Short answer
– The most likely author of Luke 2:28–32 is Luke the Evangelist — the same Luke traditionally credited with the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. This is the standard evangelical view: Luke was a Gentile physician and companion of the apostle Paul who wrote an orderly, historically minded account of Jesus’ life and the early church.

Why evangelicals identify Luke as the author
– Early church testimony: Church fathers (e.g., Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian) attribute Luke as the author of the third Gospel and Acts. Evangelicals normally accept this patristic tradition.
– Internal evidence: The Gospel of Luke begins with an authorial preface promising an “orderly account” (Luke 1:1–4). Luke and Acts form a two-volume work with consistent style, vocabulary, theology and continuity of narrative.
– “We” passages in Acts: Several passages in Acts shift into first-person plural (“we went to…”) implying the author traveled with Paul — consistent with Luke as a companion.
– New Testament references: Paul names “Luke, the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14) and mentions Luke’s presence (Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11). Evangelicals take these as identifying the Gospel/Acts author with Paul’s companion.

Who Luke probably was (evangelical summary)
– A Gentile or Hellenistic Christian: Luke’s Greek name, polished Hellenistic Greek, and Gentile-centered emphases make a non-Jewish background likely.
– A physician by trade: Colossians 4:14 calls him a physician; evangelicals see this as explaining Luke’s careful attention to detail and interest in health, healing and the marginalized.
– A careful historian and orderly reporter: Luke 1:1–4 portrays the author as compiling eyewitness testimony and orderly investigation — an argument evangelicals use for Luke’s historical reliability.

How this fits Luke 2:28–32
– Luke 2:28–32 records Simeon’s song (the Nunc Dimittis): a devout Jew’s recognition that the infant Jesus is “salvation…a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” That line (esp. “light for revelation to the Gentiles”) dovetails with Luke’s Gospel-wide emphasis on the universal scope of Jesus’ mission — a theme an author with Gentile concerns would naturally highlight.
– Evangelicals often point out the theological coherence: Luke’s sensitivity to Gentile inclusion is not just incidental but central to his Gospel and Acts.

Dating and reliability (evangelical perspective)
– Typical evangelical dating places Luke-Acts in the 60s–70s AD (many favor the early 60s if they see Acts ending at Paul’s Roman imprisonment as the narrative’s natural conclusion), though some prefer somewhat later dates. Evangelicals emphasize Luke’s careful use of sources, historical detail, and archaeological and textual support for many of his descriptions.

Recommended conservative/evangelical resources
– Darrell L. Bock, The Gospel of Luke (BECNT)
– Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (NICNT)
– F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles (NICNT) — for Luke-Acts background
– Commentaries on Colossians/Philemon for discussion of Luke the physician

If you want, I can:
– Give a short biographical sketch of Luke with key New Testament citations,
– Summarize scholarly arguments for/against Lucan authorship,
– Or explain Simeon’s song in Luke 2:25–32 verse-by-verse from an evangelical theological perspective. Which would you like?