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The Story of God Bible Commentary
Sermon on the Mount
Emphasizing the historical distance between the New Testament and our contemporary culture, The Sermon on the Mount offers helpful contextual insights for those seeking to discern how to live out the Bible in today's world. This sermon is the moral portrait of Jesus' own people—yet the contrast between his vision and our lives is so stark that many theologians have tried to soften the demands it makes on us until it's been skewed beyond recognition in the minds of many Christians. The goal of this special volume of The Story of God Bible Commentary series is to investigate the Sermon on the Mount in light of the way Jesus meant it to be heard, requiring us to ask difficult questions about ethics, discipleship, and salvation. The first commentary series to do so, SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts. Its story-centric approach is ideal for pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, and laypeople alike. Each volume employs three main, easy-to-use sections designed to help readers live out God's Edited by Scot McKnight and Tremper Longman III, and written by a number of top-notch theologians, The Story of God Bible Commentary series will bring relevant, balanced, and clear-minded theological insight to any biblical education or ministry.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2013
143 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Scot McKnight
196Ìýbooks531ÌýfollowersScot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author or editor of forty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL. Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly speaks at local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the USA and abroad. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 19, 2019
This commentary is a mixed bag. Many excellent features and some interesting discussions on ethics, but it also is held back by important aspects of the Sermon that McKnight ignores and some of his exegetical decisions are baffling. A few examples of the good and the bad.
Good: Discussions on ethics, and particularly McKnight's very helpful discussions regarding ethics from above, beyond, and below. This is insightful and I'll be citing him on this in my own work. Also, there are some excellent quotes on discipleship.
Bad:
1. McKnight dismisses the virtue-ethics aspect without, in my opinion, entirely understanding it. Read Pennington on this for a much better treatment of that approach.
2. McKnight's views regarding the nature and character of the beatitudes is confusing and contradictory. See especially pgs 33-34. On the one hand, he insists (rightly) that the beatitudes are about people living properly, and possessing certain attributes, and on the other hand, he (wrongly) insists that the subjects of the beatitudes are not meant to "do" anything. This makes no sense. One must pursue positive attributes and proper living. It doesn't happen by accident. To hear McKnight tell it, the beatitudes are about people who sort of "end up" that way. That...makes no sense.
3. McKnight (rightly) rejects that the beatitudes are entrance requirements, and rejects that they are "merely" about God's prior favor, but he then states (pg 36) that they are really about God's favor, despite previously arguing that they're not; that they're actual demands. I think he thinks he's being consistent, but it doesn't read that way to me. What, exactly, is the character of the beatitudes? He says they're about those who are Jesus' disciples. Great, I agree. But HOW does one come to exhibit said traits? Are they accidents of history or traits to be pursued? He seems to suggest both depending on which page one is reading.
4. McKnight (pg 38) uses Lev 19:18 and Matt 7:12 to add "self-love" to his Jesus Creed. I think this is a misreading of those verses. I do not think loving others "as yourself" means that you should love yourself, and others just as much, but rather, it's an acknowledgment that humankind ALREADY loves itself a great deal and should therefore love others in the same way. In other words, it's not an exhortation to love thyself, but an acknowledgment of humanity's deeply abiding selfishness, and a directive to "redirect" that selfishness towards loving others as much as you ALREADY love yourself. To interpret the phrase as one of self-love is to place an anachronistic emphasis on modern concerns of depression and low self-esteem and read it into those verses, when the Scripture never acknowledges such concerns, but rather, consistently points to the fact that humans are selfish, self-righteous, and inwardly focused.
5. I count myself, for the most part, as running alongside McKnight and others in the "Jesus within Judaism" camp. However, I'm consistently frustrated by the way McKnight often places Jesus into his Jewish milieu without properly taking into account what that Jewish milieu consists of. For example, McKnight treats the phrase "poor in spirit" without properly taking into account similar phrases from Qumran and other Second Temple sources, principally 4QInstruction, which demonstrate that the concept of the poor and the anawim had undergone some development that he doesn't appear aware of. What's worse, and this is my biggest gripe of the whole book, he interprets Matt 5:5 as "inherit the land" rather than "inherit the earth," claiming that the land was the Jews' real concern and that they didn't care about "the whole earth," despite that fact that the OVERWHELMING evidence of the latter prophets and Second Temple Judaism demonstrates an evolution in "inheritance" contexts that moved ENTIRELY away from the land and into "WHOLE EARTH" ideas (see 3rd Isaiah, the Book of the Watchers, 4QInstruction, to name a few). The heaven and earth word pair in Matthew clearly puts the whole earth in view, and to miss that is to subscribe to a pretty lazy concept of what Jews at the time would have cared about. Matthew, famously, shows almost no signs at all of caring about "the land," and its progressive universalism (see Matthias Konradt on its progressive nature) means that the Jews in view in Matthew were entirely aware of Jesus' affect on things beyond Israel alone.
