Christian character in the Gospel of Luke

Written by Brian E. Beck Reviewed By Howard C. Bigg

Brian Beck has produced a most interesting and informative book on a subject which is for the most part ignored by commentators. It is not simply a word study, but a wide-ranging consideration of Luke’s attitude towards ideas which have an important bearing on the matter of Christian behaviour both positively and negatively. After an introductory chapter setting out the aims of the study, the author looks in some detail at the subjects of love, wealth (two chapters), a sense of God, faith, discipleship, imitation, the Pharisaic mind, a chapter on the structure of Luke in the light of earlier chapters, and a concluding summary.

There are so many good things in this book that one must confine oneself to some examples. In the chapter on love Beck underlines that for Luke, love is not a static concept but is marked by action. In the Lucan version of the great commandment, the quotation of Deuteronomy 6:4f. and Leviticus 19:18 are brought together in a single sentence as one command (10:27) and not separated as in Mark 12:30f. Love is thus indivisible, with no first commandment which can be fulfilled independently of the second (or vice versa). In the chapter on discipleship, Beck observes that Jesus does not propound a sectarian ethic to be adopted by some special class of person, but one which is intended for all. The inside/outside distinction is not nearly so clearly drawn as it is in Mark. The penultimate chapter on Luke’s structure applies the author’s conclusion in earlier chapters to the much-debated question of how Luke has organized his material. Students of Luke will find here some original points in this difficult area.

This book is a study in redaction criticism at its best. By paying close attention to the text, Mr Beck is able to draw out many telling observations and it is recommended that a synopsis is to hand when reading this book. The style is wonderfully lucid and it is a book to be warmly recommended to scholars and ministers. There is some solid material here for sermon preparation.


Howard C. Bigg

Cambridge