The Gospel of St. Luke

'No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43-45

I understand that there will be some people who are not religious. However, no one can fully understand the Western World and its culture without a rudimentary knowledge of Christianity. Like it or not, when it comes to the most remarkable books, movies, and plays that have ever been written in the Western World, no one can deny the influence of the Gospels. From apparent sources like Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ to more obscure works like Toni Morrison's Home, along with everything in between, all of them have some canonical connection to Jesus and the Christian Church. Even in Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, a vehemently Atheist work, the author refers not to Allah or Bhrama but to the God of the Israelites and Christendom. Even Westerners' unbelief models their Atheism through the lens of Jesus.

There are many reasons that I recommend St. Luke's Gospel. First, it is the most complete of the 4 Gospels; in a way, it is the most "modern" of them, containing all of the miracles that most of us are familiar with. Second, St. Luke's Gospel includes the ancestors of Jesus directly back to God himself,[1] The Parable of the Sower,[2] The Calming of a Storm,[3] and the Ascension of Jesus.[4] It would be highly recommended to, at some point, read the other Gospels, as there is much context added by doing so. However, if you just read St. Luke's Gospel, you will have a greater understanding of the Christian religion, allowing added context to the Western World.

When you are picking a version to read for the first time, I would not recommend the King James Version. The reason for this is that to be frank, the Elizabethan spelling and phrasing can be confusing to people. However, I urge you to read it at some point because nothing is like the King James Version. Not to mention, should you attend a Baptist church, the chances are that the pastor will be reading from a King James Bible.

I recommend the New Living Translation (NLT) or the New International Version (NIV) for your first reading. These two versions are the most common outside of King James, and though they lack the majesty and beauty of the King James Bible, they offer the reader a modern phrasing that makes the scriptures easier to read.

However, I would not be a good Catholic if I did not include the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), a popular translation of the Catholic Church.

Estimated Reading Time: 1 hr. 43 min.

[1] The Gospel According to St. Luke, 3:23-37.

[2] Ibid, 8:4-19.

[3] Ibid, 22-39.

[4] Ibid, 24:50-53.