Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Doctrines of the Anabaptists influence continue in the heart of bible believing Christians

The Anabaptists were far from uniform among their different groups on doctrine. As I mentioned before, there were Sabbath keeping Anabaptists who even died for it. The same goes with non trinitarian Anabaptists who primarily were Unitarian but there some who were also Arian and even some who were trinitarian but not of the Nicene but rather the simpler and more biblical Apostles creed.
 
So where do I stand on doctrine and what will be taught at our home fellowship? This is where I draw from the Anabaptist heritage. Seventh Day Anabaptists are really an indirect offspring of Oswald Glait and Andreas Fischer who pioneered Sabbath keeping Anabaptism. Anabaptism is the offspring of Apostolic Christianity. Why do I say this? Because Anabaptism is more Restorationist in doctrine and application than say Protestantism. Make no mistake though, Anabaptism initially gleaned from Protestantism but then broke away over doctrinal issues. However, Seventh Day Anabaptism draws more from the Apostolic Church than they do from the magesterial reformers (Protestants).

I look at Anabaptists as the restoration of the original Church. The Anabaptists during the 1500 andn1600's were fervent in evangelism. Some of that fire is still there but nowhere like it was in those early years. The Anabaptists restored many of the precious truths of scripture that mainstream Christendom didn't have.

The Anabaptists had already restored some of these precious truths during their intial break from the magesterial reformers by the time Andreas Fischer and Oswald Glait restored the Seventh day Sabbath to the flock. At least a few of the groups kept the Sabbath, most didn't. What were some of these doctrines that Anabaptists restored?

Again not all Anabaptists restored these doctrines but some of the groups did:

The Sabbath
Non trinitarianism
The Premillennial return of Christ (literal millennium)
Soul Sleep (conditional immortality of the soul).

Of course as the light of truth gets brighter the completed Restoration of the Christian Congregation will,take place before Christ return. The early Anabaptists gave it a good jumpstart.

I adhere to all of the above doctrines mentioned. As far as non trinitarianism goes, I believe in the Godhead Trio which really identifies the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in detail rather than the superficial identification of them as being co eternal and co eqaul and all making up one Almighty God.

The Godhead Trio in simple terms is:

The Father Jehovah is the Almighty God, Unbegotten and uncreated.

Jesus Christ our Lord is the true Son of God, uncreated but begotten from the Father's substance.

The Holy Spirit is the actual Spirit (power, presence, breath, mind, personality) of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is uncreated, unbegotten but proceeding from the Father and then to the Son and then is sent to the Church.

I'll share more in terms of doctrine as time goes on.

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