Luke​—A Beloved Fellow Worker

THE year was 65 C.E. The place was Rome. Luke knew the risks of identifying himself as a friend of the apostle Paul, then on trial because of his faith. It seemed that Paul would receive the death sentence. But at that critical time, Luke​—and Luke alone—​was with the apostle.​—2 Timothy 4:6, 11.

The name Luke is familiar to Bible readers because the Gospel he penned bears his name. Luke traveled long distances with Paul, who called him “the beloved physician” and a ‘fellow worker.’ (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24)

When Luke traces the route taken by Paul and his companions through Asia Minor, he says: “They passed Mysia by and came down to Troas.” It was in Troas that Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man who made the entreaty: “Step over into Macedonia and help us.” Luke adds: “Now as soon as he had seen the vision, we sought to go forth into Macedonia.” (Acts 16:8-10) The switch from “they” to “we” suggests that Luke joined Paul’s party in Troas. Luke then described the preaching activity in Philippi in the first person plural, indicating that he participated in it. “On the sabbath day,” he writes, “we went forth outside the gate beside a river, where we were thinking there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women that had assembled.” As a result, Lydia and all her household accepted the good news and were baptized.​—Acts 16:11-15.

Opposition was encountered in Philippi, where Paul healed a servant girl who had been making predictions under the influence of “a demon of divination.” When her masters saw that their means of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, who were then beaten and jailed. Luke apparently avoided arrest, for he describes his companions’ ordeal in the third person. On their release, “they [Paul and Silas] encouraged [the brothers] and departed.” Luke reverted to the first person only when Paul returned to Philippi at a later time. (Acts 16:16-40; 20:5, 6) Perhaps Luke had remained in Philippi to oversee the work there.

Collecting Information

How did Luke obtain material for his Gospel and the book of Acts? The first-person sections of Acts​—those in which Luke included himself in the narrative—​indicate that he accompanied Paul from Philippi to Jerusalem, where the apostle was again arrested. En route, Paul’s party stayed with Philip the evangelizer in Caesarea. (Acts 20:6; 21:1-17) Luke could have gathered information for his account about early missionary activities in Samaria from Philip, who had spearheaded the preaching work there. (Acts 8:4-25) But who were Luke’s other sources?

The two years that Paul spent imprisoned in Caesarea likely afforded Luke opportunity to do research for his Gospel account.

A Prisoner’s Companion

Luke was concerned about the apostle Paul. When Paul was in custody at Caesarea, the Roman procurator Felix ordered that “no one of [Paul’s] people” be forbidden “to wait upon him.” (Acts 24:23) Luke was likely among those attendants. Since Paul was not always in good health, caring for him may have been one of the ministrations of “the beloved physician.”​—Colossians 4:14; Galatians 4:13.

When Paul appealed to Caesar, Roman procurator Festus sent the apostle to Rome. Luke loyally accompanied the prisoner on the long voyage to Italy and penned a vivid account of the shipwreck they experienced. (Acts 24:27; 25:9-12; 27:1, 9-44) While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote a number of inspired letters, referring to Luke in two of them. (Acts 28:30; Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24) It was probably during this two-year period that Luke wrote the book of Acts.

Paul’s quarters in Rome must have buzzed with spiritual activity. There Luke would have been in contact with some of Paul’s other fellow workers​—Tychicus, Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphras, and Onesimus, to mention a few.​—Colossians 4:7-14.

During Paul’s second imprisonment, when he felt that death was near, loyal and courageous Luke was at his side, even though others had deserted the apostle. Luke may have stayed at the risk of losing his own freedom. Perhaps acting as a scribe, Luke may have penned Paul’s words: “Luke alone is with me.” Tradition has it that soon thereafter Paul was beheaded.​—2 Timothy 4:6-8, 11, 16.