Ghosts of the Shephelah, Book 7: Luke

By James K. Stewart

Next to the apostle Paul, Luke is the best-known author in the New Testament. Yet, he is more than likely the one we know the least. As a physician, we know Luke was from a well-to-do family. Excellence in Greek grammar demonstrates he was well educated. How and where he came into the company of Paul, we know not. We do know that by the time Paul arrived in Troas, Luke was part of the entourage. This fact is evinced when Luke's writing turns from third person to first person omniscient in Acts 16:10. From that point on, Luke writes from firsthand experience. His desire to put forth an accurate account of the life of Christ displays a deep commitment by witnessing his faith in the risen Lord. How and where he researched his gospel information is unknown as Jesus' parents would most certainly have passed away by the time he met Paul. Did Luke marry? Was he ever married? How did he come to witness the life of Christ to Theopolis? Join Luke in a journey into the past and discover a life most fascinating. Relive the events and forces that endeavored to eradicate our faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: May 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666742121

James K. Stewart

James K. Stewart is a retired Presbyterian minister who has always believed that the Old Testament has helped him to understand the vital necessity of Christ Jesus. His many life experiences of construction worker; scuba instructor; screenplay writer and writer/director of many theatrical productions; and, in his retirement, golfer, have given him an in-depth appreciation that people--all people, regardless of race, creed, or color--suffer and enjoy the same human experiences.

Book preview

Preface

As in my previous works, I have tried to respect the Hebrew names given to disciples and followers and not the western names adopted late in the fourth century. You should know that the name Yeshua means Yehovah is salvation. As with many of the names in scripture, Bishop Jerome changed Yeshua to Jesus (so it wouldn’t sound Jewish). He derived it from the Greek word Iesous (ee-ay-sooce), meaning anointed one, and translated as Christos. In this work, I have chosen to use the western version of Yeshua, that being the familiar Jesus.

I have also chosen to use the familiar western name of Luke as the author of the third synoptic gospel. Originally in two volumes, church fathers divided The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Hence, the latter inspired Gospel of John could be included with the synoptic gospels.

Out of respect for a very devout Jewish Pharisee and later Apostle of Christ, I have chosen to keep Saul of Tarsus’ Hebrew name (desired). St. Jerome thought it best to westernize the name of the man who evangelized a good portion of the known world to the non-Jewish name of Paul. The fact is, Saul was never called Paul all the days of his life.

Acknowledgments

The study of scripture has been a richly rewarding experience. As a rebellious youth with an abusive father, I left high school with a grade ten technical education. Without any knowledge of scripture, I had no idea of the blessings derived from faith in God.

My journey to ordination began when I became a member of a fraternal organization. On completion of my initiation, I was presented with a Bible. The precentor asked if I was familiar with its contents. Before I could answer, he continued. That simple question changed my life. As a result of that one question, I have read the Bible, cover to cover, several times in various translations. A few years later, I was asked to become an elder within our church. As an elder, I was partly instrumental in convincing the church to sell its small community church building and build a large regional church on the main street. The years passed. A new minister asked if I would like to preach a sermon. For whatever reason he asked, I know not, but I agreed. It led to seminary and ordination as a minister. Having obtained a Master’s Degree, the quest for knowledge led to a doctorate.

In retrospect, the many blessings of friendship and family support are my most valued treasures. In light of my many blessings, I would like to thank all who have helped and encouraged me from the bottom of my heart. Ghosts of the Shephelah result from what faith in God and the blessings of family and friendship can accomplish.

Rev. Dr. James K. Stewart

Introduction

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Luke, one of the many Ghosts of the Shephelah. My life has been anything but normal. It amazed me how one experience led to another and so on. That is what happened when I met Saul of Tarsus. I had never met Yeshua from Nazareth as he was crucified twenty years prior to my meeting Saul.

That meeting was the beginning of the second about-face my life was about to experience. Like my father, I was a physician. As such, life should have been rich and rewarding, free from turmoil and danger. Responding to the needs of a man who had been stoned and left for dead, my life changed dramatically. Come, allow me to tell you about my life with Saul, an apostle of our Lord, Christ Jesus.

I should warn you that I will relate a very vulgar Greek word used by several of the disciples of Christ. That word is LEROS¹, and for those who do not know what it means, it is what falls to the ground from the back end of a bull."

1

. Dr. Anna Carter Florence: The Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching: Columbia Theological Seminary.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey

Courtesy of Robert Rouse, creator of Viz.Bible

The link to the map site is: viz.bible

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Courtesy of Robert Rouse, creator of Viz.Bible

The link to the map site is: viz.bible

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

Courtesy of Robert Rouse, creator of Viz.Bible

The link to the map site is: viz.bible

Paul’s Fourth Journey— Rome

Courtesy of Robert Rouse, creator of Viz.Bible

The link to the map site is: viz.bible

The above maps were created by Robert Rouse as an independent project to connect the people, places, periods, and Bible passages.

Chapter 1

Luke

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lukas Galenus from Philippi, an ancient city in Macedonia. My father was Doctor Aelius Galenus, and my mother was Cressida. In those days, our names had meaning. Galenus meant calm, and my father was a calm, patient man. He suited that name as he rarely became upset or excited, especially under pressure. Mother lived up to her name of golden. The values she instilled in her children were as rich as the love that shone from her heart. My name meant light, the bringer of light. It has always amazed me how a name given to an infant at birth can affect their destiny. As a child, little did I know my destiny would be to bring the life story of the light of the world to those of God’s creation suffering in the darkness of sin. Nor could I ever imagine roaming the shephelah in my afterlife with my ghostly brothers and sisters from ancient days. Destiny sounds as if life should be exciting. It was. However, it was not without the pain of heartbreak. The first heartbreak was that of my father. He expected; everyone in Philippi expected, I would become a surgeon in his place. It was an expectation not meant to be.

At birth, my left foot was turned slightly inward. Today, you would call it a club foot. Father knew that if he acted immediately, he could fix the problem. His Macedonian ancestry dictated that Spartans were the superior race and that imperfect infants were to be exposed. Before mother got to nurse me, father made four incisions in the back of my leg. He made four alternating and partial cuts and stretched my Achilles tendon. This procedure allowed my foot to straighten. I’ve always been thankful my father was a physician. Eventually, I learned to walk normally, but participation in any one of our ten beloved sports was outs of the question. Most boys my age could not understand why I did not wrestle in the arena or compete in track and field events. So, as an adolescent, I was the brunt of ridicule. It did not matter that I