What does it mean to be Brethren?

I am a member of the Brethren Church based in Ashland, Ohio.  My blog is affiliated with one of its churches, Park Street Brethren Church.  What follows is an excerpt from a work I presented on an overview of the Brethren take on theology, a review of Brethren sources of authority (views of God, Jesus Christ, Scripture, Holy Spirit and Gathered Church), and a discussion of applying such a theology in the life of an individual believer.

My fear is that fundamentalists hi-jack the Brethren message.  Our motto is “The Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible”.  This is not a fundamentalist statement of worship for the Bible.  Instead, the Brethren witness is rooted in the narrative of Scripture and not in creeds or systematic theologies.  I hope this will generate some conversation and educate some about the story that is Brethren.  All this discussion and more is better explained in the “Centennial Statement” of the Brethren Church.  This document published first in 1983 outlines in greater detail the hallmarks of Brethren theology and the Brethren witness to the world.  But, for now, here are the excerpts from a paper I wrote on this topic:

Excerpts from paper presented to Dr. Dale Stoffer entitled, “The Uniqueness of the Brethren Church”, June 2007, Ashland Theological Seminary, Course: Doctrine of the Brethren Church

A BRETHREN STYLE OF THEOLOGY

Brethren have never been interested in a systematic theology. They view it as too aloof, and not edifying to the body as a whole. Theology, for Brethren, must be something that everyone can understand and live out. Therefore, the stress of Brethren theology comes in the application to a believer’s life.

Dr. Dale Stoffer, academic dean of Ashland Theological Seminary and a historical theologian in the Brethren Church, in his book, Background and Development of Brethren Doctrines, 1650-1987, in describing the Brethren’s view of doctrine, quotes Vernard Eller:

[Among the Brethren there was no] hint of an “it doesn’t matter what you believe” attitude. But on the other hand…the Brethren saw doctrine as correct only insofar as it was edifying, relevant to one’s immediate existence. The test of true doctrine is whether it edifies, not whether it is logically consistent. Just as soon as doctrine wandered toward the abstract and theoretical,…the Brethren lost all interest

The position of…the Brethren surely can be described as anti-intellectual; it accurately could be called non-theological if one confines the term “theology” to formal, speculative, systematic thought; it would be inaccurate to call the position doctrinally heedless or promiscuous; and it would be entirely out of order to term it irrational.

In the above excerpt, two major theological routes are being laid out in Brethren doctrine. First, Brethren thought and practice were based on the Bible. Brethren read the Bible as it was written and sought to live their lives accordingly.

Therefore, their theological method was very devotional in nature. Not focusing on the systematic side of theology, Brethren focused on practical Christian living. As Eller’s quote suggests, this may seem strange to other movements in Church history. From the very start, the Brethren hermeneutic and theological method start them off on a unique foot.

Add to this unique starting point a history that brings two dynamic movements together, Pietism and Anabaptism. The Pietist heritage brought a biblical theology strong in practical methods and devotional in nature. Doctrines which did not foster piety and edify the believer were downplayed.

Anabaptism approached theology as a narrative. This story recounted God’s redemptive work by tracing it through creation, fall, and redemption in Christ. This approach stressed the encounter between the divine and humanity. It was a personal, relational theology that sought to elicit a response. This along with the Pietist view of theology led to a very practical theology more concerned with “being” rather than “doing”. Though the “doing” part was essential, it operated out of the change of the transformed believer. Even God, the Father, models this in His very nature.

BRETHREN SOURCES OF AUTHORITY

A Brethren View of God
Brethren view God as an intimate Creator who desires to create a people for Himself. This is how God has used His sovereign power throughout history. Since God has used His power to guide and mold His people throughout history, the world has purpose and ultimate meaning.

The Centennial Statement expounds upon this under the section, “The Father”:

Scripture reveals the first person of the trinity as the Father. The created world testifies to Him in both external order of nature and the internal working of conscience. As the Father of Old Testament Israel, He led the nation with parental love and care, with warnings, chastenings, and promise of inheritance. He sent His beloved Son into the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. All who confess Him as Lord, the Father makes a new creation and adopts as His children.

Captured in this excerpt is the purpose God has for His people in history, the intimate relationship of God with His children, and the transformed (lived out) portion of our relationship with God.

A Brethren View of Jesus Christ

Brethren view Jesus as a perfect revelation of God and His will for His people. He [Jesus] has provided the way of salvation for us because we are unable to find acceptance by God on our own because of sin. Brethren also emphasize the life of Christ because it perfectly portrays the new life to which we are called. Therefore, all other sources of authority point to Christ.

