Christadelphian HELP PLEASE
Posted by:
chaupil
()
Date: June 04, 2006 06:40AM
Does anyone have information on the Christadelphians? Is anyone a former member of this sect? Please contact me asap. THanks So much Chuck
Christadelphian HELP PLEASE
Posted by:
Colter
()
Date: June 08, 2006 03:30AM
Hi chaupil,
I'm quite familiar with the Christadelphian movement. I've been debating theology with them for about 2 years. I will provide a link which (in my personal opinion) summarizes the CA's well.
[www.ondoctrine.com]
"The Christadelphian belief system was founded by John Thomas about the year 1848. He was an English physician who immigrated from England to the United States. Originally a Congregationalist, he joined the Campbellite movement in the United States, known as the "Disciples of Christ," and soon broke away from their ranks when he was accused of holding to strange doctrines.
Sometime between 1834 and 1848, Thomas began his church, or group. During that period he started producing in 1834 the publication "The Apostolic Advocate" and in 1842 the publication "The Investigator" and in 1847 the publication "The Herald Of The Future Age."
The original name of his group was "The Royal Believers In New York." It was not until the era of the American Civil War that it became necessary to give the group a proper name in order that they be recognized as a religious institution so that members could refuse military service. It was at that time the name Christadelphians was coined by John Thomas, meaning Brethren of Christ.
Christadelphians claim that the Bible is inerrant and the source of their truth, yet the doctrinal positions that they adopt differ radically from what the Bible actually says. This is the same difficulty faced by Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventism and Christian Science. All of the organizations came into existence because of the personal beliefs developed by their founders. The system of beliefs developed by the founders and subsequent leaders, were then placed over the Bible, and then it was claimed that the Bible supported the predefined belief system. Ways were then found to "interpret" Scripture so that it said what the predefined beliefs asserted, rather than having doctrinal belief conform to Bible teaching.
Like many religious leaders who originate their own systems of belief, John Thomas was a self-proclaimed authority on what he said was the truth of the Bible. He began by stating that his beliefs were the only true beliefs and that the Christian church was then an apostate church, having abandoned the truth of the true gospel, as he defined it, sometime around the 4th century. As a result, those pastors, teachers and writers that represented orthodox Christian belief were all deceived, deceivers themselves and their words and beliefs were all lies. With a single statement, John Thomas dismissed as deceivers the greatest minds in Christian history: great Reformation leaders such as Theodore Beza, John Calvin and Martin Luther, also such Puritan divines such as Thomas Boston, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Manton and John Owen, also others such as the Baptist John Gill and the Methodist evangelist George Whitefield. Such a fortunate circumstance occurred with the coming of John Thomas, in that he was able, after 1400 years without the "truth", to rediscover the "true" gospel of Jesus Christ so that he and his followers could escape from the apostate religious system and find the "truth" as John Thomas defined it. The question must be posed as to why the people in the previous 1400 "apostate" years were not nearly as discerning or dedicated to finding the truth as John Thomas. It must also be claimed that Jesus Christ was also remiss in not being able to prevent His church from becoming apostate, which directly contradicts the Scripture:
"I also say to that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it."
Matthew 16:18 (NAS)
This same sequence of events is seen in the Mormon church, when Joseph Smith also claimed that the church went into apostasy in the 2nd or 3rd century and all then current churches were in error and also apostate. He claimed that God revealed to him that he should not join any existing church. After 1,500 years of apostasy, he had discovered the truth through the revelation of the golden plates which an angel revealed to him. Jesus Christ was not able to keep the gospel message revealed to humanity during those 1,500 years, but again it was a fortunate circumstance that Joseph Smith came along just in time to receive the revelation for himself and his followers. Apparently Jesus Christ was also remiss in the Mormon belief system also, because he was again not able to prevent His church from becoming apostate, which directly contradicts the Scripture (Matthew 16:18).
