The Christadelphians
Christadelphians are found in most English speaking countries. The sect is small when
compared to the Mormons or Watchtower society but is very vocal and forthright in
claims to truth, predictions of future events and denunciations of Christian churches.
Christians, on the whole, know little about the Christadelphians. A young Christian
shared with the writer how he had gone to numerous Christian literature outlets searching
for information and found none. There are now websites dedicated to exposing the
history and teachings of Christadelphianism.
Encountering the Christadelphians
I grew up near a Christadelphian family whose children attended our country school.
Their children were exempt from religious instruction and the weekly assembly when we
saluted the flag and honoured our sovereign. At the time, we didn’t understand the
significance of these things.
The family had converted to Christadelphia and became extremely zealous for their
cause. They were long time friends of our family and continued to be. However, a chasm
existed as far as beliefs were concerned. The Christadelphians condemned churches and
challenged Christian doctrine. This was in the days of the Billy Graham crusades and
they had very negative things to say about the message of the visiting evangelist from
America.
My father was a prominent Methodist local preacher and, like Appollos in the book of
Acts, was a man ‘mighty in the scriptures.’ Along with my two brothers I had accepted
Christ as my personal Saviour at the Graham crusades – a very wonderful and fulfilling
experience. When the Christadelphian man heard about it he told me in very stern terms
that what I had done was wrong, churches were in error and Christadelphians, alone, had
‘the truth.’
Dad owned a small dairy and managed a larger property about eight kilometres away on a
back road. The Christadelphian family lived alongside the road that we travelled to the
managed property. Many a time as we approached their home in our Holden FX utility
the Christadelphian man walked onto the road with his hand held high for us to stop.
As Dad pulled over to the side of the road and partly wound down the window a
conversation would start something like this: ‘Reginald, about that verse in John’s
gospel----.’ An intense discussion would develop. I sat and listened.
While the two men were engrossed in their conversation I was aware that our sheep dog,
in the back of the utility, was growling over the side at our nieghbour’s dog who was
reciprocating with snarls and bared teeth. It wasn’t long before our dog sprang out to
fight the neighbour’s dog. The conversation halted as we tried to separate the dogs. This
type of things occurred a lot – nearly always concluding with a dog fight.
I remember being invited to some evening lectures at Christadelphians meetings. As soon
as the meeting concluded they promptly asked what I thought of it. This is common
Christadelphian practice.
The big night
On one occasion we were asked to hear a special speaker at the home of our
Christadelphian neighbours – a Mr. Mansfield. I was about fifteen at the time and
accompanied my father. Cars were parked all around the place and people crammed into
what seemed to be every room of the house. Dad and I were ushered to two vacant chairs
just opposite the speaker. I was puzzled to know why the chairs were reserved.
Dad and I and two other local men were the only non Christadlephians. We listened to a
lengthy discourse from the speaker who, incidentally, was their top debater. He was a
very short man and spoke in a quick jab like style. The subject was ‘The Promises made
to Abraham.’
After the talk our neighbour turned to my father and said, ‘Now Reginald, what do you
say to that?’
My father rose to his feet and spoke forthrightly about his beliefs. When he sat down he
was attacked by the speaker and a lot of cross fire was exchanged.
I left that meeting feeling something very wrong had occurred. My father was put on a
spot and, from then on, I had a thing about Christadelphia. Is this the way they operate?
After the meeting several Chistadelphians asked my father whether they could meet with
us in our home. Dad agreed. Three men drove from Adelaide one evening to meet with
Dad and two of his brothers. But nothing was gained.
A Failed Prediction
I was interested in the prophetic side of Christadelphia. The sect had caught the attention
of many through it’s predictions which focused mainly on Israel and Russia. At the time,
tensions between the nuclear super powers and the prospect of atomic warfare made the
world a nervous place.
The Christadelphians placed expensive advertisements in newspapers about the threat of
Russia, the future of Israel and the impending ‘Armageddon.’
There was one part of their predictions that caught my interest. Their newspaper
advertisements stated that Britain would remain apart from Europe. French president De
Gualle, at the time, vigourously opposed British entry into the EEC and, for a time, it
appeared that the Christadelphians were right.
