Sermon on the mount

[Wootah]

What was the point of this sermon?

[Elijah John]

What was the point of this sermon?

One of it's purposes is to announce that good news, that God is on the side of the poor, the downcast, the broken hearted. The sermon announces these things with the enumeration of the Beattitudes. These sentiments are also echoed in the beginning of the Gospel of Luke which has Jesus reading from the Isaiah scroll where Jesus announces that he has come to fulfill the jubilee, the year of God's favor.

Another is to contrast the way of faith and life, vs. the way of sin and death. The straight and narrow vs the broad path which leads to destruction.

Also, Jesus in this sermon teaches us how to pray.

And I'm sure there are other purposes for the Sermon.

Why, what does the Sermon on the Mount mean to you? To Evangelicals in general? I've noticed that the Evangelicals I've heard seldom draw from this sermon, but far more often from the letters of Paul and the Gospel of John.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

To outline the principles that should govern Christian living.

That's what I think.

JW

[FWI]

[Replying to Wootah]

What was the point of this sermon (Sermon on the Mound)?

The “Sermon on the Mount� is the Christ describing and explaining what life will be like in the Kingdom of God during the first thousand years of his reign on this earth.

It also shows the context of "the type of life style" that his followers (then and now) will need to adapt to during the remaining time of: the age of man.

This corresponds to the New Covenant or the new Torah, which would incorporate both the Israelites and Gentiles.

[Elijah John]

[Replying to Wootah]

What was the point of this sermon (Sermon on the Mound)?

The “Sermon on the Mount� is the Christ describing and explaining what life will be like in the Kingdom of God during the first thousand years of his reign on this earth.

It also shows the context of "the type of life style" that his followers (then and now) will need to adapt to during the remaining time of: the age of man.

This corresponds to the New Covenant or the new Torah, which would incorporate both the Israelites and Gentiles.

Whre does Chrsit ever reference his "first thousand years of his reign on this earth" in this sermon. In fact, in this sermon, where does Christ even reference his own reign at all?

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

To outline the principles that should govern Christian living.

That's what I think.

JW

What evidence can you provide that Jesus was preaching here to Christians and not to his fellow Jews?

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Jesus was outlining the principles of Jewish living as he saw it, or Godly living?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

To outline the principles that should govern Christian living.

That's what I think.

JW

What evidence can you provide that Jesus was preaching here to Christians and not to his fellow Jews?

Did I say he was preaching here [ie in the Sermon on the mount] to Christians and not to his fellow Jews?


Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Jesus was outlining the principles of Jewish living as he saw it, or Godly living?

No I don't think so because that would in my opinion imply that it wouldn't be applicable to Christians.

[Overcomer]

I agree that the Sermon on the Mount explains how we are to live in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is defined as a world in which everything is done according to the perfect will of God.

The question is -- when does this kingdom begin?

Jesus answered the question when he said that the kingdom was "in the midst of them" (Luke 20:21). In other words, Christ initiated it with his coming. However, the kingdom will not be fully implemented until Christ's second coming.

This is why theologians such as Gordon Fee refer to the kingdom as "already-but-not-yet". We can operate in the power of the Holy Spirit here and now. We can receive blessings of the kingdom here and now. We can live according to the kingdom rules outlined in the Sermon on the Mount here and now. But we cannot do any of those things fully yet. Some of this has to do with our own inabilities as Christians to be perfect. Some of it has to do with the fact that there are people who reject God and his ways and, therefore, stand in the way of the implementation of the kingdom. At Christ's return, all will be set right, and the kingdom will be complete at last.

Here is an article that explains it more fully:

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/is ... -or-future

[bluethread]

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Jesus was outlining the principles of Jewish living as he saw it, or Godly living?

No I don't think so because that would in my opinion imply that it wouldn't be applicable to Christians.

Only if Christians consider themselves exempt from the commandments of Adonai.

[2timothy316]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

To outline the principles that should govern Christian living.

That's what I think.

JW

What evidence can you provide that Jesus was preaching here to Christians and not to his fellow Jews?

Did I say he was preaching here [ie in the Sermon on the mount] to Christians and not to his fellow Jews?


Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Jesus was outlining the principles of Jewish living as he saw it, or Godly living?

No I don't think so because that would in my opinion imply that it wouldn't be applicable to Christians.

I think humans living in a Godly way is accurate in saying who was the sermon directed to. When we say Jewish living and Christian living, today those terms become subjective as to their meaning. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 says the scriptures, which would include the Sermon on the Mount, is for the benefit of 'a man of God'.

A person can call themselves Baptist, Jewish, Jehovah's Witness etc etc. But if they are not living in a Godly way none of those labels matter. It's not what we call ourselves but what Jehovah God sees in our actions and hearts. The sermon is the baseline for this Godly way of living. It is meant to ask the listener to examine what they are, where do they want to be, what kind of person do they want to be and who do they want to follow.

Jesus ended the sermon like this,
"“Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock. Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.� Mat 7:24-27.

The sermon is about many things, including choices and revealing the results of those choices.

As to if the sermon is directed to one particular label. It is directed to all labels. In other words, the sermon is addressed to all mankind but only a man of God will listen, the message reach the heart and find the sermon useful. The label Jehovah's Witness, is a label I picked to be called. I want to because I love God's name and though I'm not perfect I want people to know any good that they see in me is because of Jehovah's direction. I also choose to be called Christian because I love Jehovah's Son Jesus as he is an excellent role model.

Godly living is also a choice but it is not really a label. It's a way of life. It can only be proven through actions and not by what we call ourselves. I can go to the American Branch of JWs and prove that my name is on a list of baptized people in the JW religion. But that doesn't prove I am a man of God. That being said, I fully believe that if a person is honestly seeking to be a man of God and they are humble. The results of that search will lead them to one group and one name, Jehovah. As Jehovah only draws such 'men and women of God' to one place as He always has done. He never brought people to Molech or Baal. The Sermon on the Mount is a call to all nations. Only people seeking Godly living answer that call.