Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-11


Osler, nor the Mayos. Without the
slightest thought of disparaginE any
OF these, the most celebrated physi
clan that the world has ever known
or probably ever will know, was one
who combined his medical skill and
the literary ability with an over
mastering love for Christ, and used
the former qualifications to serve
the latter desire. DR.. Luke is
known in every country of the
world today, and his most charac-
teristic designation is "tA- beloved
physician"
Luke is named only three times
in the Scriptures-in three of Paul
ep;stles. When he wrote to the Co
lossians and to Philemon from Rome
during his first Imprisonment he
names Luke as one sending greet
ings. During his second imprison-
ment he wrote to Timothy at Ephe-
sus and said. "only Luke is with
me-" And yet in spite of this meager
direct information we have dea-
OF knowledge about this man who
vas so faithful a friend and who
stood by Paul when everyone else
had gone from him in his hour OF
ciruself in either the gospel or the
Acts. BY the little pronouns we
and they we are able to trace him
and to see something of the man
who became famous by accepting
Christ and placing his all at His
disposal.
1t is not necessary again to prove
that Luke was the writer of the
third gospel and the Acts-suffice it
to say that the medical words found
nowhere else in the Scriptures but
found frequently in Greek medical
literature, the frequent medical side
of the many incidents he records
demonstrates beyond a doubt that
the writer was a physician who
thoroughly understood Greek medi-
cine and Christian theology, who
was a constant companion of Paul S,
and who could be no other than
Luke, the beloved physician of
whom Paul speaks.
He was a brother of Titus, there
fore, Titus name is not mentioned
in the Acts. And the Corinthians
know this: therefore, it is not neces-
sarv for Paul to mention Luke s
name in writing them. z Cor. S:22)
He had a very keen interest in
folks-his story to Theophilus
abounds with items of human inter
est as he tells of the human sins,
and of the Son of Man. who came
to seek and to save that which was
lost He was particularly sympa-
thetic with women-probably his eX-
perience a a physician was respon-
sible for that, because in that ca
pacity he would have been forced to
see their side, their cares, their bur
dens, their weaknesses their
strength, their deepest needs, a s no
other man could see them.
He was highly educated-his COS
pei and his story Of the Acts each
brings with an Introduction that is
classical in style and in beauty OF
diction. His words are we'll chosen.
yet they are in the language of the
people. but polished. Renan, infldel
though he was, says Luke's story Of
the Christ is 1.-The most beautiful
book in the world
But although so highly educated
and so scientific he had no difficulty
as in the case of some modern
writers-in accepting the miracles as
perfectly true, and particularly, the
miracle of the virgin birth. In fact
it is DR.. Luke who tells us the story
in it's details, and without him we
should not have known it at all. Re
member, it is physician who is
giving this story of the virgin birth:
Surely if anyone had been skept1cal
about such a possibility it would
nave been a physician.
He was most accurate a 5 historian
For years the destructive critics
have tried to discredit the state
ments of DR.. Luke. the historian
but almost every spade of the earth
the archaeologists dig up finds some
new evidence of the truth Of Luke's
statements.
The eve" Sections
The so-called I'VE" sections in the
Acts-where his presence or alb
sence is indicated in the change OF
the pronoun from we to they or
from us to them-enables us to trace
his career and to discover some in
teresting things in his life We
first find him at TrOas where PAU
had the vision of the Man OF Mace
donia. It was just after a trying
illness in Galatia Gal. Ala, 1o), that
Paul came to Troas, led by the Splr-
it. His condition made a physician S
services necessary and DIR. Luke was
called in. He was from Philppl,
but happened to be in Troas just
then, as the ship upon which he had
been serving as medical attendant
was in port. Talking to Paul in the
DAYTIME about the needs of his own
cfty-now that he has found Christ
himself he wants his friends to find
Him. too-it is very natural for
Paul to dream at night about the
man Of Macedonia crying, Come over
into Macedonia and help us.
So Paul and DR.. Luke go to Phil.
ippi. There Luke remained until
Paul came through Philippi again at
the close of his third missionary
Journey some four or five years la
ter. 1t was his home, it was natural
that he should stay there. Then the
"we' is taken up again and he con-
tinues with Paul through the first
Imprisonment in Rome-the end Of
the story. He probably never left
him, except for a brief interval, and
1t is likely that his professional care
of Paul made it possible for him to
do the vast amount of work that his
otherwise frail body would not have
been able to accomplish.
1t was during his stay in Caesarea
and in Jerusalem that he secured
much of his historical data which
he arranged in order so that his
patron and benefactor, Theophilus,
might be instructed in the truth of
Jesus. Philips daughters, MaSon
an early disciple; Paul himself, and
Mary. the mother of Jesus, were
Ills informants. To DR.. Luke Mary
would have told the details found
in the first two chapters Of the Cos
Eel that would not ordinarily have
been told at all From Mnason,
one of the original disciples, he
learned the story of the Pentecost.
and the days that followed From
Philips daughters he learned of the
deacons, the great revival in Sauna
ria and the conversion of the Ethio-
plan eunuch. And from Paul he
learned the story of stephen, of
ths terrific persecution of the