6. Finally, and this one stems from the last - the intro ignores important discussions that would have informed the exegesis. For example, since McKnight attempts to place Jesus' words into a Jewish context (in a particular way at that), what does he think about the dynamic of Jews and Gentiles in the Gospel? I know Reeves did another Matthew commentary in this series, but McKnight needed to address certain issues here to frame his own choices, and he doesn't do that adequately.
I will say, although my criticisms sound weighty, and some are - I enjoyed the book and I will undoubtedly cite in in my work and use this book when writing sermons. It has some really helpful elements. But when weighed against the 25+ books I've read on the Sermon, it falls short in its framing of issues through Matthew's whole-narrative and its Second Temple context.
Good: Discussions on ethics, and particularly McKnight's very helpful discussions regarding ethics from above, beyond, and below. This is insightful and I'll be citing him on this in my own work. Also, there are some excellent quotes on discipleship.
Bad:
1. McKnight dismisses the virtue-ethics aspect without, in my opinion, entirely understanding it. Read Pennington on this for a much better treatment of that approach.
2. McKnight's views regarding the nature and character of the beatitudes is confusing and contradictory. See especially pgs 33-34. On the one hand, he insists (rightly) that the beatitudes are about people living properly, and possessing certain attributes, and on the other hand, he (wrongly) insists that the subjects of the beatitudes are not meant to "do" anything. This makes no sense. One must pursue positive attributes and proper living. It doesn't happen by accident. To hear McKnight tell it, the beatitudes are about people who sort of "end up" that way. That...makes no sense.
3. McKnight (rightly) rejects that the beatitudes are entrance requirements, and rejects that they are "merely" about God's prior favor, but he then states (pg 36) that they are really about God's favor, despite previously arguing that they're not; that they're actual demands. I think he thinks he's being consistent, but it doesn't read that way to me. What, exactly, is the character of the beatitudes? He says they're about those who are Jesus' disciples. Great, I agree. But HOW does one come to exhibit said traits? Are they accidents of history or traits to be pursued? He seems to suggest both depending on which page one is reading.
4. McKnight (pg 38) uses Lev 19:18 and Matt 7:12 to add "self-love" to his Jesus Creed. I think this is a misreading of those verses. I do not think loving others "as yourself" means that you should love yourself, and others just as much, but rather, it's an acknowledgment that humankind ALREADY loves itself a great deal and should therefore love others in the same way. In other words, it's not an exhortation to love thyself, but an acknowledgment of humanity's deeply abiding selfishness, and a directive to "redirect" that selfishness towards loving others as much as you ALREADY love yourself. To interpret the phrase as one of self-love is to place an anachronistic emphasis on modern concerns of depression and low self-esteem and read it into those verses, when the Scripture never acknowledges such concerns, but rather, consistently points to the fact that humans are selfish, self-righteous, and inwardly focused.
5. I count myself, for the most part, as running alongside McKnight and others in the "Jesus within Judaism" camp. However, I'm consistently frustrated by the way McKnight often places Jesus into his Jewish milieu without properly taking into account what that Jewish milieu consists of. For example, McKnight treats the phrase "poor in spirit" without properly taking into account similar phrases from Qumran and other Second Temple sources, principally 4QInstruction, which demonstrate that the concept of the poor and the anawim had undergone some development that he doesn't appear aware of. What's worse, and this is my biggest gripe of the whole book, he interprets Matt 5:5 as "inherit the land" rather than "inherit the earth," claiming that the land was the Jews' real concern and that they didn't care about "the whole earth," despite that fact that the OVERWHELMING evidence of the latter prophets and Second Temple Judaism demonstrates an evolution in "inheritance" contexts that moved ENTIRELY away from the land and into "WHOLE EARTH" ideas (see 3rd Isaiah, the Book of the Watchers, 4QInstruction, to name a few). The heaven and earth word pair in Matthew clearly puts the whole earth in view, and to miss that is to subscribe to a pretty lazy concept of what Jews at the time would have cared about. Matthew, famously, shows almost no signs at all of caring about "the land," and its progressive universalism (see Matthias Konradt on its progressive nature) means that the Jews in view in Matthew were entirely aware of Jesus' affect on things beyond Israel alone.
6. Finally, and this one stems from the last - the intro ignores important discussions that would have informed the exegesis. For example, since McKnight attempts to place Jesus' words into a Jewish context (in a particular way at that), what does he think about the dynamic of Jews and Gentiles in the Gospel? I know Reeves did another Matthew commentary in this series, but McKnight needed to address certain issues here to frame his own choices, and he doesn't do that adequately.
