Book Review: The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, by Vern Poythress

Synopsis: The books of the Pentateuch are among the most foundational for understanding the message and significance of the biblical story. They are also among the least understood. A clear, in-depth, and Christ-centered introduction to these books is, therefore, a pressing need. And The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses is admirably suited to fill that need.

Most Christians, if they are honest, would admit that the Pentateuch, with its elaborate descriptions of the tabernacle and sacrificial systems, and its intricate ceremonial and moral law code, can be, at times, a difficult and alien landscape for the modern Westerner to journey through. However, they must also admit that it lays a necessary foundation for understanding the biblical story of redemption in Christ the King. For those Christians who have experienced this dilemma, as I suspect most of us have, few volumes would be more practical and beneficial than a rigorous, and yet easy-to-follow, analysis of the various elements contained within the Pentateuch. Poythress’ rich introduction to the Mosaic portion of the scriptures is the single most helpful volume I have encountered to that end.

Poythress is a scholar of no little authority. He also has a gift for framing deep truth in simple and comprehensible language. His one-volume introduction to the Pentateuch demonstrates a remarkable grasp of the thorny issues surrounding the interpretation of various Pentateuchal elements; and at the same time, displays a genuine concern that the simple Christian be deeply instructed of Christ through the law of Moses. His profound insights never give the impression of a desire to display his own erudition for the admiration of the scholarly community, as the writings of so many gifted men do. On the contrary, his extensive learning is always subordinated to the goal of edifying the Church. And God has richly blessed his humble motivation with a truly edifying volume.

Through an intense examination of the tabernacle structure, the sacrifices, and the multi-faceted law code, Poythress arrives at the conclusion, as well-supported as it is thrilling to those who have a taste for their Savior, that the Pentateuch, in every conceivable way, was designed to point its readers to Christ. When the hungry Christian is not discouraged from an ardent pursuit of wisdom of God, which leads to salvation, by the difficulties inherent in its strange and foreign nature, the Law of Moses will certainly hold forth an immense and satisfying treasure – in a word, it will hold forth the treasure of seeing and savoring Christ.

Of particular interest is the final chapter on the “Fulfillment of the Law in the Gospel According to Matthew”. The Law-Gospel distinction is one of the most difficult questions of evangelical theology. Poythress’ analysis of Matthew has much to contribute to the ongoing debate; and always in a manner which is easy to follow and practically beneficial.

There are few books which are, in colloquial terminology, “must-reads” for seminarian and layman alike. This is one of them.

5 Responses to “Book Review: The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, by Vern Poythress”

  1. Chris says:
    August 22, 2006 at 7:20 pm

    I’ve heard good stuff about this work. He repudiates the three-fold division of the law right? Saying that New Covenant believers are under the “Law of Christ?”

  2. pitchford says:
    August 23, 2006 at 7:40 am

    While he admits that the “moral” and “ceremonial” distinctions have some legitimacy, he definitely stresses that the Law should be viewed as a unity, both in the OT and its NT fulfillment. Yes, believers are under the “law of Christ,” which is an advance on the law of Moses, or a “fulfillment” of the shadowy Sinaitic law.

  3. Chris says:
    August 23, 2006 at 12:10 pm

    I don’t know if I could say that the Law of Christ is an “advance” on the Mosaic Law. It seems to me to intepret it more as an altogether new Torah, but maybe that’s what you’re saying. The “You’ve heard it said, but I say to you” seems to me to be new law.

  4. pitchford says:
    August 23, 2006 at 12:24 pm

    I think that to view the law of Christ as utterly “new,” in the sense of disconnected from what preceded it, is to stress too strongly the discontinuity without taking seriously enough statements of the essential sameness of the message. I think the whole OT corpus was intended to set forth in shadow-form the basic truths of the gospel which are unveiled in all their splendor with the coming of Christ. Of course the law would be included in this function, and hence would be a shadow-form of the law of Christ, which superseded it as a fuller expression, but was not at all contradictory to, or even substantially different from Moses’ law.

    You’ll have to read Poythress’ comments on Matthew 5:17-20 in particular. They are very instructive.

  5. pitchford says:
    August 23, 2006 at 12:37 pm

    By the way, it seems as if the “You’ve heard it said” comments were directed, not at the law per se, but at the traditions of the elders. For example, the law only said “love your neighbor,” but the traditions said, “love your friend and hate your enemy,” etc. While it is true that certain of the things mentioned were indeed said of the law, e.g., “you shall not commit adultery,” one must remember that the same law brought even the actions of the heart under scrutiny in the tenth commandment. So Christ is doing basically the same thing, arguing against the elders’ tradition that, to obey the outward commands without an inward attitude of obedience is not a true fulfillment of the law.

    The one exception would be Christ’s critique of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” What he does here is vital; now, instead of demanding that, “as you have done, it shall be done to you,” in just reciprocity, he converts the principle of justice to, when you have been wronged, submit to the same wrong again,” or, “you yourselves bear in patience and mercy the just retribution for those crimes which have been committed against you.” How is this in fulfillment of the law? The law demanded strict retribution. But Christ, in taking upon himself the curse of the law, suffered that just retribution in substitution for those who had done the wrong. Therefore, what he is teaching is both in keeping with the strict justice enjoined by the law; and it is an advance on the law, in that it calls believers to imitate Christ’s own willingness to suffer at the hands of the wicked. But in any case, I would say it is not an essential contradiction of the law’s truth, but an advance in that it adds to the more elementary idea of simple justice the idea which was gloriously unveiled with the gospel, that justice may be satisfied by the perfect Substitute, and mercy may therefore be extended without any violation of justice.

    Poythress is much more clear and thorough than I am, so I would urge you to read him.

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