Radical reformation

RADICAL REFORMATION

RADICAL REFORMATIONThe Despised Outsiders

Nature of the Radical Reformation

Wanted to go beyond reformation; seeking restoration/reconstitution.Desired to return to the Apostolic Christian ChurchBelieved that Luther and Zwingli did not go far enough.Wanted to cut ties with every vestige of Roman Catholicism.Saw Church membership as being voluntary.

A strong commitment to separation of Church and state.Practised believers baptism.Had a simple style of worship.Possessed a strong sense of discipline; offending members were subject to the ban.Were egalitarian as well as socially communistic.

Categories of AnabaptistsSpiritualistsEvangelical AnabaptistsEvangelical Rationalists

Spiritualists:Early Spiritualists:Early Spiritualists such as the Zwickau Prophets are not identified as being strictly Anabaptist.Believed in the superiority of the inspiration of the Spirit over the written Word of God.Had a very low view of the sacraments.Possessed a tendency toward antinomianism.

Thomas Muntzer: Spent some time in the Zwickau region and even gave his support to the weavers whose trade was experiencing difficulty. However, it is not clear if he influenced the Zwickau Prophets or they him.Believed in social revolution.Made a claim to special revelation from God.Had a strong eschatological outlook;

Later Spiritualists: Held fast to many of the postulations of the earlier ones.Were not as concerned with sociopolitical issues.Did not possess a sociopolitical agenda.Caspar Schwenkfeld major leader:

Evangelical Anabaptists:

Revolutionary Anabaptists:Followed in the tradition of Muntzer.Were not afraid to use physical force. Strong eschatological outlook.Had a tendency toward fanaticism.Practised iconoclasm.Attempted to restore biblical practices from both the New and Old Testament eras.

Later Anabaptists:Were more closely aligned to the major reformers.Had a communistic approach to living.Attempted to restore the New Testament foundations of Christianity.Did not believe in disobeying the state but were averse to military service and swearing of oaths.Were anti-Trinitarian and held on to somewhat of a Monophysite Christology.

Evangelical Rationalists:

Individualistic in their Christianity Protestant or Catholics, devout but not doctrinaireWomen elevatedStressed rational approach to ChristianityEmphasis on reason for interpreting Scripture.Pacifistic confidence in resurrection of the dead and the sleeping souls of the elect to rule with Christ at his imminent return

Minimize or eliminate sacraments and other ordinances of organized religionGradual elimination of divine nature of Christ.Anti-Trinitarian. Stressed sanctification; imitating Christ.Focus on evangelism and mission; reaching the lostGrebels conception of a free church consisting of freely committed and practicing believers. One was not born into the church but was accepted on profession of faith and the promise to lead a holy life. Baptism was the act wherewith one became a member of the Church.

Devotional Text2 Timothy 2:8-10 (TNIV)Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, For which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Schleitheim Articles:

First confession of the Anabaptists.Written by Michael Sattler.Composed after a collective meeting with fellow Swiss Brethren at Schleitheim. Explained the identity-giving convictions separating Anabaptists from Papists and anti-Papists.

Seven universal items:Baptism: only administered to those who have already repented, have experienced a change of life, and truthfully believe that they have been cleansed from sin. Infant baptism seen as being the highest and chief abomination of the pope.Ban: administered to baptized believers who have been walking in Gods commandments but inadvertently fell into error and sin. Two secret admonitions were given; third one was public.

Breaking of Bread: only baptized believers were allowed to participate.Separation from the Abomination: high regard placed on separation from the evil and from the wickedness which the devil planted in the world. Made a clear distinction as regards humanity; only two class good and evil.Pastors in the Church: must measure-up to the standard set forth by Paul.

The Sword: sword seen as being ordained by God, however, its sphere of usage is outside the community of faith. Believers were to abstain from passing sentence when there are disputes among them. Believers are also to refrain from becoming magistrates.The Oath: believers are not to swear oaths since Christ commanded such.

Contribution to the Reformation:Soteriology:The radical reformers saw justification as changing more than just the legal status of the individual but it also changes the life of the person. As such they did not believe in Luthers concept of simul iustus et peccator.Saving grace for them involved prevenient grace as well as efficacious grace.Saving grace transforms believers here and now. It remakes and regenerates the sinner sanctification.

Faith involves overcoming sin.Grace frees the will of the person and the life now shows fruit of the justification.The saved person has the capacity to choose between right and wrong.Conversion sees the believers will as being energized by the Holy Spirit and as such the believer can now exercise the will.

The Church and the State:Believed in a believers Church with voluntary membership.Discipline/discipleship was of paramount importance.Church is a community of the faithful; not perfect but striving toward perfection.Church is characterized by holiness in the lives of its members.Rejected the concept of an invisible Church.

Saw separation from the world as being essential.Unbelievers were not to be a part of the community of the faithful. Additionally, erring members were placed under the ban.Worship services characterized by simplicity of style.Church seen as being a suffering Church.Congregation responsible for choosing and supporting the pastor/shepherd.

Use of the tithe for support of the pastor considered as being unscriptural.Pastor responsible for teaching the Word to the believers as well as look after their spiritual welfare inclusive of imposing the ban on the unfaithful.Rejected the states protection and did not participate in the military.Pacifists who would neither take up the sword for the state nor the Church.Did not participate in service to the state.Showed non-violence in times of persecution and oppression.

Sacraments:Rejected the concept of the sacraments.Baptism:Adult believers baptism.Meant only for the instructed, penitent and believing personOnly an adult that has been reborn could be baptized Baptism was both an act of confession and a promise to act according to Gods commands

The Lords Supper:The Lords Supper was non-sacramental Merely a remembranceA meal of fellowship, signifying a union with Christ and the brethrenIt should not be celebrated in a church, but in private homes and in the evening according to Christs pattern.

Some Prominent Radical Reformers:Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt:He did away with icons.He believed that faith is equal to conversion and not just belief.To him human nature was not totally depraved and he rejected the doctrine of predestination. To him sin can be overcome with cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is given to the privileged as well as the peasant. His understanding of the Communion Service was that it was a symbol.For him the Priesthood of all believers means that all are equal before God.

Menno Simons 1492 - 1561:He was a Catholic priest who was born in Holland who began to study the New Testament and as a result renounced his faith in Catholicism. He was defrocked from the Catholic Church for holding on to views that were contrary to the doctrines of the Church. He became an Anabaptist and traveled throughout Europe preaching his views. His great contribution to the Reformation is his book The Fundamentals (1539).

In speaking about baptism he presented the view that baptism was for believers. He also believed in the non-immortality of the soul. He emphasized the freedom of the will thus the Christian can do good works which is the evidence of true faith.

Jakob Hutter: Organized communistic congregations His followers became known as the Hutterite brethren. Some of their descendants later migrated to Canada and South Dakota, USA. He was burned at the stake in Innsbruck in 1536.

Baltahasar Hubmaier (1485-1528):On January 1525 as an evangelical preacher he answered that God had commanded him to repudiate infant baptism. Re-baptized by Wilhelm Reublen and then began baptizing other adults. His book The Christian Baptism of Believers Arrested and compelled to retract his Anabaptist views.

By his preaching and writing he attracted persecuted people from many parts of Germany and Switzerland. Later seized by Austrian authorities and burned at the stake at Vienna in March 1528. Wife Elizabeth drowned.