What do Anabaptists believe? What’s the source of their beliefs? And are they right?
Questions like these will be answered in the articles listed below. For an overview of Anabaptist beliefs, see the article on Who Are the Anabaptists?
The Eastern Orthodox Church believes that the practice of venerating icons (iconodulia) has always been part of the Christian faith. This article quotes from a wide range of early church fathers to show that the consensus of the early fathers was that iconodulia is foreign to Christianity. I’m limiting these quotes to church leaders who …
Some churches argue that they have special authority, because they have “apostolic succession.” By that, they mean that their bishops hold a continuing church office as successors of the apostles. Because they are successors of the apostles, these churches say, their clergy are the only ones who can legitimately serve communion, ordain church leaders, and …
One of the most common arguments offered for apostolic succession is that the Early Church Fathers taught it. However, after examining all the quotations that are offered in support of this claim, I’ve concluded that it’s just not true. Instead, of apostolic succession of ordination, the early Christians taught apostolic succession of doctrine. How do …
Did the Early Church Fathers Teach Apostolic Succession? Read More »
Why would a peace-loving people, who saved their pursuers, be persecuted? Why would the Dutch Anabaptist Dirk Willems be burned to a horrible death at the stake after rescuing his enemy from drowning? Many Anabaptists, especially leaders, were drowned, beheaded, or burned at the stake. European governments, whether they were Roman Catholic or Protestant, would …
Why Were the Anabaptists Persecuted During the (Counter-) Reformation? Read More »
In my last two posts, I argued that New Testament teachings are authoritative and that obedience to Jesus’ commands is necessary. In this post, I will look at one area where the Anabaptists have remained true to the teachings of the apostles, while most churches have not. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), …
In my last article, I offered a support of the New Testament’s authority for Christians. I recommend reading that article before you read this one, but you shouldn’t need that post in order to understand this post. I will continue by arguing for an Anabaptist view of salvation and contrasting it with the Protestant view …
Who is the authority for Christian doctrines? Is it the New Testament? Is it the Roman Catholic Church? In this article, I’ll be arguing for an Anabaptist view of doctrinal authority. I hope to show that the teachings of Jesus’ apostles, which are found in the New Testament, are our infallible authority for Christian doctrine. …
Can Doctrine Change? The Source of Christian Doctrine Read More »
The doctrine of the two kingdoms is the one major belief that sets the Anabaptists apart from the other Reformation churches and from the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. In this article, I’ll explain the two-kingdom concept and offer a Scriptural basis for it. There are two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the …
How did the Anabaptists come to such a different view of Christianity than the Roman Catholics and the Protestants came to? It stems directly from their way of reading the Bible. Here are some key principles the Anabaptists have used in understanding Scripture: If God himself speaks, we should give first place to what he …
Everyone thinks that somebody has changed Christianity. Just, we disagree who did. All throughout Christian history, the major movements within Christianity have looked back to the beginning of the faith to know what we should believe today. Everybody has wanted to know what the faith should be like, or has wanted to show that their …