A Deeper Look at the Sermon on the Mount

The influence of Christians in and on society depends on their being distinct, not identical.

effectiveness the Christian must retain his Christlikeness, as salt must retain its saltness

Christian saltiness is Christian character as depicted in the

Now strictly speaking, salt can never lose its saltness. Nevertheless, it can become contaminated by mixture with impurities, and then become useless, even dangerous. Dr. David Turk suggested to me that what was then popularly called “salt” was in fact a white powder (perhaps from around the Dead Sea) which, while containing sodium chloride, also contained much else

Salt played a symbolic role in Old Testament sacrifices.

Because salt acts as a preservative, it symbolizes permanence:

Salt in the Old Testament also had connotations of new beginnings or separation.

Real salt does not lose its saltiness

2. Before refrigeration, salt was used to keep meat from rotting.

In the Old Testament, meekness is a long way from weakness. The meek are those who humbly submit to God’s will and put their lives into God’s hands. Read Numbers 12:1-15. Scholar Peter Davids notes, “Moses is the chief example