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- Jesus used these strong biological drives as metaphors to describe a craving for righteousness. When we desperately crave righteousness, we will be satisfied. In fact, our Lord is teaching that such a powerful craving is the mark of a true Christian!
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Dec 7, 2023 · The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ most well-known teaching and one of history’s most famous speeches ever. Jesus delivered this sermon 2,000 years ago, and the implications of these words are still shockingly relevant and meaningful. Emphasizing humility, forgiveness, and generous care for our neighbors, Jesus encourages people to choose ...
Jun 6, 2021 · The Sermon on the Mount is widely regarded as representing a number of core aspects of Jesus’ teaching, so some analysis of this central passage from the Bible may help to shed light on why it is so important. Before we come to the textual analysis, here’s a summary of the chief content of the Sermon on the Mount.
Aug 23, 2018 · The Message. The Sermon on the Mount is by far Jesus' longest explanation of what it looks like to live as His follower and to serve as a member of God's Kingdom. In many ways, Jesus' teachings during the Sermon on the Mount represent the major ideals of the Christian life.
- Sam O'neal
Jan 4, 2022 · Question. What is the Sermon on the Mount? Answer. The Sermon on the Mount is the sermon that Jesus gave in Matthew chapters 5-7. Matthew 5:1-2 is the reason it is known as the Sermon on the Mount: "Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them..."
- Introduction
- Prologue
- Chapter 1 The Sermon and The Mosaic Tradition
- Chapter 2 The Sermon and The Pauline Tradition
- Chapter 3 The Sermon and The Eschaton
- Chapter 4 The Sermon and Ethics
- Chapter 5 The Sermon and Ethics
- Epilogue The Sermon and The Christian
The Sermon on the Mount has held a primary place in the teachings of the church throughout the centuries (11). But, even though it has enjoyed such popularity, it has not always been understood in the same way. Various authors have regarded the Sermon from numerous and even quite different, conflicting points of view. The point of our discussion is...
The Sermon as Problem
The author says that the sermon has been widely accepted and quoted within the Christian tradition as well as outside of it. Chapter 5 has been quoted by the Fathers far more than any other in the entire Bible and 5-7 more than any other three successive chapters. This trend continues into the 20th century. Augustine said it was "a perfect standard of the Christian life" and John Donne stated that all one's sermon find their origins in this section of Scripture. Some from without have truly a...
Literary-Historical Notes
In this section McArthur attempts to bring a historical understanding to the development of the sermon in the light of the synoptic problem. He sees, given the probability of Markan priority, that Matthew used two other sources: Q and M. (M stands for sources used by Matthew other than Q and Mark and not common to Luke.) His point is that this information serves to remind us that "the original words of Jesus come to us veiled by the language of the primitive church." I suspect that to this ve...
Patristic and Medieval Views
McArthur asks, what is an essential question when trying to understand the sermon, "What was the relation of the ethic in the Sermon on the Mount to that proclaimed by the Mosaic tradition in Judaism?" In reference to the Church Fathers, of which this section deals, McArthur cites the work of Augustine (Reply to Faustus)as the most extensive. Augustine claimed that Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law in at least six ways and did not destroy it as Faustus claimed. First, Jesus fulfilled the Law by...
Reformation and Modern Views
"The position taken by the Protestant Reformers was in sharp contrast with that of the Roman Catholic tradition." The Reformers claimed that Jesus' interpretation of the Mosaic Law was the sole true and correct one; not a new one in any way (which the Jews had obscured). Calvin reacted strongly against the Catholic notion that the Sermon was to be considered "counsels" for the clergy and not precepts for all to obey (Ints. II 8:56). Luther denied that the New Law contained anything not alread...
Introductory Comments
The Sermon on the Mount appears to emphasize what one needs to doto find life. However, Paul seems to teach that Christianity is a religion of grace, not effort or achievement. This tension has existed within the church since the beginning.
Patristic and Medieval Views
The attitude of Irenaeus, Augustine and Chrysostom, as indicative of their time period was that the sermon was emphasizing the way of life for one already saved by the grace of God through faith. Aquinas was in complete agreement (Treatise on Grace) as well as the Roman church as understood from the Council of Trent, "Decree Concerning Justification."
