MennoNet.com

Sudsy wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote:I still stand by my statement. Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism emphasize soteriology, Anabaptism emphasizes Nachfolge Jesu.

And in English this means ? An unknown tongue requires an interpreter.

Nachfolge Jesu means Discipleship to Jesus. The original title of Bonhoeffer's influential book, "The Cost of Discipleship", was "Die Nachfolge" - Discipleship. I was introduced to that book by good Evangelicals, not by Anabaptists. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran who was martyred under the Nazis. I think you can learn a lot about discipleship from Anabaptists, but also from people who are not Anabaptists.

I don't think you measure discipleship to Jesus by denominational membership. You measure it by discipleship to Jesus, as described in the New Testament. There are certainly lots of Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches that are weak in that, but there are also plenty that are strong in discipleship. In most parts of the country, it's a lot easier to find an Evangelical church that really believes in discipleship than it is to find a plain Mennonite church or Anabaptist church or a non-plain Mennonite church that really believes in discipleship. So I think we should be careful not to slander other Christians by implying that Anabaptists are the only Christians who seriously seek discipleship to Jesus Christ.

Let's measure discipleship to Jesus Christ directly. Especially in our own lives.

Bootstrap wrote:

Sudsy wrote:

Wayne in Maine wrote:I still stand by my statement. Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism emphasize soteriology, Anabaptism emphasizes Nachfolge Jesu.

And in English this means ? An unknown tongue requires an interpreter.

Nachfolge Jesu means Discipleship to Jesus. The original title of Bonhoeffer's influential book, "The Cost of Discipleship", was "Die Nachfolge" - Discipleship. I was introduced to that book by good Evangelicals, not by Anabaptists. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran who was martyred under the Nazis. I think you can learn a lot about discipleship from Anabaptists, but also from people who are not Anabaptists.

I don't think you measure discipleship to Jesus by denominational membership. You measure it by discipleship to Jesus, as described in the New Testament. There are certainly lots of Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches that are weak in that, but there are also plenty that are strong in discipleship. In most parts of the country, it's a lot easier to find an Evangelical church that really believes in discipleship than it is to find a plain Mennonite church or Anabaptist church or a non-plain Mennonite church that really believes in discipleship. So I think we should be careful not to slander other Christians by implying that Anabaptists are the only Christians who seriously seek discipleship to Jesus Christ.

Let's measure discipleship to Jesus Christ directly. Especially in our own lives.

Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments. Isn't that an integral part of discipleship?

lesterb wrote:

Bootstrap wrote:Let's measure discipleship to Jesus Christ directly. Especially in our own lives.

Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments. Isn't that an integral part of discipleship?

Absolutely. And it's a good way to measure.

It's easy to add all kinds of other ways to measure, ways that are only indirectly related to biblical commandments. We are all tempted to do that. We all need reminders to return to the source.

lesterb wrote: Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments. Isn't that an integral part of discipleship?

I would say it is a most primary/integral foundation stone for discipleship in most churches that confess their belief in God and His Son.