Appian Way Press

Exegesis of the Gospels: Sermon on the Mount and Harmony of the Gospels

by Saint Augustine

In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Augustine works methodically through Matthew 5–7, treating the text not as a collection of isolated sayings but as a coherent whole. He explores the moral vision of the sermon, the formation of Christian virtue, and the relationship between outward obedience and inward transformation. The result is a sustained reflection on the shape of the Christian life grounded in the teaching of Jesus. In The Harmony of the Gospels, Augustine turns to a different but related task. Confronted with variations among the Gospel accounts, he examines questions of order, detail, and emphasis, seeking to show how the evangelists may be read together without contradiction. Rather than erasing differences, he accounts for them, arguing that each Gospel contributes to a unified and trustworthy witness to the life of Christ.