The Anabaptists: A Challenge From History

The date was January 21. The year, 1525. The place, Zurich, Switzerland

A dozen or so men slowly trudged through the snow. Quietly, but resolutely, singly or in pairs they came by night to the home of Felix Manz near the Grossmunster. The chill of the winter wind blowing off the lake did not match the chill of disappointment that gripped the little band that fateful night.

An eyewitness, most likely a priest named George Blaurock records what happened:

And it came to pass that they were together until anxiety came upon them, yes, they were so pressed within their hearts. Thereupon they began to bow their knees to the Most High God in heaven and called upon Him as the Informer of Hearts, and they prayed that He would give to them His divine will and that He would show His mercy unto them. For flesh and blood and human forwardness did not drive them, since they well knew what they would have to suffer on account of it.

After prayer George of the House of Jacob stood up and besought Conrad Grebel for God’s sake to baptize him with the true Christian baptism upon his faith and knowledge.

And when he knelt down with such a request and desire, Conrad baptized him, since at that time there was no ordained minister to perform such work.

After his baptism at the hands of Grebel, Blaurock proceeded to baptize all the other present. The newly baptized then pledged themselves as true disciples of Christ to live lives separated from the world and to teach the Gospel and hold fast the faith.

Who were these people? Why were they baptizing each other?

Well, the leaders of the group were students of a brilliant and charismatic preacher named Ulrich Zwingli, a man whom history has labeled one of the Reformers.

Very briefly, The setting for the Reformation in Europe was this:

The Roman Catholic Church over the centuries had become incredibly powerful and incredibly corrupt.

The church authorities and the civil authorities were in cahoots with one another.

In order to be in civil leadership, such as on the city council, one had to be a fine upstanding member of the Roman Catholic Church.

in most cases, it was difficult to discern who was calling the shots in one’s life.

Was it the church?

Was it the city council?

Was it the princes and lords of the land?

Was it the emperor?

Most often if you traced it back far enough, it was the Church

The Church called the shots and did not tolerate anything that they saw as dissension or “heresy”

The Church was corrupt

They taxed their parishioners heavily

They sold indulgences—the practice whereby someone could rescue the soul of a loved one from purgatory if they paid some money to the Church

The pope, the cardinals, and the bishops lived in opulent wealth

While most of the populace lived in abject poverty

The Church reserved the right to declare who would go to Heaven and who would go to purgatory

And by the early 1500’s certain people were saying, “enough is enough”

They began bucking the absolute authority of the Church

A monk named Martin Luther, a professor of theology at the University of Wittenburg was preparing a lecture on the Book of Romans.

And he read these words: “The just shall live by faith 1:17”

This hit him like a ton of bricks. You mean you could be saved by faith, apart from The Church?

And then he read this from Ephesians: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves…let any man should boast 2:8-9

You mean, God’s grace is free? It’s not controlled by the Church? You don’t pay for it with money?

This revolutionized his life and

It was in 1517 that he nailed a document to the door of the castle in Wittenburg.

This document contained 95 Thesis, or statements primarily against the selling of indulgences

Well, this ignited a firestorm.

Not only was Luther speaking out against the corruption of the Church

Luther’s teachings of

Grace alone

Christ alone

Scripture alone

Destabilized Europe in ways that we don’t have time to go into right now

But just briefly: Christianity became very personal

If it’s grace alone, then maybe I don’t have to worry about how I live. I can make up my own rules for living, not the church

If it’s Christ alone, then the Church is no longer my authority.

if it’s Scripture alone, then I can interpret Scripture the way that I want

And all of this, especially for the peasants was welcomed news indeed!

And they began to revolt against the Church and their civil masters

Things got really ugly for a while as the peasants were brutally beat down

But in the midst of this, there arose teachers and leaders like Ulrich Zwingli

Zwingli was an avid supporter of Luther

He, too, had issues with the corruption in the Church

But he took things farther than Luther had

Because He, at first anyway, wanted to get away from the power that the city councils had over church matters

And he gathered around him some very bright students. Among them were men like

Conrad Grebel

Felix Manz

they all shared Luther’s commitment to “Scripture Alone”

And they began to gather regularly and study the Bible

But gradually, Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz became dissatisfied by Zwingli’s commitment, or lack thereof to Scripture alone

Zwingli kept bringing up the city council and saying that not only must we obey Scripture, but we need to follow the directives of the city council as well

As well, Grebel and Manz became dissatisfied with Zwingli’s stand on infant baptism

In their study of Scripture, they had begun to believe that baptism should be a conscious decision by a Believer.

