Luke

For the church fathers the Gospels did not serve as resources for
individual analysis and academic study. They were read and heard and
interpreted within the worshiping community. They served as sources for
pastoral counsel and admonition for those who were committed to the Way.
Although Matthew and John were generally the preferred Gospels, Luke,
because of his particular interests and unique contributions, took pride
of place during the Christmas season as well as during Easter and other
major feasts. During the early patristic period, the tradition of continuous reading (lectio continua)
through the Gospels developed, such that over a course of time a
complete Gospel was read in sections, and sermons were preached on the
readings either at weekly or midweek worship and Communion liturgies or
during morning and evening prayer services. Among such sermons that have
survived, this commentary includes selections from Origen and Cyril of
Alexandria. Aside from sermons, we find that the fathers
addressed exegetical issues in theological treatises, pastoral letters
and catechetical lectures. Among these, as in other ACCS volumes,
readers will find materials ranging from East to West and from the first
to the eighth centuries. Among well-known fathers cited are Ambrose,
Athanasius, Augustine, the Cappadocians, John Chrysostom, John of
Damascus and Bede the Venerable. Among lesser-known fathers are John
Cassian, Philoxenus of Mabbug and Theophylact. This volume, edited
by Arthur A. Just, opens up a treasure house of ancient wisdom that
allows these faithful witnesses, some appearing here in English
translation for the first time, to speak with eloquence and intellectual
acumen to the church today.