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The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary
The Sermon on the Mount, one of the most influential portions of the Bible, is the most studied and commented upon portion of the Christian Scriptures. Every Christian generation turns to it for insight and guidance.In this volume, a recognized expert on the Gospels shows that the Sermon on the Mount offers a clear window into understanding God's work in Christ. Jonathan Pennington provides a historical, theological, and literary commentary on the Sermon and explains how this text offers insight into God's plan for human flourishing. As Pennington explores the literary dimensions and theological themes of this famous passage, he situates the Sermon in dialogue with the Jewish and Greek virtue traditions and the philosophical-theological question of human flourishing. He also relates the Sermon's theological themes to contemporary issues such as ethics, philosophy, and economics.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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About the author
Jonathan T. Pennington
30 books83 followersJonathan T. Pennington (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is associate professor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew and has published a number of tools for learning biblical languages, including New Testament Greek Vocabulary and Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
June 15, 2021
I've been using this book as my main helper while preaching very slowly (because very occasionally) through the Sermon on the Mount. When my pastor needs me to fill in, I just pick up the next passage. Pennington has quickly commended himself as the most helpful guide to this marvelous portion of Scripture, one of my most important life companions (along with Psalms 1, 2, 40, and 51; Rom 3; and a very few others). In Pennington one gets the feeling that one is getting a responsible round-up of scholarly opinion while also getting Kidner-quality prose and trustworthy homiletical guidance. Pennington does an exceptionally admirable job of keeping his perceived main theme of the sermon in view; this is something I don't do so well at, and I appreciate it when others do. I occasionally wonder if that theme is as clear as he thinks it is, but he usually wins me over.
It's pretty bold to call your work a "theological commentary" these days. Everybody wants to claim those two honorifics. But Pennington actually delivers. Here's a flavor:
He ties a difficult passage back to the sermon's theme and also relates it to all of Christian theology. And he's done the exegetical homework necessary to get here. Highly recommended.
It's pretty bold to call your work a "theological commentary" these days. Everybody wants to claim those two honorifics. But Pennington actually delivers. Here's a flavor:
Even though the theme of the kingdom is apparent and consistent, this closing exhortation to enter according to the narrow way may seem an abrupt shift toward merely external behaviors, unlike the emphasis on the internal wholeness that Jesus has been picturing throughout the Sermon. That is, “wide” and “easy” and “broad” sound like the life of loose morals, while “narrow” and “hard” conjure images of piety and self-sacrifice and duty. Historically this text has been read and pictorially represented with images that show the broad way as impious behaviors and the narrow way as acts of service and Christian duty. Has Jesus suddenly shifted gears from wholeness/virtue to fiery-preacher behaviorism? ¶ Quite the opposite. Despite a long Christian pietistic tradition of understanding the difference between the narrow gate and broad way as a contrast between immoral behaviors and pious practices, the distinction made here depends on the same internal versus external righteousness that has marked the entirety of the Sermon. The wide and easy way that leads to destruction is precisely what Jesus has been describing all along as living with merely external righteousness, while the narrow and “difficult” way is the vision he has cast for righteousness that is more and deeper than behavior.
He ties a difficult passage back to the sermon's theme and also relates it to all of Christian theology. And he's done the exegetical homework necessary to get here. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2022
You can read my full review on my blog, Spoiled Milks, posted Feb 12, 2018.
Jonathan Pennington, Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation and the Director of Research Doctoral Studies at SBTS, author of Reading the Gospels Wisely and Heaven and Earth In the Gospel of Matthew, has written “a historical, literary, and theological exposition of the Sermon on the Mount” (1). He situates the Sermon “in the dual context of Jewish wisdom literature and the Greco-Roman virtue tradition, both of which are concerned with the great theological and existential question of human flourishing” (1). It is laid out in three parts with his own translation and an introduction providing an overall reading strategy for the Sermon.
Jesus, the true king and embodiment of God’s Law, “is the epitome of wisdom and virtue” (15). Pennington defines what he means by flourishing: “True human flourishing is only available through communion with the Father God through his revealed Son, Jesus, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. This flourishing is only experienced through faithful, heart-deep, whole-person discipleship, following Jesus’ teachings and life, which situate the disciple into God’s community or kingdom” (14).
