Gospel reading and prosopological exegesis in Luke-Acts

In Luke and Acts, many quotations from Scripture are recontextualized to portray Jesus as a character within the discourse. He is the one who will bring good news to the poor (Isa. 61:1–2 in Luke 4:18–21), the Messiah who escapes death (Ps. 16:8–11 in Acts 2:25–32), the suffering servant (Isa. 53 in Acts 8), and more. Jesus and later his disciples attest to “what was said in all the Scriptures concerning [him]” (Luke 24:27). This essay will present these gospel readings, which employ the exegetical technique commonly referred to as prosopological exegesis, alongside the assumptions of the author. While many present Luke as a capricious reader, this essay will demonstrate that his introduction of the Christ is due to a careful engagement with the biblical text. This interpretive strategy produces two gospel readings: one for Luke of Scripture and one for Luke’s audience.