Joe M. Sprinkle

Joe M. Sprinkle’s Biblical Law and Its Relevance is both scholarly and readable. He argues that the Old Testament law is valuable for Christians today because its principles still apply and they provide guidelines for everyday living. He carefully compares various Christian understandings of the law – including the Reformed, Dispensationalist, Lutheran, and Theonomist views – evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. He describes his own view as the “principlizing” approach, which acknowledges a sort of discontinuity between the old and new covenants, but affirms the value of recognizing and applying the principles of the old covenant law in the new covenant. The first three chapters lay the theological foundation for the final nine chapters, which examine various categories of OT law, such as theft, purity and impurity, sexual behavior, abortion, divorce, and war.

The author, a professor of Old Testament who holds a PhD in Old Testament, does a good job interpreting OT laws in their theological, historical and linguistic context. He provides many helpful insights for those who want to more fully understand these laws and the principles they embody. This, in my view, is the book’s major strength.

I would have liked for Sprinkle to clearly and more fully articulate his own theology of covenant. For example, while arguing that the principles of the OT law are still relevant today (and few Christians would disagree), in my opinion he needs to emphasize more strongly the discontinuity between the covenants – i.e., the fact that the old covenant ended at the cross, and that the new covenant, with its new parties, terms, and promises, was established there. Instead, he cites Jesus’ testimony that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17), and Paul’s view that all Scripture – meaning, the Old Testament – is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (1 Tim 3:16). However, neither statement necessarily proves that the old covenant is still somehow in force. Certainly, OT law principles may be relevant and helpful today (as Paul asserts), and yes, Jesus’ mission was not simply to destroy the old covenant. But he did come to completely “fill up” the requirements of the old covenant and then, through his death, burial, and resurrection, replace it with a new one.

Unfortunately, Sprinkle’s analysis of the implications of OT laws for New Testament Christianity is uneven, and at times nonexistent. For example, in his chapter on just war, he makes no explicit argument for the application of OT principles to the new covenant, and the New Testament is not even mentioned. Several other chapters make only minimal reference to the New Testament.

The book opened my eyes to richer and deeper understandings of several categories of Old Testament laws, and, in some cases, to their important implications for life in the new covenant. I would recommend it to pastors, theology students, and Bible teachers.… (mais)

The author's thesis is that all biblical laws are relevant to Christian believers.

Chapters 1-3 lay out the reasoning the author uses to justify his thesis. The remaining chapters (4-12) provide specific illustrations (abortion, theft, sex, war, etc.).

The author is a scholar who has the ability to explain complex material in a thorough and balanced manner that should appeal to scholars, ministers, and serious Bible students.

The book includes an extensive bibliography as well as helpful author, subject, and Scripture and Ancient Text indexes. The indexes will make the book useful as a reference text.

I've read the book once, but it is on my list of books to read again. Hence, I give it five stars.… (mais)