The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists: Restoring New Testament Christianity

by III Malcolm B. Yarnell

Publisher:

B&H

, 2013

Overview

According to the scholarly and pastoral authors of this essay collection, sixteenth-century Anabaptists have much to teach Baptists and other Free Church evangelicals.

A study of the lives and theology of evangelical Anabaptists encourages a reader to dig deeper into the Bible, count the cost of discipleship to Jesus Christ, and commit oneself to engaging the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The theological commitment of Anabaptists like Balthasar Hubmaier to the supremacy of the Word of God encourages us to live by the motto that "the truth is unkillable." The example of Leonhard Schiemer, who understood that following Jesus meant taking up the cross of Jesus Christ, prepares one for the joyous difficulty of a life of discipleship. The loving attitude, missionary fervor, and desire for communal integrity of leaders like Hans Denck and Michael Sattler draws us into a stronger commitment to share the gospel from an authentically Christian heart and life.

Finally, such great contemporary leaders as Paige Patterson and Rick Warren have drawn upon the legacy of the evangelical Anabaptists to build great churches and seminaries. Their thoughts and stories are included here to encourage the recovery of the Anabaptist vision among Baptists and other free churches today.

These papers also serve as a Festschrift honoring the lifelong work of Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in the study of the Radical Reformation. Indeed, he has inspired the recovery of the Anabaptist vision as a means of restoring New Testament Christianity.

Key Features

• Seeks to honor Paige Patterson for his lifelong scholarly advocacy of the evangelical Anabaptists of the sixteenth century
• Presents its essays in three arranged sections: Theology, Balthasar Humbaier, and History
• Offers various essays that originated in a 2012 conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary dedicated to reexaminining the Anabaptist as a vital resource for contemporary Baptist theology

Contents

Top Highlights

“That baptism is not only a public confession of faith but also a covenant with the church to walk in newness of life in Christ through the enablement of the Spirit. The believer thus commits himself to live under the Word of God and submits, should he stumble in that covenant, to the discipline of the church, which may even on occasion result in his removal from the fellowship of the church as a last effort to achieve restoration. All of this is involved in the concept of a believer’s church.” (Page 18)

“Rick Warren consciously modeled Saddleback Church on lessons he learned from the Anabaptists. Focusing on the Great Commission, Warren argues that the Anabaptists ‘will increase your zeal for evangelism and world missions.’” (Page 6)

“God’s plan and purpose for his church calls for it to consist of people who have had a personal faith experience with Jesus the Christ, persons who have experienced the new birth.” (Page 18)

“‘one’s sanctification could not be sustained apart from the church, for the saints need discipline from their ‘mother’ in order to maintain holy lives.” (Page 168)

“Following Jesus and not just worshipping him encompasses a world of human behavior in the ethical arena” (Page 22)

Praise for The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists

"Few groups have been more misunderstood and misrepresented than the Anabaptists. Yes, there were the bizarre fringe groups that make for an easy target. However, there also was an evangelical wing that honored Christ, loved the gospel, and recaptured the biblical teachings of a free, regenerate Church and a disciplined body. And many sealed this witness with their blood in martyrdom. You will find their story and theology in this book. Prepare to be blessed, inspired, and convicted. It will be good for your soul."

Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

"This volume is the record of a new generation's scholarship on Anabaptism as the crucial interpretive key to the New Testament for Baptists. Its authors demonstrate a sure scholarly familiarity with the breadth of Anabaptist studies as well as offering original research, especially on Hubmaier and Anabaptism in Italy. This distillation of current Baptist thinking provides a fruitful point of encounter between Baptists and Mennonites in both academy and church."

John D. Rempel, director, Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre, author, The Lord's Supper in Anabaptism

"Paige Patterson is the most significant, revolutionary figure in Southern Baptist life, probably in our history. He prophetically called a convention of churches back to orthodoxy, contra a bureaucracy intent on stopping him. And, because in his voice the people heard the old, old story, he won. This delightful volume examines those things that fuel this prophet’s fire. It is well worth reading."

Russell D. Moore, president, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

Product Details

• Title: The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists: Restoring New Testament Christianity: Essays in Honor of Paige Patterson
• Author: III Malcolm B. Yarnell
• Publisher: B&H
• Print Publication Date: 2013
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Anabaptists; Baptists; Christian life
• ISBNs: 9781087790817, 9781433681752, 1433681757, 1087790816
• Resource ID: LLS:9781433681752
• Resource Type: text.monograph.festschrift
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-01-16T19:01:40Z