25 Details About the Life of Luke - 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Antioch

Members of the early church were first called Christians at Antioch, according to Luke in Acts 11:26. Previously, people who believed in a resurrected Jesus Christ referred to themselves as 'The Way'. According to notes in the NKJV Bible, the term Christian was originally used to ridicule believers. Later, however, members of the early church would begin to refer to themselves as Christians. Antioch was situated near Antakya, in present day Turkey.

Answer: beloved

In Colossians 4:14, Paul describes him as "Luke the beloved physician" and says he sends his greetings to the people at Colosse.

(The NIV quotes Paul as writing "my dear friend Luke, the physician". The Easy to Read Version states "our dear friend, Luke the doctor".)

It is believed by many theologians that Luke was an easy going individual who was well liked by all. In addition to writing the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, Luke labored behind the scenes in the early church. He was involved in everything from helping Paul establish a church in Philippi to a shipwreck off the coast of Malta.

Luke never used his name in Scripture. However, we know he was involved in various ventures of the early church because he uses terms as "we did this" or "we traveled there", in the Book of Acts. It's in the "we passages" Luke tells of the establishment of the church at Philippi (Acts 16) as well as the shipwreck (Acts 27 and 28).

Answer: Cornelius

Cornelius was among the first Gentile believers in the early church. His story is told in the tenth chapter of Acts. According to Scripture, Cornelius was a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. Although centurions were the elite of a ruthless Roman killing machine, they are portrayed in remarkably good light in the New Testament.

Luke's account tells of Peter going to the Cornelius' house and baptizing him as well as a number of other Gentile believers.

Answer: Derbe

Derbe is the correct answer. The suffering by Paul must've been immense and Luke spares us the details. Acts 14:19-20 simply states: "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe."

According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, Derbe was about 20 miles from Lystra, on the eastern part of the upland plain of Lycaonia. It was in Asia Minor, now known as present day Turkey.

In Acts 14:21, Luke writes that Paul and Barnabas "preached the gospel" to the people of Derbe and "made many disciples".

Answer: Eutychus

Eutychus fell out of a third story window at Troas, when Paul preached "on and on", according to Acts 20:7-12 in the NIV. After Eutychus tumbled out the window, people rushed downstairs and found him dead. According to Scripture, Paul raised the young man from the dead and went back upstairs and ate and did some more preaching.

It's stories like this by Luke that makes Acts such a fascinating book. Troas is in present day Turkey, south of the ancient city of Troy.

Answer: All of them

The three accounts found in the Gospel of Luke are prime examples of forgiveness.

Luke writes about Jesus healing the paralytic man in Chapter 5, Verses 17-26. It's a heart warming story in which friends of the paralytic man lower him through the roof of a house to enable the man to get as close as possible to Christ. In Luke's account, Jesus forgives the man of his sins and then heals him. It must've been a spectacular sight with the once paralyzed man jumping around for joy and the other people in the house looking on in total amazement. The Pharisees, however, were horrified, saying in Verse 21, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Luke is the only one to write about the Parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:1-32. In the parable, a father welcomes his wayward son back after he spent all his money on wild living in a foreign land. Many Christians see the parable of an example of Christ's forgiveness available to all.

Meanwhile, the account of people at the crucifixion scene is found in Luke 23:26-43. While Christ is in total agony, nailed ruthlessly to a cross, He looks on at people at the crucifixion site and makes an amazing statement in Verse 34: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

Incidentally, Luke uses the word 'forgive' fifteen times in the Gospel that bears his name. The total number of times the word 'forgive' appears in the three other Gospels -- Matthew, Mark and John -- is fifteen. Luke also uses the word 'forgive' an additional four times in the Book of Acts.

To put things in perspective, the word 'forgive' appears a total of forty-five times in the entire New Testament and nineteen of those instances are in Luke and Acts.

