Transition Statement

The transition statement separates the concluding teaching section from the next narrative section. As three-fifths of the Gospel of Matthew is comprised of the words of Christ, these lengthy discourses are crucial parts of this Gospel. Stanley Toussaint comments:

The fact the addresses are rather extended and they occur at the end of each section implies they are climactic. It appears Matthew uses the narrative sections of his Gospel as an introduction to and a setting for the discourse of Jesus. Because of this the events generally recede into the background and the discoursed assume the important role. ⁽⁹⁾

This literary observation provides a needed key to the understanding of the setting for the Sermon on the Mount, as the preceding narrative provides a platform upon which the play of the sermon will be given. To understand the discourse, one must capture the essence of the preceding narrative section.

So far in the Gospel narrative, Matthew has presented: the genealogy of the King (1:1-17), the birth of the King (1:18-25), the early reaction to the King (2:1-23), the preparation of the King (3:1-4:110, and now the declaration of the King (4:12-7:29). It is this last, which stages the first great Matthew discourse-the Sermon on the Mount.

Upon hearing that His forerunner was imprisoned, Jesus established His ministry base at Capernaum, to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 8:19-9:7. It was from there that Jesus began His preaching ministry, as Matthew records in 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. " And yet we are not to understand that those few words were the summation of his message. And Matthew gives us a sample of what that content and message was-the Sermon on the Mount. As Pink states, "we regard this sermon as a forecast and an epitome of the entire oral ministry of Christ, that it summarizes the general tenor of His whole teaching." ⁽¹⁰⁾ Hendriksen would agree:

It is characteristic of Matthew to introduce a subject and then to expand upon it. The river broadens into a lake. So here, Christ's preaching and his healing have been introduced (respectively 4:12-17,23a and 23b, 24). So now a sample of this teaching is given in 5:1-7:29; of the healing in 8:1-9:34.⁽¹¹⁾

Those in the borders of Zebulan and Naphtali surrounding Capernaum indeed " saw great light" in Christ's preaching, teaching, and healing ministry. The "Wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6 had come to dismiss the mental darkness and give a glimpse of the healing that would take place when the " government shall be upon His shoulders." As a result, "there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. " (Matthew 4:25) Like the ministry of the Baptist before Him, who emptied the cities into the wilderness (cf. Matt. 3:5,6: Mk. 1:5), Jesus moved and ministered among the expectant masses who made their pilgrimage to the region around the Galilean Sea. No doubt the crowds were curious, wondering if this could in fact be the Coming One, to whom they listened attentively hanging on His every word!

As Matthew 5:1 records, "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a (definite article, lit., "the" ) mountain." This definite article identifies this mountain as known during Matthew's time as the special place from which Jesus gave this sermon. Many suggest it was the Horns of Hattin ( Karn Hattin ), which would place it about four miles west of the Sea of Galilee and eight miles southwest of Capernaum on the road from Tiberias to Nazareth. Named for its peaks that resemble two horns when seen from afar, this has been the recognized "mountain" from which Jesus delivered His famous sermon by a Latin tradition of the 13 ^th century. And yet this seems to be a somewhat remote location. The following context suggests somewhere closer to Capernaum and perhaps on a hill close to the Sea of Galilee, like the modern Mount of the Beatitudes.

The verse continues, "and when he was seated, His disciples come unto him." Many have pointed out the contrast to the giving of the Law:

The Mount of the Beatitudes has often been compared and contrasted with Mount Horeb, where Moses received the law from God. On the one hand, Mount Horeb: cold, bleak, barren, almost inaccessible, situated in the midst of a howling wilderness with its fiery serpents. On the other hand, the Mount of the Beatitudes with its smiling landscapes and grassy slopes, as it were extending a hearty welcome to all and spreading delight by means of its lilies, daisies, hyacinths, and anemones. ⁽¹²⁾

Stott suggests the same possibility:

It seems likely that he deliberately went up on the mountain to teach, in order to draw a parallel between Moses, who received the law at Mount Sinai, and himself, who explained its implications to his disciples on the so-called 'Mount of the Beatitudes."⁽¹³⁾

Some have attempted to build a parallelism on this basis. Austin Farrar thought that Matthew 5-7 was modeled after Exodus 20-24, the eight beatitudes corresponding to the ten commandments, with the rest of the sermon expounding and applying them as the commandments were also expounded and applied! Generally this is a good correspondence, as the Beatitudes do represent the general requirements of kingdom living, with the main body of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21-7:120 being illustrative of how those Beatitudes are applied in righteous behavior: the first beatitude applied in 7:1-11; the second beatitude applied in 6:16-18; the third beatitude applied in 5:38-48; the fourth beatitude applied in 6:5-15, 19-34; and the seventh beatitude applied in 5:21-26; 5:43-48; 7:12. The eighth beatitude, dealing with persecution, is explained in 5:11-12.

It is however significant that Matthew, writing for the Jews, adds, "when he was seated…he opened his mouth and taught them." (5:1,2) Here Jesus takes the posture of official instruction. Barclay comments:

When a Jewish Rabbi was teaching officially he sat to teach. We still speak of a professor's chair; the Pope still speaks ex cathedra, from his seat. Often a Rabbi gave instruction when he was standing or strolling about; but his really official teaching was done when he had taken his seat.⁽¹⁴⁾

As Moses descended from Horeb with the official oracles written with the "finger of God," so Jesus here is seen speaking officially, as emblematic of the King sitting upon His throne, or the Judge upon His bench! To study the Sermon on the Mount is to stand before the Messiah Jesus as He speaks officially, legislation His requirements for those who are kingdom citizens. The Lord Jesus acts as legislature, executive, and judiciary to those of the kingdom. As such, our proper response is explicit obedience to His requirements. He is the Official One, expounding the holy requirements of God! Hence, all other ideas of morality and ethics are at once swept aside, along with all religious prejudice, to make room for the dictates of the Sovereign King. But to whom does the King give these dictates? This introduces us to the second subject of background material-the audience of the sermon.

