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The Structure of Biblical Authority

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I read this book in 1999, and it was the best book I read that year. Kline shows the covenant structure of the Mosaic books. His contribution to the structure of cannon can not be ignored; the structure of the Torah can not be divorced from its content.

One quick insight I learned from this book:
The 10 Commandments were treaty documents. There were two tables because there were two copies, one for the Suzerain and one for the Vassal. Each copy of the treaty document was stored where the two parties would meet, which was at the ark of the covenant. Kline demonstrates that this is the pattern of the Ancient Near East.

Much more could be said about this book; it's small, but it's packed from front to back.

This book ought to be read by all ministers, elders and teachers. It needless to say how great an impact Kline has had on contemporary biblical and theological studies. The importance of his study is bound in this short collection of essays and why he is so influential is evident here. I can't claim to grasp the depth of these essays, but having read this once I can say that my eyes have been opened to the world that lies behind the Bible and I have realized how important collective memory is. I say this because knowing the church's authority rests on the canon makes knowledge of covenantal history indispensable. Kline sets the content of the Deuteronomic history in the context of the Ancient Near East. By doing so we realize the power of the covenant God made with a people he called.