But then, sensational newspaper headlines scuttled the Christadelphian prediction. Great
Britain was accepted as a member nation of the EEC.
According Christadelphians, the prediction was based on Bible prophecy. The question in
my mind was: Is the Bible wrong – or, were the Christadelphians wrong?
Other predictions tottered and crashed. The disintegration of the Soviet Union defied
their most dogmatic forecasts.
Nothing gained
Over the years many exchanges took place and we never seemed to dent the
Christadelphian viewpoint. Eventually I put the idea of influencing them in the ‘too hard
basket.’
Years later two prominent Jehovah’s Witnesses were converted to Christ. They ran a
seminar on understanding cults. I found this very helpful. One of the things that puzzled
me as a young person was the Christadelphian claim to be Bible based in their teachings.
We believed the same Bible and our beliefs were very different to theirs. I was also
getting literature from the World Wide Church of God - another group claiming to
exclusively represent Bible truth.
The cult seminar worked its way through the characteristics of what was termed a ‘cult.’
This was a new term for me and I became aware of a cult mentality – an imposing
authority of teaching and community.
Cult features included ‘exclusivity,’ ‘extra biblical revelation.’ ‘deferred salvation,’
‘devaluation of Christ,’ etc. I shared with the presenters my experience with the
Christadelphians and they encouraged me to research the movement.
Discovery
Once when working away from home I met a young fellow who had recently converted
to Christadelphia. He gave me a copy of a book – Christendom Astray – by Robert
Roberts. As I read it I noted the exact same things that our Christadelphian neighbours
told us – the same Bible texts – the same reasoning.
I recognised then, a dictated belief system, a system based on a very negative book with a
very negative title. Here was the source of Christadelphian teaching. Christadelphian
teaching is not, as claimed, a return to apostolic faith based solely on scripture. It is based
on the writings of men like John Thomas and Robert Roberts.
Later I met an ex-Christadelphian. I read some of his books that were more for those
inside the group. One of them was entitled ‘The Apocalypse Epitomised.’ As I read the
book which was a commentary on the book of Revelation condensed from Dr Thomas’s
Eureka I was puzzled by a recurring phrase, ‘The Multitudinous Christ.’ I had never
heard of it.
I showed the book to the cult presenter who too, was equally puzzled. I examined other
publications such as Elpis Israel – a primary source of teaching for Christadelphians. It
was written by the founder, a Dr John Thomas, a medical practitioner.
In Elpis Israel I found a chapter entitled, ‘Dissertation on the Elohim.’ This short chapter
revealed the core teaching of Christadelphia. When I came to page 187 I read the most
bizarre speculation I had ever read in any religious literature. See comments later.
Other Christadelphian literature was acquired and a picture began to emerge of a belief
system based on the authoritative teaching of a man who was hailed as a ‘pioneer’ – one
who they believed had rediscovered apostolic truth. A similar claim had been made by
and for Herbert W Armstrong, founder of the World Wide Church of God.
Ex Christadelphians
I was privileged to meet a number of ex-Christadelphians. They told of their experiences and
were very interested in my discoveries. It appears that many Christadelphians are not fully
aware of the nature of their teaching. They assume that their sect is the right one – the
custodian of ‘truth.’
Brain washing
As I learned more about Christadelphians a subtle brainwashing technique became
apparent. Christadelphianism exploits the word, ‘Truth.’ If some one converts to
Christadelphianism they would say that they have come into ‘The Truth.’ They drench
their brains with the word, ‘Truth.’
The other side to ‘brainwashing’ is the destruction of one’s former beliefs. Like other
cults, Christadelphianism has ruthlessly attacked the beliefs of the churches. The first
chapter of Dr Thomas’s book, Elpis Israel, scathingly assaults the teaching of mainline
churches.
The person who comes into contact with Christadelphia will soon hear a preponderance
of the word ‘Truth,’ along with subtle teaching that undermines the belief of others.
The Bible says: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness.’ Isaiah 5:20
Precarious Hope
What does Christadelphia offer? – an uncertain hope.