Initially, Zwingli agreed with them but, later began to argue strongly with keeping baptism as it had been practiced by the Roman Catholic Church

Finally, Grebel and Manz and the others felt that they had no choice but to part ways with Zwingli and follow their beliefs.

Thus, on the night of January 21, 1525 found them in the house of George Blaurock baptizing each other in the name of Jesus upon their confession of faith

They became known as the “anabaptists” or the re-baptizers.

Originally it was a derogatory name given them by the state church.

But it stuck and in many ways was embraced.

There have been very few events which have shaped church history like this one did

But this little group of men couldn’t have seen into history.

They couldn’t have known that 500 years later, there would be a group of people in Kalona Iowa who trace their spiritual roots back to this.

From day one, this movement of Anabaptists spread rapidly as their vision to be Scripture-following, disciples of Jesus caught on.

But it was a very disorganized movement

At the start, anyway, the Anabaptists didn’t have a single leader

They didn’t have a single document or confession of faith that sort of kept them organized and all on the same page

And so you had different leaders popping up,

Charismatic men who caught the excitement of the Anabaptist movement, but who had some strange ideas about how it should all play out.

Remember, if it was grace alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, then it was up to individuals to figure out how that would play out in every day life

You didn’t have the authority of the church telling you how it would play out

Some Anabaptist leaders like Wilhelm Reublin advocated for arming themselves to protect themselves from the persecution that they were facing

Others vehemently disagreed with this

Another example of the disorganization of the Anabaptist movement was when a group of radical Anabaptists gathered in the German city of Munster

They were convinced that the return of Jesus was imminent,

IN their minds, Munster was the New Jerusalem and

and that they were going to be part of the army that would defeat the evil empires and make way for His return.

In that group you had leaders like Jan Matthhijs

A dutch baker who led a wild charge against the forces of the Bishop of Waldeck who was trying to regain control of Munster.

Well, this failed, Jan’s head was cut off and put on a pole for all to see

You had Jan of Leiden who came to power, declared himself to be the reincarnation of King David and that he had absolute authority

Long story short, that whole thing went horribly awry and

eventually Protestant and Catholic troops swept into Munster and massacred these Anabaptists

Their leaders were tortured, executed, and their bodies put in cages and hung from the Cathedral.

Those cages hang from the Cathedral in Munster to this day.

So, the early Anabaptists were quite disorganized and the movement was, and maybe still is, somewhat chaotic. Groups breaking off from groups and forming their own identity

But there was one significant moment in the early days which sort of brought at a bit of organization

A small group of men and women gathered secretly in a barn near the village of Schleitheim, Switzerland

And there, somewhat hurriedly, under the threat of discovery, arrest, and execution

Under the leadership of a young monk turned Anabaptist, Micheal Sattler, they drafted a document that we know today as

The Schleitheim Confession

Historian John Roth writes,

“At the heart of this document is a view of the world in which the forces of good and evil are aligned against each other in a spiritual struggle. As actors in this cosmic battle, human beings are faced with a genuine choice: to act according to their natural impulses of greed, selfishness, and violence, or to pledge allegiance to Jesus who teaches the principles of love, generosity, and peace.”

And it’s this document that has probably served to shape our identity as Anabaptists more than any other one document.

It included 7 articles:

Notice concerning Baptism

They affirmed baptism as being only for those who have been taught to repent and believe in a changed life through Christ

And who desire to walk in a new life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

They affirmed believer’s baptism

We have been united as follows concerning the ban

They said basically, that should someone who has been baptized into the Body of Christ fall into sin either willfully or unwillfully, that person shall be warned privately twice.

And the third time be admonished in front of the congregation.