Religious leaders, like John Thomas, are not content to become pastors and teachers, subjecting themselves to Biblical authority. They wish to establish themselves in a ruling position, by which they exert authority over their adherents and also determine the content and meaning of all doctrines that they teach. For the most part, these leaders realize that they are unable to establish a new religion of their own creation, since most people would ignore that approach, leaving those leaders with very small congregations, existing in obscurity. Using that approach, the goal of the leader, to exalt themselves, would not be accomplished. In order to give themselves a head start and an existing base of support, so that they can promote their agenda, those leaders establish themselves in positions relative to existing orthodox belief, giving the impression that they are true believers. It is at that point that the outrageous claims are then made, claiming that what beliefs are currently established in the Christian church are, in fact, heretical beliefs as a result of some supposed apostasy in the past. They then claim that orthodox beliefs are not taught in the Bible, but are the "doctrines of men" which are established in place of the true doctrines of Jesus Christ and the apostles. These leaders claim that written statements of belief embodied in creeds, catechisms, writings and sermons of orthodox preachers, pastors and teachers are doctrines of man and are in error, or are doctrines of the devil. Many times they attempt to identify those doctrines as having been passed on by the Catholic church, since anti-Catholic sentiment is used to brace their claims". .........................................
Colter
I'm quite familiar with the Christadelphian movement. I've been debating theology with them for about 2 years. I will provide a link which (in my personal opinion) summarizes the CA's well.
[www.ondoctrine.com]
"The Christadelphian belief system was founded by John Thomas about the year 1848. He was an English physician who immigrated from England to the United States. Originally a Congregationalist, he joined the Campbellite movement in the United States, known as the "Disciples of Christ," and soon broke away from their ranks when he was accused of holding to strange doctrines.
Sometime between 1834 and 1848, Thomas began his church, or group. During that period he started producing in 1834 the publication "The Apostolic Advocate" and in 1842 the publication "The Investigator" and in 1847 the publication "The Herald Of The Future Age."
The original name of his group was "The Royal Believers In New York." It was not until the era of the American Civil War that it became necessary to give the group a proper name in order that they be recognized as a religious institution so that members could refuse military service. It was at that time the name Christadelphians was coined by John Thomas, meaning Brethren of Christ.
Christadelphians claim that the Bible is inerrant and the source of their truth, yet the doctrinal positions that they adopt differ radically from what the Bible actually says. This is the same difficulty faced by Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventism and Christian Science. All of the organizations came into existence because of the personal beliefs developed by their founders. The system of beliefs developed by the founders and subsequent leaders, were then placed over the Bible, and then it was claimed that the Bible supported the predefined belief system. Ways were then found to "interpret" Scripture so that it said what the predefined beliefs asserted, rather than having doctrinal belief conform to Bible teaching.
Like many religious leaders who originate their own systems of belief, John Thomas was a self-proclaimed authority on what he said was the truth of the Bible. He began by stating that his beliefs were the only true beliefs and that the Christian church was then an apostate church, having abandoned the truth of the true gospel, as he defined it, sometime around the 4th century. As a result, those pastors, teachers and writers that represented orthodox Christian belief were all deceived, deceivers themselves and their words and beliefs were all lies. With a single statement, John Thomas dismissed as deceivers the greatest minds in Christian history: great Reformation leaders such as Theodore Beza, John Calvin and Martin Luther, also such Puritan divines such as Thomas Boston, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Manton and John Owen, also others such as the Baptist John Gill and the Methodist evangelist George Whitefield. Such a fortunate circumstance occurred with the coming of John Thomas, in that he was able, after 1400 years without the "truth", to rediscover the "true" gospel of Jesus Christ so that he and his followers could escape from the apostate religious system and find the "truth" as John Thomas defined it. The question must be posed as to why the people in the previous 1400 "apostate" years were not nearly as discerning or dedicated to finding the truth as John Thomas. It must also be claimed that Jesus Christ was also remiss in not being able to prevent His church from becoming apostate, which directly contradicts the Scripture:
"I also say to that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it."
