Lesson 1: Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. It is one of the most beloved, well known, and frequently quoted portions of the Bible. It's also the longest single unit of Jesus' personal teaching recorded in Scripture, “the most concentrated yet comprehensive portion of His ethical teaching.” 1 Some think of it as “the most profound section of the entire New Testament and the whole Bible, … the most penetrating section of God's Word.” 2 Unfortunately, it's also a very misunderstood passage. Thus, it is beneficial for believers to carefully and thoughtfully study the Sermon. Our goal should be not only to learn what Jesus said and meant, but also to apply the lessons from the Sermon on the Mount to our own lives personally.
We'll be studying the Sermon from Matthew's account (mostly). Before launching out into a detailed study of the Sermon itself, it may be beneficial to consider some introductory matters.
定义:在山上宝训是什么? 讲道记录可能不包含耶稣当时说的一切。 这可能冷凝或可能持续一个小时或更长的时间教学会议纪要(记录在新台币,讲道只需要几分钟的时间阅读)。 这是常见的,在历史上为教师(拉比)在显眼的地方坐下,他的弟子聚集在他周围,并教点。 这讲道设置。
文学风格:登山宝训旧约智慧文学常见的,就像箴言,尤其是书籍的阅读。 这一点很重要,像旧约智慧文学,在山上宝训中包含诗意的材料,一定要仔细和周到的解释。 如果我们寻求适用于严格的字面解释途径,我们将最终切断我们的手,拔了我们的眼睛,并给我们所有的财产,除其他事项外。 讲道包含犹太人的时候,熟悉的意境,和现代口译员应牢记这一点,因为他们寻求解释耶稣的话。
Theme: The unifying theme of the Sermon is the kingdom of heaven . Matthew places the sermon immediately after two verses insisting that the primary content of Jesus' preaching was the gospel of the kingdom (4:17, 23). This theme brackets the Beatitudes (5:3, 10) and appears in 5:17-20, which details the relation between the OT and the kingdom. It returns at the heart of the Lord's Prayer (6:10), climaxes the section on kingdom perspectives (6:33). 3 While some of his listeners recognized Jesus as the King, others must be exhorted to enter the kingdom (7:13-14) and to evaluate whether they are genuine citizens of Jesus' kingdom (7:21-29). As a summary, we can suggest that the Sermon describes the character, requirements, and conditions of entering and living in the kingdom.
The Audience: Whom did Jesus intend as the audience of the Sermon?
The disciples . This would include the twelve as well as a good number of others.
Mt 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him.
The multitude . Jesus often taught his disciples while others listened (Luk 20:45). Perhaps only a small group of disciples gathered to listen when Jesus began speaking, but by the time He finished, many people had joined them.
Mt 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
因此,我们找到一些直接只适用于信徒和一些以不信的材料。
解读:人们可以发现至少有十几种不同的方案,各组在整个历史的教堂,用来解释和适用山上的讲道。 这表明,它不是一件容易的通过了解。 耶稣的话似乎直截了当的和明确的,但讲道周到的考虑,就会发现其教学和了解的一些报表的难度深处。
有些国家已经采取的讲道中一种木然文字的方式,让隐喻表达或诗意的意象。 如果你的右眼使你的欲望,你真的应该拔掉它。 和平主义者(例如,阿米什)耶稣的命令,“不抵抗邪恶”,禁止任何形式的自卫和/或军事接触。
罗马天主教会在历史上作为神职人员(俗人)标准应用的讲道。 这设置了双重标准。
Lutherans have suggested that the Sermon is Jesus' exposition of the OT law , and His intent was to drive men to repent of sin and cry for grace. 4 While the Sermon certainly may have this impact, the overall theme of the Sermon goes beyond this.
Some have argued that the ethic of the Sermon on the Mount is a sort of moral road map toward social progress. This is the view of classic liberalism. But the Sermon is far more than a list of rules and regulations. And we cannot apply Jesus' teaching to society without the citizens of society being members of Jesus' kingdom.
Some see the Sermon as a description of how to enter the kingdom. They suggest that those who obey Jesus' teaching will be saved. Such an approach amounts to salvation by works , which obviously contradicts the rest of the NT. “It is evident from the clear teaching of the rest of the New Testament that the Lord's purpose was not to address the unbelieving world in this discourse to show them the way of life, either individual or social.” 5
Some see the Sermon as a description of how church life ought to be. However, the church is never mentioned here—no clear gospel presentation, no baptism, no indwelling or baptism of the Holy Spirit, no prayer in Christ's name—no mention of the church at all. Further, Jesus taught these principles well before the church existed. No one in the original audience would have been thinking about life in the church while they listened to Jesus' address.