I will say, although my criticisms sound weighty, and some are - I enjoyed the book and I will undoubtedly cite in in my work and use this book when writing sermons. It has some really helpful elements. But when weighed against the 25+ books I've read on the Sermon, it falls short in its framing of issues through Matthew's whole-narrative and its Second Temple context.
July 27, 2021
I have now read this book twice--not because I loved it, but because it was assigned for a class and I needed a refresher before the class began.
I did appreciate it much more the second time around. McKnight is an Anglican with anabaptist leanings, and (in my opinion) slightly leftward political sensitivities. I should not have been surprised therefore to disagree with several of his conclusions about the Sermon on the Mount's application today. I appreciate his desire to let the Sermon speak without our intruding caveats, but on the other hand our intruding caveats are sometimes necessary if we are to interpret Scripture with Scripture.
Throughout the book McKnight speaks helpfully of a threefold ethic in the Sermon: an Ethic from Above (revelation), an Ethic from Below (wisdom), and an Ethic from Beyond (eschatology). And in every chapter he not only interprets but illustrates and exemplifies.
I did appreciate it much more the second time around. McKnight is an Anglican with anabaptist leanings, and (in my opinion) slightly leftward political sensitivities. I should not have been surprised therefore to disagree with several of his conclusions about the Sermon on the Mount's application today. I appreciate his desire to let the Sermon speak without our intruding caveats, but on the other hand our intruding caveats are sometimes necessary if we are to interpret Scripture with Scripture.
Throughout the book McKnight speaks helpfully of a threefold ethic in the Sermon: an Ethic from Above (revelation), an Ethic from Below (wisdom), and an Ethic from Beyond (eschatology). And in every chapter he not only interprets but illustrates and exemplifies.
January 9, 2019
This is by far the most thorough handling I've ever read regarding the Sermon on the Mount and I found it to be robust, even-handed, and honest. McKnight is a stud and a theologian, while I would label myself as a perpetual pastoral student of Scripture. That distinction is an important precursor to my only hesitation for 5-starring this great book. It seemed like there were segments in which McKnight painted with broad strokes, giving the spirit of what Jesus was communicating to be applied with wisdom and nuance while at other times he was disorientingly specific, giving prohibitions for scenarios. For example, he said Christians should refuse to take an oath in a courtroom - an odd hard line in the context of his overall tone.
That said, if you want to wrestle with the strong and bold statements in the most well-known sermon in history, I wouldn't start anywhere else!
That said, if you want to wrestle with the strong and bold statements in the most well-known sermon in history, I wouldn't start anywhere else!
August 13, 2024
Incredible book/commentary on the sermon on the Mount. McKnight is extremely thorough, scholarly, and yet very practical. Cut to the heart many of times. Highly recommend this as a resource if wanting to dig deeper in the sermon on the Mount or planning to preach through it.
February 1, 2021
Okay resource, particularly for Sunday School teachers and laypeople who are looking for more depth in a confusing passage of Scripture. Scot McKnight is a respected scholar, and he hold fairly standard conservative views throughout the Sermon (though his constant use of the idiosyncratic Jesus Creed from another one of his books is annoying). The reason for the relatively low rating is not the content, but the terrible format of the book. The Listen, Explain, Live structure is awkward at best. Even though there is some good material in here, I can't really say that I enjoyed the reading experience.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
Put together, here’s what we get: Matthew 4:23�9:35 is a sketch of the mission and ministry of Jesus: he teaches and preaches in Matthew 5�7 and he heals in Matthew 8�9. The Sermon on the Mount, then, is a comprehensive sketch of the teaching and preaching message of Jesus. In the context of Matthew’s narrative, the Sermon is a presentation of Jesus� moral vision, his ethic. You could say Matthew is saying to his audience who listens to Matthew 4:23�9:35: “Here’s Jesus, here’s his message [5�7], here are his actions [8�9]. You can now decide.�
Jesus goes against the grain. Instead of blessing the one who pursues wisdom and reason and develops a reputation as a sage, and instead of blessing the one who has a good family, who observes the whole Torah, or the one who has all the right friends and develops a reputation as righteous or as a leader, Jesus blesses those whom no one else blessed. The genius of the Beatitudes emerges from this contrastive stance: they are a countercultural revelation of the people of the kingdom.