I once asked a Christadelphian about his hope. He mentioned baptism as a starting point
which must be followed by a life of consistent living. He said that we could expect to find
him missing one day. That would be when Christ returns and takes him to a valley in
Israel where he must face judgment to see if he should be found ‘worthy.’
I have since checked some Christadelphian literature and we do need to read the fine
print. On one hand the individual is offered ‘immortalisation’ to become a ‘co-ruler with
Christ’ on earth and have power over the nations etc. But, like a lot of advertising,
‘conditions’ apply.
Christadelphians have said Mt Sinai as the place of judgment. They expect to be
summoned to a deep valley in it’s terrain to be individually judged by Christ who will
have secretly returned to the earth. This is said to be a very anxious time and that a
minority will be accepted.
One writer said, ‘It is possible that a full review of our lives will be made in the presence
of the angels and that we will then appear before Christ for his final judgment which by
then the discerning will have anticipated.’
‘It is certain that the period of judgment will be relatively short, for to extend it over a
period of many years would be an intolerable burden upon those waiting for Christ’s
verdict. There have been a number of suggestions as to how the Lord will remove the
anxiety of his servants as they await their call to stand before him. We mention two that
are worthy of consideration.
1. The angels will gather the responsible to Mt Sinai and will undertake a review of
each individual’s life, by the end of which it will be obvious which way Christ’s
verdict will go. They will then await their call to stand before him, probably in
groups, and will receive his decision.
2. The angels will convey the responsible to the judgment seat and usher them
immediately into Christ’s presence. The judge will separate the just from the
unjust and the two groups will then await their time to give a personal account
and receive their reward or punishment
We prefer the first suggestion because it will remove the anxiety of waiting for an
indication of our destiny while still allowing time for the true character of the just and
unjust to be revealed in the presence of Christ.’
The above quotations are taken from the publication, ‘Events Subsequent To the Return
of Christ.’
Robert Roberts writes, ‘Only a few will be counted worthy. The precious gift is offered to
all; but it is conditional. It is not to be given to the faithless and impure. Perfection of
character must precede perfection of nature. Moral fitness is the indispensable prerequisite, and God is the judge and the pre-scriber of the peculiar moral fitness necessary
in the case.’ Christendom Astray, p54
Comments and questions:
I ask, ‘How many will the valley in Sinai accommodate?’
The Bible says nothing about Mt Sinai being the location of judgment. In fact it says:
‘For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire,
nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated
that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch
the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to
God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that
speaketh better things than that of Abel.’ Heb 12:18-24
The writer of ‘Events Subsequent to the Return of Christ’ referred to a ‘preponderance of
goats’ and referred to Matthew 25. The passage in Matthew 25 about the sheep and the
goats refers to the judgment of the nations – not to an exclusive group waiting in the
rocky terrain of Mt Sinai.
The Bible speaks of a general judgment of mankind. See Hebrews 9:27, 12:23.
Jesus said: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed
from death unto life.’ John 5:24
‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’
John 3:17-18
The Bible Hope. What a contrast to the precarious predicament of Christadelphians is
the hope of the Bible.
‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.’ Rom
5:1-6
‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in
hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Rom 15:13
‘Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the
saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and
bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace
of God in truth.’ Col 1:4-6
‘Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the
immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in
which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of
the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after
the order of Melchisedec.’ Heb 6:17-20
To the reader: Lay hold of the hope that Christ has set before us – a sure and certain hope
(‘strong consolation’) – free from the tenuousness and anxiety offered by the
Christadlephians.
The plight of children
A very callous side of Christadelphianism is their teaching about the young. Robert
Roberts writes: Those who are excluded from eternal life are divided into two classes --those whose misfortunes prevent them from believing, even if they heard the word, such
as idiots and very young children.’ Christendon Astray p.54
Ex Christadelphians have told of their trauma in childhood, believing one day their
parents would be taken and they be left.
What a contrast to the teaching of our Saviour who said:
‘Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the
kingdom of God.’ Mark 10:14
What is Christadelphianism? Christadelphianism, as I see it, is hard to concisely
define. I will endeavour to identify some of its salient characteristics. It has very little in
common with evangelical and orthodox churches and it’s core beliefs alien to the Bible.
