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.
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.
5 Reasons Christians Should Keep Torah
The Bible records for us that all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), but many Christians today have forgotten some very important parts of Scripture—namely, the “instructions” of God, or in Hebrew, Torah.