The parable of the weeds
by Ernest D. Martin, Columbiana, Ohio
I am surprised (to put it mildly) The Mennonite published “The Parable of the Weeds” (Aug. 21). This interpretation of the parable is what the state church leaders of Christendom have used to justify the concept of an invisible true church within the territorial mass church. Menno Simons and other Anabaptists vigorously opposed this faulty exegesis. Jesus said explicitly that the field is the “world” (not the church). The Anabaptists understood Jesus to be calling for a visible church in which binding and loosing takes place. For what Jesus said about church discipline we need to turn to Matthew 18 (not mentioned in the article).
This is not to say that church discipline has not been wrongly exercised at times. But using Jesus’ parable of the weeds in support of a Christendom perspective does not fit with the excellent articles on the journey of Constantine and the opportunities for the church to be the church in this post-Christendom age.
Associated Issue: Church or family first? - Aug. 21, 2007
Associated Article: The parable of the weeds
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