Interpreting the sermon on the mount
Interpretation of the Bible can vary widely. Joshua Steele quotes NINE approaches to interpreting Matthew 5:1-7:29, commonly called Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
This passage starts and ends with two nearly identical bookends.
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And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Matthew 4:23 (ESV)
(A long stretch of teachings, followed by numerous stories)
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And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
Matthew 9:35 (ESV)
Which of these perspectives, if any, consider that the “sermon” is a summary of Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom just as the twelve stories after are a selection of his actions?
I haven’t read D.A. Carson’s work, but I suspect he picks up on this same design pattern. Noticing this pattern is an important starting place instead of trying to fit the whole into one’s preferred theological framework.
There could be more insights into the internal structure, however. The passage is highly organized, and while a kingdom center is definite (as the whole of Matthew’s scroll is kingdom-centric), it also shows categorical structure. What might be gleaned from its internal design?