The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, a native of Antioch in Syria, was a physician and a companion of the Holy Apostle Paul. He was sent by the Lord to preach the first message about the Kingdom of Heaven and became a witness of the Resurrection of Christ. Luke participated in the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul and continued to serve with him even when others left.
After the martyrdom of the chief apostles, Saint Luke preached in Achaia, Libya, Egypt, and Thebes, where he completed his earthly journey in martyrdom. Tradition attributes to him the writing of the first icons of the Mother of God and the icons of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul.
The Gospel of Luke was written in 62–63 AD in Rome under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. Luke sought to describe all that is known to Christians about Jesus Christ and His teachings, thereby providing a historical basis for Christian hope. He carefully researched the facts and used the oral tradition of the Church.
The Gospel of Luke emphasizes the universality of salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Luke also wrote the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, which tells of the labors of the apostles after the Ascension of the Savior and of the important event—the Apostolic Council, which became foundational for the separation of Christianity from Judaism.
