The Heresy of the Christadelphians - Prep Sheet
Christadelphians Then and Now
Christadelphians were founded by John Thomas. He was a Campbellite who left the group in 1838. There are many Christadelphians today in Australia. He wrote down his doctrines in his books Elpis Israel (Hope of Israel), Phanerosis, Eureka, and Anatolia. Others have charged that Thomas plagiarized parts of these books from other sources. For more on this see http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~pdover/histmyst.htm. Thomas' successor John Roberts wrote Christendom Astray and started the magazine The Christadelphian.What Christadelphians Believe
Christadelphians have deadly errors on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, end-times, Heaven and Hell, the devil, and other things.
God: Christadelphians deny the Trinity, and think only the Father is properly God. Like Christians they say that Christ and the Holy Spirit came from the Father, so in that sense they claim they believe the divinity of Christ. However, Christadelphians do not believe the Son and Spirit are the same level as the Father. Like some United Pentecostals and Muslims they misrepresent the Trinity by saying it is three gods.
Jesus: They deny that Jesus existed prior to being born of the Virgin Mary. They believe that Jesus did not become "Christ" until His baptism by John. They believe that Christ is not now a king, but will only be after His coming.
Holy Spirit: Like Jehovah's Witnesses, they deny that the Holy Spirit is a personal being. They say the Holy Spirit is just a localization of the Father's power. They believe the Holy Spirit worked in the first century, but He is not active among us now.
Salvation: They do not believe Jesus died as a ransom for our sins. Rather they believe Jesus' death was a representation of how man deserved to be treated. Christadelphians believe that people are saved by their own merit in obeying the commands of Christ.
End-times: Like Jehovah's Witnesses, they have predicted the time of Christ's coming. In 1866 they said that Christ would come in the lifetime of the present generation. They also predicted that papal power would be destroyed in 1866.
Ultimate destinies: They believe people do not exist after death. Resurrection is only for those who followed God, such as Christadelphians and faithful Jews who sacrificed. They will be raised and reign immortally on earth with Christ. Like their founder Thomas, they believe that pagans, infants who die, and the mentally retarded will die and cease to exist just like animals. Their souls will be annihilated.
The devil: Christadelphians deny that the devil exists as a personal being; they think the devil in scripture is just a personification of evil. Jesus spoke of the devil as a person to accommodate His hearers, it was not really true. John Thomas taught that the three frogs in Revelation are not demons, but rather France in Elpis Israel, 1983, 14th edition, p.381.
Baptism: Unamended Christadelphians think that a faithful person who died before getting baptized will not be raised from the dead; amended Christadelphians be they still can be raised. But if someone was baptized as a believer in a Christian church, and then they join them the new converts are told they have to be baptized again.
The church: Christadelphians believe that the Christian church is a false, apostate religious system. They call their assemblies "ecclesias" instead of churches, because they don't want them to be thought of as churches of Christians. However, they still sing many Christian hymns from the "apostate church" by Charles Wesley and others.
www.biblequery.org/OtherBeliefs/Christadelphians/HeresyOfTheChristadelphians.html.
Helping Christadelphians See the Truth
God and the Trinity
1. Only One Being is True God Dt 4:35-39;6:4; Mk 12:29-33; Isa 43:10-12; 44:6,8,24; 45:5-6,14,21; 46:9; Joel 2:27; Mal 2:10; 1 Tim 1:17; 2:5; 6:15-16Jesus Christ Existed Before the Incarnation
All things were made through the Son. Hebrews 1:2 [God] "has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;"The Holy Spirit is a Living Being
The Holy Spirit has a mind:Salvation: Jesus Died as a Ransom for Us
"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to server, and to give His Life a ransom of many." Mt 20:28. See also Mark 10:45.Saved by Jesus' Blood Shed on the Cross
They believe Jesus death was not a substitute for us.End-times: Jesus Has Not Returned Yet
"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up form you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'" Acts 1:10-11 (NKJV)Even the Wicked will be Resurrected
"Do not marvel at this; for the time is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." John 5:28-29Heaven and Hell are Real
2 Corinthians 5:8 "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." (NKJV)The Devil and Demons are a Real Beings
In Revelation 20:10 and Mt 25:41 the devil is cast into the lack of fire where the beast and false prophet were. They will be tormented day and night forever.For More Info
Answering Other Christadelphian Objections
Q: In Ps 49:10-12, if even wicked souls are immortal, how can the wicked be "like the beasts that perish" and "never see light"?
A: These verses are all true in three ways. Physically the wicked will perish from the earth like the beasts. In Hell these verses say their beauty and any honor will perish. Ultimately the wicked will be resurrected to be judged and sent to the second death, where they will remain forever.
Revelation 20:10 "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (NKJV)
"Then He [ Jesus] will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart form Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels;" Mt 25:41 (NKJV)
Q: In Prov 21:16, how could the wicked rest in the assembly for the dead?
A: See the answer to the first question. In addition, the dead before Christ were in Sheol/Hades, in one of two parts: prison or paradise.
Q: Why does Isa 26:13-14 say the dead will not rise and the memory of them will be gone?
A: Isaiah 26:13-14 says they will not live anymore; this is true, they will be in Hell, and ultimately exist in the lake of fire, the second death.
They will not be remembered on earth, nor will creatures in heaven for that matter.
Even though they will not rise, they will still stand before Christ in the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20:12-13. But regardless, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, not rise, in Revelation 20:15.
Q: In Jer 51:37,39-40,57 why does it say that the people of Babylon will not awake?
A: Jeremiah 51 is speaking of the evil place of Babylon. Jeremiah 51:37 says that no one will live in Babylon anymore. There will be no more empire, power, culture, or even people from Babylon. When they will "sleep" not "awake" that is a metaphor for saying that they are all dead.
For more info please contact Christian Debater™ P.O. Box 144441 Austin, TX 78714 www.BibleQuery.org
by Steven M. Morrison, PhD.