Too often the Sermon on the Mount has been interpreted as though it were a book itself rather than a portion of a book. Dale Allison insists on the contrary that the full meaning of these chapters in Matthew's Gospel can be seen only in relation to the broader literary context of the Gospel as a whole, with its Jewish Christian orientation. Indeed, the Sermon and the moral imperatives it contai…
The author of a leading major critical commentary on Matthew here offers further insights into the Gospel and the history of its interpretation. Writing with theological sensitivity and a deft literary touch, he presents thirteen essays--nine previously unpublished and four thoroughly revised--on key passages, on structural features of the Gospel, and on patristic and modern interpretation. Exe…