Over the last year, a number of changes have happened within Anabaptist Perspectives. Marlin and Reagan talk through the mission and vision for this podcast, and where we are going in the future. Why have we chosen to use digital media? Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter Join our Partners program Our Phone Number: [737 773 2848] (PERSPECTIV)…

Initially, the early Christians refused to fight. Over time, they adopted a Just War stance, and in time used this to justify the forcible conversion of conquered peoples. With the Crusades, Just War was expanded to include what was called “Holy War,” and Christendom went to war in the Middle East with the Islamic empires. Stephen Russell outlines …

We want the entire world to understand who Jesus is. But what are we to be doing and how is this message supposed to spread? Is serving the poor part of Jesus’ commission to the church? Or is humanitarian aid a second-class ministry or, even worse, a distraction from our real mission? Gary Miller reminds us that God wants people to flourish, both p…

Janelle Glick suggests that, as we come to peace with our own lives and the God who is working in us, we are more at peace with others and God who is working in them, which makes unconditional love and peace in community possible. Janelle also offers that reading through the New Testament and watching closely for the presence of women brings pleasa…

For hundreds of years, there was a vibrant, growing church across the Middle East, spreading across places like Iraq and Syria, expanding as far as China, India, and beyond. These Christians have largely been lost to history; what happened to them? What events led to their disappearance, and what does that mean for us today? Lucas Hilty explains th…

What does it mean to be a steward of business giftings and abilities, and of business roles and opportunities? Marlin Sommers explores some biblical points, focusing on business applications, and encouraging business people to recognize themselves as servant-managers of both a set of giftings and abilities and of certain roles and opportunities.…

High profile cases of those who have failed morally and ethically disappoint many of us. Merle Burkholder describes how he personally has experienced this disappointment. This episode explores what we should do with this disappointment, and how we can address the avalanche of moral failure as a church and as individuals. This is the 224th episode o…

How can we learn to read the Bible as a whole story, instead of as disjointed fragments? In this episode Paul Lamicela explains biblical theology, using the storyline of Scripture for better understanding the Bible, and what we can learn from the theme of exile in the Bible. Paul's episode on Galatians Paul’s website This is the 223rd episode of An…

“Our own attentive openness to the world around us and the generations before us is what prepares us to educate. If we are not attentive, humble, and learning, we are left either neglecting education or simply trying to pass on what we think we know.”By Anabaptist Perspectives

We are once again in a presidential election year in America. This is bringing up all the many conversations the church has been having for hundreds of years around issues like political involvement, voting, and separation from the world. What are ways that we can positively contribute to society and properly influence culture? Merle Burkholder sha…

How are we to read the Old Testament when it describes things that are so evil compared to how we are called to live today? Stephen Russell outlines the concept of “uplift through covenant”, and explains how through the story of Scripture God is bringing his people forward to the coming of the Messiah and the practice of radical enemy love. Stephen…

We should not see salvation as a single event, John Coblentz says, but as God’s ongoing work. Focusing on a time when we “made a decision” or “went forward” in response to an invitation or “prayed the sinners prayer” can trouble believers who should have assurance and confidence while giving false assurance to those not walking with Jesus. John dis…

When my wife and I got married and moved into an apartment complex in Sacramento, CA, my neighbors began to give me an education. Several years after this education began, I was reading the Bible and read the story Jesus told in Matthew 25 about the king and the servants who were given talents. It struck me how much I am like these servants and how…

For hundreds of years, the Middle East was home to a thriving church network. Who were these people? What can we learn from them? Lucas Hilty explains a largely forgotten piece of the church’s history, and brings out lessons for us today. The Patient Ferment of the Early Church This is the 219th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, …

Roseanne Bauman offers a definition of forgiveness, looks at an example of forgiveness from the Bible, and speaks about her own story of forgiveness. Forgiveness requires a commitment to not dwell on the injury mentally, to not bring it up and accuse the other person with it ever again, and to not gossip about it. This commitment must be chosen ove…