Similarly, a common approach is to think of the Sermon as a description of essential Christian discipleship . One could look at it as “the outward manifestations of character and conduct of the true believer and genuine disciple,….the greatest statement of true Christian living” 6 St. Augustine, for example, described it as “a perfect standard of the Christian life.” 7 This comes close, but seems to neglect the kingdom implications of the Sermon. Further, if the Sermon is meant to describe the normal Christian life, most Christians come far short.
Dispensationalists have held various positions on the Sermon.
Some dispensationalists hold that the Sermon applied specifically only to the original audience when Jesus was offering the kingdom to Israel. 8
Some hold that the Sermon applies until the beginning of the millennial kingdom, during the interim period between the first and second advents. 9
Some hold that the standards of the Sermon applied only to the future millennial reign of Christ, not to the church age. Many dispensationalists today would affirm that the Sermon's primary application awaits the millennial reign of Christ, but they would also assert that the Sermon applies to believers today. 10
It seems obvious that some aspects of the Sermon do not fit a millennial kingdom context. Pentecost notes that “the presence of evil and evil men, the existence of poverty, famine, hunger, and need, are all contrary to the predictions made in the Old Testament concerning the character of the kingdom. … We thus conclude that the Sermon on the Mount cannot be made to apply to conditions on the earth after the establishment of the [millennial] kingdom.” 11
也许说教,最好的办法是看它描述耶稣生活在王国 (见下面这个概念的定义)。 这是不是说明如何进入基督的国度,但对于不信的邀请进入(玛7:13-14)和指导那些已经是他的王国的一部分。 此外,如上所述,讲道包含诗意的材料必须仔细和周到的解释。 这似乎不大可能,严格文字应用的讲道是耶稣在头脑里。 讲道有更多的共同点比旧约智慧文学与现代报纸报道。
如果我们引进讲道马太福音4:17,那么也许在山上宝训的消息可以捕获的短语,“这意味着悔改,属于天国。” 12
山4时17分从那时候耶稣开始传教,并说,你们应当悔改:为天国在手。
请注意以下几个原因讲道适用于今天的信徒: 13
耶稣希望他的听众, 服从他的教学(见7:24-28)。
在通道或其他任何地方的任何建议,耶稣说的是不是适用于原始的观众或后代。
Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel and to teach converts to observe whatever Jesus had commanded (Mt 28:18-20). Part of what Jesus commanded is found in the Sermon.
The rest of the NT repeats many of the themes from the Sermon, which suggests that the material applies to church-age believers.
The Kingdom: In order to make sense of the Sermon, we must determine what Jesus meant by “the kingdom.”
As noted above, references to the kingdom abound in the Sermon: Matt 5:3, 10, 19, 20, 6:10, 13, 33, 7:21. Thus, we must seek to understand what Jesus had in mind. What is Christ's “kingdom”?
God is a universal king over all creation (Acts 17:24). This is not the kingdom Christ has in mind here.
The kingdom Jesus has in mind is the earthly , physical, literal kingdom of God mediated by the Messiah—the Messianic kingdom, the rule of Christ on the throne of David. This is the kingdom the Jews of Jesus' day were expecting. This is the kingdom Jesus announced was “at hand” (Mt 3:2, 4:17). Jesus Himself is the king in God's kingdom, and where He reigns, there the kingdom of God is already present. So it seems that the first coming of Christ initiated the kingdom.
The earthly, millennial kingdom is obviously not currently in operation, or at least not fully operational. Jesus is not reigning over the earth from the throne of David in Jerusalem. The promises from the OT have not yet been fulfilled. The Jews rejected Jesus as their king and Messiah. The kingdom, in its fullest sense, has not come yet. This facet of the kingdom is still future.
While the full expression of the kingdom awaits Jesus' return, the kingdom has been initiated or inaugurated by Jesus. There seems to be more than one phase or expression of Christ's kingdom. Between the first and second comings of Christ, the “ mystery ” form of the kingdom prevails (see Mt 13). This phase of the kingdom may be thought of as Jesus' spiritual reign over His people. Today, one enters the kingdom by being born again (John 3:3-7; Col 1:13). Believers are citizens of Christ's kingdom, but not in a physical, earthly sense, but in the sense of Christ's spiritual reign or rule over his people. Christ is king, and believers enter his kingdom when they get saved. 14
Note on the kingdom : It's important for us to recognize that certain elements of kingdom life await the millennial reign of Christ. The physical aspects of kingdom life—reigning with power, overthrowing enemies, ruling over a land and a people, etc.—awaits a future time. Some Christians seek to apply the promises from the earthly, physical, Messianic kingdom (the millennium) to the church age. This is a mistake. The mystery form of the kingdom overlaps with the church age, but the church and the kingdom are not identical.
