In her book, Structure of Biblical Authority, Meredith Kline explains, describes, and defends the suzerain-vassal paradigm of the biblical covenant and the canon of Scripture. The authority of Scripture, according to Kline, is not simply linked to its ontology (the fact that God spoke it); but in its basic economic form, Scripture is a covenant document and therefore authoritative. It is through this alliance that God binds himself to his people and to them. As the overlord of our covenant, God sovereignly governs his vassals with the stipulations of the covenant.Part OneIn the first chapter, Formal Origins of the Biblical Canon, Kline shows how the origin of the Old Testament canon coincided with the founding of Israel during the establishment of the alliance at Sinai. . It is around this very treatise that the entire canon of the Old Testament was formed. Therefore, the canon is inherent in the covenant: the same type of covenants that were attested in the ancient world. Therefore, we should look to this structure to gain perspective and insight into the particular structure and communication of God with man in Scripture. In chapter two of the Covenantal Bible, Kline applies the first chapter by answering the question, “Are all Scriptures covenant?” It answers in two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. His answer for the Old Testament is that the treaty form that was adopted shows the remarkable development of the covenant relationship between God and his people. The Old Testament represents the adaptation of the treatise form, while retaining its creativity and originality, establishing a formal covenant corpus for God's people. This lays the basis for a distinction between the Old and New Testaments. More than just an association...... middle of paper ...... sing characteristics of the Exodus and the gospels. They both have as their literary center of gravity "the story of the inauguration of a divine alliance, inscribed in the story of the career of the mediator of the alliance and of the law of the community promulgated by the mediator" (181) . Kline goes on to lay out feature after feature of the intended similarities and differences (how Christ fulfills the law in his curses and blessings). While the Exodus establishes the Old Covenant, the Gospels establish the New. Both were written by the same Spirit. The structure of biblical authority helped me understand the general layout and purpose of the Canon. It also provides a proper perspective on the laws, covenants, and events contained in the Old and New Covenants. Works Cited Kline, Meredith G. The Structure of Biblical Authority. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1997.