THE AUDIENCE OF 
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

On the surface it seems the audience of the Sermon on the Mount are "his disciples." (Matt. 5:1) And yet elements in the sermon seem to suggest that these listeners have not yet made a decision to follow the dictates of the King! (ex. Matt. 5:20; 7:13-14) Even at the conclusion of the message, Matthew records "the people" (Matt. 7:28) and "great multitudes" (8:1) who evidently heard the sermon. Hence, we must carefully inquire into the definition of "disciple" from the New Testament's point of view.

The noun occurs 264 times in the New Testament, exclusively in the Gospels and Acts. Generally it speaks of attachment to someone for the purpose of learning (from Greek , "to learn"). Yet this does not demand dedication as Matt. 8:21 and 10:1-4 (cf. John 6:66; 12:4) illustrates. Jesus Himself qualifies genuine discipleship to a number of superficially attached believers- "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." (Jn. 8:31) Evidently the Lord Himself distinguishes between those who are disciples indeed and those who are spurious disciples. As Pink observes:

Though we are told at the beginning of chapter 5 that it was His "disciples" whom Christ here taught, yet it is equally clear from the closing verses of chapter 7 that this sermon was spoken in the hearing of the multitudes. This must be steadily borne in mind throughout, for while it contains much instruction for believers…yet not a little in it is evidently designed for unbelievers, particularly those sections which contain a most searching setting forth of the spiritual nature of His kingdom and the character of those who enter and enjoy its privileges.⁽¹⁵⁾

To this observation Carson agrees:

In Matthew's Gospel "disciple" is not necessarily a reference to the twelve apostles, nor even to committed believers and followers; it can refer to someone who is merely following and learning at the moment-without reference to his level of commitment.⁽¹⁶⁾

For this reason we must reject Wiersbe's view: "It is my conviction that the Sermon on the Mount applies to Christians today, and only to Christians." ⁽¹⁷⁾ And with MacArthur's statement:

Everything Jesus said on this occasion was spoken publicly, to the multitudes (7:28,29). His intention was to drive them to a recognition of their sin, and thus to the need of a Savior, which He had come to be…This masterful evangelistic sermon is designed to confront men with their desperate condition of sinfulness. ⁽¹⁸⁾

The Sermon on the Mount contains elements that are not evangelistic, but exhortive and specifically addressed to believers or kingdom citizens. (cf. Matt. 5:13-16 and 6:9-14) Hence, there is no doubt that the original audience of the Sermon on the Mount included both believers and nonbelievers; those who were genuinely attached and those who were superficially attached; those who were disciples indeed and those who were nominal disciples. It is a Messianic masterpiece of both evangelism and exhortation!

Yet, whatever their spiritual condition and level of commitment to the Teacher, no doubt their curiosity and expectation was high. As the context states, because of His teaching, preaching, and healing ministry, "there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan." (4:25) But how are these "multitudes" to understand this Sermon on the Mount? What interpretive key unlocks its riches to us today?

Basically, the numerous interpretations to the Sermons on the Mount can be divided into seven major approaches: the soteriological approach, the sociological approach, the penitential approach, the ecclesiastical approach, the millennial approach, the interim approach, and the dynamic reign-God approach. Though there remain various emphases within each interpretive approach, these seven remain the major suggested interpretive keys. ⁽¹⁹⁾ What do these approaches claim and how should they be considered?

A. The Soteriological Approach.

This approach suggests that men attain their salvation by governing their lives according to the principles set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. What Matthew 5:3-7:27 presents is a listing of the good works, which when applied and lived out, will reward personal salvation. Adolf von Harnack and Hans Windisch represent this interpretation, believing that it is possible for men to fulfill literally the ethical demands of the Sermon in their present condition. ⁽²⁰⁾ Much like this liberal perspective is the Roman Catholic perspective of the soteriological approach. Viewing the Sermon literally, it suggests a double standard of ethics: the precepts, which are for all Christians to keep in order to secure salvation, and the counsels, which are for the committed Christians to keep in order to secure perfection. Clergymen, who make a total commitment of their life and separate themselves through vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, are expected to obey literally the injunctions of the Sermon on the Mount. Yet, the Roman Catholic perspective of the soteriological approach ignores the obvious fact that Jesus made no distinction between the ethical demands on the laity and /or clergy!

The basic problem with the soteriological approach is the ignoring of the New Testament emphasis on the doctrine of justification by faith. (cf. Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 5:1; 9:30-32; etc.) To this J. Gresham Machen adds:

The new law of the Sermon on the Mount can only produce despair. Strange indeed is the complacency with which modern man can say that the Golden Rule and the high ethical principles of Jesus are all they need. In reality, if the requirements for entrance into the Kingdom of God are what Jesus declares them to be, we are all undone; we have not even attained to the external righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, and how shall we attain to that righteousness of heart which Jesus demands?…Even Moses was too high for us, but before this higher law of Jesus who shall stand without being condemned? The Sermon on the Mount, like all the rest of the New Testament, really leads a man straight to the foot of the Cross.⁽²¹⁾

B. The Sociological Approach

The Sociological Approach suggests that the Sermon on the Mount is a general guide to the salvation of society. Frederick Stamm represents this approach when he states:

What would happen in the world if the element of fair play s enunciated in the Golden Rule- "Do unto others as you would that men should do unto you" were put into practice in the various relationships of life?…What a difference all this would make, and how far we would be on the road to a new and better day in private, in public, in business, and in international relationships!⁽²²⁾

This approach directed the political philosophy of Leo Tolstoy and has been revived under the mask of liberation theology during the last few decades. Liberation theology uses this approach for political ends, as a means to mobilize mass support, usually for egalitarian ends! The obvious problem with the sociological approach is its undue optimism and denial of the depravity of man. Man as fallen, is unable to comprehend spiritual truth and will not embrace righteousness as a way of life. The Tolstoy experiment cries against the failure to forget man's depravity! Even a secular summary of Tolstoy's error, points out this axiomatic truth:

Tolstoy placed his faith in the moral development of the people, as a final answer to what he regarded as the universal oppression of the many by the few. For him, the progressive movement toward a classless and stateless condition of mankind depended…upon the growing moral perfection of each individual through observance of the supreme law of love and the consequent repudiation of every form of violence.⁽²³⁾

C. The Penitential Approach

This approach, also known as the conviction approach, was suggested by Gerhard Kittel who viewed the Sermon on the Mount as a body of law, which makes one conscious of his sin and thereby, drives him to God. The message, as the Law of the Old Testament, acts to bring the person to a helpless despair of attainment of the righteous demands of God. At this point, the only remedy is to cast oneself on the mercy and grace of God by faith in Christ. The Sermon on the Mount was never given to be a rule of life, but only to produce the conviction necessary for honest seekers to realize their need for a Savior. Wilhelm Herrmann represents a form of this approach, stating:

Although this view has some real truth to it, it does fail to recognize the genuine believers who were among the "multitudes" listening. Some had already repented and committed their lives to the gospel of the kingdom and so were to call God "our Father" (Matt. 6:9) and were "salt" and "light" Matt. 5:13-16). And for Christ to give the Sermon on the Mount, as if it were a rule of life for kingdom citizens, when in fact He knew it was not, would violate ethical instruction.

D. The Ecclesiastical Approach.

The most popular of the interpretive options sees the Sermon on the Mount as addressed to the church as a basic rule of life for this age. There are two main perspectives of the ecclesiastical approach: The Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective and the Reformed perspective.

The Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective views the Sermon as setting forth the primary injunction of the love ethic, which demands no retaliation, no use of force, no capital punishment, and no war or participation in warfare. Mahandus Gandhi' s non-violence movement in India was based on this perspective of the ecclesiastical approach, although not Christian in name. Those who hold this view see the Sermon as a rule for the church to be applied literally. One Mennonite scholar states:

Peter was commanded to sheathe his sword. All Christians are commanded to love their enemies; to do good unto those who abuse and persecute them; to give the mantle when the cloak is taken, the other cheek when one is struck. Tell me, how can a Christian defend Scripturally retaliation, rebellion, war, striking, torturing, stealing, robbing and plundering cities and conquering?⁽²⁵⁾

The Reformed perspective of the ecclesiastical approach also views the Sermon on the Mount as ethical regulations for the believer today, but emphasizes the continuity between the Old Testament ethics and the New Testament ethics. These see Christ as giving the deeper meaning of the Old Testament moral law, implying the need of Christ's mediatorial work, which the Sermon presupposed. J. Gresham Machen expressed this view:

The Mosaic Law requires already more than man a sinner can fulfill; the deeper law of Jesus asks even more, and before it all are obviously condemned. Like the rest of the New Testament, the Sermon leads straight to the Cross, to a divine means of salvation.⁽²⁶⁾

Carl Henry summarizes the emphasis of this view when he states:

The Sermon remains an ethical directory for Christians. It contains the character and conduct which Jesus commends to His followers, the demand which the nature and will of God makes upon men, the fundamental law of the Kingdom, and the ideal and perfect standard. It is the ultimate formula of ethics for which ideal human nature was fashioned by creation and is destined in eternity. Fallen nature is justified in Christ in conformity to it, and redeemed nature approximates it by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. ⁽²⁷⁾

Again, though this view has some real truth to it, it fails to recognize that the Church was not in existence during the address of the sermon. (see Matt. 16:16-18) Although Matthew writes his Gospel after the founding of the Church, he records the exact sayings of Christ's teachings which would have little relationship to the multitudes of Israel there that day-not members of the Church! It also ignores the context, which sees both John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2) and Jesus preaching the nearness of the "kingdom of heaven" (4:17,23), which had reference to the Old Testament promise of an earthly kingdom promised to Israel

E. The Millennial Approach.

Also known as the Kingdom approach, this view applies the Sermon on the Mount to the future earthly kingdom. William L. Pettingill states that the King "sets forth the nature of the proposed Kingdom and the laws by which He will govern the earth when He reestablishes and occupies the throne of David." ⁽²⁸⁾ Its literal application awaits those living in the millennium and the tribulation period immediately preceding it. This view has been held by many dispensational premillennialists, who see the kingdom postponed and so the Sermon on the Mount only lending secondary application to the believer under the present age of grace. C. I. Scofield represents this view, stating:

The Sermon on the Mount has a twofold application: (1) Literally to the Kingdom. In this sense it gives the divine constitution for the righteous government of the earth. Whenever the Kingdom of Heaven is established on earth it will be according to the constitution…In this sense the Sermon on the Mount in its primary application gives neither the privilege nor the duty of the church. These are found in the Epistles…(2) But there is a moral application to the Christian.⁽²⁹⁾

The obvious problem with this approach concerns the specific audience to whom this Sermon was first delivered. Are we to understand that the Lord gave this Sermon knowing that its ethical demands were reserved for a future generation some two thousand years away? Did He honestly not intend his first century audience to conclude its imperatives were their responsibility? Toussaint points out several other considerations:

The greatest is seen in the many references throughout the discourse to conditions which are incongruous to the millennial kingdom. For instance, the disciples are to be reviled and persecuted for Christ's sake (5:11,12); wickedness must be prevalent since the disciples are considered to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world 95:13-16); they are to pray for the coming of the kingdom (6:10); they are warned concerning false prophets (7:15). This is indeed a strange portrayal of that kingdom which was pictured by the Old Testament prophets. ⁽³⁰⁾

Although the above listed conditions could prevail during the Tribulation period, they are uncharacteristic to the millennial kingdom!

