Who are the Christadelphians?
We are a small religious group that has tried to get back to the faith and character of the early Christian church in New Testament times. This involves a return to Biblical doctrines and practices as taught by Jesus and his apostles.
What does the name mean?
It comes from two Greek words, Christos (Christ) and adelphos (brother), and thus means "brothers in Christ".
Jesus describes his followers as his brothers.
"So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." Matthew 23:8, Hebrews 2:11–12
Where are they found?
We have members in all continents of the world.
Like the Christians of the first century we meet in homes, rented rooms and, in some cases, our own halls.
Christadelphian beginnings
Many believers since the time of the apostles have held the same faith as we do. There have been many independent communities throughout the world, which have studied the Bible and accepted its simple message.
The modern Christadelphian movement originated in the 1840s in the USA and the UK.
Why be different?
We try to follow Christ and his apostles in both belief and practice, as taught in the Bible.
In the second century some Christians began to tamper with the original faith. The result is that in at least some aspects of teaching and practice every Christian group now differs radically from the original message. Yet Peter, one of Christ’s apostles, said that there is no other way by which we can be saved.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
It is clear, then, that to have a part in God’s plan of salvation we cannot persist in beliefs and practices that He says are wrong. The teachings of Christ and his apostles are of vital importance in our understanding of God’s plan for the world and the standards that we need to aim for.
For these reasons we wish to be distinguished from the vast mass of Christianity.
The following sections of this page show how we differ from other denominations both in our beliefs and in our way of life.
Our way of life
How are we different from other Christian groups?
The Bible – our guidebook
We believe that as the inspired word of God the Bible is the sole authority on which our lives should be based. Fulfilled prophecies, internal harmony and the clear message of hope for the future point to a divine author. Its truth has been confirmed by modern discovery, archaeology and history. We read from the Bible every day, using a systematic reading plan, which covers the whole Bible in one year. In addition many of us study more widely than this.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." Acts 17:11, Romans 15:4, 1 Timothy 4:13–16, 2 Timothy 3:14–17, 2 Peter 1:21
Prayer
Jesus taught his disciples to pray and instructed his followers to pray to God. We make a habit of daily individual prayer, when we praise and acknowledge God, and ask Him for forgiveness for our sins.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Matthew 6: 5–15, Philippians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Worship
Just before his death Jesus showed his disciples, and all subsequent followers, how they were to remember his sacrifice. This involves all baptised believers breaking bread and drinking wine each week, and participation in this meeting is the focus of our religious life.
"Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22: 14–20, 1 Corinthians 11: 23–6
Preaching
Many groups of Christadelphians hold additional study evenings and seminars. We try to tell people about the gospel or good news of the kingdom. After his resurrection Jesus told his apostles to preach throughout the world and this is what we attempt to do, both in our local area and by travelling abroad.
"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation'." Matthew 28:18–20, Mark 16:15–16
Baptism
Jesus taught his followers that belief, repentance and baptism are all necessary for salvation. We therefore always follow the early Christian practice of baptising responsible adult believers by complete immersion in water. Christening small babies has no Bible basis and bears no resemblance to the command of Christ, which symbolises the washing away of sins and a change of heart to follow God.
"Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:16
Work
We work in a variety of jobs, but choose our occupations carefully so as not to conflict with Christ’s commands. Following the teaching and example of the apostle Paul we aim to support our families and ourselves by working.
"If a man will not work he shall not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:6–12
Family life
Jesus taught his disciples that the relationship between a husband and wife is parallel to the relationship between Christ and his followers. This means that marriage is life-long and family life should be treated with the utmost respect. Children are brought up in the knowledge of God, attending Sunday School and being involved in doing daily Bible reading with their parents. The elderly are cared for by their family and other Christadelphians as far as possible. Ephesians 5:22–33, 6:1–4, 1 Timothy 5:3–4
Organisation
We are a lay community patterned after first century Christianity. Each meeting is called an "ecclesia" (from the Greek New Testament word for church). We have no paid clergy or church hierarchy. Members of each meeting are addressed as "brother" or "sister", and all help in the organising of our activities, although only the "brethren" conduct services. We do not take part in politics or go to law. All members contribute their time, resources and energy voluntarily in service to God. A strong common belief binds us together. Membership is open to all with the same beliefs, following their baptism.
Our beliefs
How are we different from other Christian groups?
God
The Bible teaches that
° God is one.
"Hear O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord." Deuteronomy 6:4
° God is eternal.
