Anabaptists, Brethren, Mennonites, etc.

[AndOne]

I have been diving into a study of general Anabaptist theology recently and have found this particular denomination rather interesting. I would like to discuss some Anabaptist beliefs with any one who has a good knowledge of the subject. Is there anyone around here who is of the Anabaptist persuasion??

 

[LouisBooth]

Nope, but I do have some knowledge of it when I studied christian history..what about them did you wanna talk about?

 

[ZiSunka]

I'm a mennonite.

What do you want to ask?

 

[AndOne]

lambslove -

Thanks for jumping in here. I have been developing a keen interest in those "denominations" that strive to put the "New Testament Life" into working practice. I feel like those of the Anabaptist persuasion seem to be coming closest to the mark.

I guess I'll open up with a couple of questions/inquiries.

I am not quite clear as to the overall Mennonite (and I stress Mennonite vice Anabaptist) stand on eternal security. I have come across some writings that seem to support it and others that are adamantly opposed to the doctrine. The Mennonite confession of faith doesn't seem to address the issue specifically. Granted, the majority seems to stress grace supported by works or "responsible grace." I'm curious to know is there a division within the Mennonite faith on this issue or is it just accepted that some hold to one view and others to another. Any insight you can offer me on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I am happy to hear your personal thoughts - but am also curious to know the overall take on this within your church as a whole.

I'm also curious about the practice of shunning. It seems to me to be very biblical and yet most churches in society (at least American) absolutely do not practice it. Is this something that is still practiced in the Mennonite church or is it more of a historical aspect to the church that doesn't get much use anymore.

Thanks for your insight

 

[JohnR7]

((I am not quite clear as to the overall Mennonite (and I stress Mennonite vice Anabaptist) stand on eternal security.))

(Menno Simons, <I>Complete Works</I>, I, pp. 44, 113, 154).

It is perfectly evident from a reading of the New Testament that the apostles of Christ possessed the happy assurance that they were the children of God and that He who began a good work in them would also enable them to persevere to a happy end in Christ. This type of assurance is possible only for those who understand the plan of salvation: that it is God who moves the sinner to repent, that it is God who bestows upon those who accept Jesus the gift of eternal life, that converts enjoy the forgiveness of their sins not through any merit of their own but alone through the redemptive death of Jesus, and that God is able to keep, and intends to keep, every one of His children. It should be noted that Christian assurance is not built upon a particular type of conversion; nowhere in Scripture is salvation made to depend upon any particular experience in connection with conversion, such as weeping, seeing a vision, or participating in an ecstasy. Christian assurance is also not based upon feeling. Certainly good health, physical, mental, and spiritual, tends to promote an attitude of optimism and euphoria, but the assurance of salvation is not dependent upon "feeling good." Least of all is salvation dependent upon any sort of merit; the notion that any human being can approach God through personal merit is absolutely unscriptural and untrue. The only way any believer throughout history has been able to stand before God is through the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a certain sense in which evangelical theologians even speak of Christ "keeping the law for us"

 

[AndOne]

Thanks for the info John - I'll have to get the entire book -

R/Dave

 

[JohnR7]

Originally posted by Behe's Boy
Thanks for the info John - I'll have to get the entire book -

It is always best to go back to the origional source. If I want to know what Wesley taught, I would read his sermons, rather than to rely on someone else who has read them to give me their opinion of his teaching. Even more so with Calvan, Menno Simons and some of those. I would want to go back to the origional and not something that has been passed from person to person.

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by Behe's Boy
lambslove -

I am not quite clear as to the overall Mennonite (and I stress Mennonite vice Anabaptist) stand on eternal security. I have come across some writings that seem to support it and others that are adamantly opposed to the doctrine. The Mennonite confession of faith doesn't seem to address the issue specifically. Granted, the majority seems to stress grace supported by works or "responsible grace." I'm curious to know is there a division within the Mennonite faith on this issue or is it just accepted that some hold to one view and others to another. Any insight you can offer me on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I am happy to hear your personal thoughts - but am also curious to know the overall take on this within your church as a whole.

Mennonites in general believe that you can lose your salvation through continuing sin. They believe that if a person is truly saved, they won't fall away but will persist throughout life to live for Christ. Works do not save, but are necessary acts that demonstrate faith. An important point is that works, in the anabaptist tradition, aren't merely limited to good deeds or kindnesses, but also include church attendance, participation in the Christian life, scripture study, prayer, and so forth. I personally believe that even if you fall away and return, God will take you back time and again.