F. The Interim Approach

This view was developed by Johannes Weiss and popularized by Albert Schweitzer, who saw the Sermon on the Mount as an ethic for the time preliminary to the establishment of the kingdom. Because Jesus believed the end of the world was imminent, it was necessary to demand a radical lifestyle and abandon the normal concerns of routine life in order to prepare for it. The Sermon is a short-term interim-ethic! Hence, because the world did not end as Jesus had expected, both Weiss and Schweitzer conclude that the ethical injunctions of the Sermon have no validity today. ⁽³¹⁾

The teaching about believers as salt and light, spiritual adultery, prohibition of divorce except for unchastity, oaths, forgiveness, the speck and the log, assurance of answered prayer, and the Golden Rule, are hardly valid only on condition that the world order would end suddenly.⁽³²⁾

Others, however, recognize the general validity of the interim approach but consider its ethical injunctions valid for today. They recognize that an earthly kingdom was indeed promised to Israel but is postponed. They also recognize that the kingdom comes in two phases: a spiritual phase for the believer today, and a physical phase for Israel in the future. This view sees the application of the Sermon on the Mount for all believers, regardless of the age distinction. Pentecost represents this as he says:

While we recognize that the Sermon on the Mount in its historical setting was Christ's instruction to the generation to which He was offering Himself as Savior and Sovereign, we realize that it has a present-day application. The holiness of God does not change from age to age. The demands of God's holiness do not alter from day to day. When the Sermon on the Mount is viewed as revealing the holiness of God, it becomes a guide as to demands that God's holiness makes upon believers today.⁽³³⁾

To this Walvoord agrees, as he says, "A careful reading of what Christ said makes it obvious, however, that the principles of the kingdom are far more than merely rules for a future millennium."⁽³⁴⁾

The interim approach does offer clear contextual support with the historical context of Matthew's Gospel. As mentioned, both John and Jesus came preaching "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (3:2; 4:17,23) which would only be understood by the audience as reference to the promised Old Testament earthly kingdom as imminent. But as Matthew himself writes from the perspective of a rejected and postponed earthly kingdom, he sets the stage of the discourse by the narrative section. In this section John the Baptist had commanded, "Bring forth, therefore, fruits befitting repentance" (3:8) and this is view of the nearness of the coming kingdom. (3:2). It is obvious that the Sermon on the Mount presents a description of the fruits "befitting repentance", (3:8) and this in view of the nearness of the coming kingdom (3:2). It is obvious that the Sermon on the Mount presents a description of the fruits "befitting repentance", as 7:17-20 suggests! These specific fruits of repentance describe a life of righteousness which far exceeds the mere external emphasis of the "scribes and Pharisees." (Matt. 5:20) The Sermon on the Mount concerns the life the disciples are to live in the light of the coming kingdom. Although this form of interim approach has much to commend it, there is a failure to account for the high standards required. Because of this, it is perhaps better to understand the Sermon from the dynamic reign-of -God approach.

G. The Dynamic Reign-of God Approach.

This approach views the kingdom of heaven as the dynamic and redemptive reign-of -God in men's hearts in the person and mission of Jesus Christ. Because the ethical demands of the Sermon are beyond the unaided strength of any individual, the needed provision comes in the form of acceptance of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, i.e., acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Only then comes empowerment by the power of His gracious rule through the Spirit's work. The clear call to "repentance:" (Matt. 3:2; 4:17) was in view of life commitment to the King of the promised kingdom! Huang suggests:

On the one hand, God's dynamic and redemptive reign has already manifested itself in the person and mission of Jesus; on the other hand, it will not come to consummation until the eschatological hour. Therefore, in the Age to Come, when all power of sin is destroyed, Jesus' ethics will be observed as God's eternal will in the eternal perfection of heaven, but during this present age, it is both attainable and unattainable. It is attainable because God's power through His dynamic reign enables a believer through the Spirit's work to practice Jesus' demand, qualitatively if not quantitatively; it is unattainable because in his sinful weakness a believer will still yield at time to his fleshly desires and be ruled by his sinful human nature.⁽³⁵⁾

Hence, those who repent and believe in Jesus Christ with total commitment and submit to the reign-of -God, experience the righteousness of the kingdom partially in this age, and fully in the age to come. This still allows for an earthly kingdom promised to Israel to find fulfillment during the millennial reign of Christ. When Jesus taught the multitudes on the mount to pray, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17), He was calling for the great underlying invitation of kingdom citizens-repentance and commitment of life to the King. Once this happens, the dynamic reign-of-God empowers those kingdom citizens to adopt a distinctive life orientation.

