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The Secret of the Strength

What Would the First Anabaptists Tell This Generation?

Compiled from a series of articles written by Peter Hoover, Costa Rica, 1990-1991, first published by Benchmark Press, Pennsylvania, reprinted Elmendorf Books, Minnesota. Also appearing on-line in Spanish and Portuguese, and published in German.

The Secret

of the kingdom of God has been given to you,” Christ told his followers—and a few fishermen, a tax collector, and a motley crowd of Jerusalem “believers” set out to change the world.

They succeeded.

In sixteenth century Europe, the Anabaptists preaching in cities by night, on back streets, and in wood corners behind rail fences began to do the same. What was their secret? In this book you may study what they accomplished as long as they remembered it and what they lost when they forgot it.

Was their secret a return to the Bible? No, they were far more than Biblicists.  Was it a return to the apostolic way? No, they were far more than keepers of tradition. Fundamentalism and traditionalism have never held Christianity together nor made it work.

The “secret of the kingdom of God” is stunningly simple. With two words Christ revealed it to his friends, who—upon comprehending it—came to a sudden knowledge of the will of God, of the whole Bible, and of the right way to live.

The purpose of this book is to help many more to comprehend the same.

Title Pages
Introduction
1. A Man Hanging from his Thumb
2. What Was the Secret of the Strength?
3. The Woman who had a Baby in Jail
4. From Where Did the Anabaptists come?
5. Literarily . . . an Explosion!
6. On to Jesus
7. On to Conviction
8. On to the Teachings of Christ
9. On to the Word
10. On to a New Life
11. On to Baptism
12. On to the Covenant
13. On to Communion
14. On to Community
15. On to Visibility
16. On With the Message
17. On to Witness
18. On to Peace
19. On to an Ethical Way of Life
20. On to Modesty
21. On to Christian Families
22. On to Christian Service
23. In Spite of Terrible Mistakes
24. A Bull in the China Shop
25. Zu de Gmehsleid
26. To the Outsiders
27. The Last Chapter