part of the first draft was done by Mrs Sue Meara, of the rest of the first draft and of all subsequent drafts by Mrs, Barbara Hamilton, and in both cases with impeccable expertise. I record my gratitude. ‘The book is dedicated to my life-long friends, Bill and Glenda ‘Cowell. Bill was the one with whom I first explored the riches of Luke’s Gospel; and all down the years Bill and Glenda’s home has been to me and to countless others a shining example of that hospitality, which according to Luke, our Lord so much admired and so much commended. May he grant them his promised reward. David Gooding