Having accepted the gospel of the kingdom in surrender to the King, kingdom citizens today enter into the promise of the New Covenant (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-27 with Matt. 26:28; Mk. 14:24; Lk. 22:30; I Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:8-13; 9:15; 12:24). The Lord God promises saying, "I will cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my ordinances and do them." (Ezek. 36:27) As God reigns in the believer's life, His dynamic enablement allows the high ethical standards in the Sermon on the Mount to be progressively realized in the practice of the kingdom citizen!

THE SERMON'S OUTLINE AND THEME

The general theme of the Sermon on the Mount is obviously Stott develops this further when he says of the sermon that, "it portrays the repentance and the righteousness which belong to the kingdom" which he describes as "what human life and human community looks like when they come under the gracious rule of God." ⁽³⁶⁾ From this Stott concludes on the general theme:

There is no single paragraph of the Sermon on the Mount in which this contrast between Christian and non-Christian standards is not drawn. It is the underlying and uniting theme of the Sermon…Thus the followers of Jesus are to be different-different from both the nominal church and the secular world, different from both the religious and the irreligious. The Sermon on the Mount is the most complete delineation anywhere in the New Testament of the Christian counter-culture. Here is a Christian value-system, ethical standard, religious devotion, attitude to money, ambition, life-style and network of relationships-all of which are totally at variance with those of the non-Christian world. ⁽³⁷⁾

The key passage of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5:20- "For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." No wonder "the people were astonished at His doctrine" (7:28), as He spoke of a radical break with both the world and religious systems. This sermon is indeed a call to a "Christian counter-culture", describing the distinct life of those who are kingdom citizens! How does the Lord develop this theme?

Hendriksen gives a general outline to the Sermon on the Mount: First, Jesus speaks about the citizens of the kingdom (5:2-16), describing their character and blessedness (vss. 2-12) and their relation to the world (vss. 13-16). Secondly, the Lord sets forth the righteousness of the kingdom, the high standard of life demanded by the King (5:17-7:12). Thirdly, Jesus concludes His sermon with an earnest exhortation to enter the kingdom (7:13-27). The effect of the sermon upon the audience is portrayed in 7:28 and 29. ⁽³⁸⁾ This general outline being true to the text, is basically what this commentary will follow, filling in the detail as the exegetical work suggests. M. Lloyd-Jones offers the suggestion in dealing with a general outline of the Sermon on the Mount:

The Sermon on the Mount, if I may use such a comparison, is like a great musical composition, a symphony if you like, Now the whole is greater than a collection of the parts, and we must never lose sight of this wholeness…All the particular injunctions which we shall consider follow the Beatitudes with which the Sermon starts. ⁽³⁹⁾

CONCLUSION

When one studies the Sermon on the Mount, he is looking into the astonishing message of the history of the ages. No doubt when the "multitudes" first pondered these awesome words as they flowed from the lips of the Messiah of God, they wondered concerning the change this teaching would produce in the "man who built his house upon a rock!" (Matt. 7:24,25) Some among this multitude no doubt would pick up the challenge to dynamite into the hard rock and construct the house of their lives upon this solid foundation of doing these words. Others would go their way, content to ponder these incredible words, building the houses of their lives on the unstable sand of disobedience. As the natural course of history would begin to role back its scroll of time, these words would repeat themselves to every new generation: the call and challenge before them: history in the making; houses in the building! A thousand examples would present themselves to each decade, of the truth of the outlived Christian counter-culture, standing against the religious and the irreligious of the day-"and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock!" (Matt. 7:25) These living embodiments of kingdom citizens will ever remain the best, most noble introduction to the Sermon on the Mount!

Footnotes:

1. These notes are published by Grace Bible Church and they are free upon request. 7415 East 15th St, Tulsa OK 74112. Phone: (918) 834-4440. Of course, permission is given to reproduce these notes and use them for the glory of God. These lessons coordinate with messages heard on The Quest of the New Testament radio ministry, heard on KCFO 970 AM at 5:45am and 8:30pm.

2. Dr. Robert L. Thomas concludes that Matthew and Luke report the same message occasion, and offers the following reconciliation: "After the gathering of a great multitude (Matt. 5:1), Jesus sought the solitude of the mountains to engage in private prayer (Luke 6:12). After a night of prayer, early the next morning he rejoined his disciples who were close at hand and appointed twelve to be apostles (Luke 6:13). With them he then descended to a level place on the slope of the mountain within an appropriate distance of those who had gathered (Luke 6:17). In this way the introductory words of both books are satisfied. "(Thomas, Robert L. "Preliminary Exegetical Digest of Matthew 5-7, 13,24," 1988, pg. 5; see also: Lenski, R.C.H. "The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel," Columbus: Wartburg, 1943; pg. 179;Hendriksen, "Matthew," pgs. 256-60, 449). However, the dissimilarities between the content of the opening beatitudes seem to argue that these were two different occasions. "Comparison of 5:3-12 with Luke 6:20-26 shows that, along with smaller differences, the four Lukan beatitudes stand beside four woes-all in the second person. But Matthew mentions no woes, and his eight beatitudes (vv. 3-10) are in the third person, followed by an expansion of the last one in the second person (vv. 11,12)." Carson, D. A. "The Expositor's Bible Commentary-Matthew," (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), pg. 130; also: Walvoord, John F. "Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come," Chicago: Moody Press, 1975; pg. 43; Allen, W. C. "A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to S. Matthew," Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1957; pgs. xlv-lxii.) Perhaps both the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-7:27) and the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49) were two different messages, delivered within a short time of each other. Each, however, should be considered alone!

