IndexIntroductionCultural-Historical Context of the Gospel of LukeLiterary Context of LukeConclusionIntroductionTo read any biblical text accurately, it is necessary to employ proper hermeneutic principles during the period of study. Good hermeneutics examines the cultural-historical context of a passage including information about the author, his audience, and the circumstances surrounding his writing; the literary context of the passage including the author's flow of thought, the passage in relation to the book as a whole, and the audience present during the particular speech; and the meaning of individual parts of the text. Once these things are taken into consideration, the reader can determine the purpose and meaning of a specific biblical text. In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus uses what has become known as the “parable of the prodigal son” to teach the Pharisees a lesson about God's undeserved love for sinners and his joy that comes from their repentance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Historical Cultural Context of the Gospel of Luke According to Duvall and Hays, “cultural-historical context refers to anything outside the text that will help you understand” the text itself.” It is important to examine the following three elements when discussing the text found in Luke 15:11-32: the author, Luke; the public, the early Christians of the late first century, especially the Gentiles; and the purpose of Luke's writing. Although Luke does not identify himself as the author of his Gospel, Luke has been credited by the vast majority of scholars with writing not only the third Gospel, but also the book of Acts. Although he was not an early disciple or even an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry, Luke recorded the account passed down to him by those who were "eyewitnesses and ministers of the word (Luke 1:2)." Luca declares that his story is orderly and well-researched, a characteristic that would undoubtedly belong to a man who was, according to tradition, a doctor by profession. Luke's gospel is the longest of the four, which may also be due to his keen attention to detail in his desire to present the most accurate account of Jesus possible. Luke was a Gentile and companion of the apostle Paul. The fact that he was a Gentile allowed him to write in a way that could be understood by a Gentile audience. According to Beth Kreitzer, "In discussions of the Gospel of Luke, it is often noted that Luke was a Greek speaker, and was writing to other Greeks, and although it is debated whether he was writing to a largely Jewish community or a Gentile community, there is it is a strong theme of acceptance of Gentiles as true believers that runs throughout the text.” Charles L. Childers also states that the Gospel of Luke was written for Gentiles on the basis that it was addressed to Theophilus (a Gentile); The Hebrew terms come avoided, explained or redefined using a Greek equivalent; there are few references to the Old Testament; and the dating is based on the Roman leadership of the time. According to Childers, Luke writes “primarily to give Theophilus a fuller and more satisfactory knowledge regarding to Jesus Christ. He had received rudimentary information, but Luke felt he needed further instructions, and perhaps Theophilus had asked Luke to provide him with a more adequate account. This purpose is confirmed in Luke 1.1-4. Luke's literary context While the historical-cultural context refers to everything that is external to the text and can help the reader understand a particular passage, the literary context deals directly with the passage itself. Examine the passage's place in the larger flow of thoughtof the author, the place of the passage in the work as a whole, and the audience present during the discourse of that specific passage. Luke 15:11-32 is one of Jesus' parables. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines a parable as “stories, especially those of Jesus, told to provide insight into life, especially life in the kingdom of God. Parable means to set aside for the purpose of comparison and new understanding. Parables use images as metaphors or similes and often extend them into a short story to make a point or reveal something." Luke 15:11-32 is one of three parables found in Luke 15 that Jesus uses as a response to the Pharisee's accusation who is a friend of sinners. Trent Butler writes: Jesus had just described heaven as a banquet for the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. He told the rich guests of the banquet to invite these people to their feasts, without asking any refund. Naturally these people found Jesus and his teaching attractive. They wanted to know more and see what Jesus would do for them. Meanwhile the religious experts also stood guard, hoping to trap Jesus. They continually scolded him: why does he frequent this kind of people? Don't you know their reputation? They will ruin you. Luke demonstrates how Jesus, instead of responding to the Pharisees with a direct statement, tells stories in an attempt to allow them to see the truth of their wrongdoings. There are three groups of people present as Jesus begins his speech. “All three of these subjects (the “found”, the “lost” and Jesus) appear in each of the three parables. Yet there is a notable progression in the accounts. The first story is about animals. The second concerns lifeless coins. But in the third story people come up on stage and start talking.” Perhaps Luke put these