David Wilber

Boom! My verse-by-verse commentary on 1 Peter is now available from Pronomian Publishing! It's the 1st volume in the new Messianic Jewish Application Commentary Series (MJAC), edited by Dr. Igal German. Praying it blesses the body of Messiah. Learn more: a.co/d/2dcTbwI

It is okay to admit when we are struggling to believe in God’s goodness. These are very human thoughts and emotions. What’s more, they’re biblical. Scripture is filled with righteous people who spoke candidly about their doubts. Suppressing them doesn’t help. Instead, we’re invited to bring them honestly before God, just as the prophets and psalmists did. He can take it.

Looking forward to reading this. Ugliest cover design ever, but the content seems fascinating. The author explores several Christian religious movements in 17th century England that began adopting practices like 7th day Sabbath, biblical festivals, food laws, etc.

In this video, we look at R. L. Solberg’s approach to Scripture by focusing on his mishandling of Matthew 5:17–20. Rather than considering the immediate context, Solberg ignores it completely and appeals to other, unrelated texts to argue that Jesus could not have meant what he said in this passage. This eisegetical approach raises serious doubts about his reliability as a biblical interpreter. davidwilber.com/videos/r-l-s…

An excerpt from my commentary on 1 Peter: "How often do we find ourselves disheartened by the condition of the world around us? It is easy to feel overwhelmed when we witness the deep corruption in political leadership and the implementation of immoral and destructive policies. It is just as easy to be discouraged as we watch society drift further into wickedness and grow increasingly hostile toward those who follow Yeshua. Even so, we rejoice! Why? Because our hope is not found in political leaders or the temporary circumstances of this world. No matter what we see happening around us, we hold onto hope because a greater kingdom is coming. Evil will not prevail. God will set all things right in the end." Check it out here: a.co/d/06HUzCXU

Sometimes we mistakenly think that God's love has left us because we don't *feel* that he loves us. But God's love is always there, readily available to us, because he is love (1 John 4:8). He does not stop loving because he does not stop being who he is. We may feel like his love for us has decreased or vanished, not because it has actually done so, but because we have failed to receive it. God has already proved his love for you by giving his only Son for you. The question comes down to whether you will believe he loves you and receive it.

Shabbat Shalom! May you have a blessed a peaceful day of rest!

There is perhaps no experience more painful than losing someone you love. Even when we know that death is not the end for those who belong to the Messiah, the pain of that loss can still feel overwhelming. This week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah (Gen. 23:1–25:18), offers some important insights into the nature of grief and what it means to grieve with hope. davidwilber.com/articles/dea…

The Epistle of James can largely be read as a practical application of Leviticus 19.

Christopher Enoch believes that Paul is a false apostle and claims that the earliest Christians rejected him while only heretics embraced him. He also says that 2 Peter is a forgery. This is my response. davidwilber.com/videos/answe…

Much of the pain and chaos in life is the result of careless speech. Therefore, ask the Lord to keep watch over the door of your lips (Psalm 141:3). Ask him to confirm in your Spirit that your words are from him before you speak them. Your tongue holds the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). We cannot take this lightly: "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless" (James 1:26).

Some important scholarship here!

This dork unironically posted this cringe picture thinking it was based lol. Hope everyone had a great Reformation Day!

Paul affirmed that “all Scripture” was profitable for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). When Paul mentioned “Scripture” in 2 Timothy 3:16, he was specifically referring to the Scriptures Timothy knew since childhood (2 Tim. 3:15), which would be the Hebrew Scriptures or “Old Testament.” Thus, contrary to those who say that the Hebrew Scriptures are irrelevant to Christian ethics, Paul considered them profitable for teaching righteous behavior. As Daniel Block remarks, Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 3:16 “not only affirms the reliability of the Old Testament as divinely breathed Scripture, but especially that it is ethically relevant and through its application God creates a transformed people.”

Shabbat Shalom, everyone! May your day of rest be blessed.

Abraham is celebrated throughout Scripture as a great man of faith, but he wasn't immune to making the same mistakes more than once. In this week's Torah portion, Vayera, we find Abraham repeating a deceptive scheme that had already made things awkward for him years earlier. Why did he make the same mistake twice? And what can his example teach us about our own tendency to fall back into old patterns of sinful behavior? davidwilber.com/articles/why…

Yep, I can always tell.

Just signed a deal for @PronomianLLC to publish Ariel Berkowitz’s newest book! Ariel’s scholarship has influenced my own work in big ways, so it’s a real joy and honor to have the opportunity to publish his work. Baruch HaShem!

One person in sinful rebellion could hurt the entire community, just like a little leaven leavens a whole batch of dough (1 Corinthians 5:6). Congregational exclusion should be a last resort after there is a process of attempting to reach the person and they demonstrate a repeated refusal to repent (Matthew 18:15-17). Also, the door must be kept open for restoration should the person eventually come to their senses (Matthew 18:10-14; James 5:19-20). But while we love those who go astray and hope for restoration, sin and spiritual rebellion must be taken seriously.