Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Luke 1:1-80
St. Luke's Gospel Luke 1:3-4 Our information concerning St. Luke is scanty. It is conjectured by some that he was one of the seventy disciples sent forth by our Lord, in addition to the twelve Apostles (Luke 10:1 ). There seems no reason to doubt that he was the companion of St. Paul in his travels, and that he was a 'physician' (Colossians 4:14 ). Some have thought that his profession as a physician may be traced in his manner of describing our Lord's miraculous cures of diseases, and his... read more
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Luke 1:77
(77) To give knowledge of salvation.—This, as the form of the Greek verb shows, was to be the object of the Baptist’s mission. Men had lost sight of the true nature of salvation. They were wrapt in dreams of deliverance from outward enemies, and needed to be taught that it consisted in forgiveness for the sins of the past, and power to overcome sins in the future.The remission of their sins.—Historically, this was the first utterance of the words in the Gospel records, and we may well think of... read more