Polythiestic
Christadelphianism is a religion of many ‘gods.’ For them, ‘there are gods many and
lords many.’ The subtle thing about the movement is that it claims to believe in one God.
Yet, it is quick to deny that its teaching is Unitarian.
One may read many of its books and pamphlets – and even statements of faith and not
pick up on its polytheism (belief in more than one God).
Their polytheism is qualified by saying that each of the creator gods is energised by a
single power source. He is referred to as ‘THE STRENGTH of the POWERFUL ONES.’
Phanerosis p.50
‘The Father - Power is One; the Son-Power is the One Father Power in plural
manifestation; and the manifestation is developed by Free Spirit emanation from the
Father Power.’ P.56
The polytheism of Dr Thomas is very similar to Mormon concepts of ‘gods.’ However, it
is cleverly concealed within a doctrine labeled ‘God-manifestation.’
Dr Thomas in his speculation of the creator ‘gods’ says, ‘It is credible, rather, that they
were once animal men of other spheres; that in a former state, they were “made subject to
vanity not willingly”; ---that they succumbed to death as mortal men; that they rose from
the dead, and so attained to incorruptibility and immortality as the Elohim of the Invisible
God.’
He goes on to say, ‘Our mundane system is but the pattern of things in other worlds,
which may ere this have obtained to that perfection which awaits the earth; and probably
an illustration of what may even now obtain in other planets where the inhabitants have
not yet progressed beyond the animal and probationary era of their history.’
The speculation climaxes in these words: ‘BEHOLD THEN THE CONSUMATION!
Mortal and corruptible beings like ourselves become Elohim, mighty in strength, and
framers of new worlds, of which the planet we inhabit, even its present state, is a grand
and glorious specimen.’ Elpis Israel p.187
Thomas postulated a universal process of populating planets. The occupiers of one planet
progress from mortality to immortality and ‘godhood.’ They, then, continue the process
by colonising other planetary bodies.
Note these words from ‘Elpis Israel p.33, ‘…when the word was spoken by “the Holy
Gods…”
Mormons teach in a similar vein. For them, ‘Father God was once a man who was created
by a previous ‘Father God.’ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches an
endless progression from the human to the Divine. ‘As man now is God once was; as
God now is man may become.’
Christadelphians and Mormons each teach a progression from humanity to ‘godhood,’ that creators were, in a previous existence, human or animal like.
When Mormon visitors to our home were asked: ‘Who created the original ‘Father God’
if each one had previously been human – the result of a previous creation?’ The answer
was, ‘Oh, that is very deep.’
The same dilemma confronts Christadelphians. If each successive development of
‘Elohim’ were the result of a previous progression how did the original begin?
Our Mormon visitors were asked to read page 187 of Elpis Israel. With great interest they
absorbed the words of Dr John Thomas without knowing the source of the book. In
amazement they looked up and said, ‘But, this is what we believe!’
Christadelphian writer and researcher, Peter Hemingray, wrote a book entitled, 'John
Thomas His Friends and His Faith.’ There was a section on Dr Thomas and the
Mormons. While it castigated the Mormons, Hemingray said, under the title: 'Doctor
Thomas and the Mormons – Conclusions,
‘There are some obvious similarities between the beliefs of the Mormons and the
beliefs of Doctor Thomas. They both had originally somewhat similar beliefs on the
nature of God...' Page 108
Interesting, that a leading Christadelphian author recognized the link with Mormon
teaching.
Dr Thomas’ teaching about ‘gods’ is strikingly like the speculation of the Greek
philosopher, Plato. Plato wrote: ‘Ye Gods, those gods whose maker I am and those works
whose father I am, being created by me are indissoluble without my consent.’ Timaeus, p.
56. Plato attributed the act of creation to a legion of gods.
What Dr Thomas said:
a. About Jesus: ‘… for He (God) turned the body into Spirit, and made it “one in nature”
with Himself –– the Spirit-Son of the Eternal Spirit, equal in power and glory –– GOD.’