Bonhoeffer said it well: “When Jesus calls his disciples ‘the salt,� instead of himself, this transfers his efficacy on earth to them. He brings them into his work.� But he adds the warning of Jesus: “The call of Jesus Christ means being salt of the earth or being destroyed.�
Stott, Message, 75. Here are his words: “Christian righteousness far surpasses pharisaic righteousness in kind rather than in degree. It is not so much, shall we say, that Christians succeed in keeping some 240 commandments when the best Pharisees may only have scored 230. No. Christian righteousness is greater than pharisaic righteousness because it is deeper, being a righteousness of the heart� (emphasis added). Thus it is a “new heart-righteousness.� See also the four points of Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 103.
I have the rule never to speak with anybody about divorce, until I have first spoken with him (or her) about two other subjects, namely marriage and reconciliation.�
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
Put together, here’s what we get: Matthew 4:23�9:35 is a sketch of the mission and ministry of Jesus: he teaches and preaches in Matthew 5�7 and he heals in Matthew 8�9. The Sermon on the Mount, then, is a comprehensive sketch of the teaching and preaching message of Jesus. In the context of Matthew’s narrative, the Sermon is a presentation of Jesus� moral vision, his ethic. You could say Matthew is saying to his audience who listens to Matthew 4:23�9:35: “Here’s Jesus, here’s his message [5�7], here are his actions [8�9]. You can now decide.�
Jesus goes against the grain. Instead of blessing the one who pursues wisdom and reason and develops a reputation as a sage, and instead of blessing the one who has a good family, who observes the whole Torah, or the one who has all the right friends and develops a reputation as righteous or as a leader, Jesus blesses those whom no one else blessed. The genius of the Beatitudes emerges from this contrastive stance: they are a countercultural revelation of the people of the kingdom.
Bonhoeffer said it well: “When Jesus calls his disciples ‘the salt,� instead of himself, this transfers his efficacy on earth to them. He brings them into his work.� But he adds the warning of Jesus: “The call of Jesus Christ means being salt of the earth or being destroyed.�
Stott, Message, 75. Here are his words: “Christian righteousness far surpasses pharisaic righteousness in kind rather than in degree. It is not so much, shall we say, that Christians succeed in keeping some 240 commandments when the best Pharisees may only have scored 230. No. Christian righteousness is greater than pharisaic righteousness because it is deeper, being a righteousness of the heart� (emphasis added). Thus it is a “new heart-righteousness.� See also the four points of Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 103.
I have the rule never to speak with anybody about divorce, until I have first spoken with him (or her) about two other subjects, namely marriage and reconciliation.�
February 15, 2025
Scot McKnight’s *Sermon on the Mount* commentary is a remarkable example of his ability to blend top-notch scholarship with accessibility. As with much of his work, McKnight presents his insights in a way that is deeply informed by historical and theological rigor yet remains readable and engaging for both scholars and lay readers alike. His expertise in Second Temple Judaism and the broader socio-political context of Jesus� teaching brings rich depth to his exegesis, making this a valuable resource for anyone seeking to engage seriously with the Sermon on the Mount.
That said, while I deeply appreciate McKnight’s work and am grateful for this commentary, there are aspects of his interpretative approach that I find problematic—particularly his treatment of the Beatitudes. McKnight’s tendency to read “blessed� in a way that leans toward identifying these groups as people of Christian faith strikes me as a narrowing of the text’s broader implications. The Beatitudes, I believe, extend blessing to those who are *poor in spirit*—not just those who already embody faith, but also those who find themselves spiritually bankrupt, including those who struggle to muster love for God at all. The radical grace of these pronouncements, their unconditioned nature, seems at times to be eclipsed in McKnight’s reading.
Despite this concern, McKnight’s commentary remains a significant and commendable contribution to Sermon on the Mount studies. He provides clear, well-argued exegesis, and his ability to make complex theological ideas digestible is one of his greatest strengths. This book will no doubt be a useful companion for pastors, students, and anyone seeking to wrestle with Jesus� most famous sermon in a thoughtful and historically informed way.
That said, while I deeply appreciate McKnight’s work and am grateful for this commentary, there are aspects of his interpretative approach that I find problematic—particularly his treatment of the Beatitudes. McKnight’s tendency to read “blessed� in a way that leans toward identifying these groups as people of Christian faith strikes me as a narrowing of the text’s broader implications. The Beatitudes, I believe, extend blessing to those who are *poor in spirit*—not just those who already embody faith, but also those who find themselves spiritually bankrupt, including those who struggle to muster love for God at all. The radical grace of these pronouncements, their unconditioned nature, seems at times to be eclipsed in McKnight’s reading.
Despite this concern, McKnight’s commentary remains a significant and commendable contribution to Sermon on the Mount studies. He provides clear, well-argued exegesis, and his ability to make complex theological ideas digestible is one of his greatest strengths. This book will no doubt be a useful companion for pastors, students, and anyone seeking to wrestle with Jesus� most famous sermon in a thoughtful and historically informed way.