Pennington surveys Israel’s story, the setting of Second Temple Judaism wisdom literature, and the Greco-Roman virtue tradition and how their worldviews around certain terms Jesus uses. He performs a word study on the words makarios (“blessed/flourishing”) and teleios (“perfect/whole”)—two major concepts within the Sermon, along with righteousness, hypocrisy, heart, Gentile//pagans, the Father in heaven, the kingdom of God/heaven, and reward/recompense/treasure. He states that “Matthew’s literary skill is all about structure” (106). He “appears to be less concerned with the individual narratives per se than with how these stories fit together in conjunction with major teaching blocks to tell a larger story” (106). Pennington lays out the broad structure og Matthew and of the Sermon and says that the Lord’s Prayer is located at the center of the Sermon (132-33).
Part two consists of six chapters of commentary on the Sermon—Matthew 5.1–16; 5.17–48; 6.1–21; 6.19–34; 7.1–12; and 7.13–8.1. Part two is filled in with the information from part one, as the structures and word studies give shape and fill the commentary portion. Part three gives a theology of the Sermon and human flourishing in six theses. The Bible is about (1) human flourishing with (2) God in the center where his disciples live under (3) divinely revealed (4) virtue (5) under his grace. (6) God saves us to know him and to serve and love one another in his creation.
Recommended?
No section of Scripture has been written about more than Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. “The Sermon, standing as it does as the first teaching of the new-covenant documents, likewise reveals much about how one understands several issues of theology and Christian practice” (3). Jesus teaches his new-covenant members—then and now—how to flourish and live virtuously in a covenantal relationship with their Father, the God of the universe.
Anyone studying the Sermon on the Mount would be at a loss without Pennington’s book. This isn’t the end-all-be-all of comments on the Sermon, but Pennington has spent fifteen years in Matthew, and one sees the depth of his research in his insights, explanations, and footnotes. Pennington has an eye for Matthew’s literary techniques such as structuring, inclusios, and word plays. He also brings out how Jesus’ instructions show us how to live virtuously as new covenant members. If you’re going to study or teach on the Sermon, or if you simply want to know more about the Sermon, Pennington’s book is a must.
Disclosure: I received this book free from Baker Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa....
Jonathan Pennington, Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation and the Director of Research Doctoral Studies at SBTS, author of Reading the Gospels Wisely and Heaven and Earth In the Gospel of Matthew, has written “a historical, literary, and theological exposition of the Sermon on the Mount” (1). He situates the Sermon “in the dual context of Jewish wisdom literature and the Greco-Roman virtue tradition, both of which are concerned with the great theological and existential question of human flourishing” (1). It is laid out in three parts with his own translation and an introduction providing an overall reading strategy for the Sermon.
Jesus, the true king and embodiment of God’s Law, “is the epitome of wisdom and virtue” (15). Pennington defines what he means by flourishing: “True human flourishing is only available through communion with the Father God through his revealed Son, Jesus, as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. This flourishing is only experienced through faithful, heart-deep, whole-person discipleship, following Jesus’ teachings and life, which situate the disciple into God’s community or kingdom” (14).
Pennington surveys Israel’s story, the setting of Second Temple Judaism wisdom literature, and the Greco-Roman virtue tradition and how their worldviews around certain terms Jesus uses. He performs a word study on the words makarios (“blessed/flourishing”) and teleios (“perfect/whole”)—two major concepts within the Sermon, along with righteousness, hypocrisy, heart, Gentile//pagans, the Father in heaven, the kingdom of God/heaven, and reward/recompense/treasure. He states that “Matthew’s literary skill is all about structure” (106). He “appears to be less concerned with the individual narratives per se than with how these stories fit together in conjunction with major teaching blocks to tell a larger story” (106). Pennington lays out the broad structure og Matthew and of the Sermon and says that the Lord’s Prayer is located at the center of the Sermon (132-33).
