How Jesus Transforms the Ten Commandments

by Edmund P. Clowney

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

For many Christians, conditioned to emphasize our freedom from the law, Jesus' words seem strange, even incompatible with the gospel of grace. If Jesus did not abolish the law, then how should we look at the Ten Commandments today?

Clowney explains how Jesus intensifies the law and expands its scope to every situation in life. But as the author did so often during his ministry, he goes further, finding Christ in the law and showing how he fulfills it for his people. Thus believers will learn more not only of God's character revealed in the law, but also of the gospel with its focus on Christ.

Divided into eleven chapters, each with study questions for reflection and application, this book is an ideal resource for group study and personal growth.

Genres: Theology, Christian Living

176 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2007

About the author

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in 1939, a Bachelor of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1942, a Master of Sacred Theology from Yale Divinity School in 1944, and a Doctor of Divinity from Wheaton College in 1966.

Reviews

[Jeremiah Whiteman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. I originally started reading it on the Lord’s Day but I decided to finish it sooner than later. It is phenomenal. Dr. Clowney does a wonderful job of showing the reader the demands of the Ten Commandments, and how Christ didn’t just see them as commands to be obeyed, but to be fulfilled. He did so on our behalf, on behalf of God’s people. In doing so, he has guaranteed that in this life, we will be faithful witnesses to this gospel, and that when we are in glory, we will have Him as our reward because Christ came and fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf (Rom. 8:3-4). These commands will no longer be something we struggle with, but we will be able to fully keep them by loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as well, in glory. Soli Deo Gloria.

[Andrzej Stelmasiak · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was actually my comment below Nathan White's review here:

When I first went through the Ten Commandments with the church I was then, I thought this was the best book available (and possibly was). Now I am preaching through the Decalogue elsewhere, I tend to agree with you on it, Nathan. Oversimplifications, easily overlooking profound points while focusing on something that as you say, misses the point. In the second commandment he is not even thinking in the categories of 'Jesus is the image of God= good news' (as the second Adam fulfilling the mission of the first Adam). Yeah, I usually like him, but he tends to bore me now with this book instead of stimulate my thinking and leading me to worship.

JV Fesko's 'The Rule of Love' and 'The Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism' by Zacharias Ursinus are on the top of my list, period. Kevin deYoung is sometimes hit (or even home-run!) sometimes miss (then I'm like 'really, Kev, is that the best you've got?').

[An Te · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful walkthrough the Ten Commandments and how Jesus fulfilled each one of them. Interesting focussed reflections for my own walk with God. Not to be sneered at as an exercise but as one for genuine contemplation and learning from God. It's deeply convicting as times as the bar set is so high. It's like an audit check of some sort, I feel. I find reading the Ten Commandments from Exodus Chapter 20 is a gloss reading whilst this book has helped me to examine myself in a structured manner.

[Elizabeth Cjumo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clowney es mi autor teológico contemporáneo favorito, difícilmente se es objetiva cuando también eres biased. No obstante, me gustó mucho la lectura de este libro porque página tras página eleva el corazón a la respuesta doxológica natural al entender cómo Cristo es en sí mismo el autor y consumador de la fe.

Recomiendo mucho esta lectura a todo creyente que desea comprender la escritura como un todo que apunta solo a Cristo.

[Stephen Hoogerhyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very approachable and easy to understand. Clowney's writing is, as usual, clear. Chapters are short, and each has a list of study questions at the end, making this a good book for a group Bible study or small fellowship group discussion.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

At key points, the author makes insightful and profound points, but the book as a whole just seems lacking. The interested reader would likely be better served by a different book on the subject, of which there seem to be a lot of options today.

[Matt Allhands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clowney does a remarkable job in presenting the 10 in their original context, establishing their fulfillment in the active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ and affirming their importance for Christian ethics.

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really do mean a Goodreads two-star rating (it was OK). If this were Amazon it'd be three stars.

There wasn't anything I would classify as bad theology or exhortation in the Christian life. There just wasn't anything that hasn't already been said though.

As I stated in one my reviews of Clowney's other works, his lectures (available on iTunes U) seem to be a lot better than his writing - at least in my opinion.

[Nathan White · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some helpful material here in how the Ten Commandments relate to and are fulfilled in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. But I was uncomfortable with the level of discontinuity Clowney seems to advocate between the Old and New Testament, and often times his discussion of the actual sin in each commandment is either way too brief or it misses the point. I love Clowney's writings and preaching - but this is not his best work, and it's pretty low on my list of books on this subject.

[Matt Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern echo of the Westminster Shorter Catechism's approach to the Decalogue. The 3 page conclusion alone is worth the price of the book. May have even been helpful to have read that first as an orientation for the rest of the study.

[Daniel Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The style of this book is fairly simple, but the words feel weighty because I believe Clowney lived long with the habit of staying closely tethered to Scripture. Before reading, I had thoughts about how Jesus related to the Old Testament and to the Ten Commandments. I believed that he fulfilled them by obeying them perfectly. And I knew that in the Sermon on the Mount he deepened some of them to make us look to the heart, instead of just external actions. This is true, but only scratches the surface. This is a subject which deserves extended meditation. This is a short book, densely packed with rich material. I very highly recommend it.

[Kingsley Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like other books from Edmund Clowney, if you are new to this subject then this book will be enlightening.