Matthew 16:18 (NAS)
This same sequence of events is seen in the Mormon church, when Joseph Smith also claimed that the church went into apostasy in the 2nd or 3rd century and all then current churches were in error and also apostate. He claimed that God revealed to him that he should not join any existing church. After 1,500 years of apostasy, he had discovered the truth through the revelation of the golden plates which an angel revealed to him. Jesus Christ was not able to keep the gospel message revealed to humanity during those 1,500 years, but again it was a fortunate circumstance that Joseph Smith came along just in time to receive the revelation for himself and his followers. Apparently Jesus Christ was also remiss in the Mormon belief system also, because he was again not able to prevent His church from becoming apostate, which directly contradicts the Scripture (Matthew 16:18).
Religious leaders, like John Thomas, are not content to become pastors and teachers, subjecting themselves to Biblical authority. They wish to establish themselves in a ruling position, by which they exert authority over their adherents and also determine the content and meaning of all doctrines that they teach. For the most part, these leaders realize that they are unable to establish a new religion of their own creation, since most people would ignore that approach, leaving those leaders with very small congregations, existing in obscurity. Using that approach, the goal of the leader, to exalt themselves, would not be accomplished. In order to give themselves a head start and an existing base of support, so that they can promote their agenda, those leaders establish themselves in positions relative to existing orthodox belief, giving the impression that they are true believers. It is at that point that the outrageous claims are then made, claiming that what beliefs are currently established in the Christian church are, in fact, heretical beliefs as a result of some supposed apostasy in the past. They then claim that orthodox beliefs are not taught in the Bible, but are the "doctrines of men" which are established in place of the true doctrines of Jesus Christ and the apostles. These leaders claim that written statements of belief embodied in creeds, catechisms, writings and sermons of orthodox preachers, pastors and teachers are doctrines of man and are in error, or are doctrines of the devil. Many times they attempt to identify those doctrines as having been passed on by the Catholic church, since anti-Catholic sentiment is used to brace their claims". .........................................
Colter
Christadelphian HELP PLEASE
Posted by:
Colter
()
Date: June 08, 2006 03:36AM
Dr. Thomas Life Work., founder of the Christadelphian Movement.
[www.antipas.org]
Bible Truth Discusion Forum (Christadelphian promotional front)
[www.thechristadelphians.org]
[www.antipas.org]
Bible Truth Discusion Forum (Christadelphian promotional front)
[www.thechristadelphians.org]
Christadelphian HELP PLEASE
Posted by:
Colter
()
Date: June 11, 2006 10:40PM
Christadelphian religion cont:
[b:9da30e65ed]Doctrines to be Rejected [/b:9da30e65ed]
Reject 1. That the Bible is only partly the work of inspiration--or if wholly so, contains errors which inspiration has allowed.
Reject 2. That God is three persons.
Reject 3. That the Son of God was co-eternal with the Father.
Reject 4. That Christ was born with a 'free life.'
Reject 5. That Christ's nature was immaculate.
Reject 6. That the Holy Spirit is a person distinct from the Father.
Reject 7. That man has an immortal soul.
Reject 8. That man consciously exists in death.
Reject 9. That the wicked will suffer eternal torture in hell.
Reject 10. That the righteous will ascend to the kingdoms beyond the skies when they die.
Reject 11. That the devil is a supernatural being.
Reject 12. That the Kingdom of God is 'the church.'
Reject 13. That the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ merely.
Reject 14. That Christ will not come till the close of the thousand years.
Reject 15. That the tribunal of Christ, when he comes, is not for judgement of saints, but merely to divide among them different degrees of reward.
Reject 16. That the resurrection is confined to the faithful.
Reject 17. That the dead rise in an immortal state.
Reject 18. That the subject-nations of the thousand years are immortal.
Reject 19. That the Law of Moses is binding on believers of the Gospel.
Reject 20. That the observance of Sunday is a matter of duty.
Reject 21. That baby sprinkling is a doctrine of Scripture.
Reject 22. That 'heathens,' idiots, pagans, and very young children will be saved.
Reject 23. That man can be saved by morality or sincerity, without the Gospel.
Reject 24. That the Gospel alone will save, without obedience to Christ's commandments.
Reject 25. That a man cannot believe without possessing the Spirit of God.
Reject 26. That men are predestined to salvation unconditionally.
Reject 27. That there is no sin in the flesh.
