Abstract
Justo González explores the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts as a two-volume work within his book, The Story Luke Tells. He argues that interpreters of the New Testament have given precedence to Paul and John, whereas the material written by the mysterious Luke has been undervalued. He hopes to expand the scholarship of Lukan material by examining the similarities and uniqueness of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to the rest of the New Testament corpus.
González reflects on the uniqueness of the two books attributed to Luke within the biblical corpus. In particular, González acknowledges the distinctiveness of the book of Acts as one that records events not found in any other place within the biblical canon (p. vii). In the introduction, González states, “the purpose of this brief book is to investigate and expound something of Luke’s theology, underlining both those elements which he shares with the rest of the New Testament authors and those which are unique to him” (p. viii). González examines the uniqueness of the gospel of Luke while also drawing similarities between it and the other gospels. He examines the differences and similarities of Lukan material with other biblical works through examining eight themes that he identifies within the Lukan material.
The first two themes that González identifies are Luke’s focus on telling the story of the gospel within the histories of humankind and Israel. Luke gives particular interest to dating the events recounted in his works (p. 5), as well as the social, political, and contextual factors about which he is writing. Luke also stresses the place of Jesus within human history and the new beginning that came about with Jesus. Luke invites the reader to take part in the story that Luke tells, connecting Jesus to the story of Israel and seeing in Jesus the promises of the Hebrew Bible being fulfilled (pp. 15–28).
The third theme that González highlights is the “great reversal.” This theme is not exclusive to Luke, but it is central to Lukan theology. According to González, the “great reversal” is religious, social, ethnic, etc., and Luke provides the material to show just how transformative it is (pp. 42–44). The fourth theme that González highlights is gender inclusion within the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. González highlights the inclusion of women in Lukan thought. In particular, he stresses the parallel inclusion of men and women in instances within Lukan material (p. 47).
The fifth theme that González identifies is Jesus’ role as Savior within Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts. González stresses that the use of the words “savior” and “salvation” is very Lukan (and Pauline) (p. 61). González undertakes word studies of “savior” and “salvation” (pp. 61–64) and discusses interpretations of salvation within Lukan thought that go beyond the idea of eternal life (pp. 68–72).
The next theme that González identifies is the importance of food and drink within Lukan material. The theme of food and drink is not limited to the Gospel of Luke; it appears in the gospels of Mark and Matthew as well, but it is at the forefront of the gospel of Luke (p. 77). In González’s examination of the place of food and drink in Luke, he also examines the importance of relationships and the place of the “great reversal” with the use of the theme of food and drink, such as Jesus eating with Pharisees in the Gospel of Luke (p. 83).
The seventh theme that González identifies is the aspect of worship in Lukan thought. In particular, González examines the concept of communion and its place within the history of the church (pp. 94–97). González argues that worship is a means of conveying a message to the world (p. 107) and outlines what that message entails. According to González, the message of worship found in Luke is “an announcement of love, justice, peace, and hope” to all of humanity (p. 108). The final theme that González highlights is the importance of the Holy Spirit within Lukan theology. González looks at the terminology and the distinction of God’s action between the gospels and the book of Acts (pp. 114–16). He highlights the importance of the Holy Spirit within the Lukan material, particularly within the book of Acts. For González, the story that Luke tells does not end; rather, Luke is calling, through the Holy Spirit, for readers to join in the journey of the church (p. 129).
González’s thoughts are powerful and engaging. The Story Luke Tells is an intriguing, brief, and readable exploration of the uniqueness of Luke’s gospel and Acts. This book is a rich resource for the casual learner and for those looking for more practical resources for Bible studies or sermons, but it is not an adequate resource for those in the world of academia. It lacks footnotes and a bibliography, which proves to be a hindrance in conducting academic research. The niche of the audience for this book is those in the laity looking for practical resources and not for those who are looking for resources for any academic work. That being said, González has presented an amazing contribution to the conversations surrounding Lukan theology.