3. Vine, W. E. "The Expanded Vines: Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words," (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1984), pg. 44. The imperfect tense of the verb ekseplessonto suggests a continuation of astonishment throughout the entire message (cf. Plummer, pg. 120; Carr, pg. 143). This is perhaps an iterative imperfect, which Dana and Mantley suggests, "may be used to describe action as recurring at successive intervals in past time." ("A Manual of the Greek New Testament," pg. 188,189) Hence, the iterative imperfect passive has the sense of "they kept on being astonished." Throughout Christ's Sermon on the Mount the people were astonished point after point! Other occasions on which Christ's words produced the same effect mentioned in the iterative imperfect passive are Matthew 22:33; Mark 1:22 and Luke 4:32. The imperfect middle (ekeplasseto) is used in Mark 11:18. In Mark 10:24 and 26 the Greek word thambeo is used in the imperfect passive form (ethambounto), which means "amazement, wonder, is probably connected with a root signifying to render unmovable; it is frequently associated with terror as well as astonishment." (Vine, pg. 44) In Matthew 13:54 the present passive infinitive form, ekplassesthai is used. Not only the effect of Christ's preaching and teaching astonished people, but the effect of His works-Mark 5:42; 7:37; Luke 5:9; 8:56.

4. MacArthur, John. "The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1-7."(Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), pg. 487.

5. MacArthur, John. "Kingdom Living Here and Now, "(Chicago Moody Press, 1980), pg. 7.

6. Hendricksen, William. "New Testament Commentary: Matthew," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), pg. 264.

7. Burke, C. T. "Sermon on the Mount" article in "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology" Walter A. Elwell, editor, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), pg. 1005. Carl F. H. Henry states: " For those who have read it and felt its impact, it is his [i.e., Christ's] most debated utterance. It has exercised enormous influence both inside and outside organized Christianity because of the revolutionary character of the ethics it contains. But how its moral content is to be integrated with the whole of biblical theology and ethics, on the one hand, and correlated with contemporary life, on the other, is a central problem." (Christian Personal Ethics," Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1957; pg. 278)

8. Carson, D. A. "The Sermon on the Mount: An Evangelical Exposition of Matthew 5-7," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), pg. 11.

9. Toussaint, Stanley. "Behold the King: A Study of Matthew," (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980), pg. 24. Toussaint goes on to mention several various theories proposed concerning the structure of Matthew: a.) the sections of Matthew's Gospel correspond to the Jewish liturgical year (P.P. Levertoff and H. L. Goudge, "The Gospel According to St. Matthew," pgs. 128-129), and b.) the five discourses of Matthew's Gospel relate to the five books of the Old Testament Pentateuch, and Matthew is introducing a New Pentateuch. (A. W. Argyle. "The Gospel According to Matthew," pg. 2; cf. W. D. Davies, "The Sermon on the Mount," pgs. 6-10 where Davies criticizes this theory first given by B. W. Bacon) Frederick Grant goes on to note the parallel with the five books of Moses and other five-fold divisions in the Old Testament-the five books of Psalms (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150), and the five Megilloth (The Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther). He feels the arrangement is simply Judaistic and catechetical. (Grant. "Nelson's Bible Commentary," on 6:24) Although the most prevailing view of Matthew's structure is this five discourse repeated formula view suggested by Bacon ("Studies in Matthew" London: Constable, 1930), some challenge that this breaks down from a literary standpoint. Robert A. Guelich summarizes the most popular alternative threefold outline structure: "Matthew's Gospel is divided into three major sections by the phrase: 'From that time on, Jesus began…' (4:17; 16:21). This expression serves as an introduction to parts two (4:17-16:20) and three (16:21-28:20). The first division 1:1-4:16 focuses on the person of Jesus Messiah; the second (4:17-16:20). The first division 1:1-4:16 focuses on the person of Jesus Messiah himself and the summons to the Kingdom; and finally, the third division (16:21-28:20) encompasses the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Messiah. The strength of this alternative lies in its recognition of the literary and the theological structure of the Gospel. " ("The Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding" Waco: Word Books, 1982; pg. 56)

10. Pink, A. W. "An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1950), pg. 12. Actually by comparison of the record, Jesus evidently began His preaching ministry in the area around Galilee, and at Nazareth (cf. Luke 4:16-31a) was rejected. Upon which He established His ministry base in Capernaum.

11.Hendriksen, William. "New Testament Commentary: Matthew," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), pg. 259.

12.Ibid., pg. 261.

13. Stott, John R. W. "Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount," (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987), pg. 20.

14. Barclay, William. "The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew," vol. 1 (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975) pg. 86. Actually, this posture was not only used by a Jewish rabbi but also a Jewish legislator, when speaking officially. Christ here is seen as authoritatively teaching and establishing the legislature of the kingdom!

15. Pink, A. W. "An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1950), pg. 13

16. Carson, D. A. "The Sermon on the Mount: An Evangelical Exposition of Matthew 5-7," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), pg. 15. Thomas comments that while the term "disciple" in some passages is limited to the twelve, it seems best to understand Christ's wider circle of followers in Matthew 5:1. These "learners" are those who habitually heard His teachings and were supposed to receive them as true, but this was not always the case (John 6:66). This group should however be distinguished on the other side from tous ochlous (i.e., "the multitudes"), and therefore does not denote all those who were present. ("Preliminary Exegetical Digest of Matthew 5-7,13,24," 1988, pg. 12) Hence three major groupings should be recognized: genuine disciples, superficially attached learners, and the curious masses.