And this will be done according to the Spirit of Christ before the next breaking of bread

Concerning the Breaking of Bread

They affirmed that the breaking of bread must only be for those who have been united to the Body of Christ through baptism

They said that all those who follow the devil and the world can have no part with those who have been called out of the world unto God

We have been united concerning separation

Further, He admonishes us therefore to go out from Babylon and from the earthly Egypt, that we may not be partakers in their torment and suffering, which the Lord will bring upon them.[28]

From all this we should learn that everything which has not been united[29] with our God in Christ is nothing but an abomination which we should shun.[30] By this are meant all popish and repopish[31] works (By this, they simply meant the practices of Roman Catholicism) and idolatry,[32] gatherings, church attendance[33], winehouses, guarantees and commitments of unbelief,[34] and other things of the kind, which the world regards highly, and yet which are carnal or flatly counter to the command of God, after the pattern of all the iniquity which is in the world. From all this we shall be separated and have no part with such, for they are nothing but abominations, which cause us to be hated before our Christ Jesus, who has freed us from the servitude of the flesh and fitted us for the service of God and the Spirit whom He has given us.

Thereby shall also[35] fall away from us the[36] diabolical weapons of violence--such as sword, armor, and the like, and all of their use to protect friends or against enemies--by virtue of the word of Christ: "you shall not resist evil."[37]

We have been united as follows concerning shepherds in the church of God

The office of such a person shall be to read and exhort and teach. warn, admonish, or ban in the congregation, and properly to preside among the sisters and brothers in prayer, and in the breaking of bread,[39] and in all things to take care of the body of Christ, that it may be built up and developed, so that the name of God might be praised and honored through us, and the mouth of the mocker be stopped.

They also affirmed that a shepherd should be supported by the congregation so that “he who serves the Gospel can also live therefrom as the Lord commanded”

And they said that if a shepherd should happen to be removed or executed, another shepherd should be appointed that same hour.

We have been united as follows concerning the sword

VI. We have been united as follows concerning the sword. The sword is an ordering of God outside the perfection of Christ. It punishes and kills the wicked and guards and protects the good. In the law the sword is established[44] over the wicked for punishment and for death and the secular rulers are established to wield the same.

But within the perfection of Christ only the ban is used for the admonition and exclusion of the one who has sinned, without the death of the flesh,[45] simply the warning and the command to sin no more.

Now many, who do not understand Christ's will for us, will ask; whether a Christian may or should use the sword against the wicked for the protection and defense of the good, or for the sake of love.

The answer is unanimously revealed: Christ teaches and commands us to learn from Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart and thus we shall find rest for our souls.[46] Now Christ says to the woman who was taken in adultery,[47] not that she should be stoned according to the law of His Father (and yet He says, "What the Father commanded me, that I do")[48] but with mercy and forgiveness and the warning to sin no more, says: "Go, sin no more." Exactly thus should we also proceed, according to the rule of the ban.

Second, is asked concerning the sword: whether a Christian shall pass sentence in disputes and strife about worldly matters, such as the unbelievers have with one another. SAnd they refer to the instance in Luke 12 where someone calls out to Jesus, “Hey, Jesus, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!!

And Jesus says, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

And these Anabaptists said, “Again, we must follow the example of Jesus. He did not come to be a judge in civil disputes and we must not either.”

Third, is asked concerning the sword: whether the Christian should be a magistrate if he is chosen thereto. This is answered thus: Christ was to be made king, but He fled and did not discern the ordinance of His Father.[50] Thus we should also do as He did and follow after Him, and we shall not walk in darkness. For He Himself says: "Whoever would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."[51] He Himself further forbids the violence of the sword when He says: "The princes of this world lord it over them etc., but among you it shall not be so."[52] Further Paul says, "Whom God has foreknown, the same he has also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son," etc.[53] Peter also says: "Christ has suffered (not ruled) and has left us an example, that you should follow after in his steps."[54]