Reject 28. That Joseph was the actual father of Jesus.
Reject 29. That the earth will be destroyed.
Reject 30. That baptism is not necessary to salvation.
Reject 31. That a knowledge of the Truth is not necessary to make baptism valid.
Reject 32. That some meats are to be refused on the score of uncleanness.
Reject 33. That the English are the ten tribes of Israel, whose prosperity is a fulfillment of the promises made concerning Ephraim.
Reject 34. That marriage with an unbeliever is lawful.
Reject 35. That we are at liberty to serve in the army, or as police constables* , take part in politics, or recover debts by legal coercion.
* "or as police constables" was added in 1917.
[b:9da30e65ed]Doctrines to be Rejected [/b:9da30e65ed]
Reject 1. That the Bible is only partly the work of inspiration--or if wholly so, contains errors which inspiration has allowed.
Reject 2. That God is three persons.
Reject 3. That the Son of God was co-eternal with the Father.
Reject 4. That Christ was born with a 'free life.'
Reject 5. That Christ's nature was immaculate.
Reject 6. That the Holy Spirit is a person distinct from the Father.
Reject 7. That man has an immortal soul.
Reject 8. That man consciously exists in death.
Reject 9. That the wicked will suffer eternal torture in hell.
Reject 10. That the righteous will ascend to the kingdoms beyond the skies when they die.
Reject 11. That the devil is a supernatural being.
Reject 12. That the Kingdom of God is 'the church.'
Reject 13. That the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ merely.
Reject 14. That Christ will not come till the close of the thousand years.
Reject 15. That the tribunal of Christ, when he comes, is not for judgement of saints, but merely to divide among them different degrees of reward.
Reject 16. That the resurrection is confined to the faithful.
Reject 17. That the dead rise in an immortal state.
Reject 18. That the subject-nations of the thousand years are immortal.
Reject 19. That the Law of Moses is binding on believers of the Gospel.
Reject 20. That the observance of Sunday is a matter of duty.
Reject 21. That baby sprinkling is a doctrine of Scripture.
Reject 22. That 'heathens,' idiots, pagans, and very young children will be saved.
Reject 23. That man can be saved by morality or sincerity, without the Gospel.
Reject 24. That the Gospel alone will save, without obedience to Christ's commandments.
Reject 25. That a man cannot believe without possessing the Spirit of God.
Reject 26. That men are predestined to salvation unconditionally.
Reject 27. That there is no sin in the flesh.
Reject 28. That Joseph was the actual father of Jesus.
Reject 29. That the earth will be destroyed.
Reject 30. That baptism is not necessary to salvation.
Reject 31. That a knowledge of the Truth is not necessary to make baptism valid.
Reject 32. That some meats are to be refused on the score of uncleanness.
Reject 33. That the English are the ten tribes of Israel, whose prosperity is a fulfillment of the promises made concerning Ephraim.
Reject 34. That marriage with an unbeliever is lawful.
Reject 35. That we are at liberty to serve in the army, or as police constables* , take part in politics, or recover debts by legal coercion.
* "or as police constables" was added in 1917.
Christadelphian HELP PLEASE
Posted by:
Colter
()
Date: June 11, 2006 10:46PM
[b:9e813cf9d7]First Century Patterns[/b:9e813cf9d7]
TheChristadelhian.org
The Christadelphians are a small religious body who have attempted to get back to the faith and character of the early Christian church. We have been in existence for nearly 150 years. The name "Christadelphians" comes from two Greek words and means "brothers in Christ".
Col 1v2, Heb 2v11
We are located in many countries throughout the world with large groups of Christadelphians in the United Kingdom and Europe, Australia and New Zealand, North America, South East Asia and Africa. Like the early Christians, we meet in homes, rented rooms and, in some cases, our own halls.
Acts 1v13-14, 2v46-47, 18v7, 19v9, 28v30 We are a lay community patterned after first century Christianity. Each congregation is called an "ecclesia" (the New Testament word for church). We have no paid clergy or church hierarchy. Members of each congregation are addressed as 'brother' or 'sister', and all are involved in organising our activities. All members contribute their time and energy voluntarily in service to God. A strong common belief binds our brotherhood together.