Part two consists of six chapters of commentary on the Sermon—Matthew 5.1–16; 5.17–48; 6.1–21; 6.19–34; 7.1–12; and 7.13–8.1. Part two is filled in with the information from part one, as the structures and word studies give shape and fill the commentary portion. Part three gives a theology of the Sermon and human flourishing in six theses. The Bible is about (1) human flourishing with (2) God in the center where his disciples live under (3) divinely revealed (4) virtue (5) under his grace. (6) God saves us to know him and to serve and love one another in his creation.
Recommended?
No section of Scripture has been written about more than Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. “The Sermon, standing as it does as the first teaching of the new-covenant documents, likewise reveals much about how one understands several issues of theology and Christian practice” (3). Jesus teaches his new-covenant members—then and now—how to flourish and live virtuously in a covenantal relationship with their Father, the God of the universe.
Anyone studying the Sermon on the Mount would be at a loss without Pennington’s book. This isn’t the end-all-be-all of comments on the Sermon, but Pennington has spent fifteen years in Matthew, and one sees the depth of his research in his insights, explanations, and footnotes. Pennington has an eye for Matthew’s literary techniques such as structuring, inclusios, and word plays. He also brings out how Jesus’ instructions show us how to live virtuously as new covenant members. If you’re going to study or teach on the Sermon, or if you simply want to know more about the Sermon, Pennington’s book is a must.
Disclosure: I received this book free from Baker Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa....
March 18, 2023
Excellent book. It's definitely not a fast read. I used it for research purposes, and it's well-suited to that. Pennington is thorough, and provides a lot of depth into the study of the Sermon on the Mount. This book would go well with Pennington's book Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew which I also used for research purposes.
Unlike a lot of writers, Pennington talks less about eschatological matters and provides a focus on whole hearted living. His theme is that the Sermon on the Mount promotes human flourishing, not merely instructions for ethical living or a promise of heavenly reward.
Pennington is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Seminary, so I was initially a little concerned that I wouldn't like the book, but he's extremely well-read and doesn't confine himself to merely Evangelical readings of the issue.
Unlike a lot of writers, Pennington talks less about eschatological matters and provides a focus on whole hearted living. His theme is that the Sermon on the Mount promotes human flourishing, not merely instructions for ethical living or a promise of heavenly reward.
Pennington is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Seminary, so I was initially a little concerned that I wouldn't like the book, but he's extremely well-read and doesn't confine himself to merely Evangelical readings of the issue.
January 28, 2022
With a slightly unique take on what Jesus was doing in the Sermon on the Mount this book is very valuable for those studying the greatest Sermon ever! I really enjoyed his take on the Sermon. I may not totally agree probably because I don’t “get” it. But overall this is a good book to add to your collection.
December 3, 2019
“I am suggesting that the best overall approach to the purpose of reading the Sermon is artegenic . . . By ‘artegenic’ I mean 'for the purpose of forming character or virtue (aretē).’ The reason teachers teach and preachers preach and philosophers philosophize is so that their hearers will grow in understanding, affection, and orientation, and thereby change for the betterment of themselves and those around them. Thus, our reading of the Sermon, which is clearly focused on providing a vision for a way of being in the world, should naturally and rightly be focused on reading for the purpose of being transformed. All other readings, as beneficial as they can be—political, postcolonial, grammatical, linguistic, text-critical—are at best steps toward the highest form of reading, reading for personal transformation.”
—Jonathan T. Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary (Baker Academic, 2018), 15–16.
I loved Pennington’s take on the Sermon on the Mount. One of my favorite books I’ve read so far in 2019.
Interviews related to the book here:
https://onscript.study/podcast/jonath...
https://wordmatterspod.com/2017/03/20...
https://academic.logos.com/interview-...
http://jonathanpennington.com/2017/07...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvYic...
http://exegeticallyspeaking.libsyn.co...
https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/t...
Some reviews of the book:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
https://www.booksataglance.com/blog/b...
https://themelios.thegospelcoalition....
An article, by Pennington, on some things to know about the Sermon on the Mount here:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/ar...
