Paul the Law and the Jewish People

Rating:
Summary: Not For The Neophyte
Review: Sanders eloquently describes 1st century Judaism and the relationship of the Jewish people to the Law of Moses. He explains the meaning of covenant without the usual Christian revisionism. The Jews work to fulfill the law Not to be saved, (a Christian idea), but rather because they are already beneficiaries of the covenant. Paul's problem with the Judaism of his past is not because of anything necessarily wrong with it, but simply because it is not "Christianity". A ready reference for biblical scholars and informed amateurs, this text is not an easy read, but well worth the effort.

Rating:
Summary: The godfather of anti-Protestantism
Review: Those of you who want to read a book on who started this whole trend in leading Protestants down the path back to Rome should start here. Sanders rejecting the traditional Law-Gospel dichotomy of traditional Protestantism has opted for this newer and novel idea that Paul was not rejecting "salvation by works" but was rejecting "Jewish boundary markers". The practical and theological implications of this view is alarming. Sanders also argues that Second Temple Judaism was not a works-oriented religion, but a "grace-oriented" covenantal religion. Of course, Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Wesleyans, Apostolics, and Seventh-Day Adventists profess to teach "salvation by grace alone" but their whole soteriology is far from that! Read this book, but don't accept the message of the book. The consequences for Christian living can be quite unpleasant.