The letters listed below are copies of a collection of correspondence between an Amish man and his parents, friends, family, and church leaders. This man and his family belong to the Swartzentruber sect of the Old Order Amish and are currently under the bann (shunning) because of the convictions he outlines so beautifully in his heartfelt letters. They continue to remain living and farming among the Old Order and have done so, despite the shunning, for over five years, which is a miracle and testimony in itself to the amazing conviction and commitment of this dear family.
The testimony is even more touching and powerful when one pictures this humble, Amish farmer, sitting at his kitchen table in the evenings, under the gentle hissing of the gas lamp above his head, surrounded by his Bibles and study materials, meticulously HAND-WRITING this amazing testimony, filled with the conviction of a devoted son, father, husband and Christian.
(More letters and correspondence will be added to this page as time permits me to carefully convert them from a hand-written to a typed format. This dear, Christian man sent me photo-copied letters of all his correspondence to his family and church, so it will take some time for me to carefully transfer them...having his permission to do so........into a typed format without altering or changing anything from his original copies to preserve their purity, integrity, and honesty .)
12/13/1997
Dear Parents,
Greetings in our dear Savior's holy name. This leaves us on a Saturday morning at 8:20. Mattie and Katie are on the rocking chair beside me, and Malinda at the window on my other side. Temperature was 30 this morning and is cloudy and seems like it could snow. We had some snow flurries yesterday.
Wonder how you all are doing. Was glad to hear that you are doing well. We are doing fine, which is much to be thankful for.
I guess I should try to answer your last two letters the best I can. Your letters are very welcome here, even if you don't agree with us in everything.
I wish we could comfort you better, and wish people would understand us better. I believe we should obey our Heavenly Father above anybody else. I believe if we knowingly disobey God in order to obey people, we are putting man above God and loving man more than Christ, which would be idolatry. See what happened to Saul when he feared the people, and obeyed their voice; thereby transgressing the commandment of the lord; Please read 1 Samuel 15:19-24. Exodus 23:2. Matthew 10:37. John 14:15.
I don't want to judge anybody with this. There may be many people who serve God the best they know how with all their heart, even if they see things different than we do. We make many mistakes ourselves. I believe we honor you if we obey God, even if we have to disobey you. If we would disobey God in order to obey you, we would be dishonoring you AND God. Read 2 Chronicles 30:7-9, 34:21.
I am so glad you are asking God for help, He is our only strength. We also want to obey you about the Sabbath if you can show us where the Bible says, "Thou shalt not keep the seventh day holy anymore." And where does it say "You must now keep the first day as the Sabbath instead of the seventh?"
I have not been able to find such texts. I guess you know that the German Bibles don't all read the same about the Sabbath and first day of the week in the new testament. It's clear to me that Baron Carl Hildebrand changed that in the Martin Luther Bibles which he rewrote. In front of the large German Bible it says that Carl Hildebrand rewrote most of the German Martin Luther Bibles, and in the front of the large print German New Testament is the story of him doing it.
I believe you are using the Bibles that were rewritten by Baron Carl Hildebrand to try to make it look like Sabbath has been changed from Saturday to Sunday by Christ or the Apostles.
I believe the beast in Daniel 7:23-25 intended to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There is a table in the front of the large German Bible on page 21 that lays this beast out at the roman catholic papal system. The catholics themselves say they have changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.
We have the Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine which shows that they have intended to change God's Ten Commandments. They have done away with the second commandment and divided the tenth in two, so they still have ten commandments.
They have questions and answers in this catechism, and this is what they say about their their commandment:
Q. What is the Third Commandment?
A. The Third Commandment is: "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day."
Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity form Saturday to Sunday.
Q. Why did the Catholic Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday, because Christ rose form the dead on a Sunday, and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles on a Sunday.
Q. By what authority did the Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.
Q. What does the Third Commandment command?
A. The Third Commandment commands us to sanctify Sunday as the Lord's Day.
Q. What does the Third Commandment forbid?
A. The Third Commandment forbids
1) The omission of prayer and divine worship
2) All unnecessary servile work
3) Whatever hinders the keeping of the Lord's Day holy
Q. Is the Desecration of the Lord's Day a grievous matter?
A. The desecration of the Lord's Day is a grievous matter in itself, though it admits of light matter.
Will we love our Heavenly Father enough to keep all His laws and commandments, or will we choose to keep the laws the way the beast in Daniel 7:23-25 intended to change them? God's commandments do not change. The works of His hands are verity and judgement; all His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness, Psalm 111:7,8. "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." Psalm 89:34, Malachi 3:6.
