Inquiry:
How many beatitudes were in the Sermon on the Mount? Matthew 5:3-11 and Luke 6:20-23 differ drastically. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
The questioner has made the unnecessary assumption that the sermon recorded in Matthew 5 and Luke 6 are indeed the same occasion. It is quite possible that these sermons were preached on different occasions (refer here).
However, if they are the same occasion, why would it be necessary for both Matthew and Luke to make identical records? I enjoy taking notes while listening to someone preach. Yet, I know that my notes will not be exactly the same as the preacher’s notes. Nor will my notes be exactly as the notes of another person taking notes at the same assembly. Why could this not be the case with Matthew and Luke as well?
There is no contradiction.