17. Wiersbe, Warren W. "Live Like a King: Living the Beatitudes Today," (Chicago: Moody Press, 1976), pg. 19. Again, Wiersbe states: "Jesus gave this message to individual believers, not to the unsaved world at large." ("Meet Your King," Wheaton: Victor Books, 1980, pg. 32) And yet he further mentions: "To begin with, the Beatitudes show us how to enter the Kingdom. The first step is admitting my spiritual bankruptcy and having a humble, honest attitude toward myself. 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' applies the ax to the very root of pharisaical pride and hypocrisy. 'Blessed are they that mourn' deals with my attitude toward my sin: instead of criticizing the other man, I judge myself. 'Blessed are the meek' deals with my attitude toward God: I am submissive to Him and not trying to impress Him with who I am or what I have done. When I 'hunger and thirst after righteousness,' then God provides that righteousness in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. " (Wiersbe, "Live Like a King: Living the Beatitudes Today," pg. 24)…"The Beatitudes tell us how to enter the Kingdom and enlarge the Kingdom; but they also tell us how to enjoy the Kingdom." (pg. 25)

18. MacArthur, John. "The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1-7," (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), pg. 13.

19. Carl Henry gives seven approaches of the Sermon on the Mount ("Christian Personal Ethics," Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1977; pgs. 278-326) the first being what he calls the "humanistic interpretation" which simply gives a repudiation of the contents of the Sermon. Henry quotes Harry Elmer Barnes who criticizes: "Once we make a candid examination of the actual teachings of Jesus, in so far as we know of them, it must be admitted that they are not only archaic, but even destructive of any advanced civilization…If the teachings of Jesus as they exist were applied to contemporary society, nothing less than anarchy and the destruction of the civilized order would inevitably follow." (pg. 280; Barnes, "The Twilight of Christianity," New York: Vanguard Press, 1929; pg. 388) To this Henry rebuts: "Doubtless Jesus spoke to his times and in the idiom of his day. But with the same voice he spoke to all ages, for he uttered the idiom of eternity. Never was the highest moral achievement of a morally-conscious generation brought under such severe scrutiny and judgment as was the generation to which Jesus spoke. Yet it was not to his generation alone, but to all generations, twelve approaches ("Understanding the Sermon on the Mount," New York: Harper and Brothers, 1960; pgs. 105-127). Caleb T. Huang suggests the reason for the numerous approaches: "Throughout the history of the church, it has been one of the favorite Scripture passages of all Christians. Yet with its greatness and importance, scholars have puzzled over many problems in the interpretation of the Sermon. Is it Law or Gospel? Should it be ethical demand preceded by His gift of salvation which provides the power through the Spirit's one interpret the Sermon appropriately?" ("Jesus' Teaching on 'Entering the Kingdom of Heaven' in the Gospel According to Matthew," ThD. dissertation, Concordia Seminary, 1986; pg. 92)

20. Adolf von Harnack explains: "He [i.e., Jesus] goes…through the several departments of human relationships and human failings so as to bring the disposition and intention to light in each case, to judge man's works by them, and on them to hang heaven and hell." ("What is Christianity?" trans. T.B. Saunders; New York: Harper and Row, 1957), pg. 72; Windisch states: " The Sermon on the Mount as we have it presents a doctrine of the righteousness laid down in the Law…The religion of the Sermon on the Mount, like that of Judaism, is predominantly a religion of 'works' and of eschatological salvation…Christ is therefore the teacher, the prophet, the judge…Nowhere, however, does the Sermon on the Mount represent him as mediator or as redeemer…the way to be saved is to imitate God, to hear and do the words of Christ…And to be obedient to His commands…The Sermon intends to proclaim commands. It presents demands that are to be literally understood and literally fulfilled." He goes on to proclaim boldly, "The doctrine of salvation in the Sermon on the Mount stands in sharpest contradiction to that of Paul…in Romans, chapters three to eight. There is a gulf here between Jesus and Paul that no art of theological exegesis can bridge." (Windisch, Hans. "The Meaning of the Sermon on the Mount," trans. S. M. Gilmour; Philadelphia: Westminister, 1951: pgs. 168-172)

21. J. Gresham Machen, "Christianity and Liberalism," (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, reprint, 1946), pg. 39. Stanley Toussaint further adds: "It is the universal testimony of the bible that one can obtain eternal life only by grace through faith. A second error of the soteriological interpretation is found when one studies the sermon itself. The high standards set forth in the discourse absolutely prevent any human from attaining them. If salvation depended on these standards, none could be saved." ("Behold the King: A study of Matthew," Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980; pg. 86)

22. Stamm, Frederick Keller. "Seeing the Multitudes," (New York: Harper & Brothers 1943), pgs. 68,69.

23. Benton, William. "Encyclopedia Britannica" vol. 22, (Chicago: University of Chicago, 1972, pg. 65.

24. Harnack, A. and Hermann, W. "Essays on the Social Gospel," trans. G. M. Craik (New York: G. P. Putman's Sons, 1907), pgs. 203, 204. Cf. Kittel, Gerhard. "Die Bergpredigt und die Ethik des Judenuma" Xeitschrift fur Systematische Theologie 2 (1924-25): 583-84; 590-591. The English translation see Warren S. Kissinger, "The Sermon on the Mount: A History of Interpretation and Bibliography," ATLA Bibliography Series, No.3 (Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, and the American Theological Library Association, 19750, pgs. 69-70. Cf. Dibelius, Martin. "The Sermon on the Mount,": (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940), pgs.136-137. Cf. Bultmann, Rudolf. "Jesus and the Word," trans. By L. P. Smith and E. Huntress (New York: Charles Scriner's Sons, 1934), pgs. 72-98. Cf. Brunner, Emil. "The Divine Imperative-A Study in Christian Ethics," trans. Olive Wyon (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1947), pgs. 136, 137, 434. Note: this perspective approach is similar to the Lutheran impossible ideal theory of the Sermon, which Hunang summarizes: "The main contents of this impossible ideal theory are: first, anyone who reads the Sermon on the Mount earnestly is on necessity moved to despair, because it is impossible for him to fulfill such demands; second, Jesus' intention in teaching these things is to multiply the Mosaic law to the highest degree, to shatter His hearers' self-reliance, to make the Sermon a pedagogical law, to prepare men for salvation." ("Jesus' Teaching on 'Entering the Kingdom of Heaven' in the Gospel According to Matthew," Th.D thesis, Concordia Seminary, 1986; pg. 113)