Answer: Lawyer

Jesus told the parable to a lawyer, according to Luke in the NKJV. The NIV uses the term "expert in the law". According to Luke, Jesus told the parable to the lawyer when he wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37. According to the passage, a man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was robbed, badly beaten and left by the roadside. Two men passed by without offering to help before the Good Samaritan stopped.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the trip from Jerusalem to Jericho was seventeen miles "on a road known to harbor many robbers. They would hide in caves along the way and attack their victims."

Answer: True

Over the years, Luke has won praise for his historical accounts in the book of Acts.

For example, Wikipedia quotes archaeologist Sir William Ramsay as saying, "Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy... [he] should be placed along with the very greatest of historians." Ramsay also praises Luke for his accurate description of towns, cities and islands, as well as correctly naming various official titles.

E.M. Blaiklock, professor of Classics at Auckland University, also has high praise for Luke. "For accuracy of detail, and for evocation of atmosphere, Luke stands, in fact, with Thucydides," Blaiklock is quoted as saying by Wikipedia. "The Acts of the Apostles is not a shoddy product of pious imagining, but a trustworthy record... it was the spadework of archaeology which first revealed the truth."

Scholars are also impressed by Luke's command on the language. His two books were written in Greek and contain tell tale signs he was an educated man, various Websites report.

Answer: True

When it comes to the parables of Christ, the word 'impressive' can be truly used to describe the Gospel of Luke. There are a total of thirty-nine parables in the four Gospels with twenty-eight of them in Luke. (Matthew contains twenty parables and Mark contains nine while John is devoid of parables.)

The parables found in only Luke are The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan, A Friend in Need, The Rich Fool, The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant, The Faithful and Wise Steward, The Barren Fig Tree, The Great Supper, Building a Tower and King Making War, The Lost Coin, The Unjust Steward, The Rich Man and Lazarus, Unprofitable Servants, The Persistent Widow, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector and finally The Minas (Pounds).

Luke also has accounts of more miracles by Jesus than any of the Gospels. He writes about twenty-two miracles while Matthew tells of twenty-one. Mark tells of nineteen miracles and John tells of eight.

A number of miracles are reported in only Luke as well. The miracles found in only Luke include the Healing on the Ten Lepers, Escape From the Hostile Multitude, Draught of Fish, Raising the Widow's Son from the Dead at Nain, Healing the Infirm Bowed Woman, Healing the Man with Dropsy and Restoring a Servant's Ear.

Luke is about much more than quantity, however. He is all about quality.

"Luke had outstanding command of the Greek language," reports the Website Biblica.com. "His vocabulary is extensive and rich, and his style at times approaches that of classical Greek (as in the preface, 1:1-4), while at other times it is quite Semitic (1:5-2:52) -- often like the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT)."

Answer: He and his household were baptized by Paul.

The Philippi jailer became a Christian and his household was baptized. It's one of a number of amazing Bible stories written by Luke.

The passage tells of Paul and Silas being stripped and severely beaten with rods by a frenzied mob in Philippi. Later they were thrown in prison and put in an inner cell with their feet in stocks making escape highly unlikely. To make things even more difficult for Paul and Silas to escape, Scripture tells of the Phippi jailer being told to guard his two prize prisoners "carefully".

Despite their immense suffering, Luke writes Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns at about midnight when a miracle happened.

Acts 16:26-27 states: "Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped."

The other prisoners may have escaped, but to the amazement of the jailer Paul and Silas stayed put. Luke goes on to tell of Paul and Silas converting the jailer to Christianity.

Acts 16:29-34 states: "The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved -- you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God -- he and his whole household."

Answer: little child

The two missing words are 'little child'. Being meek and humble like a little child was a recurring theme in Christ's teachings. And this at a time when children were to be seen and not heard.

Luke passionately tells of Christ's love for children and at the same time urging adults to live their lives with the innocence of a child. Luke 18:15-17, in the NKJV, states: "Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it'."

To help emphasize how someone should become great, Jesus "took a little child and set him by Him", according to Luke 9.

Here's how Luke 9:46-48 reads in the NKJV: "Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, 'Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great'."

