“Pronomian” (meaning pro law in Greek) is a theological position that affirms the validity of God’s law to some degree within the life of a Christian. Some have attempted to make pronomianism a movement within Christianity while others have seen it has a theological position. Both views have the strength and even those who disagree on if Pronomian should be a theology or movement are united (for the most part) in their views of Christ and their position on the law.
Defenition in Academic Writing
The term “pronomian” is being more defined as it has made its way into academia. For instance, Dr. Benjamin Szumskyj uses this term and defines it within his Ph. D Dissertation writing:
Pronomianism is a pro-Torah hermeneutic, a methodology of interpretation, that theologically approaches all sixty-six books of the Scripture as a unified canon (i.e., the completed Torah) and as authoritative, infallible, inspired, and inerrant in nature, while teaching that practical application of divinely commanded instructions are a means of sanctification in the life of the redeemed believer. As Scripture is its own interpreter, passages are interpreted according to context, culture, grammar, literature, and history, as affirmed by the authorship of the Holy Spirit, understanding that the immutability of Scripture extends to the breathed-out words of YHWH preserved for all redeemed generations. Pronomianism affirms that abidance in the commanded instructions of YHWH given to the eternal ekklesia of YHWH has no bearing on salvation nor contributes to justification, but is evidence of an individual’s salvation and the fruit of their walk with Him. It is love in action and a sanctifying component of the work of the Holy Spirit in conforming the believer into the image of Messiah Yeshua. The laws of Torah are operative in the life of believers since its codification at Sinai and have never been tripartite in nature (therefore unable to be labeled as ceremonial, civil, or moral, for all are inherently moral in their nature). Pronomianism insists that as YHWH is immutable, as is His Word, and that His words were never to be abolished or interpreted so as to abrogate any part, as all were intended for redeemed Jews and Gentiles and never ethnocentric in nature. While Scripture has a single interpretation, the laws of Torah can be applied literally or non-literally (principally and paradigmatically) and differentiate based on age, gender, and social status. While pronomianism relates primarily to the doctrine of sanctification, it acknowledges that a pro-Torah hermeneutic has a direct impact on ecclesiology, maintaining that redeemed Jewish and Gentile believers in the Messiah are neither sanctified independently nor are meant to be physically separate in their communal life of fellowship. Instead, they are one body of believers who congregate as a covenantal community, called out and chosen from the nations of the earth, a royal priesthood and holy nation of YHWH. Fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant, the covenantal community has had several different names throughout history, but it is principally understood as the ekklesia, referred to as the redeemed Israel of YHWH.1
Likewise, Dr. Scott McKenzie writes in his Ph.D Dissertation:
The prevalent theologies of contemporary Christianity cannot remain consistent, cohesive, comprehensive, or comely when they attempt to answer questions about the “difficult-to-understand” words and deeds of Paul. Put another way, these theologies fail the abductive test of theological method and biblical interpretation. The thesis of this dissertation is that Pronomianism is the paradigm that most cohesively melds theology and apologetics, through its interpretation of Paul’s words and deeds at the second Jerusalem council, which unveils the Torah’s centrality in New Testament theology, and that Pronomian moral apologetics reveal the Law of God as the only foundation for objective, biblical morality, and the guide to righteous living. 2
The first recorded use of the term “pronomian” is found in Greg Bahnsen’s introduction to his book By This Standard. Bahnsen uses the term as an antithesis to the heretical view that believers can sin freely since they are covered by the blood of Christ. The term started to take a new shape in 2022 when various teachers began to use the term in reference to Torah observant believers that do not follow Messianic Jewish practice and disagree with some of the theological aspects often attached to the Hebrew Roots movement.
In his book, Bahnsen gives a range of belief from people who believe the law is good to those who believe the sacrificial system will be reinstated. Today within pronomian belief, the term is mainly used to represent Christians that believe God’s law including aspects like the dietary laws, biblical festivals, and the Sabbath are part of God’s way of sanctifying believers. Even so, the term does cover a wide range of beliefs and can refer to various Christian views of the law.
Within the pronomian belief there are those who want pronomianism to be a movement that functions much like a Christian denomination. Joshua Ensley is a strong preponant of this view and contents that as a united front, Christians with similar beliefs will be able to present a united front that will be seen as a legitimate denomination of Christianity (see Ensley’s post on What Is Pronomian Christianity Here). Others, such as Caleb Hegg believe pronomianism should be seen more as a theological belief that can be held by anyone within any denomination since it is a biblical truth that can be shared even if other beliefs are not united. Both views have their strengths and no matter which view a person takes it is clear that there is a reformaiton taking place within the Church with respect to God’s law.
One of the major criticisms of the Hebrew Roots movement and one of the things that has made that movement so fractured is a lack of unity and doctrinal agreement. Dr. Szumskyj has attempted to give pronomian theology a more focused theological distinction with 13 principles that those within pronomian theology hold to. It should be noted that two of these principles (numbers 11 and 12) have been debated among those who claim to hold to pronomian theology, yet these principles are largely held by the majority of pronomian advocates:
Principle 1: Pronomianism affirms the Five Solae and Tota Scriptura
Principle 2: Pronomianism affirms the Unity of the Bible
Principle 3: Pronomianism affirms three definitions of “Torah”
Principle 4: Pronomianism affirms that Yeshua and His disciples never broke the laws of the Torah, only its Rabbinical Interpretation
Principle 5: Pronomianism affirms the laws of the Torah are for all Redeemed Ethnicities
Principle 6: Pronomianism affirms that the laws of the Torah are a means of Sanctification
Principle 7: Pronomianism is Zealous for Good Works
Principle 8: Pronomianism affirms a Literal and Non-Literal (Principle or Paradigm) Application of the laws of the Torah
Principle 9: Pronomianism teaches against Anti-Judaism
Principle 10: Pronomianism affirms Romans 10:4 as the Goal of the “Law”
Principle 11: Pronomianism affirms Biblical Patriarchy
Principle 12: Pronomianism affirms Cessationism
Principle 13: Pronomianism seeks to bridge the gap between Pulpit and Lectern3
Pronomianism shares a key element with the Hebrew Roots movement, namely, Torah observance. Yet, there are some differences. The history of the Hebrew Roots stems from theological beliefs that are often rejected by those who hold to Pronomian theology. What is more, many Hebrew Roots teachers stand against standard theological education in seminaries, while Pronomianism is simply Christians that believe we should be keeping God’s law.
Although many who hold to pronomian theology want to make a marked difference from the Hebrew Roots movement, if we take Pronomian as a theology, then it must be accepted that those within the HRM are in fact pronomian in their theology.
Once again, there may be many similarities, however, Messianic Judaism usually places a high emphasis on rabbinic tradtion and attempts to look a lot like modern day Judaisms. Pronomianism is not interested in looking like modern day Judaism but is rather more aligned with Christianity in worship and Church structure.
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