Phanerosis 93
‘…so that what he now is, is what the Deity has always been.’ Eureka Vol 1.p95
b. About His followers: ‘This occurs at the epoch of the resurrection, -- “the
manifestation of the Sons of God,” who all become like him in body as they have been in
faith and practice –– Spirit because born of the Spirit, and therefore God, because, “Spirit
is God.” Phanerosis p 94
‘It is revealed that the Eternal Spirit will create from the dust, and establish upon the
earth, a population, every individual of which shall be like Jesus is now (GOD –see
above) ––glorious, incorruptible of body. And deathless; the Deity bodily manifested in
each of them – and that such a constitution and order of things will obtain in relation to
them as will be suitable to pure and immortal beings – to a world of gods, or Elohim.’
Eureka Vol 1 p.406
‘In other words, the Multitudinous Unity, indicated by Jesus in his prayer, that believers
into him through the Apostolic word” may be one, as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee,
that they also may be ONE IN US” (John 17:21). This unity is many individuals in One
Body. This body when deified is the Nave, or Most Holy, as represented by the thrice
uttered exclamation of the Four Living Ones, “Holy, holy, holy!!!” Eureka Vol 1 p.15
Note: the prayer of Jesus in John 17 stated that he was, already, ‘one with the Father’ (cf John 10:30) - he prayed
for the unity of the disciples ‘that the world may believe.’ He wasn’t praying about a body ‘deified.’
‘BEHOLD THEN THE CONSUMATION! Mortal and corruptible beings like ourselves
become Elohim, mighty in strength, and framers of new worlds, of which the planet we
inhabit, even its present state, is a grand and glorious specimen.’ Elpis Israel p.187
It should be abundantly clear that the speculations of John Thomas, like those of
Mormonism and the ‘God Family’ teaching of Herbert W. Armstrong have seized upon
the words of the serpent of Genesis 3 ‘Ye shall be as God.’
Mans destiny is not Godhood. See Revelation 21:3
‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is
with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself
shall be with them, and be their God.’
Only God is God!
Pantheistic
One of the serious, but rarely recognized, variations between Judaism, orthodox
Christianity and Christadelphianism is the implied pantheism of the latter.
Orthodox Christianity insists that ‘God is Spirit’ (as defined by Jesus in John 4:24) and
totally separate from creation. Christadelphianism, on the other hand identifies God with
creation for it teaches “ex-auto” not “ex nihilo.”
Ex nihilo is the belief that God miraculously created the universe and all matter out of
nothing.
Robert Roberts (disciple of John Thomas) writes in these words:
‘Popular theology teaches that God made all things “out of nothing”. This is evidently
one of the many errors that have long passed current as truth. It has proved an unfortunate
error; for it has brought physical science into needless collision with the Bible. Physical
science has compelled men to accept it as an axiomatic truth that “out of nothing,
nothing can come”, and having been led to believe that the Bible teaches that all things
have been made out of nothing, they have dismissed the Bible as out of the question on
that ground alone. They have taken refuge by preference in various theories that have
recognised the eternity of material force in some form or other.
The Bible teaches that all things have been made out of God –– not out of nothing.’
Christendom Astray p. 82.
Two things need to be said about Robert’s claim that ‘The Bible teaches that all things
have been made out of God –– not out of nothing.’
1. Roberts appealed to the Bible without references!
The fact is - the Bible teaches what Roberts denies. Consider Hebrews 11:3 which
is the foundation of faith.
‘Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.’ Heb
11:3
This verse refutes the rationalism of Roberts who sides with the science of his day
about the eternity of material force. It states that what is seen was not made out of
pre-existent matter.
Scientific theories about the eternity of matter have changed. Science has moved
closer to the Bible teaching of creation ex nihilo.
In 1986, 700 scientists attended the 13th Texas Symposium of Relativistic
Astrophysics, the properties of stars, planets and other bodies. The report said that
‘Much of the talk has focussed on the early history of the universe–– the tiny
fraction of a second after creation when, according to particular physicist, Dr Alan
Guth, the universe inflated from about nine kilograms of mass to what can be seen
today.’ But, note the final comment in the report: ‘It is the question of what came
before inflation that “represents the last frontier in (the study of) the early
universe.’
