Bible Doctrine

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col 3:1).

Christian faith and practice is coming under fire in many ways today. Much of what was once practiced without question is being laid aside. Many have begun to question not only the practicality but also the validity of various Bible commands and practices. Are we at liberty to choose the practices that we feel fit into our lifestyle or culture? Is our God so small as to not have seen how these commands would affect His people down through the ages in any culture? We need to remind ourselves continually not only of the practices the church has adopted, but also of the principles as well.

There is a teaching which states that a believer once called and chosen unto salvation and eternal life is no longer in a position to lose it. It teaches he is secure and can never fall from the grace of God. This is false.

Pacifism and its influence on the Mennonite church
In conservative Mennonite circles, one sometimes grapples with this question: Why should nonresistant people be interested in the teaching of war and related issues, especially in the classroom? Several reasons could be given; one in particular, though, stands out, and that is because wars have a profound influence on society. Wars change the status quo, and that seems to be just as relevant in general society as it is in the Mennonite church.

At first glance, one could suggest that these two terms might be synonymous. In fact, one hundred years ago they sometimes were used interchangeably.1 but as the English language continues its evolutionary process, it becomes necessary to define these terms separately.

What is nonresistance?
The term nonresistance is taken from Matthew 5:39, where Jesus tells us to “resist not evil.” It is not resisting in any form, militarily or personally. It means showing genuine love to all, friend or foe.

“Do You Want Your Voice to be Heard This election?” came the message on a postcard from a coalition of Christian organizations. The message is simple and popular among Protestant churches and Christianity today: “We need Christians to get out and vote. We need to let our voice be heard.” The idea is that if we can get enough Christians to get involved and vote, it will make a difference in the way the country is run. But is the mission of the Church to reform the government and bring about change through laws? Is this what Jesus taught and gave us as an example to follow?

“Whom do men say that I am?” (Mark 8:27). Christ asked this question to His disciples and received a variety of answers in response. So it has been down through the ages. Men have devised many philosophies to try to explain to their satisfaction who Christ really is.

In the Old Testament, God spoke to the need of repentance. He also promised that the time would come when He would give the results of repentance – a new spirit and a soft heart. Very early in the New Testament, it became evident that repentance was of prime importance. Both John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministries by preaching repentance. If repentance was taken out of John’s message, there would not be much left.

In 1980, a construction crew accidently uncovered an ancient tomb as they excavated a site in a neighborhood south of old Jerusalem. Entombed were 10 ossuaries containing bones. On one of the ossuaries, an inscription read, “Jesus the son of Joseph.” Inscriptions on the other ossuaries revealed two Marys, a Joseph, a Matthew, and a Jude the son of Jesus. The one Mary’s name was rendered in Greek as Marianene which some believe could be Mary Magdalene.