Okay, here’s a brief, adapted run-down on who “Anabaptists” are (Thanks to Mark Roth for making this information available online. You can read more at his website: anabaptist.org):
- Anabaptist literally means “re-baptizers.” In the reformation era, they were the Christians who rejected infant baptism in favor of believer’s baptism.
- The Anabaptists wanted to restore the true church on an Apostolic level. They believed the state churches were beyond reformation.
- Anabaptists are among the Christians who regard the Bible as their only rule for faith and life. Because of their radical beliefs, early Anabaptists were persecuted by Protestants and Roman Catholics
- No all Anabaptists are the same or necessarily have the same set of beliefs, doctrines or practices. The Amish are dramatically different than the Mennonite USA, and there is a host of variances between them.
- Anabaptists historically have a love for the Word of God and a strict demand for holiness of life. The latter is quite good as far as it is Biblical. However, the way it has been enforced throughout the generations has created much reaction among young people in recent years and is an area we will look at quite often on this blog.
- Modern groups with early Anabaptist roots include the Mennonites, Amish, Baptists, Hutterites, Dunkards, Landmark, and various Beachy and Brethren groups.
- I grew up in the Mennonite church. Here’s a brief of the Mennonite doctrine:
- We believe in one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inspired Word of God, and supremely in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe that in the beginning God created all things by His Son. He made man in the divine image, with free will, moral character, and a spiritual nature.
- We believe that man fell into sin, bringing depravity and death upon the race; that as sinner, man is self-centered and self-willed, unwilling and unable to break with sin.
- We believe that there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who died to redeem us from sin and arose for our justification.
- We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, a free gift bestowed by God on those who repent and believe.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, effects the new birth, gives guidance in life, empowers for service, and enables perseverance in faith and holiness.
- We believe that the church is the body of Christ, the brotherhood of the redeemed, a disciplined people obedient to the Word of God, and a fellowship of love, intercession and healing.
- We believe that Christ commissioned the church to go into all the world, making disciples of all the nations, and ministering to every human need.
- We believe it is the will of God that there should be ministers to teach the Word, to serve as leaders, to administer the ordinances, to lead the church in the exercise of discipline, and to serve as pastors and teachers.
- We believe that those who repent and believe should be baptized with water as a symbol of baptism with the Spirit, cleansing from sin, and commitment to Christ.
- We believe that the church should observe the communion of the Lord’s Supper as a symbol of His broken body and shed blood, and of the fellowship of His church, until His return.
- We believe in the washing of the saints’ feet as a symbol of brotherhood, cleansing, and service, and in giving the right hand of fellowship and the holy kiss as symbols of Christian love.
- We believe that God has established unique roles for man and woman, symbolized by man’s bared head in praying and prophesying, and by woman’s veiled head.
- We believe that Christian marriage is intended by God to be the union of one man and one woman for life, and that Christians shall marry only in the Lord.
- We believe that Christians are not to be conformed to the world, but should seek to conform to Christ in every area of life.
- We believe that Christians are to be open and transparent in life, ever speaking the truth, and employing no oaths.
- We believe that it is the will of God for Christians to refrain from force and violence in human relations and to show Christian love to all men.
- We believe that the state is ordained of God to maintain order in society, and that Christians should honor rulers, be subject to authorities, witness to the state, and pray for governments.
- We believe that at death the unsaved enter into everlasting punishment and the saved into conscious bliss with Christ, who is coming again, and will raise the dead, sit in judgment, and bring in God’s everlasting kingdom.
Now that you’re more familiar with who Anabaptists are, you can return to the Start Here page by clicking here.