I think that Martin Luther Bibles which were rewritten by Baron Carl Hildebrand could be very confusing to some people because he put "the first day of the week" in as "the Sabbath or Sabbather" in some places in the New Testament. I have not found any other versions that read that way; not even Greek and not all the German Bibles. Ben Raber wrote to me one time saying that all the German Bibles that he sells were originally written by Martin Luther, but later rewritten by three different people. many people have talked to us, saying, Jesus or the Apostles have changed the Sabbath. But we have never found such Scripture, or anything to give us an excuse not to keep the seventh day Sabbath and now keep the first day as the Sabbath.
Our understanding is that the Messiah was crucified on Friday, rested in the tomb over the Sabbath, and rose again on Sunday. In Mark 15:42 to 16:6 it looks like He was buried the day before the Sabbath and rose again the day after the Sabbath, and the women bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint Him on the first day of the week, so they evidently did not keep Sunday holy.
Luke 23:54 also shows that He was buried on the preparation day, and the Sabbath drew on. And verse 56 shows that they kept the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Then on the first day of the week, the women cam with the spices, but He was already risen. John 19:14 shows that Jesus was before Pilate on the preparation day; verses 30.31 that He died on the preparation day.
Luke 23:54 shows the Sabbath to be the day after the preparation day; then He rose the day after the Sabbath. I don't find anything in John 20:19 that the disciples were assembled for worship or for honoring Christ's resurrection or for honoring a new Sabbath. In Acts 20:7, there is record of the disciples coming together to break bread and Paul preached to them til midnight. Since this gathering was in the night, it must have been Saturday night, as the days change in the evening (see Leviticus 23:32). Sunday night would have been the second day of the week. To my understanding Paul went for a long journey by foot that same day, still being the first day of the week.
If Acts 20:7 gives us an excuse to keep Sunday holy, what should we do about the other days mentioned in Acts 2:46,47 and Acts 1:15? I don't see any Sunday holiness in 1 Corinthians 16:2 either.
I believe Paul was actually telling them to work upon the first day of the week, gathering things for poor in Jerusalem (and collecting the tithe for Paul to gather upon his next visit to take to Jerusalem).
I agree with you that Jesus was crucified on Friday and rose on Sunday and was not seen on Saturday, because He rested in the tomb on the Sabbath. That corresponds with the table in front of the large German Bible on page 26.
You wrote that, when Christ established His church, the Apostles mostly had congregation on the Sabbath, which I agree, but I don't see any evidence that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in the Bible. Hebrews chapter 4 still talks about the seventh day and a rest for God's people. Verse 9 and 10 in the Lamsa's translation says "It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath. For he who has entered into his rest also has ceased from His own works, as God did from His."
If we want to cease from our own works, as God did from His, then we should try to rest on the same day as God did. I believe some laws came to an end, like eye for eye, tooth for tooth, circumcision of the flesh, animal sacrifices, meat or drink offerings, holy days, new moons, and yearly Sabbaths; some of which were a shadow of Christ.
Taking a complete condordance and carefully reading every verse in the Bible about the weekly Sabbath, I could not see that it was ever to change or come to an end, nor was it as shadow of Christ as it was given before man sinned.
Many people say the fourth commandment has been changed or done away with, but the Savior said "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, til heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Read Matthew 5:17-19, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 12:32.
Yes, our forefathers kept Sunday for a long time and may have been better in the spirit than we are, because they may not have been aware of the true Bible Sabbath. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17) Should we now have the forefathers as our guide or the Bible?
Different places in the Bible times, people lost some of God's laws for centuries, but when they were shown their mistake, they changed and obeyed God's commandments if they chose to be God's true people.
