If you trawl the web for any length of time, you will find plenty of people queuing up to knock the faith of the Christadelphians. Most of the criticism is either based on a refusal to consider Bible teaching with an open mind or on some common misconceptions which I would dearly love to redress. But as I don't have time to enter into lengthy and ultimately fruitless correspondence with each website that attacks my faith, instead, I will answer all their points here, as best I can and people can make up their own minds.
We believe that Jesus is Our Saviour and we endeavour to follow his teachings, so I am quite happy to be called a Christian. The only reason we have a name is to distinguish ourselves from others who would also call themselves Christians but who believe in all sorts of different things. The name loosely means “Brethren in Christ” – another name I'd be happy to use, but again, it is used by people with widely differing views.
Obviously, if I believed the Baptists had a better understand of the Bible and its teachings, then I would still be a Baptist. All Christian varieties (indeed, all religions) have elements of the Truth, or what I understand to be the Truth. I happen to think that the Christadelphians are the closest I have found.
I would say that Christadelphian beliefs are based on the Bible. Dr. Thomas did a pretty good job of pulling the threads together, separating the wheat from the chaff. He was not inspired and he was not perfect.
It hasn't happened to me yet! Although I have encountered some who rather put Dr. Thomas (and Brother Roberts) on a pedestal, a distinction needs to be made. If someone has a different interpretation of a prophecy which is backed up by Scripture, no-one ought to object. If someone has a sufficiently different view on a “first principle” such as baptism, salvation etc, then it is no longer in accordance with our understanding of Scripture and we need to ask if we are still truly of One Mind.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?(also 1 Corinthians 1:10)
If someone disagrees radically with the doctrines laid out in the Statement of Faith, why would they want to be called a Christadelphian? However, it is only a falliable human document and simply summarises beliefs found in the Bible and acts as a yardstick, so that others can decide if they are of one mind or if they differ.When the Christadelphians started, they did not have a Statement of Faith, but found that one became desirable when differing beliefs started to creep in. It has been updated more than once, to take into account issues which had not been envisaged when it was written.
Oh yes they do! Ephesians 2:8 -
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
No. Jesus is the Son of God and the risen Christ is a mighty Spirit Being, second only to God in the whole Universe. But when on earth, Jesus inherited human nature from his mother Mary.
Because we believe the Bible as a whole does not teach this. Certain verses taken in isolation can be made to suggest that Jesus is God but a far greater quantity of scriptures clearly and simply state the Bible Truth - Jesus is God's son. Many New Testament passages become complete nonsense if Jesus and God are one in the same Person. Example: Real Bible version
Matthew 3:17 -
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
"This is Me and I'm very pleased with Myself".Don't tell me - it's a divine mystery that Man cannot understand!!
Yes, I believe that I have been born again to start a new life in Christ through the waters of baptism, which represent death and resurrection. I have not been born again of the Spirit. This will happen at the resurrection - if I am numbered among the sheep.
I absolutely believe in the Gifts of the Spirit, because the Bible tells me they are real. What I don't believe is that they are possessed today in the way that they were in the First Century.
1 Corinthians 13 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.Call me a doubting Thomas, but when someone in Great Britain who has been dead for 3 days is raised up to life, then I will believe that the same Spirit Gifts are alive today. --
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.