The Anabaptists

Posted on December 4, 2009 by theoldadam

Were the Anabaptists victims?

Or were they the perpetrators?Martha Rosler - anabaptist cages by Schoopz

Who’s really to blame for the murder and mayhem and the deaths of close to 100,000 people?

Were the Anabaptists just trying to worship peacefully, in their own way, in the privacy of their own homes? Or were they radicals bent on overthrowing the status quo and imposing their brand of religion onto society?

There are documents supporting both sides, are there not?

Then who can we trust for the more accurate picture of the Anabaptists in 16th century Germany?

If the Anabaptists had won the day, would Christianity have survived?

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I appreciate any insights and comments you might have.

Thanks.

 

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It’s a matter of EmPhaSis

Posted on March 25, 2009 by theoldadam

Which is correct…emphasis…or emPhaSis?

You could say that they both are. They both use th e same letters, and they both are the same word.

But they do sound different. And if someone spoke that way, putting stronger emPhaSis on certain sylLaBles…it might be tough trying to make out what they were really saying.

Because the Bible is not self-evident, it must be interpreted. The interpretive grid, or prism, that one decides to use will determine the emphasis of the interpretation.

When one uses the grid of “free will” , “decision theology“…one will emphasize the self  much more prominently than an interpreter who uses the interpretive grid of a “bound will“, where God has to make the choice for the sinner.

The words may be the same but the emPhaSis will defintely skew the understanding of those words.

 When Christian traditions (or non-traditions) emphasize the start of the Christian life with the sinner (even unwittingly) they will get a Christianity that is self- focused.

You can often end up with a Christianity that places a large emphasis on personal Christian growth, personal spirituality (however you would define that), moral living (biblical principles for living), and trying to get others to do the same.

This is a formula for self-righteousness, phoniness, and or uncertainty and despair.

This is why many of us are so interested in attempting to get others to change their grid of interpretation to one that asserts the centrality of Christ..and His work for us,  rather than shifting Christ to the edges a little more and empasizing the things that we should, ought, or must be doing.

If you have a proBlem with this…pLease let me know.

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