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John Holdeman, Bible Doctrines & Practices |
Menno Simons, Dirk Phillips Thirty-Three Articles, Waldenses |
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Water Baptism as Covenant Entrance into the Visible Church |
Water Baptism as a sign of the already-occurred Spirit Baptism into the Body of Christ |
| “Baptism is a sacred ordinance instituted and commanded by Christ for the specific purpose of uniting the believers with His holy church.” Page 71 MOT | “”the apostle writes here expressly of the baptism of the Spirit, and of incorporation into the church of Christ, which takes place through the spirit of faith, for these are the words: By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body...Faith, therefore, is the gift of the Holy Spirit by which all believers are gathered into one body, and are then baptized as a testimony and proof of the true real inner life and of their spiritual fellowship with Christ and all the saints.” DP page 53-54” |
| “In [water] baptism we are all baptized...we thereby make a covenant with all chosen members of the organized body of Jesus Christ.” Page 83-84 Mirror Of Truth (MOT) | “This paternal adoption unto sonship...even before they have come to the sign of baptism...Behold, thus we are by God’s election through faith in Jesus Christ, and...the Holy Spirit, incorporated into the body of Christ which is the true church...and this not through any external sign.” MS pg 692-93(11-47) |
| “That if he can at anytime prove to us by the unadulterated, divine Scriptures….that baptism anywhere in the scriptures is called a sign of the covenant of grace...and incorporation into the church….then we will lay down our pen, repent and confess” MS 11-56 despite length of passage on infant baptism, meaning about the purpose of water baptism is clear. | |
| “But the pledge and true seal of God and Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit who is poured out by God through Jesus Christ into the hearts of believers as a witness of the divine covenant…. with all believing Christians, is not linked to any outward sign, but with Jesus Christ alone” DP, page 56 | |
| “For in Christ Jesus no outward sign avails anything without the true faith...for by it [faith] man becomes united with God, incorporated into the body of Christ and made partaker of the Holy Spirit.” DP page 23-24 | |
| Writing of the new birth: “they are baptized with the Holy Spirit into the spotless, holy body of Christ” MS pg 93 (1-170) | |
| “And if we would enter in the church...for Christ is the only door to the sheepfold...the only entrance into the church, and into the kingdom of God” DP page 405 | |
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Kingdom Christians and Church Christians--Saved People Outside the Church |
No Salvation Outside the Church |
| “For we never advanced the idea that all were lost who did not belong to the visible, organized Church of God” A History of The Church of God, page 188 (HCG) | “Outside of Christ and His church there is no salvation” DP page 30 |
| “All who are saved are in the kingdom, but not everyone in the kingdom is in the church” Bible Doctrines and Practices page 169 | “All who are outside of the congregation and church of Christ must be in that of Anti-Christ” MS page 967 (1-245) Though speaking of the ban, the meaning is clear |
| “The confession of the Waldenses would seem to convey none could be saved outside of the visible church” A History of the Church of God pg 188 John Holdeman believed the Waldenses meant otherwise, but history would not indicate this. | |
| Only Holdemans are members of the Church, Body, Bride |
All Believers part of the Church, Body, Bride |
| “The members are those people who have been born again and have joined this visible Church [Church of God in Christ, Mennonite] through water baptism” A Study in Christian Doctrine page 24 | “All those who are thus born of God with Christ, who conform their weak life to the gospel...example of Christ...hear and believe His holy Word...these are the holy Christian church.” MS page 94 (1-170) |
| “Therefore, there will never be a need for the church to be re-established on a ground and foundation apart from that succession which reaches back to Christ” Bible Doctrines and Practice page 181 | “I understand that all those who...have the Spirit, mind, and nature of Jesus Christ, and who do walk as obedient children...were, are, and shall be the Lord’s church, kingdom, and people.” MS 11-40 |
| “This written lineage of the Church of the Living God, is the place, the pillar and ground where God has always revealed the whole truth, it is contained alone as a whole in this church, and He will never do it elsewhere” HCG page 181 | “All those who hear Him, believe His Word, and follow in His steps, are now called Christians or the church of Christ.” MS page 735 (11-77) |
| “All believers are the sheep of Christ, and there is but one fold” MS page 39-40 (11-432) | |
| “an ark, that is, the holy Christian church for protection and preservation of all believing souls...as many as have received Christ in true faith and have entered into His ark, they will be preserved ...unto eternal life” DP page 330-331 | |
| “Now if Christ is in the midst of them, then they are a church of Christ….where the Word of God is, there is also a church of God.” DP page 202 | |
| “The church is, in its entirety, the virgin and the bride...so also is every pious Christian ” DP page 501 | |
| ”we would pray to God for grace...would truly repent...reform...and with our new and spiritual Noah, Christ Jesus, enter into the new and spiritual ark which is His Church” MS page 345 (1-120) | |
| “They teach...that the holy Catholic Church...consisteth of all Christian men ..But as touching their own congregation, ...it, even as other congregation...is not the holy universal church, but only a part of it” History of Evangelical Churches of The Valleys of Piedmont (Waldenses) pg 50 | |
| “all who amend their sinful life...with all these God has established His church” Thirty-Three Articles of Faith, Art. 18 | |
| “And as a bride is received by her bridegroom, so also shall all true children of God then be received ” Art. 33 | |
| “The testimony of Peter to all christians, I say to all christians, is true, “Ye are a chosen generation, a holy nation, a peculiar people,” 1 Pet. 2:9 MS 1-33 |
| For Members
Love letter to the Holdemans: An Unbroken Lineage of Unchanged Faith? Holdemans Calling Their Forefathers' Doctrines Blasphemous The Forefathers Calling Doctrine Held by the Holdemans Heresy
Whether it be of God and No Proselytes in Zion--a Re-examination: (this is the original pamphlet sent to 2,000 members of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite)
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Origin of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite What does the Church of Comparing the
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For Ex-Members Finding the New Testament Church Should Christians Dress Plain or Should They Follow Christ's Example Who Dressed "Just Like the World"? |
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| Audio and Video Testimonies
Holdeman Transitions - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5MW1RniXGNfHPCR8GKkeAg/featured Our Spiritual Journey to Jesus by Leona Nichols Coming Out of Deception and Spiritual Bondage by Weldon Koehn NOTE: If your computer doesn't already have RealPlayer®, download it here for free. |
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