Rom 12v4-8,1Cor 12v4-27, Gal 3v28
We accept the Bible as our only guide and believe it to be the inspired word of God. Membership is extended to those with similar beliefs after being baptised (fully immersed in water).
[b:9e813cf9d7]SUMMARY[/b:9e813cf9d7]
What Christadelphians Believe
Christadelphians are a community of believers found all over the world and although their name has only been used in the last 150 years, their beliefs were those preached by the Apostles, 2000 years ago. The name 'Christadelphian' means; 'Brothers in Christ' describ- ing both men and women who believe 'things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ'. In particular Christadelphians believe in the following;
[b:9e813cf9d7]Bible[/b:9e813cf9d7] - That the Bible is the only true message from God and was entirely given by him. It is sufficient to teach men and women the way of life, being a self-revelation of the thoughts of God. It is in part literal and part symbolic - as defined by the text and providing a logical and reasonable explanation of creation and life upon planet earth. Christadelphians do not believe that any of their members, past or present, have received any special revelation direct from God. They base their faith solely on the Bible as the Word of God. ".. all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". (2 Timothy 3:16) and that "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit". (2 Peter 1:21)
[b:9e813cf9d7]God [/b:9e813cf9d7]- That God exists as a being with power and personality. That he has a specific location in heaven with the angels his messengers. That he is the creator of the heavens, the earth, and all life on the earth including humankind. That he is the father of Jesus Christ and that he has a purpose for his Son to reign on earth at a time yet future.
God is all powerful, he does not share his power with any sinful being who is opposed to his ways. (Satan is a term which refers to 'adversary' or 'an enemy' and can refer to good and bad people, figuratively, the terms the devil and satan can refer to sin and the flesh).
TheChristadelhian.org
The Christadelphians are a small religious body who have attempted to get back to the faith and character of the early Christian church. We have been in existence for nearly 150 years. The name "Christadelphians" comes from two Greek words and means "brothers in Christ".
Col 1v2, Heb 2v11
We are located in many countries throughout the world with large groups of Christadelphians in the United Kingdom and Europe, Australia and New Zealand, North America, South East Asia and Africa. Like the early Christians, we meet in homes, rented rooms and, in some cases, our own halls.
Acts 1v13-14, 2v46-47, 18v7, 19v9, 28v30 We are a lay community patterned after first century Christianity. Each congregation is called an "ecclesia" (the New Testament word for church). We have no paid clergy or church hierarchy. Members of each congregation are addressed as 'brother' or 'sister', and all are involved in organising our activities. All members contribute their time and energy voluntarily in service to God. A strong common belief binds our brotherhood together.
Rom 12v4-8,1Cor 12v4-27, Gal 3v28
We accept the Bible as our only guide and believe it to be the inspired word of God. Membership is extended to those with similar beliefs after being baptised (fully immersed in water).
[b:9e813cf9d7]SUMMARY[/b:9e813cf9d7]
What Christadelphians Believe
Christadelphians are a community of believers found all over the world and although their name has only been used in the last 150 years, their beliefs were those preached by the Apostles, 2000 years ago. The name 'Christadelphian' means; 'Brothers in Christ' describ- ing both men and women who believe 'things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ'. In particular Christadelphians believe in the following;
[b:9e813cf9d7]Bible[/b:9e813cf9d7] - That the Bible is the only true message from God and was entirely given by him. It is sufficient to teach men and women the way of life, being a self-revelation of the thoughts of God. It is in part literal and part symbolic - as defined by the text and providing a logical and reasonable explanation of creation and life upon planet earth. Christadelphians do not believe that any of their members, past or present, have received any special revelation direct from God. They base their faith solely on the Bible as the Word of God. ".. all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". (2 Timothy 3:16) and that "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit". (2 Peter 1:21)
[b:9e813cf9d7]God [/b:9e813cf9d7]- That God exists as a being with power and personality. That he has a specific location in heaven with the angels his messengers. That he is the creator of the heavens, the earth, and all life on the earth including humankind. That he is the father of Jesus Christ and that he has a purpose for his Son to reign on earth at a time yet future.
