Sermon Mount or Plain
Well which is it? The sermon on the mount or the sermon in the valley or plain? One of the many challenges to the voracity of the Bible is the comparison between two sermons. The first in Matthew chapter 5 known as the sermon on the mount, and the second in Luke chapter 6 known as the sermon on the plain.

* Quotes will be from the NASB.
At first glance there is quite a problem. Matthew 5:1 clearly states that "He went up on the mountain". And Luke 6:17 clearly states that "Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place";

This clarification is not being presented for the first time. Over the years this question continues to be asked. The problem is, the answer is not as persistent as the question. Many Christians are quite biblicaly illiterate and therefore unable or unwilling to take the time to address these challenges. This should not be.

Hermeneutics is the art and science of biblical interpretation. Some principles of this discipline for the Bible are:
  • inspiration
  • harmony
  • context
  • principle
HEBREW COMPARED TO GREEK THOUGHT (T.L.A.H.) THINK LIKE A HEBREW!!!

I. HEBREW (Eastern Thought)

Corporate or Family
Optical or Concrete
Poetic or Word Pictures
Concerned with the Message
What is the Big Idea
What is said 		GREEK(Western Thought)

Individual
Abstract or Philosophical
Scientific
Concerned with the vehicle
Details
How it is said 
II. HERMENEUTICS  (The science of the correct tools of interpretation)
    Rom 15: 5-6
        May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit
        of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with 
        one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our
        Lord Jesus Christ.
    
    Principles:

    1.   What was the Purpose

    2.   Was it Greek or Hebrew thought / Old T. and New T.

    3.   What were the Literary Devices
         .  Historical reporting of an Event............ Luke 2:1-7
         .  Historical event in poetic media............ Judg. 5:15b-18
         .  Personification............................. Is. 55:12b
         .  Historical allusion through fable........... Judg. 9:8-15
         .  Allegory.................................... Ps. 80:8-12
         .  Imagery and symbolism....................... Eccles. 12:1-7

    4.   Grammatical, historical, cultural CONTEXT.
         Grammar
         History
         Culture
         Context:
              Immediate
              Remote
              Chapter
              Book
              Testament
              Bible as a whole  (Interprete the complex passages with
                                the clear passages)
                Eg.  Heb 6:4-6 (a tuffie)
                    with Jude 24-25 (clear) He is able.
                    with Eph  2:8-9 (clear) Faith is a gift of God.
                    with Eph  4:30  (clear) You are sealed.

    5.   Progressive concept
              examples:
              a. dwelling place of God (temple / a place / a person)
              b. law (eye for an eye...Written in the heart)
In the following text you only need to expand the context a bit to then begin the comparative process that will immediately reveal differences in the two passages. While containing similar themes of blessedness, the similarities end quite quickly and this begins to look like two different sermons with a similar message.
Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5

Matt 5:1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.









 

Matt 5:2 He opened His mouth and {began} to teach them, saying,
Matt 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.


Matt 5:5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Matt 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matt 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Matt 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matt 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.



Matt 5:10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:11 "Blessed are you when {people} insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Matt 5:12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.





....






Matt 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'
Matt 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matt 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous.
Matt 5:46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Sermon on the Plain Luke 6

Luke 6:17 Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and {there was} a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,
Luke 6:18 who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.
Luke 6:19 And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing {them} all.

Luke 6:20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He {began} to say, "Blessed {are} you {who are} poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:21 "Blessed {are} you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed {are} you who weep now, for you shall laugh.














Luke 6:22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.
Luke 6:23 "Be glad in that day and leap {for joy,} for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.





Luke 6:24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
Luke 6:25 "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe {to you} who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Luke 6:26 "Woe {to you} when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.




Luke 6:27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Using the same requirement of mountain or valley as first described, The next difference is poor or poor in spirit. The order of statements differs as well as the difference in tone. In Luke Jesus speaks of Woe where the Matthew passage. And as well, the Matthew passage is more toward the spirit and the Luke passage is more toward the physical.

Expanding on the differences a bit more you will see there are surrounding events that seem to be our of sequence if the two sermons are the same sermon at the same time.
So then either the Bible is WAY off or the idea that these two sermons are the same one is wrong.
And indeed, the gospels are not in pure chronological order. Note that Matthew is the only first hand account of the synoptic gospels. Both Mark and Luke are through interviews. They were never intended to be a calendar but a record of key events.
  • The calling of Matthew
    • Matthew 9:9 After the Matthew 5 sermon
    • Luke 5:27 Before the Luke 6 sermon
  • Peter's Mother in Law
    • Matthew 8:14 After the Matthew 5 sermon
    • Luke 4:38 Before the Luke 6 sermon
  • the leper
    • Matthew 8:2 After the Matthew 5 sermon
    • Luke 4:38 Before the Luke 6 sermon
  • the centurion
    • Matthew 8:5 After the Matthew 5 sermon
    • Luke 7 After the Luke 6 sermon
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