Beliefs
He was the leading theologian of his time among Dutch Mennonites. He was known to be very systematic in his thinking, and very strict and unwavering in his beliefs. There were two key themes to his theology: The word of scripture, and the word incarnate in Jesus. Like other Anabaptists, he gave Christ pre-eminence. He was not as charming or friendly as Menno Simons.
He identifies seven ordinances of the church:
- Pure doctrine
- Scriptural use of the sacraments
- Washing the feet of the saints
- Separation (the ban and shunning)
- Command of love
- Obedience to the command of Christ
- Suffering and persecution
He believed in the strict adherence to the ban or shunning. This is when open sinners are expelled from the church until they repent. He felt this was necessary in order to maintain the purity of the church. His emphasis on the ban and the purity of the community makes Dirk Philips' writings more popular with the Old Order Amish. He believed in the absolute opposition between the church and the world, and therefore that believers should expect persecution.
Read more about this topic: Dirk Philips
Famous quotes containing the word beliefs:
“If we cannot find a way to interpret the utterances and other behavior of a creature as revealing a set of beliefs largely consistent and true by our standards, we have no reason to count that creature as rational, as having beliefs, or as saying anything.”
—Donald Davidson (b. 1917)
“To a first approximation, the intentional strategy consists of treating the object whose behavior you want to predict as a rational agent with beliefs and desires and other mental states exhibiting what Brentano and others call intentionality.”
—Daniel Clement Dennett (b. 1942)
“A man must not swallow more beliefs than he can digest.”
—Havelock Ellis (1859–1939)