Essays for King Jesus

Transmitting the Old Testament:  Adventures of the Hebrew Text – Part 3 September 18, 2021  Written by: Vince Beiler  6. The Masoretic Text  In prior posts we touched on some developments of the Hebrew Bible over the course of its 3,000 plus year history.   Now we move to a specific group…

Transmitting the Old Testament:  Adventures of the Hebrew Text – Part 2 September 11, 2021  Written by: Vince Beiler  In a prior essay, we discussed how the (Hebrew) Bible gradually went from a scattered compilation of scrolls to being considered a single entity. We also discussed how the careful preservation of…

Transmitting the Old Testament:  Adventures of the Hebrew Text  September 4, 2021  Written by: Vince Beiler  1. Introduction  We are all familiar with family heirlooms. An object, usually of significant sentimental value, is handed down from one generation to the next. The Bible is a little like that heirloom. Successive generations…

August 8, 2021 Written by: Kyle Stoltzfus  Many have offered characterizations of Anabaptism. What, at its core, is it? My suggestion is that certain kinds of historians, limiting themselves to the more or less horizontal confines of human history, are not as attuned to the spiritual realities assumed by early Anabaptists. I…

Date: 7/4/21 Written by: Marlin Sommers “Slaves, submit to your earthly masters.” The injunction jars us.  We know the evils of slavery. We wonder why the early church did not loudly and roundly condemn slavery. Why do the New Testament letters instead tell Christians how to live within the context…

A Look at Romans 12 and 13 June 5, 2021 Written by: Stephen Russell In today’s highly partisan environment it is easy for American believers to be carried away with the passionate belief that politics can be the solution to our nation’s problems.  If only we could elect the right…

May 2, 2021 Written by: Allen Roth How does a twenty first century Anabaptist go about planting an Anabaptist church in a city?  Is it even possible? First of all, let’s remember that Jesus Himself promised:  “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18, emphasis mine).  In the Great Commission, the…

The Lord’s Supper as Fellowship April 3, 2021 Written by: Marlin Sommers What happens at the Lord’s supper? What is the nature of this important Christian practice? Understandings vary widely. One view of the supper, which I consider both extreme and oversimplified, is that the loaf and cup become literally…

The Expression of Music March 7, 2021 Written by: Daniel Allgyer Music is an expression of the heart. Listen to the heart in the following scenes: A little girl, sitting on the hearth, happily singing, “With Daddy in the family, happy, happy home.” A youth group, circled in front of…