God is all powerful, he does not share his power with any sinful being who is opposed to his ways. (Satan is a term which refers to 'adversary' or 'an enemy' and can refer to good and bad people, figuratively, the terms the devil and satan can refer to sin and the flesh).
Christadelphian HELP PLEASE
Posted by:
Colter
()
Date: June 16, 2006 02:42AM
[b:56d26d1325]The Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith (COGAF)[/size:56d26d1325] [/b:56d26d1325] is a religious group that is closely linked with the Christadelphians. The group first came into existence in the 1860's, when fourteen "obedient ones," as they termed themselves, established a congregation in Cleveland, Ohio. This initial body of believers came into existence under the leadership of Mark Allen, originally from Woburn, Massachusetts. Allen had previously spent some time in Geneva, Illinois working with Benjamin Wilson, who was baptized by Christadelphian founder John Thomas.
Wilson was the founder of the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith Oregon Conference, which was based in Oregon, Illinois (Today this group is known as the Church of God General Conference and is based in Atlanta, Georgia). Allen's group, while having the same name and believing many of the same doctrines, evolved into a separate group and has no affiliation with the COGAF Oregon Conference. The COGAF congregation based in Cleveland, after much discussion and examination of the scriptures, decided not to embrace the doctrine of a literal devil, a universal resurrection, and decided to practice membership communion. The Oregon Conference did not crystalize their thinking on many issues, leaving them open to individual churches whereas Cleveland did.
By 1888 the same beliefs held by the Cleveland congregation were shared by two other churches. Today, there are eight churches that hold to the same fundamental teachings referred to previously. They are located in: Unionville, Salem, and Chesterland, Ohio; Gainesville, Miami and Flagler Beach, Florida; Perryville, Kentucky; and Roll, Indiana. Presently, members of this section of Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith number around four hundred.
Although the Christadelphians and COGAF community hold fast to many of the same doctrines, contact between the two groups has been limited until recently. Talks are currently being undertaken to discuss and resolve the small differences between this community of believers in the Faith of Abraham and the Christadelphian community.
The Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith, much like the Christadelphians, seeks to return to the basic principles and doctrines of the first century church. They perceive that Christianity has been changed dramatically since the death of the Apostles, and believe that the Bible is the only true source of inspired revelation. As a result, both COGAF and Christadelphians place a heavy emphasis on Bible study and understanding . They believe that only through a complete understanding of God and His purpose will one find the path to eternal salvation.
Colter
Wilson was the founder of the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith Oregon Conference, which was based in Oregon, Illinois (Today this group is known as the Church of God General Conference and is based in Atlanta, Georgia). Allen's group, while having the same name and believing many of the same doctrines, evolved into a separate group and has no affiliation with the COGAF Oregon Conference. The COGAF congregation based in Cleveland, after much discussion and examination of the scriptures, decided not to embrace the doctrine of a literal devil, a universal resurrection, and decided to practice membership communion. The Oregon Conference did not crystalize their thinking on many issues, leaving them open to individual churches whereas Cleveland did.
By 1888 the same beliefs held by the Cleveland congregation were shared by two other churches. Today, there are eight churches that hold to the same fundamental teachings referred to previously. They are located in: Unionville, Salem, and Chesterland, Ohio; Gainesville, Miami and Flagler Beach, Florida; Perryville, Kentucky; and Roll, Indiana. Presently, members of this section of Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith number around four hundred.
Although the Christadelphians and COGAF community hold fast to many of the same doctrines, contact between the two groups has been limited until recently. Talks are currently being undertaken to discuss and resolve the small differences between this community of believers in the Faith of Abraham and the Christadelphian community.
The Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith, much like the Christadelphians, seeks to return to the basic principles and doctrines of the first century church. They perceive that Christianity has been changed dramatically since the death of the Apostles, and believe that the Bible is the only true source of inspired revelation. As a result, both COGAF and Christadelphians place a heavy emphasis on Bible study and understanding . They believe that only through a complete understanding of God and His purpose will one find the path to eternal salvation.
Colter
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.