—Jonathan T. Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary (Baker Academic, 2018), 15–16.
I loved Pennington’s take on the Sermon on the Mount. One of my favorite books I’ve read so far in 2019.
Interviews related to the book here:
https://onscript.study/podcast/jonath...
https://wordmatterspod.com/2017/03/20...
https://academic.logos.com/interview-...
http://jonathanpennington.com/2017/07...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvYic...
http://exegeticallyspeaking.libsyn.co...
https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/t...
Some reviews of the book:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...
https://www.booksataglance.com/blog/b...
https://themelios.thegospelcoalition....
An article, by Pennington, on some things to know about the Sermon on the Mount here:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/ar...
March 18, 2024
This was a very good book, excellent even, and is markedly different from the other two sermon on the mount books I’ve read. It’s much more holistic and big picture, aiming to frame the sermon within the culture (Jewish-Greek).
It seemed to be somewhat of a sensible counterbalance to a stridently anti prosperity gospel (“health and wealth”) view, that doesn’t take into account that Jesus does tell us how to live now, for the purpose of our flourishing now—not just as a response to being saved. There is an absence of naive altruism. He wants to follow him and flourish. Not in a sense of a I’ll do you a favour God, so you’ll do me one in return. But simply that selfless, sacrificial, godly living has flourishing as a natural consequence.
A good example is that the word blessed (“blessed are the… “) should be better translated as flourishing. Blessed infers an external action for a person to receive blessing, which in turn infers a ‘deal’ with God. The use of flourishing on the other hand better represents that godly living tends to have its good natural consequences.
I was amused by the sensible and accurate use of the Australian expression “good on ya” as analogous to the intention of the beatitude statements (p66), as it infers “something quite close to what the beatitudes are primarily communicating—a genuinely happy congratulations and acknowledgment of the favourable and happy state of another”.
The other big background piece I loved was how the sermon is more about wholeness than perfection. To be whole is the aim of the Christian: as in, to be single-minded not double-minded, with external behaviour aligned with internal thought and desire. Think of how Jesus accuses the Pharisees of their hypocrisy. The main thrust is that they are double minded, not that they are imperfect.
I am someone who is more taken to black and white thinking and for whom appreciating nuance and grey has been a long term journey in adulthood. But I and others can be poorly served by absolutist thinking taught to us, causing unnecessary anxiety and concern. Perfection is a bar beyond me. Wholeness is not. Jesus taught wholeness.
This approach (wholeness not perfection) also helped me better understanding my bugbear of Matthew 5:38-42, that it implies acceptability of abuse and that Christians must always ‘take it’. An absolutist, literalist reading (sadly) can lead one here. But Jesus doesn’t do that. Here he gives examples of behaviour in certain circumstances, outlining principles to follow, not commands to unthinkingly and literally obey without nuance. Commands exist elsewhere, for our benefit. But the context here is for principles.
Rather it is good to have an unselfish temperament, to make less of one’s rights, and to know that revenge is poison (p63). These are principles to follow. I’m so much happier to know this, as rather than fearing imperfect precise application, instead there are broader principles that can be applied holistically to so much more of life. Praise God.
Such a good book. Highly recommended.
It seemed to be somewhat of a sensible counterbalance to a stridently anti prosperity gospel (“health and wealth”) view, that doesn’t take into account that Jesus does tell us how to live now, for the purpose of our flourishing now—not just as a response to being saved. There is an absence of naive altruism. He wants to follow him and flourish. Not in a sense of a I’ll do you a favour God, so you’ll do me one in return. But simply that selfless, sacrificial, godly living has flourishing as a natural consequence.
A good example is that the word blessed (“blessed are the… “) should be better translated as flourishing. Blessed infers an external action for a person to receive blessing, which in turn infers a ‘deal’ with God. The use of flourishing on the other hand better represents that godly living tends to have its good natural consequences.
I was amused by the sensible and accurate use of the Australian expression “good on ya” as analogous to the intention of the beatitude statements (p66), as it infers “something quite close to what the beatitudes are primarily communicating—a genuinely happy congratulations and acknowledgment of the favourable and happy state of another”.
