W.H. Chellis

A Protestant Choice
Rick Gamble

This is my first post on this blog-or any blog for that matter! I should be more computer savvy, but “high technology” when I wrote my dissertation was having one of those “new balls” on an IBM computer.

Anyway, thanks for setting this up, Bill et al. Hey- where are the italics for quasi-latin?

It seems that Caleb has set the issues squarely. At the time of the reformation there were two Protestant positions.

For the moment, grant continuity between the Lutherans and Reformed and have their position on one side. The other side were those who held to the Schleitheim Confession.

Their position was clear before Calvin wrote his Institutes. The State is “outside the perfection of Christ”. There were some “spheres” or “organizations” or “offices” that are not capable of redemption and “government” or “state” was simply one of those.

The position had historical precedent. In the ancient church there were two forbidden “professions”. They were not capable of “reformation”. Of course one was prostitution- and Bill and Caleb both know the other, right?

Anyway, I respect the classic Anabaptist/Menonite position. Sometimes it simply makes sense. However, I can’t square it with the scriptures. Therefore, since the State is not outside the perfection of Christ, then Protestants in the “magisterial” tradition have to work through the next steps.

Hopefully, these discussions will help believers to make those hard choices.

Date: Jun 21st, 2006 · Comments RSS · Tags: Corporate Confession