Anabaptist Belief Movement
Introduction : The term Anabaptism is used literally to describe a group of baptized Protestant Christians. The term refers to the followers of Menno Simons and the descendants of the 16th century European movement of Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites and the early English Baptists. Anabaptism refers to the practice of re-baptizing adults who were baptized as infants or who did not have the full water immersion baptism. Anabaptists believed practices of infant baptism and any other forms of baptism other than full immersion were not valid baptisms because only adults who were old enough to communicate an acceptance of Christ and live by Christian faith could receive baptism.
Anabaptism is a Protestant Christian theological tradition that developed during the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation. The Anabaptists believed Martin Luther was right to demand the Roman Catholic Church reform and encouraged the movement to go further with their demands. The Anabaptists remained outside the mainstream of the Reformation yet still believed the Pope needed his powers revoked. They rejected the Reformed idea of justification by faith alone and insisted the only way a sinner could be acceptable to God was by righteousness created within a justified person.
History
The Anabaptists started with the Radical Reformers in the 16th century. The credited founder, Menno Simons, taught that Jesus did not take the flesh from His mother and that Jesus brought his body from heaven or had one made for him by the Word. It was also believed that the body of Jesus passed through Mary, His mother, just like water passes through a pipe. It has even been suggested that the Anabaptists denied the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, however, Menno Simons rejected this accusation as untrue.
The Anabaptist Movement started with a group of people leaving their established churches to seek a simpler Christian lifestyle. The church traditions of the Anabaptists came out of the Donatists movement because of their opposition to the union of church and state, and the emphasis on discipleship and their commitment to non-violence and social justice. There were many reasons for the beginning of the movement including the rejection of the theory of Sacraments, Prayers, Traditions of the established churches, and the Priesthood. The biggest conflict was over the rejection of the practice of infant baptism. The Anabaptists required those who received infant baptism to be re-baptized. Only adults who had a personal faith in Jesus Christ could receive Baptism. They demanded a simpler form of worship service using the communion as an expression of a reminder of their fellowship with Christ and His sacrifice for their sins.
The Anabaptist came out of the Reformation in Zurich Switzerland that was started by Zwingli around 1519. Zwingli taught if it wasn’t in the Bible then it was not a law of God. It was the teachings of Zwingli that led to the idea of infant baptism being disallowed by the Anabaptist. When Zwingli suggested infant baptism was the substitute for the Jewish rite of circumcision, it caused a separation between Zwingli and his followers. This made infant baptism the first of many reasons for separation from the established churches.
There were two different groups calling themselves Anabaptists; those who followed Thomas Munzer who used violence and those who followed Jacob Hutter and Menno Simons, who were pacifist. Thomas Munzer was a priest who followed Martin Luther and led an uprising in Germany in 1525 and he didn’t hesitate to use force. Jacob Hutter was the founder of the Hutterites. Both Jacob Hutter and Menno Simons lived simple, communal lives and isolated themselves from the outside world. The Hutterite, Mennonite and the Amish communities were the pacifist of the Anabaptists movement and thrive in today’s world.
Four Anabaptists from the Netherlands slipped into Geneva Switzerland in 1537 in the hopes of finding new converts. They managed to convert seven people before John Calvin found out and banished all eleven by the magistrate. The Anabaptist movement spread into Switzerland, Poland, Moravia, and the Palatinate. They were met with persecution everywhere they went except in the Netherlands. It was Menno Simons who organized them and led them from the Netherlands into England.
Menno Simons was a Roman Catholic priest and a Dutch religious reformer. He attracted a following, which became known as the Mennonites. The Mennonites demonstrated passive resistance to the state when it went against the Scriptures, and made a persistent effort to keep the church pure and free from corruption.
The Anabaptists were banished by the Henry VIII of England and any who remained were threatened with death. Their movement attracted the Amish who had their origin in the Mennonite movement. The Anabaptists were put to death as heretics by both the Catholics and the Protestants. The Mennonite and the Amish believed only adults who had confessed their sins and faith should have the right to be Baptized and they should remain separated from the main society. They fled to the mountains of Switzerland and Germany where the Amish tradition of farming and meeting houses started. Many immigrants to North America were founded into Mennonites by Menno Simon, Hutterites by founder Jacob Hutter, and Amish by the founder Jacob Amman.
Belief
The Anabaptist insists the Bible is the only authority for the establishment the practices in all church policy and worship. Anabaptists have no tolerance for people who believe to be justified by faith while they live their lives as unfaithful members. They believe faith without works is dead. They stress the importance to spiritual experience, righteousness and obedience to the divine standards set forth in the Bible.
Adult Baptism is the only recognized Baptism. Adults are the only ones who can commit to follow Jesus. They believe that since there was a lack of specific biblical support for infant baptism, it should not be practiced. They also believe that the same lack of specific biblical support for the practice of sprinkling during baptism, prevented sprinkled individuals from receiving the true sense of Baptism.
The Anabaptists believe very strongly in the separation of Church and State. They believe the Church is the gathering place for the redeemed. Government officials do not have the authority or the right to determine a person’s church affiliation or their church theology. They saw the world and it’s society as hostile. The Anabaptists believe civil government belongs to the world which represents Caesar. Since the redeemed belong to the Kingdom of God, it is not allowed for members of the church to hold any office in the government. The Anabaptists oppose the death penalty, stating states or government do not have the right to execute anyone, especially for religious beliefs of teachings. They also condemn the taking of oaths, believing swearing to the state or government goes against God. The Anabaptists believers must not bear arms or offer any forcible resistance to any wrongdoers. The Anabaptists practice true pacifism, holding the Bible as their authority and giving them the commandment to love one another, even their enemies. They believe they must not carry a sword into battle.
Today the Anabaptist influence can be seen in the Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, Baptists, Quakers, Brethren and the Bruderhof communities.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Anabaptist Belief..” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2006.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2550,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006, January) “Anabaptist Belief..” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2550,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006) “Anabaptist Belief..” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2550, (accessed).