January 27, 2022
This book on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 to 7) provides a blueprint for how God wants us to live our lives. Below I provide 3 examples out of many where McKnight provides practical insight on how what Matthew had to say remains highly relevant today.
� The author challenges us to simplify our lifestyle and focus on our relationship with God. He also dives into “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also�.
� Further, he analyzes what it means to love others, including your enemies. He also spends considerable time outlining the way to have reconciled relationships and the benefits that it provides.
� Lastly, he delves into what it means to be the light of the world.
This book is foundational and clearly a blueprint. I am pretty sure that every time I read it, I will be challenged in different ways.
� The author challenges us to simplify our lifestyle and focus on our relationship with God. He also dives into “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also�.
� Further, he analyzes what it means to love others, including your enemies. He also spends considerable time outlining the way to have reconciled relationships and the benefits that it provides.
� Lastly, he delves into what it means to be the light of the world.
This book is foundational and clearly a blueprint. I am pretty sure that every time I read it, I will be challenged in different ways.
July 8, 2020
I found the exposition of the Sermon in the Mount by Scott McKnight to be very helpful in places. However, the interpretation of the text varied too much. In certain passages. Often, the explanation of a passage was filled with helpful, insightful detail. Then in other passages, McKnight seemed rushed and was often superficial in his remarks. Yet in the sections of the book where the author went into great detail in his explanation of a passage, I found his work invaluable. I would include this commentary on my shelf of works relating to the Sermon in the Mount.
I highly recommend the third section of each chapter where the Live The Story supplied the application of each section of text. There were some powerful discussions offered.
I highly recommend the third section of each chapter where the Live The Story supplied the application of each section of text. There were some powerful discussions offered.
March 16, 2021
I’ve been preaching the Sermon on the Mount since Summer 2020. My primary commentary has been France’s in the NICNT. This commentary by McKnight was an excellent companion commentary. I especially appreciate the goal of the Story of God series in general in linking each passage’s content to the broader biblical story. McKnight’s exegesis is concise (this is not a long book) but sharp. He hits all the right notes and cites larger, more technical works when space doesn’t permit him to really “go there� academically. Also, many of the stories he provides in the “Live the Story� sections are just terrific. It is difficult to write a one-volume commentary that is academically solid yet practically accessible, but McKnight has done it as well as anyone can.
March 27, 2022
This was, hands down, the best thing I recently read on The Sermon on the Mount. I’m relatively new to McKnight’s more scholarly stuff (I’ve read some of his more popular level books).
Pound for pound, I just think this might be the best one. It’s up there with Stott’s.
McKnight’s grasp of the Kingdom and Kingdom living were so insightful and paradigmatic in my understanding. The introduction was full of insight and helpful correctives to various approaches to the Sermon. I was digging this from page one.
Pound for pound, I just think this might be the best one. It’s up there with Stott’s.
McKnight’s grasp of the Kingdom and Kingdom living were so insightful and paradigmatic in my understanding. The introduction was full of insight and helpful correctives to various approaches to the Sermon. I was digging this from page one.
February 18, 2023
This commentary series is an excellent one for a busy pastor. In the same vein as the NIVAC but with a more succinct, and to me, more relevant application. McKnight tackles the Sermon on the Mount from the position of Christology and Ethics as a unified whole: namely, our ethics reveal our Christology as our response to Christ's words in the Sermon. I used this along with Jonathan Pennington's tome on the Sermon and Virtue Ethics as well as John Stott's classic treatment of the Sermon.
September 4, 2017
Excellent. There is lot of scripture in here. Scot McKnight is a most helpful theologian. He corrects our misconceptions on the gospel, kingdom, and smaller areas of theology, and he does this in a way he would want to be corrected: gracefully, with love and mercy towards others.
His exegesis and tone is guided by the very thing he is focusing on: the Jesus Creed and the Golden Rule.
His exegesis and tone is guided by the very thing he is focusing on: the Jesus Creed and the Golden Rule.
November 23, 2018
Accessible and helpful. McKnight does a great job of communicating the overall message of the Sermon on the Mount without getting bogged down in technicalities. Very helpful in Sermon Prep and in getting a broad overview. This isn't the place to go for in-depth analysis of the Greek text, but great for thinking through the theology of the text and its contemporary application.
June 11, 2021
A great resource for study and sermon preparation and for building an entire series around. McKnight is able to wear both the hats of the theologian and the pastor well. His illustrations are particularly helpful in seeking for the application in the subject matter. Recommended!
November 18, 2023
We worked through this study one chapter a month with our friends. It reminded me how much there is to unpack in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, how challenging his teachings are, and how desperately I need him to help me love people the way he does.
