The traditional importance of non-resistance has shaped a distinctive Anabaptist personality. Early Anabaptists spoke of Gelassenheit, a yieldingness and surrender to God’s will in the face of persecution and martyrdom. Over an extended period of time, however, the Anabaptist’s radical appeal and challenge to the existing Christian society became transformed into a message which cultivated […]
Category: martyrdom
Trick or Treat? Many will recognize October 31st as Reformation Day. Although very few Protestants can tell you what happened on this day in 1517, those who suffered most at the hands of the Reformers can tell you clearly. On October 31st, 1517 Martin Luther, supposedly, nailed his proposal to reform the Catholic Church, better known […]
Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain […]
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” Lk. 18:8 As we see the storm clouds approaching and time drawing to an end, verses like the one above should get our undivided attention. When we reflect on the necessity of our Christian behavior and action in the world, and the […]
After being associated with the Anabaptist for a little while now the question for me arises: What is the most apparent difference between my experience with the Protestant Church and the Anabaptist Church? Both the Protestants and Anabaptist claim to preach the Gospel of Jesus, but the effect that that message has had in the […]
Proverbs 10:5 “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” For very many years now the Protestant Church has dominated the conversation on the subject of non-resistance to the evil person, separation from the world, and separation of Church and state. They […]
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Anabaptist Identity Conference, A Critique
Shipshewana, In, March 28 – 30, 2019 Steve Blackwell I was very excited to attend the AIC and that excitement was justified. As a rather recent convert to the Anabaptist doctrine and having spent a few days with the Hutterites in Minnesota my love for the people and their values remains untarnished. Because it was […]
It is clear that the Christian is in the world and that in the world he must remain like a uniformed soldier that is “on-duty” in a hostile land. When his job is done it will be God’s calling that will bring him home and not his own doing. Similarly, Christians are to return to, […]
Adapted from a book (Christian Non-Resistance) by Adin Ballou This is a reflection on the doctrine of non-resistance with respect to the underlying standard from which it proceeds, then on to the justification from which it originates, and then to the sub-principle of duty in which we understand the application. The Standard What is the […]
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Martyrdom, A Word Christians Fear Today
You don’t have to be Catholic to be a martyr. As I was researching the subject for this article I noticed that overwhelmingly the references were to Catholic priest and saints. Let me be clear from the start, you do not have to be Catholic to be a martyr. On the contrary, the definition of […]