Full Description
From the early days of the church to the present, the Old Testament Law has been a subject of much confusion, debate, and outright theological division. And with good reason: the way Christians understand the Law has massive implications for their individual lives and for the life of the church. To sort through the numerous interpretations and approaches to this thorny issue, we need to start with a solid knowledge of the Law itself.
Richard Averbeck provides a comprehensive, accessible discussion of how the Law fits into the arc of the Bible and its relevance to the church today. Beginning with the way God intended the Law to work in its original historical and cultural context, he then explores the New Testament perspective on the Law. Averbeck identifies three biblical theological theses: the Law is good, the Law is weak, and the Law is a unified whole. Rejecting common partitions between categories of law, he makes the case that the whole Law applies to the Christian. Our task is to discern how it applies in the light of Christ.
The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church invites readers to consider how all of Scripture is illuminating and useful for God's people. The church, as the new temple, has much to learn from the Law and about what it means for our doctrine and practice.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part 1: Covenant and Context
1. Covenants in the Old Testament
2. The Nature and Progression of the Redemptive Covenants
Part 2: The Old Testament Law in Context
3. The Mosaic Law Collections and the Redemptive Setting of the Law
4. The Sinai Narrative and the Ten Commandments
5. The Book of the Covenant and Parallel Collections of Law in the Torah
6. Israel as a Kingdom of Priests and the Presence of God
7. Offerings and Sacrifices, Holiness and Purity
Part 3: The Old Testament Law in the New Testament
8. Jesus and the Mosaic Law
9. The Mosaic Law in Acts and the Earliest Church
10. The Goodness and the Weakness of the Law
11. The Unity of the Law
Conclusion
Appendix: Jewish Messianic Believers and the Torah
Bibliography
Subject Index
Scripture Index