parables in this specific order because they were the order in which Jesus told them. Perhaps the purpose of that order was so that Jesus' main point for his audience would become abundantly clear when he finished his speech. Luke 15:11-32 as it relates to Luke as a whole. The Gospel of Luke as a whole shows the continuity between God's promises in Israel's history with the ministry of Jesus, emphasizes Jesus' compassion for the needy and unfortunate, shows the work of the Holy Spirit, and describes a kinder Jesus and sensitive compared to the other three Gospels. Although Luke 15:11-32 may seem at odds with Jesus' compassion and gentle sensitivity, it is actually the opposite. It was because of Jesus' compassion for the needy and unfortunate that he responded to the Pharisees' humiliating accusations by using the parable of the prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32: The audience present. Luke makes it clear at the beginning of chapter 15 that Jesus' audience in telling this parable in Luke 15:11-32 were the Pharisees and teachers of the law. According to Green and McDonald, “the Pharisees are the main opponents of Jesus and the early Christian movement.” They argued with Jesus primarily about matters of “external godliness, such as tithing, fasting, purity, and Sabbath-keeping.” In the eyes of the Pharisees, Jesus was opposing the law they held so sacred. They did not know that Jesus was actually the fulfillment of that law (Matthew 17), and they had made themselves enemies of God. Luke 15:11-24 The Father and His Younger Son 11-12 The younger son asks his father for his share of the inheritance. At the beginning of this parable there are three characters: a man and his two sons. Trent Butler points out that “Jesus turned to the family environment for his closing parable to illustrate why he associated with sinners.” The youngest son, for a reason unknown to Luke's audience, approaches his father and demands his share of the family inheritance. This request isunusual as the father is still alive when the youngest son approaches him. Even stranger is the fact that the father so quickly agrees to his son's request.13-16 The youngest son wastes everything his father gave him and finds himself feeding another man's pigs, craving their food . No more than a few days later, it becomes apparent that the youngest son wishes to get as far away from his father and brother as possible. Since the son shows no restraint and abandons himself to a reckless life, he soon finds himself empty-handed, far from home. The youngest son is not only without monetary resources, but also without food. Although he desires the food he feeds the pigs, he is denied even that because he is nothing more than a servant.17-19 The youngest son comes to his senses and decides to return home to his father. After an unidentified period of time spent with the pigs, the youngest son comes to his senses. He says to himself: “How many of my father's hired servants have bread in abundance, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants (Luke 15:17-19).”' The younger son recognizes that he is lost and trapped in his sin and makes the decision to repent and return home. the focus of the story shifts from the youngest son to the father. Between verses 19 and 20 it seems that the father will have to make a choice. Will the son be forgiven or sent away before he enters his father's house? This question is immediately answered in verse 20. The father not only allows his son to come to him, but it turns out he was waiting for him the whole time. In order to see his son from afar, the father would have to wait for his return. Compassion, not anger, is the word used to describe the father's feelings toward his younger son.21 The son repents to his father. Even though the father gives his son no reason to believe he is angry, the younger son is still ready with the “supplication he had rehearsed” in verse 18. However, the original speech the son had planned never ends. 22-24 The father hosts a celebration for his son's return. The father interrupts his son's request for forgiveness with a command to his servants. The father asks that his son be brought the most beautiful robe, that shoes be put on his feet and that a ring be put on his finger. This dress would be the appropriate attire for the party the father was about to throw. The father orders the fatted calf to be brought and prepared and announces that a feast was about to take place. Craddock comments that “grace seems to abrogate justice, and the parable, with the restraint vital for a parable, leaves the reader to wrestle with the tension. The parable is coherent in its framework of values: twice it is said that the youngest son was dead and came back to life, he was lost and was found (Lk 15,24.32)".25-27 The older brother feels that his brother is back and they are preparing for the party. The eldest son, who has barely been mentioned up to this point in the story, approaches the house after a day's work and is greeted with a sound reminiscent of music and dancing. The eldest son, taken by surprise, calls a servant to ask what is happening. The servant reports that the fatted calf was killed because the man's younger brother returned.28-30 The older son becomes angry and complains to his father. Michael Card points out that “every time someone is depicted as repentant and receiving grace, Luke paints someone in the shadows who simply hates that God acts this way. Mercy is the salvation of some and,.