The Libertarian Christian Podcast From Incarnation to Ecclesia: Theology of the Lowly Body of Christ, with Javan Lapp
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Jan 23, 2026 Javan Lapp, a manufacturing executive, amateur historian, and Mennonite writer, walks through Pilgram Marpeck’s 16th-century Anabaptist vision. He explores incarnation-shaped ecclesiology, the tension between voluntary faith and state Christianity, embodied sacraments and practice, debates with spiritualists, and the call to cruciform humility in church life.
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Marpeck's Middle Way
- Pilgram Marpeck critiqued both legalistic Swiss Anabaptists and disembodied spiritualists, seeking a middle way that keeps spirit and body together.
- He argued the church must be visibly embodied in sacraments, communal life, and voluntary faith rather than coerced by the state.
Voluntarism As Core Conviction
- Voluntarism was central to Anabaptist identity: faith must be free, sincere, and noncoerced, which shaped adult baptism and separate voluntary churches.
- Marpeck warned that institutional rules risk replacing Spirit-led conversion with imposed behavior.
Pause Before Church Discipline
- Leave room for voluntary movement of the Spirit and avoid rushing to harsh discipline when fruit isn't yet visible.
- Exercise humility in judging others' faith and allow time for genuine transformation.