"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2
° God made everything.
"It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it." Genesis 1, Isaiah 45:12, Acts 14:15
° God dwells in heaven. He is all seeing, all knowing and everywhere present.
"You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar… you are familiar with all my ways." Psalm 139
° God is a Spirit and cannot be seen by mortal man.
"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
"Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see". 1 Timothy 6:15–16
° God has a plan and purpose for the world.
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Habakkuk 2:14
God has attributes of love, mercy and righteousness, and cannot be tempted with evil. Exodus 20:5–6, Deuteronomy 32:4, John 3:16, James 1:13
Jesus
Jesus is the centre of God’s plan of salvation, and by his death has made eternal life possible for those that believe on him. Apart from God Himself, he is now the greatest being in the universe, and worthy of our loving allegiance. He will return to earth to complete his mission.
The Bible teaches that
° Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Luke 1:30–35
° Jesus was also the son of man, through his human mother Mary. Galatians 4:4
° Jesus was tempted by evil, but was sinless, although he shared our human nature. Hebrews 2:14–18, 4:14–15
° Jesus died as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Hebrews 9:28
° God raised Jesus from the dead and made him immortal. Romans 6:9–10, 2 Timothy 1:10
The Spirit is the power of God
The Bible teaches that the Spirit is God’s power, which He uses to maintain and control the world. God also used His power to create the world and all plant and animal life.
"When you send your Spirit they are created, and you renew the face of the earth." Genesis 1:2, Psalm 104:30
The Holy Spirit
° This is God’s power "set apart" (the meaning of "holy"). It was specially used to develop God’s purpose with man.
° The Holy Spirit was used for miracles (Acts 10:38), prophecy (2 Peter 1:21) and teaching (John 14:26).
° The Holy Spirit was given to God’s prophets and servants in Old Testament times. In the New Testament it was given to Jesus and his disciples to convince the people of the divine nature of their message.
Sin
The Bible teaches that human nature is sinful and that the punishment for sin is death. When God made Adam, the first man, He warned him that he would die if he disobeyed God’s explicit instructions. Adam did disobey God and so all his descendants, including us, have inherited the tendency to disobey God. This is why we all die; but forgiveness and eternal life are available through the work of Jesus. Genesis 2:17, 3:17–19, Romans 6:23
Death
The Bible teaches that when we die we remain in the grave and are oblivious to everything. If we believe in God and try to follow the teaching and example of Jesus then we can look forward to being raised to life when he comes back to the earth. This is the only hope of life after death and the kingdom will be on earth, not in heaven.
"The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it for ever." Psalm 37:29
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing." Ecclesiastes 9:5
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." 1 Thessalonians 4:16
God’s plan
The Bible teaches that God has a plan for our world. This is to fill the earth with His glory. Numbers 14:21, Psalm 72
Jesus will return to the earth soon. Then he will raise many of the dead and will judge them, together with those still living. He will reward the faithful with everlasting life.
"Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2
The Kingdom of God will be worldwide, with Jesus reigning from the capital, Jerusalem. This will be a time of unprecedented peace, righteousness and prosperity.
"The Lord will be king over the whole earth." Isaiah 2:1–5, 65:17–25, Jeremiah 3:17, Zechariah 14:9, 16, Matthew 25:31–46, Acts 1:11, Revelation 21:4, 22:12
What can this mean for you?
Presented with God’s plan to bring real peace to this troubled world, what is your reaction? Is it merely a casual interest or a real wish to be involved?
If the Bible message cannot be taken personally then this information is only of passing interest.
Current world events are fulfilling Bible prophecy and indicate that Jesus will return very soon to bring to his faithful followers eternal life and reconciliation to God, and to set up the Kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus appealed to ordinary men and women. The apostle Paul took up this idea when he wrote to the Galatians:
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ." Galatians 3:28
Yes, this ancient message is of vital relevance today. God has offered us an opportunity of receiving eternal life through the work of Jesus. The future belongs to God and He has invited us to be there.
(All Bible quotations are from the New International Version)
Why we are Christadelphians
Perhaps you can now see more clearly why we remain separate from other Christian groups.
If the anomalies of common Christian practice do not satisfy you and you would like a place in God’s plan for the world then we would humbly offer you our help to achieve this.
Visit our website at www.biblelight.org
Or ring 020 8661 6410 for a recorded message
Or write to The Christadelphians, FREEPOST RCC6,
Redhill, RH1 2BR
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