Jesus is regarded as the Living Word. As will be noted later, Scripture and Spirit are considered the outer and inner Words. Christ is the center of Brethren life and the balance between Scripture and Spirit offers the believer a better understanding of the “Living Word’s” example.

A Brethren View of Scripture

Brethren see the New Testament as the fulfillment of the promises in the Old. Thus, the New Testament is elevated to take precedence over the Old Testament as the rule of faith and practice. In the New Testament, high regard is given to the Gospels which speak directly to the life of Christ. This is counter to a Reformed view which gives precedence to the Epistles.

The Gospels, for Brethren, offer gleanings regarding the life of Christ that no other book in the New Testament offers. They set forth the teachings of Christ and most fully set forth His example. With a Christocentric (Christ-centered) hermeneutic, Brethren begin with the Gospels and read the Epistles in the light of the works of the Gospel writers.

Scripture is considered the outer word. It’s focus is the Living Word of Jesus Christ. As the outer word, it is essential to the community of faith. In matters of faith and practice, is the rule by which to live, specifically the New Testament.

The motto for the Brethren Church operates out of this theology of Scripture, “The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.” “How Brethren Understand God’s Word” explains this emphasis further:

The Bible tells us both what to believe and how to live. Besides giving us knowledge about God, it also introduces us to the person of Jesus Christ. Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit enables us to come into relationship with Christ and grow into His likeness. Because of its unique character, the Bible has a unique claim on us. Brethren have always held the Bible to be completely true and completely reliable. Jesus Himself said that the Scripture, which to Him meant the Old Testament, cannot be broken.

The Bible is not just a rule book. It is much more the a moral guidebook. It is an account, a revelation, of God to His people. From this unique revelation comes a unique command for all believers to know God’s word to grow more into His likeness. Scripture’s revelation, for Brethren, shows God’s purpose and meaning for our lives, namely, to be more like Him!

A Brethren View of the Holy Spirit

With Scripture as the outer Word, the Spirit is the inner word. The two, inner and outer, Words hold each other in balance. Too far on the outer side and a community can quickly devolved into a legalism which is stifling to the faith. Too far on the inner side and a community delves into mysticism which erodes the outward, service-oriented mindset.

Scripture can be understood spiritually only by the internal witness of the Spirit. As Scripture limits and tests questionable expressions of the Spirit, the Spirit empowers Christians to live by the revealed will of God. In Brethren theology, both are essential to living a life of faithful obedience to Christ.

The Centennial Statement describes the role of the Spirit in detail:

The Spirit likewise acts today, opening the mind to understand Scripture, calling forth the response to repentance and faith, and giving the desire and ability to grow in Christlikeness….The Spirit’s indwelling is to make a visible difference in the lives of Christians as they yield to, and cooperate with, His transforming power.

The Spirit allows the believer to understand Scripture and leads that person to repentance and faith. It illumines the pages of Scripture to speak to us. It’s indwelling in the life of the believer is what causes the visible difference in that person’s life. In this sense, it is both process and event. Though it leads to a change, it also guides a lifelong process of changing by cooperating with God’s will.

A Brethren View of the Gathered Church

All believers are directed to the church which is the household of God. This is the place where Brethren theology argues that believers are to grow in Christlikeness. The church is a “hermeneutic community” as it prayerfully seeks God’s will on issues in humble obedience to the Word and Spirit. This model, for the Brethren, was seen in the life of the early church in Acts.

In the life of the church comes a realization of God’s power that is not manifested in the life of an individual believer. The Centennial States addresses this by stating:

God in His gracious love gave to the church special gifts through His Spirit. These gifts, varied and numerous, have but one purpose: to strengthen the body by equipping each member for ministry. Love is the framework in which the gifts operate and guides their use for the common good.

The Church is a continuation of God creating for Himself a people throughout history. The communal aspect of the journey manifests God’s presence in a way that an individual believer’s life cannot and should not. The Church is meant to strengthen the life of each member and empower each person for ministry. Empowered by the love of God, lived out with the love of God and other believers, sent out to share that love, love is the framework for the entire communal dynamic of the gathered church!

APPLICATION OF BRETHREN THEOLOGY IN THE LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER

We have glossed over, briefly, the five main sources of authority for Brethren. This is not to downplay any of the sources, they are essential for the life of faith. Some unique qualities have already been noted in the prior section. It is important to understand, at least at a general level of understanding, how Brethren view the aforementioned sources. The truly unique nature of these sources, however, comes in how Brethren apply them.