Thus, the Sermon pertains to Christ's kingdom, whether the present mystery form of it or the future millennial form. Certain elements of the Sermon seem to apply more directly to the present and other parts to the future. In any case, Christians of any age should thoughtfully seek to apply the principles from the Sermon.
Note the Quote: [T]he Sermon on the Mount … is intended for the guidance of regenerate persons in an unregenerate world. And because the gifts and empowerment of the Gospel are his who trusts and serves His Lord, these words of Christ stand. Their revelation has never been withdrawn: they set forth the true standard of Christian morality. They describe the conduct produced by the life of Christ in His believing people: they abide in full moral applicability to us: they are [timeless] and reveal the moral laws upon which the judgments of the Day of Christ are founded. Thus they should be studied and taken to heart by the follower of Christ who would learn of Him who is meek and lowly in heart. 15
Overview of the Sermon on the Mount — see the title page 16
Conclusion: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount calls all His followers to a very high level of discipleship. Anyone claiming to be a follower of Christ must seriously consider how well he is obeying Jesus' words here. Living the Sermon on the Mount means, fundamentally, submitting to the authority of Jesus. It means coming to Him, taking His yoke, and learning from Him (Mt 11:28-30). 17
The Sermon on the Mount is a profound and rich passage, the “greatest of all sermons having to do with human conduct.” 18 In the following weeks, we'll be looking in depth at this Sermon and seeking to understand what Jesus said, what He meant, and how we should respond. Every student would benefit from reading through the Sermon (Matthew 5-7) as we progress.
1 Harry A. Sturz, “The Sermon on the Mount and Its Application to the Present Age,” Grace Journal Volume 4 (Grace Seminary, 1963; 2002), 4:3.
2 R。 肯特, 在山上宝训休斯:16:王国 (交叉口图书,2001年惠顿,伊利诺伊州)的消息 。
3 解释者的圣经注释。
4 MacArthur asserts that the Sermon is “a masterful exposition of the law and a potent assault on Pharisaic legalism.” The MacArthur Study Bible (Dallas: Word Publishing), 1997.
5 J. Dwight Pentecost, “The Purpose of the Sermon on the Mount,” Dallas Theological Seminary, Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 115 (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1958; 2002), 115:130.
6 Liberty University Bible Commentary
7 Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount , 15. Augustine likely coined the title “Sermon on the Mount” for this passage.
8 J. Dwight Pentecost reflects this position. “[T]he Sermon on the Mount is to be connected with the offer of the kingdom to Israel at the first advent of Christ, so that its primary application is to that day and time, and must be so interpreted.” Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 115 (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1958; 2002), 115:212.
9 Tom Constable, Expository Notes on the Bible , reflects this position.
10 Ryrie asserts that the “primary fulfillment of the Sermon and the full following of its laws” relates to “either the offering or the establishment of the Millennial kingdom.” Dispensationalism (Chicago: Moody, 1995), 100. He affirms that the Sermon is applicable and profitable for believers of this age.
11 Sturz , Grace Journal Volume 4 (Grace Seminary, 1963; 2002), quoting Dwight Pentecost, “The Purpose of the Sermon on the Mount,” Bibliotheca Sacra (April, 1958), p. 135。 Sturz gives a long list of conditions mentioned in the Sermon that do not seem to fit with a millennial context. Both Sturz and Pentecost are dispensationalists.
12 Following Deffinbaugh/Ellis. www.bible.net
13 From Sturz, Grace Journal 4:3.
14 The spiritual kingdom “refers to the kingdom into which all believers have been placed (Col. 1:13), and it is entered by the new birth. The Ruler is Christ; in this concept of the kingdom He rules over believers only; and the relationship exists now.” Ryrie, Basic Theology , 398.
15 CF Hogg and JB Watson, On the Sermon on the Mount (London: Pickering & Inglis Ltd., 3rd printing, 1947), pp. 18,19. Quoted in Struz.
16 This scheme follows the breakdown from the NIV Study Bible notes with the main sections coming from Deffinbaugh/Ellis. Some modifications by the author.
17 Deffinbaugh/Ellis.
18 HA Ironside, Expository Notes on the Gospel of Matthew (New York: Loizeaux Bros., Inc., Bible Truth Depot, 1943), p. 44。 Quoted in Sturz, Grace Journal 4:3.