Hezekiah and Josiah are a few examples in the Bible that we should have the Scriptures as our guide and not our forefathers. Read 2 Kings 18:1-7 and 2 Kings chapters 22 and 23. Following are more examples that we should not just follow our forefathers, church leaders, or our own thoughts, but we should have God's word (the Scriptures) as our guide. Jeremiah 3:25; 9:12-25; 13:10,16,17; 16:10-13; 17:5-8,21-27; 18:11,12,18.
I believe God is pleased with you, this church, and our forefathers if people do the best they know. But not wanting to know is all different and very dangerous. Read Hosea 4:6, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 30:9-13.
Are we keeping the Sabbath proper and faithfully if we don't keep the day that God blessed and sanctified and told us to keep it holy? Can anybody reverse the blessing that God has put on the seventh day?
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good? Behold I have received the commandment to bless; and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. Numbers 23:19,20. For thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever. 1 Chronicles 17:27. how do you know that you are not shunning us for keeping God's commandments? Please read John 16:2.3.
Yes, we realize that our parents, siblings, and church feel grieved about us, and that really made it hard for us to make this change. Just to please our own will, we would not have made this change. But because of our love for our Heavenly Father we want to keep all His laws and commandments and try to do all His will. I believe we are very weak in doing all His will and we cannot please Him with our own strength. We need to rely on God for our Strength in doing His will. We are probably making mistakes and still don't understand all His laws and commandments that we should keep.
Please show us clearly out of the Scriptures that we are sinning to keep the Sabbath on Saturday and we will recant if you can show us that. Where did the church have a true witness to ban us? They, of course, all voted in agreement to ban us, but, did the Scriptures show them that we are in open sin? If so, then please show us clearly from the Bible. Remember that we are not pushing anybody to do what we are doing.
We sometimes feel lonely that nobody agrees with us, which may be good for us; it may help us to realize that we are dust of the earth. I wish we could have explained our beliefs better to the preachers. I will still say, God's blessings are in this church. But that doesn't make it so perfect that we should have a church for our guide instead of the Bible. We are not perfect either and I would not want anybody to follows us in disobedience to God.
If everybody would have just kept what their forefathers taught them since before the Reformation, we would all be Roman Catholic. I have never found found the Bible saying the Lord's day is the first day of the week.
We love the Amish people and did not want to leave them, but were put out. The Sabbath question has really bothered me for around two and a half years before we started keeping it. When I saw in Leviticus 23:32 that God said, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath; that made me wonder why don't keep the days from evening to evening. Then I looked in the dictionary about the days of the week, and it really shocked me that the dictionary says "SATURDAY is the seventh day of the week!" That got us to search more and more if that is really true. Much more evidence shows that Saturday is the seventh day of the week. The prayers in the Lust Garetlein for each day of the week, the Hand-Worter-Buch, Buchners Hand Concordance, Bible Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, the Calendars, German Calendar, and what I have already mentioned in the Bible and Dictionary all agree that Saturday is the seventh day of the week.
We had not planned ahead when we are going to make this change, until we could no longer continue to work on the day that we believe to be the Sabbath, without a very troubled conscience. Please pray for us.
Best Wishes from Son Abraham
3-28-1998
Dear Parents,
Greetings in our dear Savior's holy name. This leaves me on a Saturday evening at 4:45. It has been windy for about 4 days now and is still not raining as I thought it would by now. We had a chance to plant potatoes and beets on Thursday. The temperature was up to 79 that day. The grass is greening up fast.
I would like to try to write some more of our understanding of the Sabbath. One thing that comes to my mind is that some people have talked to us against keeping the Sabbath on Saturday, saying that Jesus or the Apostles or the Holy Spirit has changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week and we are supposed to keep the first day as the Sabbath. But if we show them that the Bible does not say that, most of them have turned around and said: "We don't know which day the seventh day is and we might be keeping the seventh day." In this point they are confused in themselves by saying: "We have to keep the first day" and then turning around around and saying: "We might be keeping the seventh day." Yes, we were not there when God created everything, but we believe that He rested on Saturday.
Much evidence shows that Saturday is the seventh day. We shouldn't we keep the seventh day? Some people may say: "We don't know which day the seventh day is," but many of them probably don't want to know or don't care.
Many Amish believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday, so why couldn't they see in the Bible that the next day is the Sabbath? (Luke 23:50-56) Although I believe many Sunday-keepers have died that will be in heaven because they did the very best they knew, God has forgiven them.