I'm also curious about the practice of shunning. It seems to me to be very biblical and yet most churches in society (at least American) absolutely do not practice it. Is this something that is still practiced in the Mennonite church or is it more of a historical aspect to the church that doesn't get much use anymore.

Shunning is a lot rarer than you probably think. It's used as a last resort, not to judge the sinner, but to keep the body strong and to make the sinner realize the pain of being out of fellowship. It's more typical for the stricter churches to stop having communion services because of sin in the congregation. They don't want to take communion in an unworthy manner, yet they don't want to lose contact with the sinner, either, because people who are shunned might never come back. I know of one church who didn't have communion for over three years because so many in the fellowship were involved with sin. Eventually, God withdrew His spirit from the church and it started to fail and wane. Only then did the leadership shun the sinners. They wanted to give the sinners every chance to repent. Once the sinners were put out, the church started to recover, but it's been a long hard road, and the sinners should have been dealt with sooner, and more sternly, for their own sake, as well as for the church's.

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by JohnR7
((I am not quite clear as to the overall Mennonite (and I stress Mennonite vice Anabaptist) stand on eternal security.))

(Menno Simons, <I>Complete Works</I>, I, pp. 44, 113, 154).

It is perfectly evident from a reading of the New Testament that the apostles of Christ possessed the happy assurance that they were the children of God and that He who began a good work in them would also enable them to persevere to a happy end in Christ. This type of assurance is possible only for those who understand the plan of salvation: that it is God who moves the sinner to repent, that it is God who bestows upon those who accept Jesus the gift of eternal life, that converts enjoy the forgiveness of their sins not through any merit of their own but alone through the redemptive death of Jesus, and that God is able to keep, and intends to keep, every one of His children. It should be noted that Christian assurance is not built upon a particular type of conversion; nowhere in Scripture is salvation made to depend upon any particular experience in connection with conversion, such as weeping, seeing a vision, or participating in an ecstasy. Christian assurance is also not based upon feeling. Certainly good health, physical, mental, and spiritual, tends to promote an attitude of optimism and euphoria, but the assurance of salvation is not dependent upon "feeling good." Least of all is salvation dependent upon any sort of merit; the notion that any human being can approach God through personal merit is absolutely unscriptural and untrue. The only way any believer throughout history has been able to stand before God is through the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a certain sense in which evangelical theologians even speak of Christ "keeping the law for us"

Mennonites don't really follow the teachings of Menno Simons much. We're Bible-only type folks. Although I have been Mennonite for more than ten years, I've never read any of Menno Simons's writings. Neither has anyone I know. We believe he wrote from a human perspective, but the Bible is the word of God. He might be referred to, but his writings are not authority.

 

[Pastor Bob Oliver]

Praise God Lamb's Love, I am an Ana-Baptist and truly feel privileged to be part of the Faithful "Early" Church of Christianity; we can trace our Heritage all the way back to John Baptist; There is a little Red Book that fully describes the History of us Ana-Baptists, it's called:
"THE TRAIL OF BLOOD"
BY J.M. CARROLL
It can be obtained:
Ashland Avenue Baptist Church
163 N. Ashland Avenue
Lexington, Kentucky 40502
Ph. 606-266-4341
Copyright 1931

And thank you to Behes Boy for starting this thread, I'm sure there are plenty more Ana-Baptists out there! May the LORD Bless you all!
PBO

 

[JohnR7]

Originally posted by lambslove
Mennonites don't really follow the teachings of Menno Simons much.

It is a little bit that way in the Methodist Church. Not that many people really follow the teaching of John Wesley. Although a lot of people claim to. Even toward the end of his life he said a lot of the Methodists were getting away from his teachings on the holiness &amp;&nbsp;purity that we are to have as Christians. There were men who came before him, and he just picked up the torch and carried if for a while.

How many people today can say that they have a church named after them?

 

[JohnR7]

Originally posted by Pastor Bob Oliver
There is a little Red Book that fully describes the History of us Ana-Baptists, it's called:
"THE TRAIL OF BLOOD" BY J.M. CARROLL&nbsp;

Is that the same one as they have here?

http://www.lovejesus.org/