The other big background piece I loved was how the sermon is more about wholeness than perfection. To be whole is the aim of the Christian: as in, to be single-minded not double-minded, with external behaviour aligned with internal thought and desire. Think of how Jesus accuses the Pharisees of their hypocrisy. The main thrust is that they are double minded, not that they are imperfect.
I am someone who is more taken to black and white thinking and for whom appreciating nuance and grey has been a long term journey in adulthood. But I and others can be poorly served by absolutist thinking taught to us, causing unnecessary anxiety and concern. Perfection is a bar beyond me. Wholeness is not. Jesus taught wholeness.
This approach (wholeness not perfection) also helped me better understanding my bugbear of Matthew 5:38-42, that it implies acceptability of abuse and that Christians must always ‘take it’. An absolutist, literalist reading (sadly) can lead one here. But Jesus doesn’t do that. Here he gives examples of behaviour in certain circumstances, outlining principles to follow, not commands to unthinkingly and literally obey without nuance. Commands exist elsewhere, for our benefit. But the context here is for principles.
Rather it is good to have an unselfish temperament, to make less of one’s rights, and to know that revenge is poison (p63). These are principles to follow. I’m so much happier to know this, as rather than fearing imperfect precise application, instead there are broader principles that can be applied holistically to so much more of life. Praise God.
Such a good book. Highly recommended.
December 29, 2022
Well researched, well written (on the whole), and well balanced, this book is an indispensable resource for preachers, students, and scholars (of the NT, Christian ethics, and other related fields). It sits somewhere on the scholarly end of the popular-scholarly spectrum, but it is very accessible and easy to follow. There is no need for familiarity with the original languages, though such is (always) helpful. Pennington is meticulous in his footnoting, underscoring the breadth of his research for this book (most of which is from recent/late-twentieth-century scholarship with some resourcement of ancient texts). At just a couple points, there are some slips in verbiage (e.g., referring to God as “complex”), but he more frequently does a good job of charitably pointing out the hermeneutical/theological imbalances and totalizing tendencies of others who are otherwise helpful. This book is something of a vindication of virtue ethics for Protestants, unabashedly rooted in Scripture (and a theologically orthodox and evangelical reading of Scripture). Christ as Savior and incarnate God is also Christ as Philosopher/Sage-King. He is certainly more than a sage or teacher, but He is not less than the same. Without going into a granular review of each discreet part of the book, suffice it to say that both the whole and the parts are worthy of careful review.
January 25, 2025
Read the first half. It’s not that I DNF’d the second half but I used it as a resource where needed. Overall, accessible for lay people like me and indeed very helpful in enjoying the sermon on the mount and seeing it’s beauty.
Growing up I didn’t know what to make of the sermon— is it a list of commands or just an example of life in the kingdom?? It feels pretty commandy?? And my very Protestant allergy to anything that looks like law made that really tough for me to stomach.
The sermon was hard for me to interpret, especially its warnings.
This book would have been helpful for me years ago. It left me seeing the sermon as a wonderful gift and a beautiful life to anticipate and live into.
Ultimately, this will be more a resource to visit as needed more than anything else, but still loved it.
Growing up I didn’t know what to make of the sermon— is it a list of commands or just an example of life in the kingdom?? It feels pretty commandy?? And my very Protestant allergy to anything that looks like law made that really tough for me to stomach.
The sermon was hard for me to interpret, especially its warnings.
This book would have been helpful for me years ago. It left me seeing the sermon as a wonderful gift and a beautiful life to anticipate and live into.
Ultimately, this will be more a resource to visit as needed more than anything else, but still loved it.
December 23, 2024
Phenomenal, pastoral, valuable resource. Chapter 2 on Makarios/Asre alone is worth the price of this book!
November 15, 2025
This is not a quick read, but it is very readable. I was worried it would be too scholarly, but it is a nice balance between academic and accessible. I learned so much that has deepened my understanding of Christ’s famous sermon, and this book is helping me work the teachings deeper into my heart. I am already seeing the fruit of this study. I would certainly recommend this book, with the caveat that it is not a beach read :)
June 5, 2025
I remember reading a scathing review about this commentary that attacked Pennington for his thesis: the main point of the Sermon on the Mount is to teach humans how to have a “happy/flourishing” life.