Lastly, one can see in the following points that it does not befit a Christian to be a magistrate: the rule of the government is according to the flesh, that of the Christians according to the Spirit. Their houses and dwelling remain in this world, that of the Christians is in heaven. Their citizenship is in this world, that of the Christians is in heaven.[55] The weapons of their battle and warfare are carnal and only against the flesh, but the weapons of Christians are spiritual, against the fortification of the devil. The worldly are armed with steel and iron, but Christians are armed with the armor of God, with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and with the Word of God. In sum: as Christ our Head is minded, so also must be minded the members of the body of Christ through Him, so that there be no division in the body, through which it would be destroyed.[56] Since then Christ is as is written of Him, so must His members also be the same, so that His body may remain whole and unified for its own advancement and upbuilding. For any kingdom which is divided within itself will be destroyed.[57]

We have been united as follows concerning the oath

These Anabaptists affirmed their belief that the swearing of oaths was not to be done by the followers of Jesus

They went back to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount that you can’t swear by Heaven because that is God’s throne.

And you can’t swear by your head because you don’t have the power to make your hair black or white

But simply let your yes be yes and your no be no.

So, they frowned on the swearing of oaths

These were the articles contained in the Schleitheim Confession.

Those of us who have grown up Mennonite probably recognize these things at least to some degree

Many of us have practiced these things but may have never known where they came from.

The reason that I am telling you this story is for a couple of things

To consider history and learn from it

I’m very grateful for this rich history

Again, you may or may not like the label “Mennonite” or “Anabaptist”

You may or may not identify as a Mennonite or Anabaptist

But, truth be told, every church or Believer who practices Believers baptism upon a confession of faith

should at least give a nod to the folks that I’ve talked about today

Because it was they who dared to take a stand against the status quo and say, “No, baptism is for those who are able to make a profession of faith.”

And in that respect, their act created waves and ripples that have infiltrated every part of the world

To consider the question of our allegiance to Christ

You know, the early Anabaptists were not heroes.

At least they didn’t set out to be heroes

They didn’t do what they did knowing that their story would be told 500 years later

They didn’t do everything right as we have seen

Rather, they were ordinary men and women who took took the call to be disciples of Jesus very seriously

And they considered very carefully their allegiance

They knew that if they didn’t put Christ above their homes, their land, their families, they could not be His disciples

They renounced allegiances to the state church, to the pope, to the princes and to the king

And they proclaimed their allegiance to Jesus and His Kingdom, and to Scripture

And because of their allegiance to Christ and His Kingdom, they suffered

They suffered at the hands of the church,

The Catholic and the Protestant church which demanded their allegiance

and at the hands of the state

most of them were forced to flee their homes, they lived and met in caves and secret locations

Many thousands were captured, starved, beaten, tortured, and led to horrific deaths because of their insistence on proclaiming their allegiance to Christ and His Kingdom.

They were seen as radicals, as a threat. Because their allegiance was not to human authorities, but to Christ.

This morning my challenge is not about considering how good of a Mennonite I am. But rather,

And this is the challenge that I want us to consider: TO WHOM IS MY ALLEGIANCE?

This question was important for the early Anabaptists, and it is extremely important for us today.

But Jesus, when He talked about discipleship to His followers, knew that this was going to be the question because He said:

Matthew 16:24–26 “24 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

Luke 14:26–27 “26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

These Anabaptists took Jesus’ words very seriously

And i think that we also need to think very seriously about this call from Jesus

Because the things that demand our allegiance today are more powerful than ever

The voices clamoring for our attention are louder than ever

Political affiliations—you have to come out on the right side of things

What we do with our time—it’s my personal time

What we do with our money—it’s my own money. I’ll give my 10% but other than that, it’s mine

Businesses

Social Lives

Family ties

Dare I say, Churches? and Denominations?

The pull that we have to preserve our own lives, to preserve our futures, to preserve a way of life to live for ourselves, to chase money, reputations, comfort, familiarity, is so terribly strong!

This call from Jesus is just as strong and challenging today as it has always been, if not more so

I believe that Jesus is looking for men and women who will say without reservation, “Jesus is King”.

But the call of Jesus is for us to place all of that on the line. To lay it down at His feet

To say, no matter the cost, my allegiance is to Him

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Stories: How Mennonites came to be (Kindle)

The Anabaptist Story—William Estep