Why aren't Mennonites Constantinian?

[Soloist]

You maybe right but I have never met one Protestant yet who is preaching the kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel.

Nor one who thinks that Christians should not involve themselves in civil government and not support the veterans and troops. There are probably a few here and there that are anomalies.

Wife: would JWS be considered protestants?

[Judas Maccabeus]

You maybe right but I have never met one Protestant yet who is preaching the kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel.

Nor one who thinks that Christians should not involve themselves in civil government and not support the veterans and troops. There are probably a few here and there that are anomalies.

Wife: would JWS be considered protestants?

No. They deny the deity of Jesus. Hence they are not Protestant.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Mennonites believe in the gospel that Jesus preach - the gospel of the Kingdom of God. They aren’t lost in a salvation or a social justice gospel. Being citizens of the heavenly country Mennonites don’t join in an unequal yoke with kingdoms of this world and so have a drastically different view than Constantine and nearly all Protestants. I think it is that simple.

I agree with that. I would also add:

1. There actually are more and more Protestants who are preaching the Kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel, and doing it well.
2. Not all Mennonites are doing a good job of holding onto this focus.
3. The Kingdom of God does involve justice, and it is social, it's just different from the social gospel we see in most liberal churches and in the world around us.

Are you talking about people like Greg Boyd and Bruxy Cavey?

[Josh]

Nor one who thinks that Christians should not involve themselves in civil government and not support the veterans and troops. There are probably a few here and there that are anomalies.

Wife: would JWS be considered protestants?

No. They deny the deity of Jesus. Hence they are not Protestant.

Well, their lineage is from the Adventists who came from the Baptists. So they are definitely of Protestant origin.

And to be fair, the United Methodists now tolerate pastors who also deny the deity of Jesus, yet we still call them “Protestant”.

[Bootstrap]

You may be right but I have never met one Protestant yet who is preaching the kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel.

I hear Mennonites say this kind of thing, and it always surprises me, because I have met quite a few Protestants who preach the Kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel. And there is a long tradition of this.

Jeremy Treat's book "Seek First" is a good, easy read on the subject:

Seek First: How the Kingdom of God Changes Everything

The Bible Project has a series called The Gospel of the Kingdom that clearly teaches this as the core of the Gospel:

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/gospel-kingdom/

N.T. Wright's video "How Should We Define Salvation" is about as clear as it gets:



John Piper clearly links the Kingdom of God to salvation:

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/ ... dom-of-god

Saving Sinners

Since God’s purpose for the world is to save a people for himself and renew the world for that people, his kingly rule implies a saving and a redeeming activity on their behalf. This is why the coming of the kingdom in the New Testament is called good news.

In and through Jesus, God, the king, is coming in a way — a new way — into the world to establish his saving rule. First, in the hearts of his people and in their relationships by triumphing over sin, Satan, and death. Then by the exercise of his reign, gathering a people for himself in congregations that live as citizens of a new allegiance of the kingdom — not of this world. Then Christ comes a second time and completes the reign by establishing a new heavens and a new earth.

[Bootstrap]

An earlier message from Tim Mackey - check out the video.

Contrary to popular opinion, the central message of Jesus wasn’t social justice, community, or even love. It was the kingdom of God. But what is the kingdom? And how do we live into its reality? And what will the kingdom do to reshape our life from the ground up?

https://bridgetown.church/teachings/gos ... dom-of-god

[Bootstrap]

You maybe right but I have never met one Protestant yet who is preaching the kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel.

Nor one who thinks that Christians should not involve themselves in civil government and not support the veterans and troops. There are probably a few here and there that are anomalies.

I think that's the bigger one. Many do teach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But many who do still do not actively preach against military involvement. Except for liberals on the social justice end of things.

[NedFlanders]

You maybe right but I have never met one Protestant yet who is preaching the kingdom of God as the core of the Gospel.

Nor one who thinks that Christians should not involve themselves in civil government and not support the veterans and troops. There are probably a few here and there that are anomalies.

I think that's the bigger one. Many do teach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But many who do still do not actively preach against military involvement. Except for liberals on the social justice end of things.

Then they aren’t preaching it accurately or preach one way but live another.

[Bootstrap]

I think that's the bigger one. Many do teach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But many who do still do not actively preach against military involvement. Except for liberals on the social justice end of things.

Then they aren’t preaching it accurately or preach one way but live another.

But I think Mennonites can sometimes underestimate the extent to which we do the same. I think we do get this right when it comes to military involvement. In general, if all of God's children who understand the core message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God would learn from each other, that would be a good thing. When we point to others as proof that we are the ones getting it right, that usually leads to blind spots.

Who is currently doing the best job of teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God among Mennonites and Anabaptists? What would you turn to? Most of my Mennonite sources are older sources, things I read a long time ago that were formative. I'm not sure who is preaching this well these days.

[NedFlanders]

I think that's the bigger one. Many do teach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But many who do still do not actively preach against military involvement. Except for liberals on the social justice end of things.

Then they aren’t preaching it accurately or preach one way but live another.

But I think Mennonites can sometimes underestimate the extent to which we do the same. I think we do get this right when it comes to military involvement. In general, if all of God's children who understand the core message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God would learn from each other, that would be a good thing. When we point to others as proof that we are the ones getting it right, that usually leads to blind spots.

Who is currently doing the best job of teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God among Mennonites and Anabaptists? What would you turn to? Most of my Mennonite sources are older sources, things I read a long time ago that were formative. I'm not sure who is preaching this well these days.

I think John D. Martin and David Bercot do a pretty good job. Our local minister is probably one of the best but he isn’t into being broadcasted like these men have been. I’ve heard some visiting preachers and our bishop also do an amazing job but you’d have to look into churches much more conservative than where you are at currently to find them.