Interview: David Wilber
Another interview with a pronomian brother in Messiah.
In embarking on a pro-Torah hermeneutic, another author I came across was David Wilber, whose online articles and YouTube teachings were a blessing to me in shaping my understanding of the Torah. I remember buying several copies of A Christian Guide to the Biblical Feasts and handing it out to several brethren and consuming every video he released online. I consider Remember the Sabbath and How Jesus Fulfilled the Law some of the best books on the market for the pro-Torah believer. In addition to being the CEO of Pronomian Publishing, he accepted my invitation to co-edit An Introduction to Pronomianism Essays on One Torah Theology in Modern Christianity. I caught up with David to discuss all things pronomian.
Dr. Szumskyj: Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed, David. For those unfamiliar with you or your works, would you be so kind as to give the readers a snapshot of your background?
David Wilber: Sure. I’m David Wilber, and I’m a Messianic believer, Bible teacher, and author of several books. I also serve as the CEO of Pronomian Publishing. I hold a BA in Biblical Studies from Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary, where I graduated as valedictorian, and I’m currently pursuing my MA at Southern Evangelical Seminary. I’m married and a proud father of three.
Dr. Szumskyj: How did you come to salvifically know YHWH?
David Wilber: I was raised in the Lutheran tradition and had a surface-level knowledge of God and the Bible, but everything changed when a friend invited me to a youth group event called “Friday Night Fever” at his Baptist church. I heard the gospel presented in a way that really resonated with me, and it was there that I gave my life to the Messiah. This was when I was a sophomore in high school.
Dr. Szumskyj: At what point did you come to embrace a pro-Torah hermeneutic?
David Wilber: It was a few years after I graduated high school that I was invited to a Bible study led by someone who taught a pro-Torah (pronomian) perspective on Scripture. As a young Christian, even during high school, I had questions about topics like the Sabbath and why the Christians I knew generally considered it irrelevant. The explanations I heard for rejecting the Sabbath never quite made sense to me. So when I encountered an alternative perspective, I found it intriguing. As I began digging into the Scriptures for myself, I came to see that commands like the Sabbath were still relevant. That opened the door to seeing the value and relevance of other commandments as well (food laws, festivals, etc.).
Dr. Szumskyj: If you don't mind me asking, how did you wife react to your pronomian shift in theology?
David Wilber: My wife was already part of a Messianic fellowship and embraced pronomian theology before we met. So we’ve been blessed to begin our marriage and raise our children on that shared foundation. For our kids, this way of life is all they have ever known—keeping Shabbat each week, eating matzah during Passover, building a sukkah for Sukkot, and so on.
Dr. Szumskyj: In your opinion, why do you believe there is such a hostility towards the laws of the Torah in mainstream Christianity? Do you believe it is simply an incorrect hermeneutic, ethnic racism, antagonism towards Judaism, or is it a spiritual battle?
David Wilber: For most regular Christians in modern times, I think a big reason is simply church tradition. Most Christian communities don’t affirm the continued relevance of commandments like the Sabbath or food laws and have been taught to interpret certain New Testament passages in a way that supports that tradition. For many, it is unsettling to hear that long-held assumptions and beliefs they grew up with might not be entirely accurate, and so there is often a natural resistance to the idea. Historically, in the early centuries of Christianity, anti-Judaism definitely influenced the move away from certain commandments viewed as “Jewish.” I believe the shift away from observing the Sabbath and certain food laws—though it wasn’t immediate or uniform across all Christian communities—was largely driven by social and political pressures. These pressures led many Gentile believers to distance themselves from Jews and Judaism and to stop participating in activities that were culturally perceived as too Jewish.
Dr. Szumskyj: What is your personal definition of pronomianism?
David Wilber: I usually explain pronomianism by contrasting it with antinomianism. Antinomianism takes an anti-Law stance in its interpretation of Scripture, rejecting the ongoing relevance and authority of the Law of Moses. In contrast, pronomianism takes a pro-Law stance in its interpretation of Scripture, affirming the ongoing relevance and authority of the Law of Moses. These two positions represent opposite ends of a spectrum, and most Christians tend to fall somewhere in between. For instance, many affirm what they refer to as “the moral law” of the Torah, while dismissing other laws—such as the Sabbath—as “ceremonial” and therefore no longer applicable. While such believers aren’t antinomian in the strictest sense, I would argue that rejecting the relevance of the Sabbath is an antinomian idea. Still, upholding the so-called “moral laws” of the Torah is, in itself, a pronomian stance. On the other hand, I would view the common belief that the Law of Moses has been entirely replaced by an undefined “Law of Christ” as a clear form of antinomianism, since it effectively nullifies the Torah altogether.
Dr. Szumskyj: So, do you believe a pro-Torah hermeneutic is more like to be established in Messianic Judaism, Reformed ecclesiology, or a non-denominational church?
David Wilber: I believe pronomianism has the potential to take root and grow within any of those traditions. For example, the Seventh Day Baptists have a long history of Sabbath observance dating back to the early Reformation. I often hear of modern Baptist churches hosting Messianic Jews to lead Passover seders, showing that many evangelicals are increasingly open to biblical festivals. Reformed Christians typically hold a high view of the Torah’s so-called “moral laws” and often are fans of theonomy, which seeks to also apply many of the Torah’s so-called “civil laws.” While there’s not consensus within Messianic Judaism about the extent to which the Torah applies to Gentile believers, there is widespread agreement that the Torah remains in effect and fully applies to Jewish believers. However, there are a number of voices within Messianic Judaism actively advocating for the Torah’s relevance and applicability to Gentile believers as well.
