What is Anabaptism?

Anabaptism is a hermeneutic – a way of understanding the> scriptures. First and foremost it recognizes Jesus as the very incarnation of God and recognizes His words and example as the clearest and fullest revelation of God's will. It recognizes that Jesus is the very "Word of God."

It is a hermeneutic that does not systematize the scripture, it takes them as they are without overlaying a theological structure of dispensations or typologies or economies. It is most concerned with orthopraxis (right practice) that orthodoxy.

It is a hermeneutic for the few, not the many. It is not concerned with generating practical ethics for whole societies and governments. It does not envision Christianized nations. It creates the sect, the separated people, the little flock.

It is a hermeneutic of obedience, of following Jesus. It is about doing what Jesus said to do, no matter how impractical or dangerous or unpopular; it is belief that acts. It expects no better treatment by the world than what Jesus received, and it rejoices to be counted worthy to suffer for His sake. With this fundamental approach to scriptures, several groups of believers in Europe in the 16th century separated themselves from the State religion, and the few survivors eventually established the Hutterites and Mennonites, whose many different branches still reflect some of that simple, Christ-centered understanding of the scriptures in their lifestyle and worldview (borrowed from "Anabaptist Seekers" online discussion group).

The Cape

Last weekend we were at the Cape and the weather was beautiful. We spent Sunday afternoon at Nauset Light Beach sitting in the sun, enjoying the ocean and reading. Monday morning we had a walk along the dunes of Hardings Beach in ham. Saturday evening we visited ham Light and the Coast Guard station (picture). Our motel was our old standby, the Beach 'n Town Motel in South Yarmouth where we played ping pong and watched some baseball on tv.

What is Caesar's?

"Then he said to them, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matthew 22:21).

One thing must be kept in mind: We Christians are Christians first and everything else after that. Our first allegiance is to the kingdom of God. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are grateful for political freedom. We thank God for democracy as a way of life. But we never forget that we are sons of God and citizens of another city whose builder and maker is God.

For this reason, we must not identify the gospel with any political system or make Christianity to be synonymous with any form of government, however noble. Christ stands alone, above and outside of every ideology devised by man. He does not join any of our parties or take sides with any of our great men except as they may come over on His side and try to follow Him in righteousness and true holiness. Then He is for them, but only as individuals, never as leaders of some political faction.

The true Christian will be loyal to his country and obedient to those in authority, but he will never fall into the error of confusing his own national culture with Christianity. Christianity is bigger than any country, loftier than any civilization, broader than any human ideology.

[This is an interesting thought from A.W. Tozer, called "Distinguishing What is Caesar's and What is God's."]

Of Her Own Accord

Last Sunday at the Parent’s Weekend service at our daughter’s college I had an interesting experience. After attending church together as a family all of her life, it struck me on Sunday that I was standing next to another believer- not necessarily my daughter.

I’ve always known that our children have to reach a point where they make our faith their faith. Of course this is a process: it doesn’t happen all at once- and her growth in this may have been completed sometime back, I don’t know. But it was a rich and fine feeling know I was worshiping God with my daughter- a believer of her own accord.

Drift

People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith... (D.A. Carson).