Answer: True

It is generally believed Luke was a Gentile, making him quite possibly the only Gentile who wrote a book in the New Testament.

Biblica.com, for example, reports Luke "was probably a Gentile by birth, well educated in Greek culture, a physician by profession, a companion of Paul at various times from his second missionary journey to his final imprisonment in Rome, and a loyal friend who remained with the apostle after others had deserted him."

Paul's writing in Colossians 4:10-11,14 seems to support the belief Luke was a Gentile. In the NIV, the verses state: "My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. ...Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings."

Yes, there are some theologians who dispute the claim Luke was Gentile, saying he was a Hellenistic Jew. However, the traditional belief is he was not a Jew. Just try Googling some information on the topic and you will quickly see there is much more support for Luke being a Gentile than being a Jew.

Answer: 50,000 pieces of silver

The magic books were worth fifty thousand pieces of silver. The NIV states fifty thousand drachmas. Meanwhile, the Amplified Bible states fifty thousand pieces of silver were worth about about $9,300.

Anyway, you look at it, the burning of the books on magic was a massive demonstration of obedience to the Christian cause.

Notes in the New King James Version Study Bible have this to say about the mass book burning: "These books were filled with formulas, spells, and astrological forecasts. The volumes were expensive; fifty thousand pieces of silver would have taken ten laborers twenty years to earn. Burning books indicated real repentance on the part of those who practiced magic."

Answer: Nain

The widow of Nain saw Jesus perform a spectacular miracle -- her son was raised from the dead. This is one of three incidents in which Christ raised people from the dead, according to the four Gospels. He also raised Jairus' daughter from the dead, as per Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56. And then to top things off, He raised Lazarus from the dead, as per John 11:38-44.

According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Nain is about ten miles south of Nazareth. Incidentally, this is the only place in the entire English Bible where Nain is mentioned.

Here's how Luke 7:11-15, in the NKJV Bible, tells of the miracle Jesus performed in Nain for the widow: "Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother."

Answer: Doctor

Doctor is the correct answer as Paul identifies him as such in Colossians 4:14. It's highly likely Luke continued to serve as a physician during Paul's missionary journeys. Some theologians believe Paul referred to Luke as a doctor as a testament to the fact he was helping him with health-related matters.

Some also speculate Luke helped Paul cure people on the island of Malta after a shipwreck, as per Acts 28:9.

Answer: True

Luke's name appears in Philemon 1:24 in Paul's greetings portion of the letter. In addition to including Luke's name in Philemon, Paul also lists it in Colossians 4:14 and 2 Timothy 4:10.

It's interesting to note Paul writes of his horrible suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. He tells of being beaten, flogged, shipwrecked and generally suffering immensely. With Luke by his side for a substantial part of Paul's missionary work, it's quite likely he suffered a similar fate.

Answer: Queen Candace

Queen Candace is the correct answer. (In the NIV, she is referred to as "Kandake, which means 'queen of the Ethiopians'.") Not much is known about the queen as she is mentioned in Scripture in only passing reference.

According to Wikipedia, four African queens were known to the Greco-Roman world as the 'Candaces'. They are Amanishakhete, Amanirenas, Nawidemak, and Malegereabar.

According to Luke's account in Acts 8:27, the eunuch was in charge of the queen's treasury.

Answer: Rhoda

Rhoda is the correct answer. She will be always remembered as the highly excitable girl who let her mind wander from the task at hand. It's a good thing Peter was not being chased by would-be captors, as he would have been chopped liver having to stand at the door of the house trying to get in while Rhoda was busy telling everyone else the latest news. The story in Acts 12:12-16 almost smacks of a scene from a Hollywood sitcom.

There are a number of other fascinating stories like this in Acts as well.