25. Wenger, J.C., ed. "Reply to False Accusation" in "The Complete Writings of Menno Simons," trans. Leonard Verduin (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1956), pg. 555. Cf. Hershberger, Guy F. "Mennonites and the Modern Peace Movement," Mennonite Quarterly Review 2 (1928): 163.

26. Machen, J. G. "Christianity and Liberalism," (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1946), pg. 38. Huang states: "According to this approach, the moral law has three main purposes. First, it serves as a curb to control the flesh of man outwardly. Second, it stands as a mirror to show man his sins both before or at his conversion and after that in his daily life. Third, it functions as a guide or rule to point out good works to Christians in living the faith. However, it is not the Law but the Gospel through the work of the Spirit that supplies the power to cleanse the sins, to destroy the flesh inwardly, to empower Christians to practice good works. The Sermon on the Mount speaks of the works the disciples are to do in the power of the Gospel and of faith." ("Jesus' Teaching on 'Entering the Kingdom of Heaven' in the Gospel According to Matthew," Th.D thesis; Concordia Seminary, 1986; pg. 108; also: Berkhof, L. "Systematic Theology," Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953; pgs. 614-616; Mueller, J. T. "Christian Dogmatics," St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934; pgs. 477-480)

27. Henry, Carl. "Christian Personal Ethics," (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1977); pgs. 325-326.

28. William L. Pettingill, "The Gospel of the Kingdom," (Findlay, Ohio: Fundamental Truth Publishers, n.d. ), pg. 58. Arno C. Gaebelein also represented this dispensational view: "The Sermon on the Mount is the proclamation of the King concerning the Kingdom…It is the millennial earth and the Kingdom to come, in which Jerusalem will be the city of a great King." ("The Gospel of Matthew," New York: Our Hope Publications, 1910; pg. 110); although Donald G. Barnhouse repudiated his earlier dispensational emphasis, he stated in 1933, "We are not to make the mistake of trying to force the Sermon on the Mount to a literal fulfillment today. It will be fulfilled literally, but not until the age in which we live has come to its close and the Lord Jesus shall be dealing with His people Israel." ("His Own Received Him Not, But…" New York: Revell, 1933; pg. 40)

29.Scofield, C. I. "The Scofield Reference Bible: The Holy Bible," (New York: Oxford University Press, 1901) pgs. 999-100. Lewis S. Chafer represents those among dispensational theologians who consider the Sermon on the Mount to be interpreted as a rule of life for the Millennial Age. After giving an extended outline of why the major elements of the Sermon on the Mount are for the future application of kingdom rule, he states: "Again, it is not unreasonable to recognize that these kingdom teachings should directly apply to a future age. The Bible is the one revelation from God to all peoples of all ages. It is not difficult to understand that some of the Scripture applies to conditions which are wholly of the future…Thus it may be concluded that the teachings of the law, the teachings of grace, and the teachings of the kingdom are separate and complete systems of divine rule which are perfectly adapted to the varied conditions in three great dispensations. " ("Systematic Theology," vol. 4, Dallas Seminary Press, 1948, pgs. 224,5)

30. Toussaint, Stanley. "Behold the King: A Study of Matthew," (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980), pg. 90.23. Pentecost, Dwight. "The Sermon on the Mount: Contemporary Insights for a Christian Lifestyle," (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980), pgs. 16,17; Carl Henry agrees: "That the Sermon is intended for a millennial age in which evil is subjugated, ignores its reflections of an age of conflict between evil and righteousness, seen here as fully as in other peacemakers are commended, reward is promised for reproach, persecution and false accusation are to be endured for Christ. These facts presuppose an environment in which evil is aggressive" ( "Christian Personal Ethics," Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1977; pg. 292)

31. Johannes Weiss and Albert Schweitzer repudiated the general validity of the ethics of the Sermon …The interim-ethic interpretation contends that literal fulfillment of the Sermon was intended, that it is possible but absurd if the world will continue more than a few weeks, and that its ethics are therefore irrelevant to the contemporary moral situation. (Henry, Carl F. H. "Christian Personal Ethics," Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1951; pg. 291)

32. Henry, Carl F. H. "Christian Personal Ethics," (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing House, 1951), pgs. 293, 294. Henry also mentions elements of the Sermon in which no eschatological reference is necessary: 5:13, 14-16, 21-26, 27-28, 31-32, 33-37, 38-42, 43-48; 6:2-4, 5-6, 14f., 16-18, 24, 25-33, 34; 7:1-5, 6, 7-12, 15-20. (Ibid., pg. 294)

33.  Pentecost, Dwight. "The Sermon on the Mount," (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980).

34. Walvoord, John F. "Matthew- Thy Kingdom Come," (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974), pg. 45.

35. Stott, John R. W. "Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount," (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987), pg. 18

36. Stott, John R. W. "Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount," (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987), pg. 18.

37. Ibid., 19.

38. Hendriksen, William. "New Testament Commentary: Matthew," (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), pg. 264.

39. Lloyd-Jones, M. "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount," (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1971 edition), pg. 23.