I believe there is more light about the Sabbath in our days than it was several centuries ago, and I feel God's commandments will still be plainer to everybody before the end of the world, when the government persecutes those described in Revelation 14:12 and 12:17.
We should not just follow the forefathers or a church or leaders (1 Samuel 12:13-15), they are human and make mistakes, although they may have left us some good examples that we should follow. God's holy Scriptures should be our guide. (Amos 2:4)
I am not saying that it's wrong to be a church member (it would be nice to be one), but it will not help our salvation if we knowingly disobey our Heavenly Father. I believe there may be many church members who are only following their church and not God, which, sadly, is a form of idolatry according to 1 Samuel 15:19-24. I hope nobody ever takes me as their infallible guide.
We should have pleasure in keeping God's commandments and laws and not make them a burden to ourselves. It's interesting in Exodus 16:22-30 how God provided a double amount of food on the sixth day and none on the seventh, and told them not to gather any on the seventh day.
I understand the Ten Commandments as God's character or His ways; now to change one of the Ten Commandments, I think man would be attempting to change God's ways and God Himself. Daniel 7:23-25, 11:36; Revelation 13:5,6; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Jeremiah chapter 44 is really something to study, especially verse 15-29, how they were shown that they are disobeying God because they have not walked in God's law nor in His statutes nor in His testimonies. Verse 25 tells how they made vows and kept their vows to burn incense to the queen of heaven; yet it was sin to keep such a vow and disobey our Heavenly Father, and He punished them for it.
I believe this is showing that if we make a vow with a certain group of people and if those people will not allow us to keep God's laws and commandments; then we should break that vow with MAN and obey GOD. (Ezekiel 20:18-21) Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) It is sin to transgress the law of God.
I believe that Romans 3:20 and 7:7 are saying that the law shows us what sin is. I understand that if we knowingly transgress only one law, we are guilty of them all. (James 2:10,11) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)
I don't believe we will be saved by keeping God's law, but by Grace. (2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:8.9) But being under Grace does not mean that we can now break the law. (Romans 5:20,21; 6:1,2,14-16; 3:31) I don't believe we are accepting God's Grace if we knowingly continue breaking His commandments.
If we truly love God with all our heart, we will try to keep all His laws and commandments and do all His will, no matter what happens to our life. (John 14:15; 15:10; 16:1-3; 1 John 2:3-6 5:2,3; Luke 6:20-26; 2 John 6; 1 Corinthians 7:19; Romans 8:38,39; Matthew 10:32-39)
Are we remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy if we work on the seventh day? (Exodus 20:8-11) The seventh day is the only day recorded in the Bible as the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore he Lord BLESSED the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
To my knowledge, we can rest on another day, but we can not keep the Sabbath of the Lord on another day; therefore if we work on the seventh day of the week, we are breaking the fourth commandment. God did not say "every seventh day or one day out of seven," but He said "The SEVENTH DAY is the Sabbath."
Exodus 31:13-18 is really something to think about, how keeping the Lord's Sabbath is a sign between Him and His people, and shall be kept for a perpetual covenant. Also read Ezekiel 20:12,20.
People in Nehemiah's days profaned the Sabbath day, which was not good. (Nehemiah 13:15-22; 22:8,26; 23:38)
I believe God's people will keep the weekly Sabbath after the destruction of this sinful world. Please read Isaiah 66:22,23. I would be afraid to say "Christ or the Apostles have changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week" without having such a Scripture.
Ezekiel 22:28 says: "And her prophets have daubed them with the untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken." Also read Ezekiel 13:7.
Malachi 3:6 says: "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Also read Psalms 89:34 (verse 35 in German).
Reading Matthew 12:1-12 and the references to it, I don't see that Jesus changed any of His Father's laws about the Sabbath. The Pharisees had made laws in addition to God's laws, and Jesus was showing them what the Sabbath law really was. The disciples and also David and the priests of course broke the Pharisees' laws, which were commandments of MEN, but to my understanding, they did not break GOD'S law. I don't believe God ever intended for animals or people to go hungry or thirsty, or not be helped in sickness on the Sabbath day. "Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days."
