Customer Reviews

Luke's Story (Jesus Chronicles (Penguin Audio))

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If you like Biblical history like me, you should enjoy this series. Luke's story helps you visualize how the people in the Bible might have been like and how they handled various trials during Jesus time.

This story is based on the biblical account of Luke who was an early Christian writer who the Church Fathers said was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke spoke Greek who lived in of Antioch in Ancient Syria. He had become a disciple and constant companion of the Apostle Paul and followed him until Paul was executed.

In "Luke's Story," Loukon who is later called Luke, is a Greek slave whose master, Theophilus, sends him to a university to become a physician. There Loukon encounters Saul of Tarsus, an arrogant debater.

Later, as a physician, Luke hears tales of a man named Jesus and his miraculous healings of one of his own patients.

After Saul of Tarsus now called Paul, is converted and becomes a follower of Jesus, Luke's life changes and he pledges himself to Jesus and decides to write a Gospel based on years of talking to believers about their testimony and listening to their stories of the Jesus's life from those who knew Him- most important, His mother, Mary.

Patience Prence Author SCARS: An End-Times Novel

We meet the author of the New Testament's third gospel as an adolescent son of slaves. Loukon knows that he is fortunate to belong to Stoic master Theophilus who sponsors the intelligent, medically-minded youth at the university in Tarsus. In his first semester, Luke meets the vocal and passionate Saul who has no compunction when it comes to asserting the superiority of Judaism and of Jews. Luke continues to pursue a Stoic lifestyle in hopes of becoming a man in right standing, but he continues to feel that he is falling short of the mark. As ship's doctor, Luke meets Saul again years after university, although Saul is now a new man; even his name is different. This life changing encounter prompts Luke to pursue another passion: recording history. His meetings with Paul, the other apostles, and even Mary results in a detailed retelling of the most famous man in history, Jesus Christ.

Although it is a fictional work, reading it allowed this reviewer to consider the sacrifice and level of faith the story of Christ required of its followers. Luke did not ever meet Jesus and the persecution of the early church was a deterrent to its contemporaries. This work provides readers with a very small glimpse of the life-altering decision to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and not the mad man that the world says he was. This fictional story gives us a sense of the Author's efforts to orchestrate the lives of men to bring us His inspired Word and the luxury that is ours to have the Word sitting in our homes.

This book brings Luke and his gospel to life, as do the other books in The Jesus Chronicles. A real blessing...

LUKE'S STORY joins others in Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins's THE JESUS CHRONICLES and receives a vivid narration by Broadway actor Robertson Dean in a survey of Luke, who never met Jesus or saw him perform miracles, but whose belief was built on faith. His rise from Greek slave to university-educated physician makes for a powerful account of how Luke's gospel was written: perfect for spirituality collections.

I ready loved reading this book. Of the four books in the series, this one was my favorite. I wish the authors would have included some of the Books of Acts.

Arrived on time in advertised condition. Although it was fiction, it was spiritually stimulating. Well worth the time. A great read.

Luke is one of the great books of the Bible, he shows compassion in his writings. The authors are great.

Regarding previous review by David Zampino (Delavan, Wisconsin)

Mr. Zampino wrote: -- there WAS NO SUCH THING AS A UNIVERSITY UNTIL THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES!!! THE CONCEPT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST!!!

Historians say different:

Historian Robert H. Gundry had the following to say concerning Greco-Roman education and the university at Tarsus:

"Greco-Roman education was liberal in its scope. Slaves supervised boys in their earlier years by giving them their first lessons and then leading them to and from private schools until they graduated into adulthood with a great deal of ceremony. As young men, they could then attend universities at Athens, Rhodes, Tarsus, Alexandria, and other places to study philosophy, rhetoric, law, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, geography, and botany" (italics mine). (Robert H. Gundry, A Survey Of The New Testament, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), pgs.81-82. It is clear by the author's inference that Tarsus was among the top four of the most desirable universities to attend in antiquity by the privileged classes in the Roman empire.

Also in The American Journal of Biblical Theology I found an article "The Early Life and Background of Paul the Apostle."

© 2002, Quency E. Wallace. All rights reserved Rev. Quency E.

Wallace holds a Master of Theology and Master of Biblical Studies from Regent University School of Divinity. He is presently pursuing a Doctorate in Theology from the same institution.

He stated:" Tarsus was widely known in antiquity as a "university city," as well as a city of commerce in Paul's day. Educators from all over the Roman empire came to teach at the schools of learning at Tarsus. Grecian, Egyptian, Roman, African, and many other scholars came, bringing their learning and culture with them."

This is an outstanding story covering Luke's writing of the Gospel of Luke and Acts incorporating historical context to cover Luke's life and Luke's and Paul's journeys through the Roman empire.

Interesting and fast paced. All the Biblical truths are there with fictionalized, but plausable details. Great Read, and helps to put the events of St. Luke's life in perspective.