July 26, 2017
If you are preaching or teaching on the Sermon on the Mount this book is a must read. Wonderful resource to dive deep into the words of Jesus found in Matthew.
August 22, 2017
This was one of my "go-to" commentaries for preaching the Sermon on the Mount. Good insights and applications. Not overly technical, but thorough.
December 18, 2018
A helpful commentary for preaching through the Sermon on the Mount, although I often disagreed with McKnight's Anabaptist views.
March 12, 2021
Good, well rounded, non-technical commentary. Full of wonderful McKnight-isms. Very helpful for sermon prep.
November 13, 2021
A very accessible commentary, with a high proportion of insight (and less focus on grammatical minutia). Good for a lay reader!
January 2, 2024
An amazing commentary. Does an excellent job breaking down such an amazing part of scripture and by far on the best in terms of exegesis and practical application, could not recommend enough.
August 4, 2024
If you want a better understanding of the Sermon of all sermons, this is a wonderful place to begin.
January 14, 2025
Simply the best commentary on the Sermon on the Mount I have ever read. This entire commentary series is great. They’re easy to read, full of insight and context, and always practical.
December 12, 2016
I've read a number of commentaries published by Zondervan and been impressed, so I expected to like this one. Unfortunately, this one just left me baffled. The focus seemed to mainly be on what people have said about the verses and how Jesus' ethics/"moral vision" compares to other philosophies rather than focusing on the verses themselves. Perhaps one reason I found this book confusing was because the quotes from other authors weren't given a clear context so I couldn't always understand where that author's idea came from or follow their argument.
When the author did comment on the verses himself, he seemed to approach the verses with a preset idea and tried to make the verses fit his ideas even when it seemed a stretch. He assumed everyone would "clearly" see his views in the verses and so usually didn't give solid, convincing support for them.
For example, on page 30 and in reference to the "Blessed are the..." list in Matthew 5:1-12, he said, "Those who first heard this list of the truly blessed by God immediately began to wonder about themselves by asking, 'Am I in or out [of the kingdom]?'" Which is odd since the one reference to the kingdom of God comes only at the end of this list. I've always viewed this as Jesus encouraging those who have been told that God has abandoned them or that they'll never win that way. The author appears to believe that Jesus was subtly referring to certain groups of people that existed and was saying "this group is in my kingdom, but this group (like the Zealots) are out because they aren't following my moral/ethical vision." I suppose this comes from his premise that (on page 24) "...[Jesus] is the new Moses with a new moral vision for God's new people."
The book's format is to take a section of the Sermon on the Mount and: "Listen to the Story" which gives the NIV Bible text of the verses along with a few, additional comments about how the author thinks this is similar to other things in the Bible. "Explain the Story" is where he states what he and other people think about Jesus' teaching style, his ethics, and so on. "Live the Story" is a short sermon loosely related to what he previously said about the verses--rather than based on what Jesus said. I assume he thinks it's the same thing, though. I found this section the easiest to follow, but his observations didn't seem directly connected to the Sermon content.
Overall, I think there are better books out there if you're looking for insight into the Sermon on the Mount.
Note: I just read some of the other reviews. I'm a layman. I felt that the author did NOT define "technical" terms that needed explanation. Maybe if you have Bible college theological training, you can follow the book better. If you've already heard his ideas explained thoroughly elsewhere, this book might be easier to follow. But I'm still left wondering if I read the same book as the people who said this book would be so clear and easy for a layman to follow. All I can say is, "Not if you want to actually understand his viewpoint rather than simply accept his view!"
I received this review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
When the author did comment on the verses himself, he seemed to approach the verses with a preset idea and tried to make the verses fit his ideas even when it seemed a stretch. He assumed everyone would "clearly" see his views in the verses and so usually didn't give solid, convincing support for them.
For example, on page 30 and in reference to the "Blessed are the..." list in Matthew 5:1-12, he said, "Those who first heard this list of the truly blessed by God immediately began to wonder about themselves by asking, 'Am I in or out [of the kingdom]?'" Which is odd since the one reference to the kingdom of God comes only at the end of this list. I've always viewed this as Jesus encouraging those who have been told that God has abandoned them or that they'll never win that way. The author appears to believe that Jesus was subtly referring to certain groups of people that existed and was saying "this group is in my kingdom, but this group (like the Zealots) are out because they aren't following my moral/ethical vision." I suppose this comes from his premise that (on page 24) "...[Jesus] is the new Moses with a new moral vision for God's new people."