In Meet the Brethren, edited by Donald F. Durnbaugh, a historian with the Church of the Brethren, Dr. Jerry Flora, professor emeritus of theology at Ashland Theological Seminary, notes the nature of application of Brethren theology in writing:

The doctrinal position of the Brethren Church conforms in general to a conservative Protestant or evangelical stance. The Brethren heritage is maintained in thinking of theology as not so much a system of ideas produced from a textbook as a style of life absorbed from the obedient community of faith. It is not merely to be thought about with the mind but actualized with the whole life. Brethren Church doctrine intends to center on Christianity as a way of life derived from and dependant upon Him as Son of God, Savior, and Lord.

As stated before, Brethren have never been interested in a systematic theology. They instead, out of their Anabaptist-Pietist roots, preferred a theology that was lived out and practical to everyday living. Thus, the uniqueness of Brethren comes in their view of the life of the individual believer, the life of the church (corporate body), and the life of the surrounding world.  For now, let’s explore the life of the individual believer.

The Life of the Individual Believer

The life of the individual believer is and has been important in Brethren theology. However, it must be noted that influences from the Enlightenment have led to an accentuation on the individual that would have been foreign to early Brethren leaders at the rise of the movement in the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries.

Five governing principles have shaped the Brethren view of salvation. 1) Acceptance of the Bible “as it reads”, 2) the inner-outer dialectic which sees the outward ordinances as testimonies, or symbols, of acts of inward grace, 3) the conviction that God has desired to create a people for Himself, 4) recognition of both divine sovereignty and human responsibility, and 5) the view of salvation as both a process and an event.

Dr. Dale Stoffer notes how these governing principles shaped the Brethren view of salvation and the Christian life:

These governing principles give to the Brethren view of salvation and the Christian life their characteristic features: (1) enlightenment by the Word and Spirit as a necessary precondition to the salvation process; (2) repentance as a change of heart and mind which will bring forth fruits—a changed life; (3) faith as both confession of belief in Christ and commitment and surrender of one’s life to Him; (4) obedience as a quality inherent in saving faith; (5) baptism as an integral part of the salvation process which looks backward as a response of obedient faith to the gracious work of God and forward as a symbol of the new life…; (6) God’s gracious gifts to the repentant believer of forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, justification, and adoption; (7) regeneration as the divine work of creating a new being in the believer; (8) union with God as a relational experience which acts as a catalyst for godly living; (9) the new life, denoted by obedient faith, as a loving response to a gracious Father; (10) sanctification as the progressive change of the believer into the character of Christ and the divine nature.

Brethren theology stands in a tension regarding salvation. God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are both proclaimed as true in salvation. Furthermore, as noted above, salvation is both an event and a process. Brethren believe that individuals have conversion experiences but this experience/event must be accompanied by an onward changing into Christlikeness. In this sense, salvation is an ongoing process.

The Centennial Statement speaks more on the nature of salvation as both a process and an event, “Salvation is both an event and a process: it is an accomplished fact, a continuing walk, and a future hope.” This three-fold nature of salvation shows how salvation is a past event, a present process, and a future hope.

This long exposition on salvation should also tie in the five sources of authority stated earlier. All of the above discussion has shown that salvation comes out of God’s desire to have a people for Himself. He welcomes believers through adoption in His Kingdom. Jesus Christ is the catalyst for God’s relational, transforming love. The Scriptures reveal to us the nature of God and Christ and along with Spirit produce an inward change that leads to an outwardly, visible difference in the life of the believer. Lastly, but certainly not least, the gathered church edifies and strengthens the believer for ministry and sanctification.

Titus 2:11-14 offers biblical support for the understanding of salvation in three “tenses”. In this letter, Paul writes:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (NIV)

Dr. Brenda Colijn, professor of theology at Ashland Theological Seminary, expounds on the key elements of this passage in her article, “Salvation: Past, Present, Future”:

This passage neatly summarizes the essentials of the three tenses of salvation. Salvation is an accomplished fact because “the grace of God…has appeared to all men” in the person of “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us.” It is also a present process, as believers “live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” And it looks forward to “the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

What Colijn and other Brethren are describing is a salvation that is different from a conversion experience. Though salvation has a past aspect, it is an ongoing process of God in relationship with the individual believer.

Stoffer argues this as well in a hermeneutic of God creating a people for Himself. With this hermeneutic, a Brethren hermeneutic, Jesus reverses the effects of sin first through His incarnation which perfectly wedded divinity and humanity. Then, Christ restores our relationship with God as a “Representative, Redeemer, Reconciler, and Restorer.” Salvation then is ultimately “becoming Christ-like in love, holiness, and righteousness.” Therefore, such a relationship has ethical demands that are grounded in this new relationship with Christ. This growth and maturity of the individual believer is then nurtured by the community of faith.

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