In 1986 Science came within nine kilograms of the Bible’s teaching of ‘creation
ex nhilo.’
We should consider also a similar verse:
‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not
seen are eternal.’ 2 Cor 4:18
Adam Clarke comments on Heb 11:3: ‘The apostle states that these things were not
made out of a pre-existent matter; for if they were, that matter, however extended or
modified, must appear in that thing into which it is compounded and modified,
consequently it could not be said that the things which are seen are not made of the things
that appear; and he shows us also, by these words, that the present mundane fabric was
not formed or reformed from one anterior, as some suppose.’ (from Adam Clarke's
Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft)
‘Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.’
In Genesis 1. we pick up the omnipotence of the ‘word of God’: ‘‘And God said
…‘
Note how close is Roberts statement to official Mormon doctrine:
‘It is an utterly false and uninspired notion to believe that the world or any other
thing was created out of nothing or that any created thing can be destroyed in the
sense of annihilation. The elements are eternal (D&C 93:33). . . .Now the word
create came from the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of nothing;
it means to organise; the same as a man would organise materials and build a
ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organise the world out of chaos
— chaotic matter. (Mormon Doctrine p.169).
Dr Thomas, founder of Christadelphia writes: ‘Out of Deity all things have
proceeded. His free radiant spirit is the substratum of every existing thing, from
the star of the first magnitude to the minutest insect of the air. The all pervading
electricity is the simple undecomposable radiation “out of” the Divine substances,
which under the fiat of his will, constitutes the atomic nucleus of all bodies, solid,
fluid, or aeriform.’ Eureka Vol 1. p.97
Such, then, was Deity before the appearance of Jesus –– Spirit, substantial and
radiant: substantial in his own person: radiant thence into all the Elohim of the
universe, in whom the radiant matter, by the fiat of the Divine Will, became
fixed, organic, corporeal, and consubstantial with Deity himself.’ Eureka Vol 1 p.
98
To the Mormons we inquire as to where the matter came from that God used to
organize creation?
To the Christadelphians we comment: If God created matter out of himself, as Dr
Thomas states, then it follows that matter is an extension of God, - a very real part
of God.
If God’s ‘free radiant spirit is the substratum of every existing thing’ can we not,
like the pantheistic Hindus - worship ‘every existing thing’?
Are we not coming near to those of whom the Bible speaks: ‘Who changed the
truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the
Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.’ Rom 1:25
Point of interest.
In 1981 Christadelphians published a booklet entitled ‘Mormonism’ and, in it,
summarised ‘a few of the discrepancies between “Mormon” doctrine and Bible
Truth. They identified nine discrepancies. But the one major Mormon error of
man becoming God isn’t mentioned. Why? Is it because Christadelphians believe
the same thing?
A material God
From whence comes such distortions of Biblical truth? We trace it to the source
and the implications are huge for the proper understanding of true faith. I quote
direct from Dr Thomas:
‘We learn from the Bible that the deity it reveals has both body and parts.’
‘Incorruptible and living substance, then is the body of the Deity; and, as the
glorifed Jesus is “the Image of the Invisible theos,” he must have parts.” It is not,
therefore, a figure of speech to speak as the scriptures do, of the hand, ear eye,
and so forth, of the Invisible Eternal Power. He has form and parts, as well as
body, and is the great Archtype, or divine original, after which all the Elohim, or
immortal intelligences, of his universe are modelled and made.’ Eureka Vol 5m
95-96
Again we note the affinities with Mormonism:
‘God the Father is a glorified and perfected Man, a Personage of flesh and bones (D&C
130:22) in which tangible body an eternal spirit is housed. It is in this sense that God is a
Spirit.’ (Mormon Doctrine p.319).
Dr Thomas reasons from Heb 1:3 that if Christ is the ‘express image of his person,’ then,
the Deity must have flesh and bones, hands and feet as Christ had.
What then, is the testimony of scripture? The Bible explicitly states that ‘God is not a
man.’ ‘For I am God, and not man.’ Hos 11:9
If the Bible explicitly states what God isn’t, then what does it say that he is? Jesus
defined God in these words: ‘God is Spirit.’ John 4:24
Not only does the Bible affirm that Deity is Spirit, the statement of Jesus to his startled
disciples in Luke 24:39 invalidates the claims of Thomas and the Mormons that the
“Deity has both body and parts’: ‘Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself:
handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.’