With the 10 Commandments providing not so much rules for living, as it does prove that we are all sinners, you would be forgiven for thinking there is some kind of disconnect between them and Jesus.

This book helps to walk us through understanding why there is no disconnect, and how the Commandments are deeper and wider on account of Jesus.

If, however, this is not a new concept to you, then may I recommend Commandments 3 & 4 in the book as particularly helpful when preaching on them.

[AJL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just liked this book. It wasn't great nor was it bad. It wasn't what I was expecting either. In true Vosian fashion this was a redemptive-historical look at each of the Ten Commandments. He does touch on some practical elements of the place of the law in the life of Christian in a very balanced manner. Some may scoff at a few of his conclusions but that's okay. All in all, it always great to join Clowney in exulting in Christ.

[Joshua Reitano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clowney is always helpful in reading the Bible Christocentrically. But, I'll be honest, this volume didn't wow me at all. I got more help from the likes of Davidman, Dickson and Ryken on the Ten Commandments.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clowney takes a traditional Reformed Confessional view of the the commandments but he has a more "balanced," less dogmatic view. He leans more toward "principle" in application, I think because he focuses more on the Biblical Theology framework.

[Coram Deo Church]

How Jesus Transforms the Ten Commandments is not currently available at local libraries.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok, at times not as focused as it should be.

[Lynne Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivered on some meaty theology while remaining accessible and understanding. The format is easy to follow. It's great for a personal read or a group study.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It almost seems to me that there are two authors of this book, which does not always work to produce a seamless smooth-flowing train of thoughts. There are segments that are classic Dr Clowney - sometimes his exposition stares down your soul with a reality check of how far we are to God's way, sometimes his words of encouragement inspire us to keep journeying on in our Christian faith, and other times he summaries with crystal clear clarity to shed light on otherwise complicated theological positions.

Not to say that Dr Clowney's daughter is a poor writer/editor, but as revealed in the forward circumstances, Dr Clowney was battling illness and before signing the book's contract, he "left us to worship his beloved Christ in heaven..." (page vi). I wonder what a professional editor could have done to make this book a more coherent read, and also ponder how a like-minded theologian of Clowney's calibre (which aren't many) could have provided better illustrations and clarity of explanation.

While this title is not of the same quality as Dr Clowney's other titles, it is nevertheless a resource that scholars and pastors could use as a starting point when studying the topic of whether the Mosaic Law is obsolete today. For readers who have yet to read any of his books, do not be put off from doing so! You can start with Called to Ministry - I am sure you will find that it provided an enjoyable, inspiring read!

[Simon O'Mahony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be quite average. Overall Clowney makes good points, however there are a number of instances where his exposition of particular commandments are confused and unconvincing.

Expounding on the 2nd commandment he argues that realistic portraits of Christ are impermissible, whereas unrealistic pictures of Christ are permissible. His reasoning is unconvincing and veers from the standard Reformed position which rejects all false images of Christ.

Expounding on the 4th commandment he argues that Jesus' disciples broke the Sabbath by picking grain and that Jesus defends their Sabbath breaking by giving the example of David's Sabbath breaking. He goes on to argue that their Sabbath breaking was justified because it was in the service of Christ and others.

It is unfortunate that Clowney refers to the actions of David and the disciples as "Sabbath breaking." This wording implies that Christ defended law breaking, which is to impute actual sin to Christ. The standard Reformed position is that works of necessity and mercy are permissible on the Sabbath/Lord's Day and thus do not constitute Sabbath breaking. Thus the terms he uses here are inaccurate and unhelpful, and implies something he probably doesn't intend.

For a more tried and trusted read, I would recommend picking up Thomas Watson's exposition of the Ten Commandments.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many tangential thoughts and not enough time spent fully developing the main points.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Dr. Clowney, and I really wanted to like this book. But ultimately, I found it to be quite disappointing. The content isn't necessary bad; he brings up some great ideas and ties. But it meanders way too much and seems to lack any good cohesion at times. Many thoughts and ideas are brought up, but then are left open without any elaboration. If this book were longer, it could be pretty good. But the lack of structure and staying on topic makes this a disappointing read.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I respect Clowney a great deal and this book gave insight into the 10 Commandments, some of which is straight-forward, some which was brilliant exegesis in conjunction with Christ and the New Testament. A little brief (around 140 pages), but Clowney gave me much to meditate upon and in some areas challenged me to really think through the ways I should seek to love God and neighbor.

[Cody Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't the "wow" book I anticipated, but it doesn't change the fact that he spoke of each of the ten in a way that I've never thought of before. A few of them extremely profound. I loved his explanation of the lying and stealing commands in how we subtly break those. Great words from a great man.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typically when you study the Ten Commandments it is limited to an OT view. How Jesus Transforms the Ten Commandments helps us to understand how Jesus furthers and fulfills (or "fills up what was lacking") in these commands. This brings the Commandments to a new level.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapter on not taking God's name in vain was worth reading the book for, and there is so much more than that here. I found the first chapters had more continuity than those towards the end - but that may be my attention span. :-/

[Michael Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clowney does a good job reflecting on the ten commandments and how they apply for the believer today. However, I would have liked to see more theological reflections and support for his views. A worthwhile book when reflecting upon the Ten Commandments.

[Jeff Bobin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview and some good thoughts but not much depth.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! Really good look at how "Christ fulfills the law, not by diminishing it, but by deepening and widening it."

[Eric Molicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...