The name `Christadelphian' means `brothers of Christ'.

They claim that they alone hold the key to a correct understanding of the Bible. Let's have a brief look at this organization of people that claim that they alone hold the key to a correct understanding of the Bible.

HISTORY

The founder of the Christadelphians was Dr. John Thomas. Dr. Thomas was raised in a Congregational Church setting and received his training in the medical profession in London, England. He emigrated to America in 1832, and on the journey there, the ship on which he was traveling faced a near shipwreck. This caused Thomas to reevaluate his standing with God and vowed to devote his life to religion should he survive.

ce he arrived safely to America he joined up with Alexander Campbell's group known as the Disciples of Christ. In 1836 he began to teach and preach some rather strange doctrines (still adhered to by the Christadel- phians today) and in the year 1837 Alexander Campbell publicly refuted the teachings of this very popular preacher. Thomas was forced to leave the Disciples of Christ and began to form his own group.

From 1847 to 1864 his followers were known as `The Royal Association of Believers in New York', later the name was changed to `Christadelphians'.

During the early years in New York, Thomas wrote and published a book entitled `Elpis Israel'. This book is still regarded by most Christadel- phians as an authoritative book on doctrine and prophecy.

The Christadelphians are basically a lay movement with no paid clergy. They meet regularly in buildings generally known as `halls'. Meetings are held throughout the week, the Sunday morning Memorial Meeting being the most important, where only confessed and baptized Christadelphians share in the Breaking of Bread (very similar to communion).

Evening meetings are usually open to the public and are advertised quite prominently to attract interested persons. The message is usually one of social issues, Bible prophecy or doctrine.

The followers of this group usually follow a set Bible reading plan where they are encouraged to read the Old Testament once a year and the New Testament twice every year.

They are very anti-government and will not participate in voting or poli- tics. They will not serve in the armed services, legal professions or the police force. Most Christadelphians will not serve on juries or join trade unions.

The Christadelphians deny almost every basic Christian Doctrine.

They deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They believe that it was a pagan doctrine adopted by Christendom in the fourth century.

They deny the Deity and preexistence of the Lord Jesus Christ. They be- lieve that he was created in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, but had no prior existence as the second person of the Trinity. They deny that He is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and say that he only existed as a thought in the mind of God before being born of the virgin, Mary.

*See John 1:1; 8:58; Micah 5:2; Col 1:15-18; Heb 13:8.

They teach that Jesus Christ was made of sinful flesh, inheriting a sin nature from his mother and is said to have had to obtain eternal redemp- tion for himself, through his sinless life and obedience unto death.

*See John 8:46; 2Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1Pet 1:19. Jesus Christ was and is the perfect, sinless Son of God and therefore is not in need of redemp- tion.

They deny the personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit, preferring to consider Him as the effluence of God, the power of God.

Christ's death is not a substitutionary atonement for all who have faith in Him, but rather the declaration of God's righteousness. Christ lived a sinless obedient life, therefore God raised Him from the dead. His death was for Himself, not for us.

Satan is not a real, personal being, but rather the manifestation of sin in the flesh.

The Christadelphians teach that human beings cease to exist at death. There is no aspect of mankind (soul/spirit)that continues to exist after the death of the body.

The wicked will be resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ and then put out of existence (annihilated). There is no hell, only the grave. Those who have never heard the Gospel will never be resurrected.

*See Matt 10:28; 25:46; 2Thess 1:7-9; Rev 20:10-15.

The faithful (obedient, baptized Christadelphians) will be raised immortal and live forever on the earth.

*The earth will be burned up and there will be a new heavens and a new earth (2Pet 3:10-13).

For further information regarding this or any other subject please feel free to contact us, by this echo, mail or by telephone.

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