Paul and the Law - (New Studies in Biblical Theology) by Brian S Rosner (Paperback)

About the Book

Brian S. Rosner seeks to build bridges between old and new perspectives on Paul with this biblical-theological account of the apostle's complex relationship with Jewish law. This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume argues that Paul reevaluates the Law of Moses, including its repudiation as legal code, its replacement by other things, and its reappropriation as prophecy and wisdom.

Book Synopsis

Preaching's Preacher's Guide to the Best Bible Reference

"For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God" (1 Cor 7:19).

The apostle Paul's relationship to the Law of Moses is notoriously complex and much studied. Difficulties begin with questions of definition (of the extent of Paul's corpus and the meanings of "the law") and are exacerbated by numerous problems of interpretation of the key texts. Major positions are entrenched, yet none of them seems to know what to do with all the pieces of the puzzle.

Inextricably linked to Paul's view of the law is his teaching concerning salvation history, Israel, the church, anthropology, ethics and eschatology. Understanding "Paul and the law" is critical to the study of the New Testament, because it touches on the perennial question of the relationship between the grace of God in the gift of salvation and the demand of God in the call for holy living. Misunderstanding can lead to distortions of one or both.

This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume is something of a breakthrough, bringing neglected evidence to the discussion and asking different questions of the material, while also building on the work of others. Brian Rosner argues that Paul undertakes a polemical re-evaluation of the Law of Moses, which involves not only its repudiation as law-covenant and its replacement by other things, but also its wholehearted re-appropriation as prophecy (with reference to the gospel) and as wisdom (for Christian living).

Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

Review Quotes

"I have to confess that I find many discussions of Paul and the Law of Moses to be monumentally dull and uninspiring. Not so this one! It has held my interest right through, and I have appreciated especially the ways in which it examines the texts closely and shows that the key to understanding Paul on this topic lies in close attention to the details of his wording that differentiate the relationships between the Law and Jews and Gentiles and indicate its different functions. This is a fresh solution to a difficult puzzle that may sadly be overlooked by its publication in a readable-level series rather than in a technical reader-unfriendly one with a maze of references and footnotes. It fully deserves to be placed alongside such profound classics as C. H. Dodd's According to the Scriptures, which is written in the same limpid manner."

"Rosner has proposed an exegetically-detailed and hermeneutically-sensitive way of addressing Paul's teaching on the law. He has done so with admirable clarity. Paul and the Law, in fact, is a model of how a book should be written.

"Rosner's book is insightful, and thus, recommended. Those interested in the topic of Paul's use of the Law would do well to consult Rosner's book and take D. A. Carson's instruction to read it slowly."

"Rosner's volume is a valuable introduction to the issue of Paul and the law and provides a helpful entrance to the discussion."

About the Author

Brian S. Rosner is Principal, Ridley Melbourne Mission and Ministry College. He was previously lecturer at Moore Theological College, Sydney, and the University of Aberdeen. He is coauthor of The First Letter to the Corinthians (PNTC); coeditor of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, The Trials of Theology, Exploring Exodus and Paul as Missionary; editor of The Wisdom of the Cross; and author of Beyond Greed, Greed as Idolatry and Paul, Scripture and Ethics.