The Sermon on the Mount

An Expositional Commentary

James Montgomery Boice

© 1972 by James Montgomery Boice

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Paperback edition published 2006

ISBN 978-0-8010-6647-4

Previously published by Zondervan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Boice, James Montgomery, 1938–

The Sermon on the mount : Matthew 5–7 / James Montgomery Boice.

p. cm.

Originally published: Grand Rapids : Zondervan Pub. House, 1972.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-8010-1248-1 (cloth)

ISBN 978-0-8010-1248-8 (cloth)

1. Sermon on the mount. I. Title.

BT380.3 .B65 2002

226.9′07—dc21

2002009480

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked nsb is taken from The New Scofield Reference Bible, copyright © 1967 by Oxford University Press, Inc., and is reprinted by permission.

Scripture marked kjv is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture marked phillips is taken from The New Testament in Modern English, revised Edition—J. B. Phillips, translator. © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Scripture marked rsv is taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition. 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked tev is taken from the Good News Bible, Today’s English Version. Copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used by permission.

Contents

Preface

1. The Secret of Happiness (Matthew 5:3–12)

2. How to Inherit God’s Kingdom (Matthew 5:3)

3. Life on Wings (Matthew 5:4)

4. God’s Gentlemen (Matthew 5:5)

5. Guaranteed Satisfaction (Matthew 5:6)

6. Three Virtues (Matthew 5:7–9)

7. Persecuted for Christ (Matthew 5:10–12)

8. How to Rejoice in Persecutions (Matthew 5:12)

9. Do You Make Men Thirsty? (Matthew 5:13)

10. The Light of the World (Matthew 5:14–16)

11. Christ and the Scriptures (Matthew 5:17–20)

12. Christ Fulfills the Scriptures (Matthew 5:17–20)

13. Have You Earned Heaven? (Matthew 5:20)

14. When You Are Angry (Matthew 5:21–26)

15. Lust and Christian Marriage (Matthew 5:27–30)

16. Christian Marriage (Matthew 5:27–30)

17. Marriage and the Home (Matthew 5:27–30)

18. Divorce and Remarriage (Matthew 5:31–32)

19. For Time and for Eternity (Matthew 5:31–32)

20. To Tell ...