Happy/flourishing is Pennington’s translation of the Greek word “makarios” which has been typically translated “blessed” in most modern Bibles. So “Happy/flourishing are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Anyways back to the aforementioned review, he accused Pennington of adopting a Duck Dynastic view of the Sermon, claiming Pennington would be best friends with Phil Robertson due to their shared “Happy Happy Happy” worldview.
I wholeheartedly agree with that reviewers assessment, I just happen to think they missed Pennington’s idea of what true “happiness/flourishing” is. In the sermon, Jesus presents us with what it means to be whole, happy, flourishing, people. And it is completely upside down from what the world thinks and what “typical” flourishing or happiness looks like. What Jesus is offering us is to become truly human. To become what we were meant to be. But that is only found through the way of the cross and laying down of rights, a path to happiness that only makes sense in the kingdom of God. This happiness is not duck dynastic prosperity, but instead Holy Spirit-filled self-denial and cross-bearing.
I could rant and rave about this book, but I think I would just end up rambling. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants deep insight into the most important Sermon ever preached. Pennington has very quickly become one of my favorite professors and authors over the past year and a half, and this book a big reason why.
Happy/flourishing is Pennington’s translation of the Greek word “makarios” which has been typically translated “blessed” in most modern Bibles. So “Happy/flourishing are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Anyways back to the aforementioned review, he accused Pennington of adopting a Duck Dynastic view of the Sermon, claiming Pennington would be best friends with Phil Robertson due to their shared “Happy Happy Happy” worldview.
I wholeheartedly agree with that reviewers assessment, I just happen to think they missed Pennington’s idea of what true “happiness/flourishing” is. In the sermon, Jesus presents us with what it means to be whole, happy, flourishing, people. And it is completely upside down from what the world thinks and what “typical” flourishing or happiness looks like. What Jesus is offering us is to become truly human. To become what we were meant to be. But that is only found through the way of the cross and laying down of rights, a path to happiness that only makes sense in the kingdom of God. This happiness is not duck dynastic prosperity, but instead Holy Spirit-filled self-denial and cross-bearing.
I could rant and rave about this book, but I think I would just end up rambling. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants deep insight into the most important Sermon ever preached. Pennington has very quickly become one of my favorite professors and authors over the past year and a half, and this book a big reason why.
August 3, 2020
I have read at least 6-7 commentaries on the Sermon in the Mount (SM). Plus I have used various commentaries on Matthew which contain great detail on the SM. By far Pennington’s work on the SM is the most thought provoking.
The author ties together every paragraph throughout Matthew 5-7 to show Jesus’ words as recorded by Matthew were not random sayings. Pennington does a masterful job of connecting the dots of each movement in the sermon.
His discussion of “blessing” or “flourishing” along with “wholeness” make the SM makes more sense than anything I have read previously. Like Martyn Lloyd Jone’s commentary on the SM, this work demands to be read again. I left this book of 310 pages saying, “Finally, a biblical scholar who made the SM make perfect sense.”
Pennington’s work is not a verse-by-verse commentary, but a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation. He takes the reader through the details of the sermon, but also zooms out to the bigger thought changes Jesus is making as He communicates His message.
If you want to understand the overall themes and thoughts of the SM, this is the work to start with.
The author ties together every paragraph throughout Matthew 5-7 to show Jesus’ words as recorded by Matthew were not random sayings. Pennington does a masterful job of connecting the dots of each movement in the sermon.
His discussion of “blessing” or “flourishing” along with “wholeness” make the SM makes more sense than anything I have read previously. Like Martyn Lloyd Jone’s commentary on the SM, this work demands to be read again. I left this book of 310 pages saying, “Finally, a biblical scholar who made the SM make perfect sense.”
Pennington’s work is not a verse-by-verse commentary, but a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation. He takes the reader through the details of the sermon, but also zooms out to the bigger thought changes Jesus is making as He communicates His message.
