An Anabaptist Perspective on Church History (w/ David Bercot)

In this video I'm joined by David Bercot, an Anabaptist Church Historian, pastor, and writer who seeks to share the teachings, and even more so, the lifestyle, of the Early Church. After investigating church history, David went on a long journey from his Bible church, through the Anglican Church, and eventually into Anabaptist churches. While many studies of Church History focus on theology, Bercot has spent his career focusing on the lifestyle of the Early Church, and I think you'll find this perspective really interesting.

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Gospel Simplicity began as a YouTube channel in a Moody Bible Institute dorm. It was born out of the central conviction that the gospel is really good news, and I wanted to share that with as many people as possible. The channel has grown and changed over time, but that central conviction has never changed. Today, we make content around biblical and theological topics, often interacting with people from across the Christian tradition with the hope of seeking greater unity and introducing people to the beautiful simplicity and transformative power of the gospel, the good news about Jesus.

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[divinityofblackness]

I appreciate David Bercot's take on the church fathers. He certainly ruffles the feathers of Protestants and Cathlodoxy alike. He has a more neutral position which (for me, at least) is very helpful. His methodology of reading the early church writings comes from his experience as a lawyer.

[MBFModernHomesteading]

Really enjoyed this talk with David Bercot.

[andrewpower]

As someone who has followed Bercot's work for almost a decade & has also read the entire Ante-Nicene Fathers set, I deeply empathize with Bercot's struggle with historic institutional churches. I'm very much a team player & have attended an Orthodox Church weekly for 4+ years but haven't yet converted because it is still very hard for me to reconcile the earliest centuries of the church with something like the Orthodox Church. If any Orthodox folks know of some good resources on why the Church seems to have shifted positions on things like violence, politics, remarriage, wealth, Mary, etc., I'd appreciate it! I definitely believe in progressive revelation/ecumenical consensus to an extent & I don't assume that all change is bad, but I haven't yet heard compelling enough reasons on why these teachings shifted. Thanks!

[NsanzeJimmy]

Thanks Gospel Simplicity for Hosting David W Bercot .
His book will the Real Heretics Please Stand up helped me re-evaluate my Walk with Christ and that’s how I Joined the narrow path into the kingdom of God.

[ishofarabia]

A lot of the comments are very unfair to your guest. I don’t agree with everything he stands for, I still respect him and believe the Holy Spirit moving through both of you. Remember guys, Christ tells us to be the light of the world, let us live out His light :)

[lynnmmartin]

Guys, stop the angry comments and actually do your research. David has spent a lifetime studying the primary sources. What kind of “conspiracy” is that? If you disagree, read the sources yourself and refute this with some hard evidence, not just statements.

[Solideogloria]

Life style over theology?? It’s both. Look at the Mormons and you’ll see why theology is crucial.

[johnpaulhumphrey]

Will the real heretics please stand up was one of the first big introductions to church history for me. (The other being my Grandpa always used Justin Martyr when preaching.) My concern is two-fold. 1. Was council of Nicea really that big a change? It seems to me like there wasn't any major changes to the church, other than a bunch of people and the problems people bring to anything. 2. If the church really is the Body of Christ, can we make the body of Christ by just getting together and claiming to be the Body of Christ? doesn't Christ establish his Body, and didn't he establish it by means of the Apostles?
I have deep respect for Bercot's work, and it has influenced me in several ways, especially pacifism, and my views on political interactions.

[CorbinatorLoL]

14:59 Lifestyle over theology sounds a bit like deeds over creeds, or law over gospel.

[Steve-wgcr]

Great to see an interview with yet another Christian perspective. I admire the Anabaptists from history who shunned violence while others committed acts of violence in the name of Jesus.

[swenner]

David Bercot's book Dictionary of Early Christians beliefs encouraged me to become Orthodox.

[daleenduplessis]

You, your words and your spirit are just one created in the image of God, His Word and His Spirit.... one God.

[evangeliums-missionathiopi]

Wondetful, David is a great follower of Jesus!

[brunoabreu]

Change 'lifestyle' to 'obedience to Christ, ' and you'll see how important that is

[calsmith]

I left the Orthodox church for the same reasons, I felt such a huge barrier between me and God in that church. That barrier was all the stuff they add to the simplicity of the gospel. Barrier after barrier, it was horrible, I was reading the fathers more than scripture! There was also so much church pride and ego.

[bonniejohnstone]

How do Anabaptists deal with the early Bible structure of Presbyter’s, Deacons/Deaconess and Bishops?
No mention of the early monastics and practices like fasting?
Did they pick and choose bits here and there creating a modern version stripped of the ‘distasteful old stuff.

[etheretherether]

There seems to be a ton of Orthodox and Protestant believers shooting way past each other in the comments.

“Do you not trust the Holy Spirit to guide the visible Church”
And
“Do you not trust the Holy Spirit to guide believers in understanding the gospel, especially given that God says to pray for wisdom and it will be granted”

Seem like dishonest framings meant to shame the opponent into submitting or giving up.

I don’t agree with everything DB says, but his perspective is definitely useful in sifting through Church history

[levifroese]

As a mennonite who is becoming orthodox this is a great interview. It doesn't change my direction in becoming orthodox but it does remind me of the wonderful things I will miss. I do struggle with the orthodox history of being so involved in government, and I will miss the universal understanding of pacifism among mennonites. However I do feel that the orthodox church does still hold to many of the pillars that are mentioned in the interview, they don't have one single ruler/pope so they are some what governed locally, I don't think they go too far in trying to explain the mysteries of God like the Catholics do, and I do think it has been beneficial that the orthodox church has faced a lot more persecution than the catholics, keeping them from arriving at that level of worldly power.

I think pacifism and seperation of church and state is something anabaptists get right that no other denominations really seem to focus on

[SoundFaithChannel]

Check out the Romans series by David Bercot on the Sound Faith YouTube Channel. 😊

[justanotherlikeyou]

When I came out of Seventh-day Adventism I came across Mr. Bercot's Dictionary Of Early Christian Beliefs and Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up. They were both helpful in my personal journey. I eventually ended up swimming the Bosphorus and joining Christ's original Church.