Luke the physician writes this Gospel account to his protégé Theophilus. Likely written to edify Gentile Christians, Luke shows how God’s redemptive promises to rescue Jews and Gentiles are fulfilled through the work of the obedient divine Son. Luke carefully traces how Christ is the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures, and from his birth accounts, he shows readers the counterintuitive nature of Christ’s upside-down kingdom.
Luke’s telling of Christ’s ministry journey from Galilee to Jerusalem brims with stories of healing and restoration for the poor and forgotten. Again and again, Luke declares that the Lord has come with authority to deliver his people from sin, captivity, and exile. He points to the kingdom’s future reality as well—Christ’s reign over all things and Satan’s ultimate defeat.
Here are our picks for the best commentaries on Luke.
Introductory Commentaries
For Sunday school teachers and small group leaders without advanced training
Luke
Peter G. Bolt
TGC Bible Commentary
The Gospel Coalition, 2023
Bolt organizes Luke’s narrative flow under three main sections. He argues that the Gospel provides certainty about Jesus Christ, certainty about life in the age to come, and purpose for the here and now.
Luke
Diane G. Chen
New Covenant Commentary Series
Wipf and Stock, 2017
Chen’s commentary helps readers understand the world in which Jesus lived—one steeped in Jewish history and convictions, yet threatened by Roman power and culture. Chen’s interpretation will help readers fuse scriptural and modern horizons, and see both life and ministry applications.
Luke
Darrell L. Bock
IVP New Testament Commentary Series
IVP Academic, 2010
Bock’s volume provides basic exegesis that summarizes the fuller comments in his massive BECNT volume (see below). It will benefit Bible teachers because it’s well-outlined with key principles, exposition, and application.
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary
Nicholas Perrin
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
IVP Academic, 2022
Replacing the venerable Leon Morris’s good work in the series, readers will find Perrin’s new commentary to be an excellent introductory-level resource.
Preaching Commentaries
For pastors and Bible teachers preparing to proclaim the Word
Luke
Dale Ralph Davis
Focus on the Bible
Christian Focus, 2021
Davis’s work is always readable, and his two volumes on Luke are no exception. Arising out of sermons, they contain illustrations along with careful and practical explanations of the text. Each passage is explained thoughtfully, with technical terms in bold, and footnotes that while limited indicate informed study of the text.
The Gospel According to Luke
James R. Edwards
Pillar New Testament Commentary
Eerdmans, 2015
Edwards focuses on the historical setting, narrative purpose and themes, and theological significance of the book. This commentary is a informed, stimulating, and sensible exegesis of the text that highlights how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s saving purposes in the history of Israel. Tabb says it’s “eminently readable and consistently insightful and highly recommended for all students of Luke’s Gospel.”
Luke
Walter L. Liefeld and David W. Pao
Expositor's Bible Commentary
Zondervan Academic, 2017
Pao’s work supplements Liefeld’s initial publication, which already packed a great deal of astute content into a relatively small compass, making this non-technical commentary even stronger.
Scholarly Commentaries
For pastors and theologians proficient in biblical Greek
Luke
Darrell L. Bock
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
Baker Academic, 1996
Carson says Bock’s comprehensive treatment of Luke’s Gospel is “well-written and intelligent.” Bock gives a careful exposition of the Greek in its historical context, and he engages with all the scholarly questions about Luke’s historicity and sources. This set is the standard for serious students with knowledge of the original language.
Luke
David E. Garland
Zondervan Exegetical Commentary
Zondervan Academic, 2011
Garland’s 1,000-plus-page commentary is user-friendly and an all-around gem despite its length. It adheres tightly to the ZECNT series format, and uses enough Greek that it belongs in this category though others without language knowledge can benefit from it as well. Garland consistently lands on the most persuasive approach to contested issues. His commentary is simultaneously strong at the exegetical level and helpful at the homiletical level. Tabb says, “Garland frequently references primary sources like Josephus and the Mishnah and notes important secondary sources while maintaining focused on the biblical text.”
The Gospel of Luke
Joel B. Green
New International Commentary on the New Testament
Eerdmans, 1997
Green’s commentary of nearly a thousand pages helps readers see broader literary connections, themes, and cultural background material. The commentary is thought-provoking and filled with thoughtful interaction with contemporary scholarship. Carson says its “forte” is “narrative historiography and discourse analysis,” but notes one downside of Green’s almost exclusively literary reading; this means Green downplays discussion about the relation between Luke and the other Synoptics, including the major historical issues implicit in such discussions.