Belgic Confession Article 18 Anabaptist heresy

Good day,

What is historical reason for the explicit reference to Anabaptist here in this confession?

Do Anabaptist as a whole deny that Jesus received his flesh from his mother? Thus putting him in the line of David?

Belgic Confession Article 18

So then we confess
that God fulfilled the promise

made to the early fathers and mothers
by the mouth of the holy prophets

when he sent the only and eternal Son of God
into the world
at the time appointed.

The Son took the “form of a slave”
and was made in “human form,”34

truly assuming a real human nature,
with all its weaknesses,
except for sin;
being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
without male participation.

And Christ not only assumed human nature

as far as the body is concerned

but also a real human soul,

in order to be a real human being.

For since the soul had been lost as well as the body,
Christ had to assume them both
to save them both together.

Therefore we confess

(against the heresy of the Anabaptists
who deny that Christ assumed
human flesh from his mother)

that Christ shared the very flesh and blood of children;35
being the fruit of the loins of David according to the flesh,36
descended from David according to the flesh;37
the fruit of the womb of the virgin Mary;38
born of a woman;39
the seed of David;40
the root of Jesse;41
descended from Judah,42

having descended from the Jews according to the flesh;

descended from Abraham—

having assumed descent from Abraham and Sarah,
and was made like his brothers and sisters,

yet without sin.43

In this way Christ is truly our Immanuel—

that is: “God with us.”44

34Phil. 2:7
35Heb. 2:14
36Acts 2:30
37Rom. 1:3
38Luke 1:42
39Gal. 4:4
402 Tim. 2:8
41Rom. 15:12
42Heb. 7:14
43Heb. 2:17; 4:15
44Matt. 1:23

Thanks for helping!

Bill

Of the Kingdom said:

The best explanation I found about this doctrine was written by Doug Kaufman at https://themennonite.org/feature/menno-got-wrong-difference-makes/ . It was known as the "celestial flesh" doctrine, teaching that Christ's body was not derived from Mary, but newly created by God. Menno Simons apparently believed in the celestial flesh doctrine, and Mennonites were divided over it for at least several decades. Doug says,

"The Dordrecht Confession, the Dutch confession that Swiss and German Mennonites gradually adopted as they migrated to America, refuses to be too specific about the nature of Christ, not wanting to offend one side or another in these discussions."

Click to expand...

Good Day, Of The Kingdom

Thank you!!