Reformation and Modern Views
Luther held the same view as those before him, claiming that faith and grace must presuppose and attempt to obey the Sermon (cf. his lectures on The Sermon on the Mount ). Calvin held the same view, attempting to prove it from the sermon itself. At the present time (at least in 1960 when the book was written) there are still many Catholic and Protestant scholars who uphold the traditional view, namely, that faith must precede the golden rule ethic of the sermon. However, the bulk of Protestan...
Introduction to the Problem: Five Questions
Eschatology has long been a major category within systematic theology. It was brought into focus in Biblical studies by such men as Albert Schweitzer and C. H. Dodd. Schweitzer understood Jesus' teachings to be couched in the expectation that the Kingdom was to come very soon through catastrophic divine intervention. Dodd taught that the kingdom of God had already come with the advent of Jesus and His ministry. McArthur sides with Schweitzer, feeling that the Synoptic evidence is in favor of...
Survey of the Sermon
The Beatitudes. These are held in most N.T. circles to be eschatological in nature. The present tense verbs in 3 and 10 may simply posit a gnomic kind of idea, and the chronology is to be taken from the future tenses in the others. In general the Church Fathers recognized the future character of the beatitudes. The Two Houses. McArthur believes that by itself "The Two Houses" may be present or eschatological, but says that in view of its placement it must be eschatological. Therefore, the ser...
Summary and Evaluation of the Evidence: Windisch, Dibelius
McArthur produces a chart (note the admitted subjectivity to this) indicating that about 40% of the sermon is explicitly eschatological in nature, 40% is implicitly eschatological in nature and 20% is debatable. Dibelius feels that given the plethora of eschatological material in the sermon, the whole of the sermon should be understood in this light. Windisch argues the other way: statements that are not exegetically oriented to eschatology do not need to be so. He attempts to demonstrate his...
Introduction
The purpose of this section is to list twelve approaches to the Sermon on the Mount and the manner in which they deal with its precepts.
Twelve Approaches to the Sermon on the Mount
The Absolutist View. This is the view that maintains that the Sermon must be understood in a crassly literal way. Though some in this camp (e.g. Augustine) allow for figures of speech, many do not. The Anabaptists did not allow for figures of speech and neither did the Russian nobleman Leo Tolstoi. Apparently it was Tolstoi's understanding of "resist not evil" that led him to this position and he died trying to live up to the demands of the Sermon. The strength of the view is that it takes th...
Preliminary Observations
The purpose of this section is to evaluate the 12 interpretations just mentioned above. Two preliminary observations are in order: 1) it is not necessary for every verse in the Sermon to be interpreted "by the mechanical application of the same formula." This is true because different types of statements require their own kind of interpretation and the Sermon has many different kinds of statements; 2) the twelve viewpoints are not mutually exclusive. The interpretations of the Sermon (or as M...
Six Views of Secondary Value
Modification View. The weakness of this view is that in many instances there is no historical, theological or literary reason for the modifications. The strength behind this view is that it recognizes that the Sermon cannot be applied literally in every situation. Double Standard View. McArthur subjects this view to three questions: 1) "Does the Biblical evidence justify this distinction between precept and counsel?" 2) "If the distinction exists, does it parallel the distinction between cler...
Six Views of Primary Value
Absolutist View. The strength of this view is that it takes the demands in the Sermon seriously. They are to be obeyed. The early Church understood that the Sermon was to be lived and the exception clauses that were introduced prove this fact. Their intention was to limit obstacles to obedience. However, while this view lays great stress upon obedience to the Sermon, those who hold it have not always applied the Sermon well. Hyperbole View.It is valid to recognize hyperbole in the prayer. For...
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the relevancy of the findings of the study for daily Christian living. The chapter is approached by reviewing the previous material; chapter by chapter beginning in chapter one. The assertion of the first chapter is that Christ both clarified the Mosaic tradition and also went beyond itgiving the final reve...
A preacher’s dream text, the Sermon on the Mount, practically preaches itself. This sublime sermon bursts with object lessons, [1] humor, hyperbole, proverbs, paradox, symbolism, and high prose. It plumbs the depths of ethics, philosophy, and theology, yet with much practical application. A delight to read, it reflects ethos and pathos ...
God has imputed to us righteousness because we believe in Jesus Christ There are two types of righteousness. (1) Of the law, which at its best leads to self-righteousness which results in judging others. (2) Righteousness given by God through believing in Jesus Christ This is the righteousness of Christ.
