A Pilgrimage Of Faith, J.B. Toews, 1993

rning the character and walk of the redeemed community. Only in 1902 did they find it expe- dient to prepare a confession of faith, The slightly altered Ger- man Baptist confession that Elder Abram Unger submitted as a document to the Russian government, was never recognized as a Mennonite Brethren statement. The 1902 confession, to which Mennonite Brethren have since subscribed in principle, was more a descriptive statement of scriptural understanding than a definitive theological statement. The process used in adopting this descriptive document of faith was significant. Individual churches studied the scriptur- al bases of the various sections before adopting them at the congregational level. The document's concluding statement emphasized that the understandings were to be subject to the continued scrutiny of biblical teaching under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.6 The criteria of faith rested in the evidences of a new life (John 3:3, 2 Cor, 5:17) based on repentance, an experience of personal conversion resulting in an assurance of sins forgiven and the witness of the Spirit that '"we are the children of God" (Rom, 8:16). The early Mennonite Brethren tested the claim of faith against the evidences of "being" and "relationships* measured by the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25), Their faith commitment was one of obedience to Scripture after the ex- ample of Jesus and the apostolic teachings related both to in- dividual character and human relationships. To claim to be- lieve the Bible as the Word of God meant to study it individu- ally and communally and apply it to life.7 COMMITMENT TO SCRIPTURE The records of the early Russian Mennonite Brethren Con- ference and local churches (1876-1900) provided little evi- dence of creedal concern, The point of reference for them was not a codified statement but the study of Scripture in or- 18 A PEOPLE OF BIBUOCENTRIC FAITH der to find answers to questions arising in the life of the church. "What does the Bible say?" was their major concern.8 Their understanding of salvation was rooted in a "Christo- centric theology." Briefly stated, this meant a fervent belief in Jesus Christ as God incarnate, his vicarious death and victori- ous resurrection as the all-sufficient provision for the redemp- tion of sinful humanity, and his coming again to receive his own and to judge the world. To believe in Jesus as Savior meant "to follow Jesus in life," as Hans Denk had said cen- turies earlier. The model for the redeemed community, the church, was that of the apostolic fellowship, the church as found in