I believe Jesus intended for His people to keep the Sabbath according to His and the Apostles' example to the end of the world. "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day." (Matthew 24:20) Also read Mark 1:21; 6:2; Luke 4:16,31; 6:6; 13:10; Acts 13:14,27,42-44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 184.
I believe God would say the same thing about Sunday keeping as He did in Jeremiah 32:35: "Which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination." Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18 talk about God's commandments, laws, and His Word, etc. being a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes.
Could it be that we have the mark of the beast in our forehead or in our hand if we keep the commandments of the beast and disobey the commandments of God?
Dear Friends, please read the Bible for yourself, and don't just follow our ideas. We don't want to lead anybody away from God. We are weak human beings and make mistakes. I believe we are living in the last days, which are very dangerous and it's very important to study the Scriptures prayerfully and search for the will of our Heavenly Father. I believe we are doing the wrong thing if we just build on ourself, or other people, or tradition. We should build on God's holy Scriptures.
I have tried to write everything out of love and meant everything good. We are weak and I may have written things that I should not have. Please feel free to let us know if you see things that we should not have written, and please show us from the Bible where we are doing wrong.
Let's keep praying for each other. May our Heavenly Father bless you all, and lead us all to know His true will.
All the Best Wishes from Son Abraham
7-7-2001
Dear Parents,
First wishing you the rich blessings and grace of our Heavenly Father.
This leaves us on a Saturday morning at 9:20. The purple martins are chirping their nice music. The sun is shining through some clouds and there is a nice cool breeze going.
Well, I would like to answer your letters the best I can.
I am so glad you enjoyed your trip to Canada and Ohio. Yes, I can imagine Salome leaving home like that was a very hard shock and it was so unexpected to us. We could not understand it. And yes, I think Salome should come home and obey you as long as you do not teach her to disobey GOD.
I want to write down some things which you write in your June letter and then explain my view on it:
You wrote: "I think it's very dangerous to not try and be obedient to Christian and faithful parents, and not stay with them from which you were taught from youth. 11 Thess.2:15; Therefore brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle."
Paul was telling them to hold on to what he was TEACHING, not what people are teaching today! The things that Paul wrote are the commandments of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:37)
I believe if we only do those things which our forefathers taught us and not make improvements, we will go down hill very fast. Each generation loses alot of things if they do not make improvements according to God's Word. Isaiah 9:16 says: "For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed." That is why we should not put our trust in MAN to lead us the right way. Psalm 146:3 says: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help."
I wish you could see to teach your children straight from the Scriptures and not from the church's view. Your children do not belong to the church; they are YOUR'S, and you need to teach them and not allow the church to get in between you and your children.
Say; the church allows courtship the way they do; you should have the right to say you can not allow this! Or same with smoking or beard-trimming; you have the right not to allow such things from your children even if the church says it is okay. The church is not your childrens' parents, but YOU are. I believe your church is getting in between parents and children far too much. They are causing the children to dishonor their parents just like the Jewish church did in Jesus' days. Please read Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 7:1-13.
If children want to have courtships they way the church allows, and the parents want it different, then the children can complain to the church and the church usually supports the child to dishonor the parents. Do you remember the case in your area? And I have heard, so it goes with smoking or beard-trimming.
I also believe parents have the right to help the children choose partners, and not just allow their children to marry anyone who is a so-called "good standing member of the church." The parents should get to personally know their child's partner and be concerned about their spiritual values according to the Scriptures and not just according to "abiding by the church rules."
I do not want to make the load heavier for you, and I do not want to say you did things wrong that cause Salome to leave. We have all made mistakes. But yet, I would like to help you make improvements. I believe it would be very wise to have a job for Ananias at home.
You wrote: "So it's out in the light for me or to me to see that disobedient people can very easily go astray."
Did you mean people that are disobedient to the HUMAN CHURCH or to GOD?
You also wrote: "The letter you wrote us......what you took for Scriptures in the old times is naturlich and we need to understand them spiritually in the new law by faith through Christ."
So do you mean that we could disobey God physically without disobeying Him spiritually? I do not see how it would be possible to break God's law physically without breaking them spiritually. Please explain.
The best thing that we can do for Isaac and Salome right now is to earnestly pray for them. Yes Ananias was here a little two weeks ago today, and Desanisa the following Tuesday. Was nice to se them.