If you want to understand the overall themes and thoughts of the SM, this is the work to start with.
October 1, 2020
The is a first-rate work, one I'd recommend to anyone thinking of preaching through the Sermon on the Mount or anyone simply wanting to gain a better grasp of it. Some background in biblical and theological studies is probably helpful for gaining most from it but even without that I'd happily say 'Go for it!.
February 8, 2020
Pennington rocks. He really opens this portion of the Sacred Writ without repeating obvious statements. Not a sermon-type book like Lloyd-Jones or Sinclair Ferguson, but it's still theology that leads to doxology.
July 10, 2023
This has been an indispensable resource for preaching on the Sermon on the Mount. Pennington helpfully confronts unwarranted assumptions that have disfigured interpretations of the Sermon, and insists on an informed, close reading of the text. At times, though, he seemed to relish his own novelty.
February 28, 2019
Really good. The premise is to see The Sermon on the Mount as an invitation to human flourishing (as OT wisdom literature is used) and in the hope of a future eschatological reality. There are several great points he makes but this was the crux. At least read the first half, where he provides his theological argument. Then use the commentary sections as needed, which is most of the second half of the book. Highly recommend.
November 4, 2022
It took my two years to get through this book, so any review will not be an accurate assessment. However, what I can say is that Pennington is of the highest class of quality as well as balance in biblical scholarship. He is able to engage a broad range of opinions in the evangelical and academic world in a commendable manner. This demonstration of broad level engagement is also evident by this being a “theological commentary” rather than simply an academic one.
I did enjoy Pennington’s “reading the gospels wisely” far more though, probably because of it being far wider in scale rather than the detail orientated nature of this commentary. But really that’s more about my personal wiring than the books quality.
I did enjoy Pennington’s “reading the gospels wisely” far more though, probably because of it being far wider in scale rather than the detail orientated nature of this commentary. But really that’s more about my personal wiring than the books quality.
April 8, 2021
Phenomenal read! Must-have resource for anyone studying the Sermon on the Mount, as well as anyone preaching or reaching on it. By far the most insightful and stimulating resource I encountered while studying Matthew 5-7.
October 21, 2022
An excellent commentary. First commentary I've read cover-to-cover.
Pennington does a great job of reframing the Sermon on the Mount through virtue and wisdom.
Well worth your time if you're reading through the Sermon on the Mount.
Pennington does a great job of reframing the Sermon on the Mount through virtue and wisdom.
Well worth your time if you're reading through the Sermon on the Mount.
December 18, 2023
A most compelling argument that the SOM invites sinners to the Saviour for a life of true human flourishing in the Kingdom of God. Pennington ably (brilliantly!) makes the argument for human flourishing in Christ in both the 'already and not yet.'
Very helpful and highly recommended.
Very helpful and highly recommended.
March 23, 2019
Probably the best book I've read on the Sermon and one of the best on Matthew. Both encouraging spiritually and intellectually engaging.
October 27, 2022
Such a helpful book in understanding the Sermon on the Mount. I highly recommend this book.
August 16, 2023
If you're working through preaching or teaching the Sermon on the Mount. This is a must-have on your shelf.
March 17, 2024
As far as commentaries go—this one was satisfying and actually nice to read. The sermon on the mount will never not schmack. I mean, cmon y’all.
July 20, 2024
I learned a ton from this book.
April 4, 2025
Excellent work tracing its way through the Sermon on the Mount.
May 26, 2025
An insightful and persuasive reading of the Sermon and one of (if not the) most spiritually-edifying commentaries I’ve ever read. Outstanding.
November 13, 2025
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Go read it.
November 22, 2024
Pennington does a wonderful job of presenting the Sermon on the mount as a cohesive argument all pointing to Human flourishing being found in Jesus. I really enjoy this read and look forward to reading more of his work!
Is Matthew now my favorite gospel????
Is Matthew now my favorite gospel????
December 17, 2025
This book is excellent.
It is about 20% longer than it needs to be.
It is about 20% longer than it needs to be.
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