Full disclosure: I’ve personally found my home in Messianic Judaism and believe it offers one of the strongest foundations for cultivating a pronomian perspective and approach to Scripture within the body of Messiah. That said, I recognize that not everyone is called to Messianic Judaism, and I encourage believers to pursue pronomianism within whatever tradition or community they feel led to be part of.
Dr. Szumskyj: Why hasn't pronomianism naturally emerged in Messianic Judaism? Is it because of the differences among some congregations regarding the role of the Gentile and the Torah or is it something else?
David Wilber: As I mentioned earlier, Messianic Judaism generally affirms that the Law of Moses remains in effect, making it, by and large, a pronomian movement. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the extent to which the Torah applies to Gentile believers. For example, are Gentile believers expected to observe commandments like the Sabbath in the same way Jewish believers are? That remains an open question in many Messianic circles. While a number of scholars and teachers within Messianic Judaism hold that Gentiles are not required to observe practices such as the Sabbath and festivals (though they don’t necessarily discourage it either), others have taken a different view.
In my experience, despite some leaders speaking against Gentiles being obligated to keep certain laws, there is widespread openness to the idea among the laity. This observation reflects the findings presented in Ben Frostad’s essay featured in the upcoming volume, An Introduction to Pronomianism. Frostad notes how Messianic Judaism is largely made up of Gentile believers, in addition to Jewish believers, who obey Torah as a matter of biblical conviction. He also argues (and I tend to agree) that much of the hesitation among Messianic Jewish leaders toward Gentile Torah observance comes from a desire to protect and preserve Jewish identity. From that perspective, Gentile observance of the Torah could be seen as blurring the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles and potentially threatening the very identity of Messianic Judaism. I think Gentile believers who feel called to Messianic Judaism need to approach these concerns with sensitivity as they promote a pronomian understanding of Scripture.
Dr. Szumskyj: I remember fondly, one of your online teachings, which masterfully applied certain laws of the Torah in a contemporary setting. How can pronomian teacher assist believers in wisely applying those laws that mainstream Christianity has abolished from their worldview?
David Wilber: I think a helpful approach is to observe how righteous individuals in the Bible applied the commandments in their own lives. Take the Sabbath, for example. How did the Messiah and his earliest followers keep the Sabbath? They rested, attended synagogue, worshiped, prayed, discussed Scripture, and performed good deeds. Following their example seems like a great way to honor the Sabbath. In general, if you can find examples in Scripture of people obeying a commandment and see how they lived it out, that would be a good place to start.
Dr. Szumskyj: Regarding the appointed festivals, which have special meaning to you and your family? What traditions have you established to compliment the scriptural teaching on each?
David Wilber: My family loves Sukkot. Every year, we build a sukkah on the side of our house and “dwell” in it for seven days, per the commandment. This consists of eating our meals in the sukkah, spending time together in it, reading Scripture (particularly Ecclesiastes), etc. The sukkah is a temporary dwelling that symbolizes the temporary nature of our bodies and this present age. Sukkot is a reminder that our present life is fleeting and that we are awaiting our permanent home in the Messiah’s kingdom. We are also commanded to “rejoice” during Sukkot. We rejoice in spite of the death, sorrow, and trials that accompany this life, with hopeful anticipation of the joy that awaits us in the age to come.
Dr. Szumskyj: You have written a good deal on the Sabbath. How were you convicted on this doctrine and do you believe there will be a shift towards it's observance before the Millennium?
David Wilber: As I mentioned earlier (and have explored more in the preface of my book Remember the Sabbath), I’ve always been curious about the Sabbath, and the arguments I heard against keeping it were unpersuasive. When I first learned that observing the Sabbath as a Christian was a valid option, I was intrigued. And after spending considerable time studying the topic, I found strong biblical support for it. Throughout history, there has always been a minority of Christians who have continued to honor the Sabbath, and in recent years, I’ve definitely seen that number increasing.
Dr. Szumskyj: Which authors have had a profound impact on your life and ministry?
David Wilber: There are far too many to name, but I’ll mention a few scholars who have had a significant influence on the way I read Scripture: Craig S. Keener, Mark D. Nanos, Tim Hegg, Richard M. Davidson, Daniel I. Block, Jason A. Staples, and Isaac W. Oliver.
Dr. Szumskyj: What are your views on post-supersessionist theology?
David Wilber: I think post-supersessionist theology overlaps significantly with pronomianism. Modern antinomian perspectives are largely rooted in unexamined supersessionist assumptions. Post-supersessionism challenges those assumptions.
Dr. Szumskyj: What led you to write When Faith Works? How is the epistle of James important in guiding a believer to walk in accordance with the Torah?
David Wilber: While teaching through the book of James at a congregation I was part of, it occurred to me that the sermon material I had developed could be made into a book—so that’s what I did! James is unmistakably a pronomian epistle—he explicitly calls believers to be doers of the law (James 1:25) and affirms the continued validity of the “whole law” (James 2:10). Throughout his epistle, he repeatedly appeals to the Torah in support of his ethical admonitions. This is the same James who, according to the book of Acts, encouraged Paul to publicly participate in temple worship to dispel rumors that he was teaching against the Law of Moses. It’s clear that James took the Torah very seriously.
Dr. Szumskyj: You are currently working toward an MA in Religion at Southern Evangelical Seminary. What is your end goal once achieving your degree?
David Wilber: I’m considering pursuing a doctorate after completing my MA. Regardless, I plan to participate in the scholarly conversation by continuing to publish in scholarly journals.