Need some book recommendations on civil, ceremonial, and moral law

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Andres

Puritan Board Doctor
Tonight when I was coming into work, my coworker, whom I relieved, asked my opinion on "bible diets" where a person attempts to eat a diet based on commands found in scripture. For example abstaining from pork, shellfish, etc. I explained to her that choosing not to eat something based on preference would simply be a matter of choice and be no big deal, however to abstain from foods due to teachings in the OT laws would be in error. Of course, she then wanted an explanation of OT laws. Since I only had about 3 minutes in passing, I was not able to give a very good explanation. I told her that I would do my best to find some resources for her on the subject of the law.
I think I will attempt to burn some of these teachings on CD's for her, but she prefers reading. I am at a loss for books to recommend to her.

Does anyone have any suggestions on books that explain the difference between ceremonial, civil, and moral laws and their implications? Thanks for your help.
 
WCF 19, WLC 91-153 and exposiitions such as Shaw/Williamson on the Confession and Vos on the Larger Catechism.
 
anybody else? I am beginning to think that there aren't any solid books that deal with this topic on a lay level. Surely, I am overlooking something?
 
You will need to get books that cover it in treating the law or other subjects. I don't know of a book just on that subject. Williamson is high school level; and I think Vos too. Louis Igou Hodges' 1990 paper before the Evangelical Philosophical Society, A Defense of the Tripartite Understanding of the Law Articulated in '"The Westminster Confession," gives a lot of sources you could pursue. Kevan's Grace of Law is mentioned, and Morris commentary on the WCF, but that looks a bit high level reading. Morris is online here:
Theology of the Westminster symbols ... - Google Books
I say stick to the WCF and Williamson.
 
At a popular level the only one i have seen is Vern Poythress: The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, but he makes some statements that are controversial. I agree with Chris the WCF is a good introduction.
 
Re food laws and their obsolescence, James Jordan's "Pig Out ! : 25 Reasons Why Christians May Eat Pork". I don't know if Jordan is reliable on other areas.

Jochem Douma's "The Ten Commandments: Manual for the Christian Life" (PandR) has an appendix which shows why the penal law of Moses can't be applied simplistically in the New Covenant era. Very good book on the 10C and Christian ethics more generally. He unfortunately doesn't try to show what can be learned by way of general equity from the criminal and penal law of Moses, but he does defend the death penalty for murder. Raymond Zorn makes some good points about the penal law of Moses too in his "Christ Triumphant" (BoT).

Brian H. Edwards's, "The Ten Commandments" (Day One Publications) is an easier place to start and he deals positively and sensibly with the judicial and ceremonial laws at the beginning.

Books by Christopher J.H. Wright (IVP, Apollos), Walter Kaiser (Zondervan) and the above mentioned Vern Poythress (PandR) on Old Covenant ethics and its modern day application are somewhat academic and technical in what can be sometimes a technical subject.

But you can get a general feel for the subject. The Old Covenant Church as a whole was a bayhood/childhood/underage Church, "a Church under age" as the WCF calls it. It needed a picture book Gospel, spanking and stabilisers. These provisional ceremonial and judicial laws have fallen away, but there is a general moral equity to them which remains and which the Church in its rebellious adolescence is still learning/needing to learn, so that it has a more full-orbed Christian ethic.

Calvin's "Harmony of the Last Four Books of Moses" is maybe a good place to start. He puts the whole Exodus story from Exodus to Deuteronomy in chronological order and places all of the various laws under the rubric of the 10C. He says much of what needs to be said or at least makes a good start on it.

I'm sure the Reformed church is still learning and growing and being illuminated by the Spirit in this area, and learning to distinguish the general moral equity of the ceremonials and particularly the judicials/civils from what was peculiarly for OT Israel. It'll all come together in God's good time.
 
I would not give anything by Jordan to anyone. Anything good Jordan may have to say is better learned from someone soundly reformed.
Re food laws and their obsolescence, James Jordan's "Pig Out ! : 25 Reasons Why Christians May Eat Pork". I don't know if Jordan is reliable on other areas.

Jochem Douma's "The Ten Commandments: Manual for the Christian Life" (PandR) has an appendix which shows why the penal law of Moses can't be applied simplistically in the New Covenant era. Very good book on the 10C and Christian ethics more generally. He unfortunately doesn't try to show what can be learned by way of general equity from the criminal and penal law of Moses. Raymond Zorn makes some good points about the penal law of Moses too in his "Christ Triumphant" (BoT).

Brian H. Edwards's, "The Ten Commandments" (Day One Publications) is an easier place to start and he deals positively and sensibly with the judicial and ceremonial laws at the beginning.

Books by Christopher J.H. Wright (IVP, Apollos), Walter Kaiser (Zondervan) and the above mentioned Vern Poythress (PandR) on Old Covenant ethics and its modern day application are somewhat academic and technical in what can be sometimes a technical subject.

But you can get a general feel for the subject. The Old Covenant Church as a whole was a bayhood/childhood/underage Church, "a Church under age" as the WCF calls it. It needed a picture book Gospel, spanking and stabilisers. These provisional ceremonial and judicial laws have fallen away, but there is a general moral equity to them which remains and which the Church in its rebellious adolescence is still learning/needing to learn, so that it has a more full-orbed Christian ethic.

Calvin's "Harmony of the Last Four Books of Moses" is maybe a good place to start. He puts the whole Exodus story from Exodus to Deuteronomy in chronological order and places all of the various laws under the rubric of the 10C. He says much of what needs to be said or at least makes a good start on it.
 
Jordan's pretty off-the-wall is he? I haven't looked into his views generally. This particular book is fine but I'd heard some bad reports of him.
 
Well, aside from unbiblical views of worship and other weirdness, there's the whole Tyler Theonomy debacle of the 1980s, and that he's the grandfather of the Federal Visionists.
 
Not an extensive list, but you could review Arbishop Ussher's Body of Divinity in his questions on the law.

Also, if you're interested in procuring a copy of Theonomy and the Westminster Assembly of Divines, it is a sourcebook of quotations from Reformers, Puritans and Covenanters on what they understood such categories to include, as well as how we ought to apply them. PM me if you would like to purchase a copy.

George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity may be a good piece for certain subjects, and he mentions a few works by other theologians, which I am hoping to translate some time soon (Johannes Piscator's appendix on the judicial laws of Moses; and Beza's "Concerning the Punishment of Heretics by the Civil Magistrate"). Beza also did a tabular book on the three-fold division of the law, which Philip Schaff pointed out was intended to show the abrogation of the ceremonies, the applicability of the moral laws, and the applicability of the judicials.

You may also enjoy Samuel Rutherford's "Free Disputation" as he discusses some of these issues.

Few works after the Enlightenment have much in common with the Reformers, Puritans and Covenanters on certain points regarding the Law of God, having mostly taken an Anabaptist or tolerationist position regarding moral and or judicial laws. Although I'm certain that there are some good works out there.

Cheers,
 
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