A church? Well, it was rather two centres with very different cultures. One man brought the two ends together and laid many additional foundations. Friedrich Wilhelm Menkhoff was called as an Apostle 150 years ago. Friedrich Wilhelm Menkhoff was born on 2 February 1826 in Wallenbrück (Germany). This is a portrait of him as a […]

Passiontide is not a sad time. After all, Jesus paved the way into the kingdom of God for us with His sacrifice. What we still have to do to be able enter it, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider recently developed in a divine service. Photo: NAK Süddeutschland Photo: NAK Süddeutschland Photo: NAK Süddeutschland Photo: NAK Süddeutschland […]

Sealing is a sacrament with a history. And its roots can be traced back to the early Christian centuries. Here is an overview of the ten articles in our series on this topic and a look ahead on what is up next. It is a must. Jesus Himself made this clear: “Most assuredly, I say […]

When asked how a Christian receives the Holy Spirit, the New Apostolic Church’s answer to the question is: through Holy Sealing. Our sacramental understanding and its points of reference in the Bible and in church history are detailed below. The New Apostolic sacraments have their source in the life and activity of Jesus Christ. This […]

Is Holy Sealing a heritage of the Catholic Apostolic Church? The term as such perhaps, but not necessarily what we associate with it. Here is some more on the ins and outs in the history of the New Apostolic Church. By 1951 at the latest, there were worlds between them: sealing as it was understood […]

The rebirth out of water and Spirit: what began as a rite in two parts developed into two independent sacraments. The catalyst was the overwhelming success of Christendom. We are in the fourth century. The baptistries that adjoined the episcopal churches were abuzz with activity. Things really took off when Emperor Constantine himself converted to […]

How does the believer receive the Holy Spirit? The Bible remains ambiguous and leaves quite a few gaps with respect to this question. Answers begin to develop of the early church. And this foundation stands to this day. Signs—more signs are needed! Yes indeed, there is the baptism of water, the drowning of the old […]

This much is clear: baptism with water and the imparting of the gift of the Holy Spirit are closely linked. But how? Concerning this, the New Testament provides several answers at once. And they do not always fit together. It is a must—this is something Jesus Himself made clear: “Unless one is born of water […]

What distinguishes the New Apostolic doctrine from that of other faiths? This question and others like it come up time and again. Depending on the context, the answer to this question can be longer or shorter. But most often it involves one key concept: Holy Sealing. The New Apostolic Church acknowledges three sacraments. And just […]

Who cares about the children? Who is responsible for their religious upbringing? Many, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider says. A look at love, responsibility, and the structures of the Church. In the year 400 BC, Plato, through Socrates, called his contemporaries to epimeleia tés psyché, that is, to “care for the soul”. The Greek philosopher wanted […]

So far in our series on the sacraments in the church of Christ we have explored Holy Baptism. Now we are moving on to take a closer look at Holy Communion. What is the position of the New Apostolic Church? Holy Communion, as Holy Baptism, is a sacrament that all Christian Churches share in common. […]

Acknowledging the baptisms of other denominations is not as simple as it sounds, and the journey there has had its ups and downs in church history. A number of things had to be set into motion before the New Apostolic Church was in a position to acknowledge the baptisms of other Christian denominations. “Holy Baptism […]

Incense, candles, ornate robes? Without Apostle Menkhoff, divine services in the New Apostolic Church would perhaps still look like this today. Here is a tribute on the 125th anniversary of his death. Friedrich Wilhelm Menkhoff was born on 2 February 1826 in Wallenbrück (Germany). This is a portrait of him as a young man. Photo: […]

The New Testament is largely silent on how a baptism is supposed to be performed. But the Bible has a lot to say about what the sacrament means. Here is an overview. No, Scripture does not unfold a separate and self-contained doctrine of baptism, but it does provide quite a few pieces to the jigsaw, […]

It is the fundamental sacrament: baptism makes a human being into a Christian. But how is it to be celebrated? Jesus said next to nothing on that subject. It is not even clear whether He Himself ever baptised anyone. Following is a due and proper search for clues … How easy it is when it […]

Living, working and believing in Malaysia. This is what Evangelist Loganathan Ramaurty Lawrence (51), the rector of the congregation in Kuala Lumpur, tells us about. And he reveals what gives him strength to dedicate himself the way he does. The congregation of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) after the service on Thanksgiving Day 2019 Photo: privat Evangelist […]

Baptism is as old as the New Testament. It is both a bone of contention as well as a binding element among Christians. Some see it as a rite of entry into Christian life, others regard it as merely a private celebration. In fact, it is more than people think! “I am baptised.” Christians actually […]

Who is entitled to dispense the sacraments? The various Christian denominations have some very similar answers to that question—even though they all come from very different perspectives in arriving at them. Also common to all of them is the one big exception. The Protestant denominational family talks about the “universal priesthood of all believers”, which […]