The Law and Its Fulfillment: A Pauline Theology of Law

by Thomas R. Schreiner

A prominent evangelical scholar reevaluates Paul's view of the Old Testament law in light of the biblical texts and recent scholarly debate.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, Law

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Thomas R. Schreiner (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including New Testament Theology; Magnifying God in Christ; Apostle of God's Glory in Christ; and Romans in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.

Reviews

[Philip Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Schreiner. Solid.

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The terms all describe a time period before one reaches maturity. Paul uses them to illustrate that the law was designed to be in force for only a certain period of salvation history, and now that the Messiah has come the era of law is over." - Thomas Schreiner

A helpful, methodical look at Paul's use and understanding of the law. Schreiner clearly lays out the views of others before offering his own view with supporting arguments. He takes a more traditional, reformed, baptistic understanding of the law close to the reformed presbyterian tradition, but differs in substantial areas (given the quote above!). This book is somewhat difficult to evaluate given the fact that I think Brian Rosner's Paul and the Law is the gold standard for this discussion. His argument there is crisp, compelling, and convincing. Schreiner is good and should be consulted, but I cannot give Rosner's work more praise. I'd give this a 3.5/5. Certainly helpful at points which I will turn back to when teaching/preaching through those passages (like Gal. 3-4).

[Michael Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great read. Although it is from 1993, it still holds amazing value when looking at all the complex issues related to Paul & the Law. That might be its greatest asset! Schreiner did a great job laying out the issues, major inerpretations, major movements, his thesis, objections and responses. He did this in a way that was orderly and effective. At the end of the day what matters most was his exegesis. I thought his handling of the texts was balanced, faithful and detailed. His arguments were effective and even changed my views on a few issues.

His handling of Galatians 3 and Romans 2 was awesome. I wish he spend more time on Philippians 3:3-11. Great read and worth the time!

[Matthew Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but confusing to follow often. I only gave it 3 stars though I think it is excellent and worth the time to read. However, trying to keep track of the various strains of argument became a bit arduous at time thus making it not as clear as it could be.

[Nathan Marone]

The biggest compliment I can pay to any work like this one is that it is exegetically sound and I'm happy to offer that compliment to The Law and Its Fulfillment. Though wading through some very complex theology, Schreiner's hermeneutics are even-keeleed and sober throughout. He displays modesty often, despite the fact that he regularly interacts with his scholarly opponents. And though it may not seem that radical, I am impressed with his ability to circle back to a basic Reformation theology of Paul and the Law in the midst of so much new research and understanding on the issue. The Reformation approach has always seemed to me, a layman, the most sensible way of understanding Paul's teaching and the approach that harmonizes best with the rest of the New Testament. This last point, which is unfortunately explored only briefly in Schreiner's book, is deeply important to me. Many theologians, and thus pastors and lay people, have seen Paul's complex soteriology as it relates to the Law as being distinct from other NT authors. And so Paul tends to become the focus of NT studies with the rest of its books throwing Paul into sharp relief. My contention, however, is that the primary distinction between Paul and other NT authors isn't in the content of Paul's view of the Law, but in his more systematized expression of that view. I always had the impression that if Jesus had formerly been a militant Pharisee, he too might have written Romans or Galatians.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years ago I debated a Seventh-day Adventist pastor.  The topic was: is the Sabbath obligatory for believers?   He thought yes.  I argued no.  My argument went a bit like this:

1. By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

2.  Sabbath keeping is a work of the law

3.  Therefore no flesh will be justified by Sabbath keeping

The pastor took the wind out of my sails immediately.  He conceded that we are not justified by keeping the Sabbath.  To my consternation, the rest of the conversation was him skimming a line.  He insisted that we *have* to keep the Sabbath.  He insisted that it wasn't a *work* of righteousness.  So the sabbath doesn't justify, it sanctifies (never mind that if you don't keep it, you're no longer justified).  

This was the first time I realized how nuanced and confusing this topic can be. 

I wish I'd read Schreiner before that debate.  He's clear, and he has a knack for being scholarly while remaining accessible.  This was my third of his books on the topic, and I more prepared than ever to defend the classical perspective on the law. 

[Coyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The biggest problem with this book is that Schreiner is better at expositing the theories of others than he is his own. I think this is because he was giving summaries of their thoughts (which tended to be short, to the point, and clear), and long, well-cited defenses of his own. The end result was that I came away from it wanting to know more about what Bultmann, Sanders, Dunn, et al said, and not caring nearly as much about Schreiner's own opinions. Of course, that's the problem with most scholarly tomes, so maybe that's not a real criticism at all.

[Hopson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schreiner's book is a detailed exegetical study of the Apostle Paul's theology of the Mosaic Law. Schreiner offers a biblically balanced and careful rebuttal of the New Perspective on Paul, clearly articulating a defense of the traditional understanding of Paul, the Law, and 2nd Temple Judaism. This book is dense, tightly argued, and comprehensive, but it is highly recommended for serious students of Scripture who want to understand how the New Testament interprets and applies the Old Testament law.

[Tyler C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic exegesis on the Law and Pauline Theology. One of the best books on the Law that I've read.