Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7427653 in Books
• Published on: 1993-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 81 pages

Customer Reviews

Helpful brief book
If you have read Greg Bahnsen's "Theonomy In Christian Ethics" and are committed to the principle of "the whole Word for the whole world," get this book.

Gentry summarizes the basic principles of theonomic ethics. This slim book serves as a "tract" for biblical ethics. Very helpful introduction to the issue of biblical ethics.

Good basic introduction and defense
Although this book is pretty short, it does manage to cover the basics pretty well. He explains the theonomic position of the law and defends it, making a fairly convincing case for it. He corrects many of the errors and misconceptions that people have about the role and function of the Law of Moses in the New Testament. He shows the purpose of the Law and how the New Testament establishes the true intent of the Law. Definitly recommended if you are confused about the role of the Law in the New Testament, or if you would like to learn about the theonomic position. Even if, or especially if, you think that the Law is not for believers today, or that the Law was set aside by the New Testament, I would encourage you to read this. It won't take you a lot of time, since it isn't really that long, and it will be thought-provoking at very least. Even if you walk away still disagreeing with the theonomic position, it will still have forced you to think about the issue more carefully.

I had a few minor things I disliked about the book though. There were a few places where the writing was somewhat awkward, although not too many. Also, his position on the sacrificial system isn't very nuanced. As one person said (I can't remember if it was Gary North or R. J. Rushdoony), the entire law is binding in principal and should be applied in the same way that it was in the Old Testament unless the New Testament specifically alters it. Gentry could have been a bit clearer about this principal than he was I think, especially with regards to the sacrificial system. The sacrificial system, technically, was NOT abolished or set aside in any way, but is still binding to the Christian. The application is just different in the New Testament. Sure, the sacrificial system was a type of Jesus, but that isn't the reason that we don't offer sacrifices in Jerusalem anymore - the reason was that Jesus IS our sacrifice. Hebr. 9:22 says "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sin.]"

In spite of the minor flaws, this is still something that is definitly worth the time to read.