I am now reading your June 24 letter. Yes, we certainly want to try to help get the family back together in God's hands. Yes, we have not been going to church regular anymore and are considering quitting. I would like to briefly explain why, so that you may understand if you want to.
The first thing that started really discouraging me from going anymore was the outcome of the three Ohio Bishops down here this Spring, seeing that the leaders do not seem to want to improve according to God's Word; but are stuck in their own ways; not listening to the members but banning most of those who disagreed with them. I believe 2 Thessalonians 2:4 is being fulfilled in the smarten church and most other churches. The way I hear they are banning people, only because they disagreed with the Bishops, and not because of what they disagreed about. I believe they have even banned people for keeping God's commandments. What else can that be than exalting themselves above God? Working directly against God? Those are very serious things.
One of the Ohio Bishops preached that parents should teach their children the Re gel and morning of the church. Well, that sounded very strange to me. Jesus taught God's commandments much higher than the human rules. He taught to obey God rather than men in Matthew 15:1-9 and Mark 7:1-13. now today, we see Amish people breaking God's commandments in order to keep the CHURCH rules.
Since are children are getting old enough to understand some of the preaching, we are very concerned about having them listen to some of the preaching that we see as untrue. They way they teach Sault's disobedience to God......... They teach that if you disobey the Bishop or church, you are like Sault's. But the Scriptures say: "Saul transgressed the commandment of the Lord and obeyed the people." 1 Samuel 15:24.
I believe it would be easier for our children if they would not have to hear such confusion. I can also not agree with the Amish idea of baptism, punishment by the church, and banning and shunning the way they do. I believe we are baptized into Christ and not into the human church. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27. I believe baptism by immersion would be the proper way because it more perfectly represents being buried with Him by baptism into death. Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12. Although I believe the spiritual baptism is much more important.
I believe once someone confessses their mistakes or sins and repents, we are to forgive him; not put him in the ban or punish him any other way. Even if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying 'I repent,' thou shalt forgive him. Luke 17:4; Matthew 18:21,22,35; Mark 11:26; Luke 6:37, 11:4.
Of course, if a sinner does not repent, then Jesus' instructions need to be followed in Matthew 18:15-17. But only if he is proven to be sinning, which is breaking God's law. Whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4
You wrote: "A church cannot stand on the foundation of Christ if we don't have rules and standards in church, we are liable to break away from Christlicher glauben."
You are right if the rules and standards are from the Scriptures. But that is a very dangerous statement if you meant MAN-made rules and standards. Jesus was on His disciples' side when they transgressed the tradition of the elders. And He strongly taught against keeping human rules above God's commandments in Matthew 15:1-9 and Mark 7:1-13. Please also read Isaiah 29:13; Hosea 5:11; Colossians 2:20-23. I would be glad if you would show us if you see us breaking some of God's commandments.
You wrote: "According to the Scripture, we can have good hopes for our salvation to follow the examples of our getreue forefathers."
Please tell me which book, chapter, and verse you read that in the Scripture. I have not found it yet. Yes we do need to continue praying for each other and try to help each other in the Lord.
I hope I have not written too boldly. I felt like I need to share my thoughts. And you are welcome to comment or question on this letter or share your thoughts.
P.S.
Another reason that we do not have much mood to go to church is the repeating of certain verses that many preachers make. Sometimes you hear certain verses rattled off four or five times the same day and so every two weeks. I must wonder if it might be vain repetition. The verses are wonderful, but if they are repeated so many times, they can easily become meaningless to the listeners. They also do not allow those who are sitting to speak, if they have been revealed something; the way Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:30.
I am also seeing that the Bishops do not allow a free vote in the council meetings. I see people being banned if they disagree with the church rules, and this causes many people to lie rather than be banned. I have known many people who did not agree with everything, yet they went to council meeting and said "I agree." And I have to confess, I was one of them. I am afraid this is what Proverbs 11:14 is saying to many Amish churches because they do not allow a true, free counsel. Where no counsel is, the people fall.
It seems like many people go to church mainly to socialize and to have fun. They would probably think someone is losing their mind if someone would start talking about Scriptural things before or after services.
Best Wishes to you.
In Christian Love,
Your Son Abraham