The book's format is to take a section of the Sermon on the Mount and: "Listen to the Story" which gives the NIV Bible text of the verses along with a few, additional comments about how the author thinks this is similar to other things in the Bible. "Explain the Story" is where he states what he and other people think about Jesus' teaching style, his ethics, and so on. "Live the Story" is a short sermon loosely related to what he previously said about the verses--rather than based on what Jesus said. I assume he thinks it's the same thing, though. I found this section the easiest to follow, but his observations didn't seem directly connected to the Sermon content.
Overall, I think there are better books out there if you're looking for insight into the Sermon on the Mount.
Note: I just read some of the other reviews. I'm a layman. I felt that the author did NOT define "technical" terms that needed explanation. Maybe if you have Bible college theological training, you can follow the book better. If you've already heard his ideas explained thoroughly elsewhere, this book might be easier to follow. But I'm still left wondering if I read the same book as the people who said this book would be so clear and easy for a layman to follow. All I can say is, "Not if you want to actually understand his viewpoint rather than simply accept his view!"
I received this review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
July 9, 2015
Recently, while facilitating a class for my church's leadership development program, I created a metaphor comparing different aspects of Christian learning to going to the gym: studying spiritual formation and devotional Bible study are like a cardiovascular workout (it helps maintain the health of your heart). Studying for the development of functional ministry skills (communication, leaderships, administration, etc.) is like an upper body workout (it develops the directly functional muscles for most of our every tasks, and also makes us look and feel impressive). Intensive Bible study and learning theology are like a lower body workout (for a lot of physical activity, even if the primary action comes from the arms and shoulders, the power to do it is generated by the lower body. Think about hitting a baseball, throwing a football, or throwing a punch.)
Using the imagery of that metaphor, Scot McKnight's commentary on the Sermon on the Mount for the Story of the Bible Commentary series made for both a strenuous and rewarding lower body workout and cardiovascular workout. I expected that my understanding of the text would be enlightened, but I was not expecting to be so challenged about my own standing within the picture that Jesus paints in the Sermon of what it means to be one of His disciples.
It seemed to me that sometimes McKnight was a little too quick to uncritically affirm a particular reading of particular passages without giving due consideration to alternative readings. I understand that you can only spend so much time and space on a given text, but you would think that a book-length commentary on the Sermon on the Mount would lend itself to detailed explanations for the choice of one reading of a text over another. In some of the passages where gender comes in to play (the adultery section and the divorce section), I would have liked to have seen McKnight grapple a little bit more with the ways that 1st Century gender disparity colors the text and how it should inform our interpretation of it.
However, even in the areas where I disagree with McKnight, he has left me with challenges to grapple with and he forces me to evaluate my own posture towards the words of Jesus in a new light.
Using the imagery of that metaphor, Scot McKnight's commentary on the Sermon on the Mount for the Story of the Bible Commentary series made for both a strenuous and rewarding lower body workout and cardiovascular workout. I expected that my understanding of the text would be enlightened, but I was not expecting to be so challenged about my own standing within the picture that Jesus paints in the Sermon of what it means to be one of His disciples.
It seemed to me that sometimes McKnight was a little too quick to uncritically affirm a particular reading of particular passages without giving due consideration to alternative readings. I understand that you can only spend so much time and space on a given text, but you would think that a book-length commentary on the Sermon on the Mount would lend itself to detailed explanations for the choice of one reading of a text over another. In some of the passages where gender comes in to play (the adultery section and the divorce section), I would have liked to have seen McKnight grapple a little bit more with the ways that 1st Century gender disparity colors the text and how it should inform our interpretation of it.
However, even in the areas where I disagree with McKnight, he has left me with challenges to grapple with and he forces me to evaluate my own posture towards the words of Jesus in a new light.
August 20, 2015
This book is a commentary and is part of The Story of God series. The editors represent a diverse range of scholars from different denominational backgrounds and gender. I am neutral about this. Such an approach might be good if all the scholars work on the same material so that each segment received a different set of presuppositions, but, otherwise, all you get with such an approach is a different set of presuppositions for each individual segment. I researched all the contributors, though, and they all seem legitimate with a conservative, standard exegetical approach, so that is a positive.
The contributors deny that this is an "application" commentary, but it is similar, which is why they have to argue it, I suppose. The overall setup of the text has the NIV version of the text, which is not my favourite, but which I do not dislike, followed by sections of commentary to a set pattern.
The first of these is entitled "Listen to the Story," which is the introduction to the passage. This is where any parallels are referenced.
The second is called "Explain the Story." The section of commentary explains the passage as it relates to the overall biblical story. It does not go exceptionally in-depth, claiming to use footnotes for materials that readers will have readily on hand. This is where the explication comes in as well as the biblical background, cultural tropes, and theological interpretations. Essentially, this is written for laymen, which I dislike as I feel it dumbs down the text, and I took away one star from my rating because of this.
