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The Brethren Movement and John Darby in the 1800s and Today (Ep. 44)
Today, there’s a great need for western Christians to get back to following the practices of the churches in the New Testament. Our western evangelical culture is largely hindered by unbiblical structures, conceptions, and customs having to do with our churches. By far, the most unbiblical and dangerous among these is the idea of a divide between a “clergy” or “ministry” and a “laity,” or normal Christians. What does it take to combat errors like this? To find out, we can look to a small group of believers who took radical steps to follow the teachings of the apostles in the early 1800s.
The group Chris and Casey discuss in this episode are lesser known, but have had a huge impact on western evangelical Christianity throughout the centuries. They began in 1820s Ireland, with the formation of small Christian groups that separated from the Anglican Church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in their homes. Then, a group like this was formed in Plymouth, England, under the leadership of John N. Darby. What distinguished them from most of their contemporaries was their refusal to wear a denominational label, their rejection of a separate class of professional leaders, and their practice of allowing any gifted man to offer a word of encouragement or instruction. Although they developed as they went, their fundamental tenets remained the same – keep the Lord’s Supper at the center, allow all believers to exercise their gifts in their meetings, and keep the assembly leaders as a humble group of mature men who simply exercise unique leadership gifts as the elders and shepherds.
We discuss the history of the Brethren movement, from their beginnings in Ireland, to their separation into the Open and Exclusive Brethren, and then to the beginnings and spread of Darby's Dispensationalism in the 1800s. You will also learn about the great faults and mistakes that were made in the early days, as well as in more recent times. Then, we talk about how we can employ their good ideas and practices today.
Please consider subscribing and sharing this podcast to spread the knowledge of the King’s working hand to more people!
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By Christopher G. VanDusenToday, there’s a great need for western Christians to get back to following the practices of the churches in the New Testament. Our western evangelical culture is largely hindered by unbiblical structures, conceptions, and customs having to do with our churches. By far, the most unbiblical and dangerous among these is the idea of a divide between a “clergy” or “ministry” and a “laity,” or normal Christians. What does it take to combat errors like this? To find out, we can look to a small group of believers who took radical steps to follow the teachings of the apostles in the early 1800s.
The group Chris and Casey discuss in this episode are lesser known, but have had a huge impact on western evangelical Christianity throughout the centuries. They began in 1820s Ireland, with the formation of small Christian groups that separated from the Anglican Church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in their homes. Then, a group like this was formed in Plymouth, England, under the leadership of John N. Darby. What distinguished them from most of their contemporaries was their refusal to wear a denominational label, their rejection of a separate class of professional leaders, and their practice of allowing any gifted man to offer a word of encouragement or instruction. Although they developed as they went, their fundamental tenets remained the same – keep the Lord’s Supper at the center, allow all believers to exercise their gifts in their meetings, and keep the assembly leaders as a humble group of mature men who simply exercise unique leadership gifts as the elders and shepherds.
We discuss the history of the Brethren movement, from their beginnings in Ireland, to their separation into the Open and Exclusive Brethren, and then to the beginnings and spread of Darby's Dispensationalism in the 1800s. You will also learn about the great faults and mistakes that were made in the early days, as well as in more recent times. Then, we talk about how we can employ their good ideas and practices today.
Please consider subscribing and sharing this podcast to spread the knowledge of the King’s working hand to more people!