In Luke's gospel, we see the life of Jesus on earth through the eyes of a Gentile. Taken all together, the New Testament creates a portrait of the Christ of faith. Its roots are the testimonies of those who actually knew the Jesus of history. Luke wrote both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, making 27.5% of the New Testament. Paul mentions him in three epistles. Both Luke and Acts address the same person, named Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Perhaps Theophilus, had already received the basics of Christian doctrine, but had not yet fully mastered them.

No one knows exactly who Theophilus was, but we know that Luke's purpose in writing the two companion books was so that Theophilus would know with certainty about the person and work of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:4). The name, Theophilus, means 'lover of God.' God's divine love shines through both books. Paul had a close relationship with Luke, and Paul called him 'the beloved physician' (Colossians 4:14). Luke's interest in medicine may be the reason why his gospel puts a high emphasis on Jesus' healing acts. Luke is referred to as a 'fellow laborer' by Paul in Philemon 1:24. During Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 16:6-11), Luke accompanied Paul to Troas, which is in Asia Minor, which is currently Turkey. Luke was with Paul when he traveled to Jerusalem and Rome, and also when he was imprisoned there (2 Timothy 4:11).

Luke's vivid description of his travels with Paul in Acts 27 suggests that he was skilled in navigation and probably traveled extensively. Luke's expertise in the Greek language has been noted by many scholars. His vocabulary is extensive and rich in classical Greek, as illustrated in the preface of his Gospel (Luke 1:1-4). Luke was a well-educated, observant, and careful writer.