The last commentary section is entitled "Live the Story," which is the application. It serves to indicate how Christians today should apply the biblical concepts to their lives. This makes this an application Bible, which they claimed it was not, which is why I took away another star in my ranking.
Overall, this commentary is okay. It is not incredible or unique in its approach. If you use the NIV and do not care about going massively in-depth, then this might be a good choice. The book does include indices for Scripture, subjects, and authors, which I appreciate.
The contributors deny that this is an "application" commentary, but it is similar, which is why they have to argue it, I suppose. The overall setup of the text has the NIV version of the text, which is not my favourite, but which I do not dislike, followed by sections of commentary to a set pattern.
The first of these is entitled "Listen to the Story," which is the introduction to the passage. This is where any parallels are referenced.
The second is called "Explain the Story." The section of commentary explains the passage as it relates to the overall biblical story. It does not go exceptionally in-depth, claiming to use footnotes for materials that readers will have readily on hand. This is where the explication comes in as well as the biblical background, cultural tropes, and theological interpretations. Essentially, this is written for laymen, which I dislike as I feel it dumbs down the text, and I took away one star from my rating because of this.
The last commentary section is entitled "Live the Story," which is the application. It serves to indicate how Christians today should apply the biblical concepts to their lives. This makes this an application Bible, which they claimed it was not, which is why I took away another star in my ranking.
Overall, this commentary is okay. It is not incredible or unique in its approach. If you use the NIV and do not care about going massively in-depth, then this might be a good choice. The book does include indices for Scripture, subjects, and authors, which I appreciate.
November 19, 2015
This is a very good commentary to use when studying the Sermon on the Mount. McKnight splits each chapter into 3 sections:
1. Listen to the Story - this is the text plus some other Biblical references
2. Explain the Story - McKnight provides a commentary to the text and uses a large number of other commentators works to help explain what the text means.
3. Live the Story - this is McKnight's view on how we can interpret the the text so as to "do it'.
I enjoy a commentator who references others. However, there were many times when there were so many supporting references that I struggled to understand the key point of the text. What I most appreciated about McKnight's words were when he moved into the "living the story" section. I didn't always agree with his perspectives but generally found his interpretations valuable to understanding the Sermon.
He concludes with the following:
"The proper response [to the Sermon] is to declare who he [Jesus] is by the way we live."
McKnight's thorough work enables the reader to understand both the how and why of Jesus' challenge. Accordingly, it is a valuable commentary for studying this essential piece of Jesus' teaching.
1. Listen to the Story - this is the text plus some other Biblical references
2. Explain the Story - McKnight provides a commentary to the text and uses a large number of other commentators works to help explain what the text means.
3. Live the Story - this is McKnight's view on how we can interpret the the text so as to "do it'.
I enjoy a commentator who references others. However, there were many times when there were so many supporting references that I struggled to understand the key point of the text. What I most appreciated about McKnight's words were when he moved into the "living the story" section. I didn't always agree with his perspectives but generally found his interpretations valuable to understanding the Sermon.
He concludes with the following:
"The proper response [to the Sermon] is to declare who he [Jesus] is by the way we live."
McKnight's thorough work enables the reader to understand both the how and why of Jesus' challenge. Accordingly, it is a valuable commentary for studying this essential piece of Jesus' teaching.
February 23, 2016
This is a very readable, non-technical commentary on the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew's Gospel, chapters 5-7. Each section of the sermon is treated in its own chapter which includes, of course, the text which is then elucidated in three parts; Listen to the Story, Explain the Story, and Live the Story which are pretty much self-explanatory. A helpful introduction explains the author's take on the Sermon and Moral Theory dealing with various possible approaches to ethics. This understanding is then applied in the subsequent commentary. The author looks at a rather limited range of scholars for possible alternative takes on the text but for the kind of commentary this is I did not find it a problem. There are not too many commentaries I would sit down and read through but that's just what I did with this one.
October 27, 2014
Just excellent commentary on the Sermon by McKnight. I only wanted it to be longer. Not a technical commentary, it really is a primer of discipleship that takes Jesus's words to heart and makes his charges clear. McKnight talks of the Ethics of Above, Below, and Beyond and illuminates the path for both individuals and the church. So rewarding (and opens up many other commentators on the Sermon as well. Need to read my Bonhoeffer again), so discomforting in the best possible way.
April 8, 2014
3.5 stars. McKnight strikes the right tone, deals honestly and humbly with the text, treats diverse viewpoints fairly and respectfully, and tries hard to bridge the gap between ancient scripture and postmodern culture. If you don't mind being pushed and challenged, he makes a delightful sparring partner.
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