John Thomas notes references in the Bible to arms, face etc, and takes them in a literal
sense. Why doesn’t he refer to ‘feathers’ and ‘wings’? (Psalm 91:4)
In the scheme of Thomas the Deity creates from His own matter – hence matter is an
extension of Deity.
Robert Roberts who aligned himself with the science of his day would now find himself
in ‘collision’ with both science and the Bible.
The New Testament attributes the work of creation in it’s entirety to Christ. It says:
‘All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made.’ John 1:3
Rationalistic
Rationalism, the need to understand things by human reasoning, is a dictating principle in
Christadelphianism.
Being able to reason is a wonderful human faculty. The Bible says, ‘Come now, and let
us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ Isaiah 1:18:
The prodigal son reasoned about his plight in ‘the far country’: ‘And when he came to
himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to
spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be
called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.’ Luke 15:17-19
Our reasoning, however, allows us only so far. Such concepts as infinity, eternity and the
Eternal Being of God leaves us submerged in awe as the following texts show:
‘Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto
perfection?It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? ‘ Job 11:7-8
‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and
my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Isaiah 55:8-9
‘O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the
Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? ‘ Rom 11:33-34
‘Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that
things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.’ Heb 11:3
Rationalising Creation.
A classic case is Dr Thomas’s reasoning about creation. He says: ‘It Is part of the “strong
delusion” which has supplanted the truth, to suppose that the Invisible God left the throne
of the universe on a visit to this region of immensity where like a mechanic building a
house, He worked at creating all things therein.’
‘Such a procedure on the part of the “Only Potentate,” whose abode is in the light, and
whose servants, the Elohim, are innumerable, would have been unfitting His dignity and
underived exaltation. He has revealed Himself to us as a Potentate, a King, a Lord, etc.;
now those who fill these stations commit to others the service of executing their will and
pleasure. And thus it is with the Invisible and eternal Potentate. His kingdom ruleth over
all. His angels, or Elohim, mighty in strength, do his commandments, hearkening unto the
voice of His words. They are His hosts; His ministers, that do his pleasure.’ Elpis Israel
p.185
In childlike rationalism Thomas pictures God as one sitting in a chair giving commands
to others to do his work. But, Jesus said, ‘My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.’ John
5:17
We must hearken to what God reveals: ‘Through faith we understand that the worlds
were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things
which do appear.’ Heb 11:3
Rationalising Christ. Robert Roberts writes:
‘We shall look at the Bible representation of the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. We shall
find that representation in accord with a rational accord of things, enlightening the
understanding as well as satisfying the heart –– agreeing with experience, as well as
revealing something beyond actual observation. We shall find it to supply that consistent
and intelligible information or the First Cause of all things which the intellect of the
noblest creatures He has formed in this sublunay creation craves, and information of a
character such as would be expected to come from such a source.’ Christendom Astray
p.77
Robert’s statement of Christ begins: ‘The simple appellation of “Son”, as applied to
Christ, is sufficient to prove that that his existence is derived, and not eternal. The phrase,
‘Son of God”, implies that the one God, the eternal Father, was antecedent to the Son,
and that the Son had his origin in or “out of” the Father to whom therefore he must be
subordinate in a sense inconsistent with Trinitarian representation. “This day have I
begotten thee” is the language of scripture, clearly pointing to a commencement of days.’
Christendom Astray p. 93
Robert’s restricts his understanding of Christ to human levels of understanding. We will
consider what the Bible says about Christ, ‘the Son.’
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ Isaiah 9:6
Rationalising the kingdom of God.