In his essay "Schism is Heresy", Frank Reed exhorts the church of Jesus Christ to be unified as a body, not falling prey to the many divisions of the world. In clear and simple language, he shares principle truths from Scripture regarding how the body of believers should view unity. "Principles transcend policies. If we are led by the same Spirit, …

In the West, we have abundant access to the Bible. But in many parts of the world, believers and sometimes even pastors don’t have access to God’s Word. Tony High shares about the power of the Scriptures in places that don’t have access to it, and how the Bible is so transformative in the lives of those that read it. Tony High is director of Herald…

John Coblentz writes, “The church in its current state is not always glorious to us. We are still imperfect - our music is at times off-key, our theology is at times wide of the mark, and our interactions with each other fall short of the love we profess.” John encourages us to see what God wants to do and to work for the broader church, even in th…

Loving your enemies can be hard. Many people do not understand how it is possible to love even when being attacked. Even though it is hard, Jesus gives his followers the answers for this subject. Marlin Sommers wrote this blog about a conversation that he had with his college students, and he discusses the reasons that followers of Jesus should lov…

We’re seeing growing conflict once again in the Middle East, with America and its allies getting more involved. How should we be thinking about it? How do we avoid the temptation to take sides and think of this in patriotic terms of “our” country beating the “enemy”? Stephen Russell shares how he came to believe in nonresistance, and principles for…

God’s Assembly (”Church”), says John Coblentz, is to show God’s glory, not just to people but to the principalities and powers. We should see local churches within the bigger picture of what God is doing in gathering a people. John shares the pain he has felt over division in the church and ways he has purposed to walk in unity. An Anabaptist View …

Many Anabaptists have been more scared of education than money. Brian Martin calls us to examine that assumption and approach both with fear and trembling (and wisdom and courage). We must not forget the biblical call to wisdom and knowledge and the avenues of service that can be opened by study.By Anabaptist Perspectives

This is a lecture that was recorded at a ministry training event. David Bercot focused on how to explain the Trinity to those who are not Christians. Watch David's episode on how he was once a Jehovah’s Witness Bercot’s further teaching on the Trinity The history and full text of the Nicene Creed Bercot’s episode on Infant Baptism This is the 213th…

It is not always easy to invest your time into another person. However, as Keeshon Wasington expressed in his life’s story, he is very grateful and thankful to God that someone took the time for him. Are we willing to let God use us to help those in need? To read more of Keeshon’s writing, check out his blog at: https://urbanitemusingskw.wordpress.…

How should we view the current nation of Israel, and how does it relate to the church today? Paul Lamicela takes us through Scripture to explain how we should relate to the current Israeli nation, Jesus as the King of Israel, how this connects with prophecy, Zionism, and much more. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and fea…

Is an investment a gamble? Does it matter? In this essay, Marlin Sommers seeks to clearly differentiate between gambling and investing, to call us to a positive moral ethos for investing, and to give some tools for how to think about borderline cases. Stephen Russell’s episodes on Usury and Distributism How Should We Then Money? Usury and the Histo…

How should we read the Book of Revelation? What is apocalyptic literature, and how does the first century context help us better understand this book? And what is the Mark of the Beast? Paul Lamicela answers these questions and much more in this interview. Paul’s website Paul’s Episode about Galatians Paul’s Episode about Biblical Storyline This is…

Samantha shares the tidbits and quirks that surprised her in joining the Mennonite world. What are some of the unexpected cultural elements within the Mennonite church that are often confusing to those coming from the outside? For example, what is the Mennonite game? Why do Mennonites often play harmonicas and accordions? What’s with the prevalence…

Life is not always easy, but having kind friends that are ready and willing to help and be there for you always makes those rough bumps easier. Keeshon continues writing his experiences in getting beat up, forgiving those guys and ultimately giving his life to Jesus. To read more of Keeshon’s writing, check out his blog at: https://urbanitemusingsk…

David Bercot explains why he was an Anglican priest, why apostolic succession was initially convincing, and how he ultimately left and joined the Anabaptists. What is it about the High Church traditions that are appealing? How does this fit with the teachings of the Ante-Nicene fathers, and are the Anabaptists correct in their interpretation of the…