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Post by prv31wife on Oct 17, 2006 0:42:40 GMT -5
Can someone fill me in on what the Old German Baptists Bretheren are and their beliefs are?
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Post by Brother Ben on Oct 17, 2006 7:57:50 GMT -5
The Old German Baptist Brethren are in many ways like an Old Order Mennonite. Their may be some doctrinal variation in their group, but traditionally they believe alot like a church of Christ in the area of baptismal regeneration. They see salvation as repentence, a commitment to live for God, and baptism as the "act" that washes away your sins. They would not believe that you currently have eternal life, and that you will only have assurance of salvation when you die in good standing with God.
They have a covenant relationship similar to Israel, and baptism is the rite that seals the agreement. You keep up your end of the deal, and God will keep up His. This is unscriptural and a shift in the doctrines of the their ancient anabaptist forefathers.
Though there are many anabaptist brethren who do not believe in unconditional eternal security, they do believe in being born agian, and having assurance here and now. Sometimes the difference is in terminology. Though we believing Baptistic doctrine, would believe in eternal life, we would not give anyone the go ahead to live in unrepentent sin and claim an eternal home in heaven. They wouldn't either. So did they lose it, or did they never have the real thing. It becomes a matter of how you explain it, but the pracitcal is the same. Perservering, pressing on, enduring to the end, these are all characteristics of those who have placed authentic faith in the saving and keeping grace of God.
Bro. Ben
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Post by jeff on Oct 17, 2006 19:51:53 GMT -5
I'm not that up on this, but is that also basically what the Amish believe?
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Post by prv31wife on Oct 21, 2006 23:34:36 GMT -5
Thanks Bro Ben for this info. I'm wondering too if this is what the Amish believe?
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Post by maggie on Oct 26, 2006 15:24:01 GMT -5
Regina, my friend in the US is an Old German Baptist Brethren. Even though they are categorized as Anabaptist, their origins are entirely different from the Amish and the Mennonites. They are what you would call from one of the Pietist traditions.
They just had their Annual Meeting in June in the US. They gather from all over the US and meet on one of their farms. Major issues are decided at the A.M. Topics include, theology, the use of technology and the whatnots. They all drive autos but there is a branch which separated off from them called the Old Order German Baptist Brethren and they only drive horse and buggy. The Old Order don't meet at the A.M.
If you want to read more about them and how their theology compares to other Anabaptist groups let me recommend an excellent book that is more accurate than most books about them. It's called On the Backroad to Heaven: Old Order Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and Brethren by Donald B. Kraybill and Carl Desportes Bowman
Hopefully this info helps.
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