Robert Roberts, in explaining the nature of the kingdom of God, reasons in these terms:
‘A kingdom is not an abstraction. It is not any single thing; it is an aggregation of certain
elements which go to make it up. A king in himself is not a kingdom; neither is a country,
or people, or laws, separately; it requires them all combined to constitute a kingdom. This
must commend itself to every man’s judgment. A kingdom consists of, first a king:
second, an aristocracy; third, a people; fourth a territory; and fifth, laws. To set up a
kingdom is obviously to arrange and combine these elements.’ Christendom Astray. P
136
Indeed, Roberts’ idea of a kingdom will commend itself to ‘every man’s judgment’ – that
is to every man who is restricted to human reasoning; for his description of a kingdom is
purely human and worldly.
‘Jesus said: ‘My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then
would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my
kingdom not from hence.’ John 18:36
Of God’s kingdom we read: ‘His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is
from generation to generation.’ Dan 4:3
The Lord is ‘the king of glory!’ Psalm 24
Futuristic
Christadelphia is very future focussed. Salvation is future (and uncertain), the reign of
Christ is future. The ‘Hope’ of which it speaks and for which its adherents anxiously wait
is entirely future.
Annihilistic
Divisive
‘A House Divided Against Itself.’
From early days Christadelphia has struggled with controversy and division. Attempts to unify
the movement has brought little relief. Tensions within ‘ecclesias’ (congregations) and between
‘eccelesias’ often become bitter and brawling.
I have at hand some Christadelphian magazines and one can hardly read any of them
without noting reference to lamentable division.
The editorial of ‘The Christadelphian’ September 1983 is entitled, “First Pure, Then
Peaceable.” And then begins, ‘At times of difficulty and crisis within the Brotherhood,
when its very unity is threatened ….” P.321
I find the comment on page 331 a little amusing: ‘A less positive demonstration is the
uninterrupted long dissertation on Sunday evenings as a “Dear Friends” lecture when the
attendance of the “dear friends” is the exception rather than the rule.’
Some quotes from the ‘Believer’ (July-August 1971) highlight the seriousness of the
situation:
“We have a great deal of sympathy with those who have not known of these ills, and
those who are reluctant to acknowledge them as facts; because such evils should exist in
the body of Christ, and all of us are loath to admit that they do.’ P.1
‘In such circumstances those who have professed to be brethren have torn and rent one
another. In the fierceness of their strife …. And have flattered themselves that their wrath
against those who differed from them was but a righteous anger against the perverters of
the Truth. It has never been our lot to know a meeting which could consider the various
aspects of the subject (the atonement) without quarrelling, and many a one torn asunder
by the strife.’ P.4
‘I am appalled that brethren in both groups can be so bitter towards one another.’ P.10
‘As you state in your magazine “now is the time for plain speaking” if we are to salvage
anything from a fast sinking Brotherhood.’ P. 10
‘How can we sink so low as to argue over the name of the One we claim to serve?’
‘I have heard that already ecclesias in both South Australia and NSW are
disfellowshipping whole ecclesias.’ P.11
Writing of experiences in the ‘Logos’ group one writes, ‘I remember responding to the
idea that it was our duty to build up little cells of strength in every ecclesia and to
establish a spiritual fifth column in the apostate camp of Christadelphia.’ P.12
“We see a household divided into six parts, and several of the parts claiming that they are
the only ones standing for the purity of the truth.’ P.14
‘Again, are ecclesias, say in London doing Christ’s work when divide and subdivide
themselves and other meetings by reason of something individuals in Birmingham or
California (quite unknown to themselves) may have said or done.’ P.17
‘This development will indicate to readers how timely, accurate and necessary our
warning was and now that the evidence of this sickness, eating away at our ecclesial
autonomy, is out in the open for all to see, it is time for us all to take a stand against these
pressurising tactics. Bro Roberts called it ‘Intolerable Tyranny”. We call it “Ecclesial
Blackmail”.
‘We are not still searching for the truth. God has provided it, and its first written
presentation was in the book Elpis Israel.’ 11
True Christianity.
To the earnest seeker: true Christianity is not found in a system of religion or books like
Elpis Israel or following the teachings of men. It is found in the Lord Jesus Christ who
came into the world to save sinners. In him our sin has been dealt with and he invites us
to a new life in relationship with him. The apostle Paul said, ‘For me to live is Christ.’
Jesus said, ‘I the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father except by me.’
To the reader: Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savour and received the
free gift of salvation?