I want to be an Anabaptist, but I am unsure about nonresistance. I feel that doctrine should be a personal conviction rather than the official belief of a Christian denomination. (Is denomination the right word for Anabaptists?)
How do Anabaptists explain Jesus driving out moneychangers wirh a whip or the Roman soldier who came to Jesus and Jesus never told him to give up his job?
Hmm...... you want to be an Anabaptist?? Why?? What is it that you like about being an Anabaptist?
How about, "Lord I want to be like Jesus, in my heart, in my heart ... "
Our need for social cohesiveness and support motivates us to seek like-minded others. But searching for those who truly want to be like Jesus among today's professing Christians is a daunting challenge indeed. Virtually all have redefined Jesus to suit themselves. They pick and choose among the verses of the Bible, looking for what suits their world view and rejecting the rest.
Might I be guilty of this also? Sure! But here's where I strive to be different: I openly invite questions and corrections and strive to deal honestly with those questions and corrections, basing all on the word of God. And while many others say the same, I guess, "... the proof of the pudding is in the eating".
Jesus told us that the door to heaven is narrow and not many will enter by it, but the road to hell is wide. He told us that many who believe they will get to heaven are sadly mistaken. He said on the judgment day he will call such people "evil doers" and will tell them to get away from him.
So, what part of "nonresistance" do you not understand - or is it more accurately phrased, do you not want to understand?
Turn the other cheek?
Go the extra mile?
If someone demands your coat give him your shirt also?
Love your neighbor as yourself?
Love and do good to your enemies?
With regard to using a whip of cords to drive the money changers from the temple and upsetting their tables, since Jesus told us clearly that his true followers will strive to be like him, if/when we find money changers in the temple and feel God is calling us to follow Jesus' example then we should. All the while realizing, of course, that is just one of the acts that led to Jesus' crucifixion, and may lead to similar results for us.
But with regard to your statement about Jesus and the Roman soldier, i.e., " ... and he never told him to give up his job ", are you sure Jesus never said that?
Surely you don't imagine that each and every word that Jesus said is recorded in the Bible, do you?
Jesus very well may have told the soldier to give up his job. From historians we know that it was common for Roman soldiers who converted to Christianity to give up their jobs.
But we are not to follow what others did or do. Instead we're supposed to follow Jesus' commandments. Jesus told us clearly that those who love him follow his commandments and those who don't love him don't follow his commandments.
I don't see that it's possible to both love and do good to one's enemies while slaughtering them.
Do you?