Particularism and Universalism in the Sermon on the Mount

So far the study of the Matthean tension between particularism and universalism has not taken into account the Sermon on the Mount. This monograph fills this gap. The Sermon on the Mount is investigated, with the result that its outlook is universalistic. Mt 5:13-16 commands a universal mission. Mt 7:24-27 offers salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. While three passages (Mt 5:47; 6:7-8; 31-32) speak derogatorily about Gentiles, they do not express particularism but might even imply universalism. Because in Mt 7:6, the "dogs" and "pigs" are metaphors not for Gentiles but only for the Jewish leaders, this logion is not an expression of particularism. The universalism of Mt 5-7 stands in tension to the established scholarly model that divides the Gospel of Matthew into a particularistic and a universalistic stage. This monograph rather suggests three subsequent stages, namely a universalistic beginning, a particularistic interim time, and a universalistic open end.