OF THE FOUR GOSPELS,THE GOSPEL OF LUKE PROVIDES THE FULLEST ACCOUNT OF JESUS CHRIST'S LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION

A Gentile doctor, Luke directed his attention primarily to a non-Jewish readership in order to bring the joyous message of salvation to those outside the Jewish faith and culture.

Luke's writing emphasises Christ's humanity and His compassion for all people: for women and the poor, for the despised and the outcast, for the bereaved and the suffering. He also stresses the universality of the Gospel — that the wonderful free gift of salvation is on offer to men, women and children everywhere, irrespective of their social status or background.

Ulster-Scots is the native tongue of many rural communities in northern Ireland, but one that has been primarily spoken rather than written. This translation of Luke's Gospel — by Ulster-Scots speakers under the direction of professional Bible-translators — represents the first step towards rendering all four Gospels into Ulster-Scots. From the time of the earliest vernacular versions, the translation of the Bible, or parts of it, into any language has been a major landmark in the history and evolution of that language. Martin Luther's translation had a profound impact on the development of Standard German. In a similar way, this translation of the Gospels will help to establish a new standard or benchmark for both spoken and written Ulster-Scots.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATION TEAM:

Philip and Heather Saunders of Wycliffe Bible Translators have 20 years' experience in the translation of Scripture into the Kouya language of the Ivory Coast in West Africa. After returning to Northern Ireland, they have been working on Bible translation since 2006 with several groups of Ulster-Scots volunteers. This edition of the Gospel of Luke is the first to emerge from that process.

COVER IMAGE:

The west doorway of Grey Abbey, County Down — one of the earliest and most important churches used by the Ulster-Scots. Founded in 1193 by the Anglo-Normans as a Cistercian Abbey, Grey Abbey was acquired by Hugh Montgomery as part of the lowland Scots settlement of the Ards which began in May 1606. He partially restored the building and in 1626 appointed David M'Gill (son of the Lord Advocate of Scotland) as curate of the Abbey, which the local Ulster-Scots community used as a parish church until 1778.