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The
Christadelphians are a world-wide community of
Bible students whose fellowship is based on a common
understanding of the Scriptures.
We aren't some sort of branch cultic group, as we have no
central organization telling us what to do and believe. Rather
we are tied together everywhere by our distinctive beliefs, which
are freely and independantly arrived at.
The Christadelphians believe that Jesus the Christ is the son of
God, who came to fulfill the Old Testament promises and covenants
of God with mankind, primarily the covenants with Eve,
Abraham and David.
We
believe that Jesus is a man, who was tried and
tempted as we are, yet who resisted sin even till death. Three days
later, the only true God, the Father raised him
to eternal life, after which Christ ascended to his Father's side
to await the appointed time of his return.
The Christadelphians embrace the hope of resurrection
to eternal life at the return of Christ. We believe that this
will take place soon. At that time the kingdom of God
will be established from Jerusalem, growing to encompass the whole
world, offering freedom, hope and salvation to all mankind. The
people of Israel, as the literal descendants of
Abraham, will have a special place in this kingdom.
The Christadelphians believe that salvation is attained through
faith in Christ. It is through faith that we are baptized
into Christ for forgiveness of sins, and thereby participate in
the promises to Abraham: to inherit the earth for ever.
Doctrinally, the Christadelphians are unique in Christendom in our
understanding of the nature of Christ, and the
way in which we are redeemed by his death. We reject as unbiblical
the idea that Christ could die as a replacement sacrifice for us,
thus covering all our sins forever with that one act. Certainly
it is through his sacrifice that we may be forgiven, but only if
we walk the path of self-denial that he marked out for us.
If you wish to know more about what we believe and preach, a detailed
Statement of Faith is online.
We also have a compiled list of the Commandments
of Christ. You can also get in touch through e-mail,
and we'll happily send you some material on any of the above topics.
The
Christadelphians World-wide
The Christadelphians became a distinct group
in about the middle of the 1800s, in the eastern United States.
Since then, we have grown across the world, with core communities
in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Australia. There are also
smaller groups throughout the rest of the world, including Central
and South America, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Pacific Rim. For
the location of the ecclesia closest to you, just drop us an e-mail
with where you are, and we'll get right back to you.
A
Community of Bible Students
The Christadelphians believe that the Bible (66
books) is the inspired word of God, complete and self-sufficient
to instruct us in the way of salvation. We do not believe that any
Christadelphian, past or present, has received any type of special
revelation. It is only through sustained and prayerful reading of
the Scriptures that we come to an understanding of the purpose of
God in our lives, and how He would have us conduct ourselves day
to day.
How
We Are Organized
The Christadelphians have no central leadership.
The highest level of organization is the ecclesia (i.e. local church)
which is typically led by a rotating selection of the more mature
members. It is our distinct beliefs and dedication to hospitality
that have enabled us to survive as a separate community, though
in most places we are quite thinly spread. Communication is sustained
between ecclesias through much travel, mail, and several magazines
which publish not only articles, but also ecclesial news and announcements
of ecclesial study days, fraternals and young people's gatherings.
God's
Covenants
The Christadelphians believe that the Christ
and his mission can only be understood in the light of a clear comprehension
of the covenants he came to fulfill. Christ fulfilled the promise
to Eve, that one of her seed would crush the serpent (Gn. 3:15).
He fulfills the covenant with Abraham, that in his seed would all
the nations of the earth be blessed (Gen 22:18, Gal. 3:16). And
he will fulfill on his return God's promise to David, that one of
his descendants would sit on his throne in Jerusalem for ever (II
Sam 7:12-16).
It was always the understanding of these men and women that the
Messiah would be their descendant. To present that Jesus was born
more than a man, or that he existed as a person before Eve, Abraham
and David, is to reject the clear presentation of God's purpose
to these people of faith.
Jesus
is a Man, Not God!
We believe that the Bible is quite clear in its
presentation that Christ is a man. The Son of God, but certainly
not God Himself. The bulk of mainstream Christianity has staked
its life on the assertion that Jesus is God. However, this is to
be rejected for the following inescapable reasons, and many more:
-
God is one. There can only be one true God. It is undeniable
that Jesus referred to himself and the Father as separate. To
fly in the face of this the most fundamental of Biblical teachings,
in any way, is to venture out onto very thin ice.
-
Mortality and immortality are mutually exclusive characteristics.
God is immortal, and cannot die. Jesus died. If you alter this,
all Scripture is inexorably weakened.
- Jesus
always very clearly pointed out his subservience to God; in
power, teaching and life itself. To assert their equality is
untenable.
The
God of the Bible
The Christadelphians believe that the God of
the Bible is one, the Father alone (1 Cor. 8:6). God stands alone
and unrivalled in the universe, the source of all good and evil
(Is. 45:5-7). We reject the idea that the devil is one of Gods'
angels that was permitted to rebel in the very heavens (thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven) and now wrestles with
God for control of the world. We likewise reject the idea of a God
with multiple independant personalities as not being in harmony
with the teachings of scripture.
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The
Hope of Resurrection
The Christadelphians believe that the covenant
of God with Abraham laid the framework for our hope. To Abraham
and his descendants was promised the world as an inheritance (Gen
26:3-4 [to Isaac], Rom 4:13, Ps. 37). Hebrews points out that Abraham
received nothing, and that the covenant will be fulfilled in the
resurrection (Heb. 11:39-40). We believe then that the literal earth,
restored and renewed, is the inheritance of the Abraham and his
descendants in faith. While awaiting this inheritance, all await
resurrection in the sleep of death, where there is no consciousness
(Ps 146:3-4, Ecl. 9:10).
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The
Kingdom of God
We believe that God will establish a Kingdom
on earth at the return of Christ. This kingdom will be a restoration
of the kingdom of David, with Jerusalem as its' capital, in fulfillment
of II Sam. 7.
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Israel
Israel, as the literal descendants of Abraham,
will always have a place in the plans of God. This is not through
any particular righteousness of theirs, on the contrary, both the
Bible and history have shown them to be a stubborn and willfull
people (much like us all). However, God is bound by his promise
to Abraham his friend to care for his descendants for ever. Those
who believe in Christ, the seed of Abraham, join the ranks of his
descendants, but do not replace the people of Israel. (Rom 11:1,
11, 25-29; Jer 33:25-26)
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Baptism
The Christadelphians believe that baptism is
the outward sign of a repentant and contrite heart, of a person
convicted of their sinfulness, and desiring redemption. W
e believe that through baptism you participate symbolically in the
sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, and thereby attain forgiveness
of sins. We do not believe that baptism is optional. (Mark 16: 15-16;
Jn. 3:3-5)
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