the role of the lukan parables in terms of the purpose of luke's gospel

separate groups, since according to Greek grammar, a single article () governing two nouns
connected by may or may not constitute a single entity. 29 What is more, the position of
the participle () after the second noun () also supports this interpretation,
because the participle does not separate the two nouns. Dillon goes so far as to claim that
Luke’s language presents a process by which original eyewitnesses gradually became
servants of the word. 30 His contention is refuted, however, by Nolland who says that the
disciples in Acts are to be witnesses, not graduates from being eyewitnesses. 31 Who were
these “eyewitnesses” and “servants”? It is obvious that it includes at least some of the
apostles, for Luke gives attention to eyewitness from the beginning (Acts 1:21-22) as one of
the qualifications for apostleship. Furthermore, it is most likely that the group includes others
besides apostles, but their identity is unknown to us. According to Ellis, there are three stages
of history in the tradition: 1) the experienced events; 2) the witnesses’ formulation of the
events’ tradition; and 3) the recording of that tradition and the reflection upon those events. 32
In so doing, it is clear that Luke is not one of their number, but second generation. The
reference to the word is to the Christian message, the good news which is based on the
coming of Jesus and his missionary activity as a message about divine events.
The verb is a technical term that describes the passing on of an official
tradition, either orally or in writing, in which case it is a strong allusion to apostolic oral
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tradition. Eyewitnesses and servants by nature of their activity pass it on to “us” (verse 2)
which implies not only those of Luke’s time including himself, but also his literary
predecessors and other unidentifiable Christians, probably the tradition’s transmission to a
later generation of the church. 34
2-1-3. Luke’s Purpose according to the Preface (1:3-4)
Luke here describes his own view concerning his work in verse 3 as the major clause of the
preface. is interpreted as “it seemed well to me also,” in which case as
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crasis for plus means “and to me” or “also to me.” Luke wants to join himself to
29. Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 278.
30. R. Dillon, “Previewing Luke’s Project from His Prologue (Luke 1:1-4), CBQ 43 (1981), 205-227, here 214-
15.
31. Nolland, Luke, 7-8.
32. Ellis, Luke, 65.
33. Creed, Luke, 4.
34. Felix, “Literary Dependence and Luke’s Prologue,” 75.
35. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke, 296; Bock, “Understanding Luke’s Task: Carefully Building on
272