The Law, Then and Now: What About Grace?

Reviewed By:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Author:

John B. Metzger

Publisher:

Grace Acres Press

Publication Date:

July 15, 2019

Format:

Paperback

Length:

434 pages

OVERVIEW

Theologians often talk about the laws given to Israel (from the Ten Commandments to the ceremonial temple laws) in the Old Testament as the Law of Moses. But do Christians have to follow all these laws? Are Messianic Jews who want to maintain their heritage will still believing in Christ required to follow them? John B. Metzger dives deep into the Bible’s descriptions of the Law of Moses and the “Law of Messiah” Paul mentions in Galatians to answer these questions.

Metzger provides good arguments for why the new covenant created by Christ does away with the Mosaic Covenant, giving Messianic Jews as well as Gentile believers the freedom to live a life of grace. However, he doesn’t build as compelling a case for his claim that the Mosaic Covenant was never about salvation in the first place. In the end though, this book’s biggest flaw isn’t its ideas as much as the way Metzger communicates them. Like many public speakers, Metzger organizes his ideas well but doesn’t craft his words or sentences in a way that makes those ideas read well. He also frequently restates the same points in various chapters, a strategy that works when talking to an audience but doesn’t translate well to book format. As a result, what should be a fairly compelling book ends up being very hard to get through. A classic example of good ideas not being communicated effectively.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

2 stars

Intended Audience

Messianic Jews trying to understand whether they must still follow the Mosaic Covenant.

Christian Impact

Readers willing to get past the book’s poor writing style will find its analysis of Old Testament law to be freeing and informative.