Answer: Malta

Luke and Paul were shipwrecked off the coast of Malta. Details about the shipwreck can be found in Acts 27 and 28. In his account, Luke writes about the their ship being tossed back and forth by a violent storm for fourteen consecutive days. Luke tells of 276 people being aboard the ship and they all made it to safety, just like Paul had fearlessly predicted. Luke goes on to write about the hospitality of the people of Malta once everyone made it ashore. This is the only time Malta is mentioned in Scripture.

Many people read about the shipwreck and are not aware Luke was part of the misadventure. However, when you read the verses carefully, you will note Luke uses terms like "we did this" or "this happened to us". When you include Luke inside the 'we passages' in Acts, you quickly come to the realization he was a key worker in the early church.

Many theologians suspect Luke did not include his name in Scripture simply out of modesty. It's details like this that make me appreciate Luke so much.

Answer: Theophilus

The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are both addressed to Theophilus. However, it is not known for certain who exactly Theophilus was. Some believe he was a Roman government official, others believe he was a lawyer who represented Paul during one of his trials.

Some believe Theophilus is a collective name for Christians in general but this view is disputed by others because the Gospel of Luke describes Theophilus in the NKJV and the NIV as "most excellent," a term for a specific person and not a collective body.

Answer: True

If you answered 'false' to this question, you will quickly come to the realization Luke is both 'underrated' and 'unappreciated'. It comes as a surprise to many to learn Luke wrote more content in the New Testament than anyone else -- including Paul who is credited with writing thirteen letters and John who is traditionally credited with writing five.

To determine the results, I took a copy of the New King James large print Bible by Thomas Nelson Bibles. (I selected this one as it is devoid of charts, graphs and study notes which can give an inaccurate score when one is counting the total number of pages written by a writer.) In this particular Bible, Luke wrote 97.5 pages, Paul wrote 88 pages and John 71.5 pages. Actual scores will vary from Bible to Bible, of course, due to the size of print and other printing features. However, the bottom line is this: Whichever Bible you use, Luke will come out on top for most pages written, as well as most number of words.

It's things like this that make Luke my favorite Bible character.

Answer: Paul

After surviving a harrowing shipwreck, Luke writes in Acts 28:2-3 about their group making it safely ashore on the island of Malta, where the inhabitants built a fire and welcomed them. Verse 3 states Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.

Scripture states the snake bite had no impact on Paul, much to the amazement of the islanders. Acts 28:4-6, in the NKJV Bible, states: "So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, 'No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.' But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god."

Answer: 12

The words 'widow' and 'widows' can be found twelve different times in the Gospel of Luke as well as an additional three times in Acts, which was also written by Luke.

Meanwhile the words 'widow' and 'widows' can be found four times in Matthew and only once in Mark. There is no use of the word 'widow' in John.

(In the NIV, the words 'widow' and 'widows' can be found twenty times in the four Gospels with thirteen of the appearances in Luke.)

In Biblical times, widows were especially vulnerable as there was no welfare system to support them. They were seen as helpless individuals. As a result, the Gospel of Luke has a message that resonates today with the downtrodden of society.

Answer: Timothy

Paul, on a number of occasions, describes, Timothy as his son. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells Timothy in the NKJV, "let no one despise your youth". (In the NIV, it states, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young.)

In addition to being young, Timothy was known for being timid. For example, in 1 Corinthians 16:10, Paul tells the believers in Corinth to make sure Timothy has nothing to fear, should he visit. The last we read about Timothy is in Hebrews 13:23 and it tells of him being released from prison.

According to 2 Timothy 1:5, Timothy's mother was Eunice and his grandmother was Lois.

Answer: Jericho

Zacchaeus, of course, was the short man who climbed up a sycamore tree in Luke 19 to get a better look at Jesus passing through town. Zacchaeus oversaw all the tax collectors in Jericho, a community northeast of Jerusalem, near the Jordan River. According to Wikipedia, Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

When Jesus spotted the diminutive tax collector up in a tree, he said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." No doubt the response took Zacchaeus by complete surprise. After all, it's not every day a 'celebrity' passes through a community and states to a person he has never met before that he wants to spend the night at his house.