ARTICLES BY DAVID WILBER
Mary’s Perpetual Virginity, the Sabbath, and the Weight of Tradition
Mary’s perpetual virginity was taught very early and remained the mainstream Christian position for well over a thousand years. Yet most Protestants today reject it because they believe Scripture clearly shows that Mary did not remain a virgin after giving birth to Jesus. I think this history offers an instructive parallel to the question of Sabbath observance. How much weight should longstanding Christian tradition carry when it seems to conflict with a straightforward reading of Scripture?
“Do We Overthrow the Law?”: Reexamining Paul’s View of Torah in Romans
Did the apostle Paul reject the Torah (the Law of Moses) as an authoritative standard of conduct for followers of the Messiah? While many interpreters believe that he did, several passages in Romans point in a different direction. This article offers a pronomian reading of some of Paul’s statements about the Torah in Romans. In contrast to the antinomian view, a pronomian view holds that the Torah continues to function as divine instruction for believers.
What Is the Hebrew Roots Movement? (And Why I Don’t Identify With It)
I am a follower of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, and I believe the Torah (the Law of Moses) remains relevant for God’s people today and should still be obeyed. So does that make me part of the Hebrew Roots Movement? There are two reasons why it does not.
Does Colossians 2:16–17 Abolish the Sabbath and Festivals?
Did Paul reject the ongoing relevance of the Sabbath and festivals prescribed in the Torah? Many cite Colossians 2:16–17 as proof that he did. However, a growing body of scholarship calls that interpretation into question. Scholars point out that the illegitimate judgment directed toward Colossian believers came from ascetics who did not observe the biblical calendar. Drawing on this scholarship, I argue that Colossians 2:16–17 does not invalidate the Sabbath and festivals but instead affirms their value.
Sabbath Observance in Luke-Acts: Situating the Earliest Followers of Jesus Within Judaism
This study demonstrates that Luke presents the earliest followers of Jesus as steadfast Sabbath observers, challenging the common assumption that they abandoned or disregarded this practice. By closely examining the references to the Sabbath in Luke’s Gospel and Acts, it is observed that Luke consistently depicts Sabbath worship as a standard practice among Jewish and Gentile believers. This portrayal suggests that the earliest followers of Jesus did not believe the Sabbath had been abrogated but saw it as integral to their faith and community life. These findings invite modern Christians to reconsider the relevance of Sabbath observance in their own spiritual lives. By highlighting the continuity between Judaism and the emerging Christian movement, this study contributes to scholarship on early Christian identity and practice, portraying the earliest followers of Jesus as a movement within Judaism.
Sex on the Sabbath: Does it Violate the Commandment?
Is marital intimacy on the Sabbath a violation of the commandment to keep the seventh day holy? That depends on who you ask.
Peter’s Warning About the Antinomians Who Misinterpret Paul’s Letters (2 Peter 3:15-17)
In 2 Peter 3:15-17, Peter warns that Paul’s letters contain content that is “hard to understand” and which “the ignorant and unstable” misinterpret. He then connects the mishandling of Paul’s letters to “lawless people.” In this article, I will argue that 2 Peter 3:15-17 represents Peter’s warning regarding antinomians (individuals who reject God’s law) misinterpreting passages in Paul’s letters to advocate for lawlessness.
The Law of Moses vs. the Law of Christ? (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21)
The expression “law of Christ” appears only two times in the New Testament. In Galatians 6:2, Paul urges his readers to fulfill “the law of Christ” (τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ). Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 9:21, Paul states that he is “under/in the law of Christ” (ἔννομος Χριστοῦ). Traditionally, interpreters have frequently understood this expression to refer to a new “law” or ethic that supersedes the law of Moses. However, as Todd Wilson notes, there is a “growing scholarly consensus” that “law of Christ” directly refers to the law of Moses in some sense. This article makes a case for interpreting the phrase “law of Christ” in Galatians 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 9:21 as a reference to the law of Moses as it is taught and exemplified by Christ.
Does Ephesians 2:15 Say That Christ Abolished the Law of Moses?
In Ephesians 2:15, Paul wrote that Christ broke down the wall of division between Jew and Gentile “by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances.” But what does Paul mean by this phrase? Is Paul saying that Christ abolished the Law of Moses, or something else?