“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (Rom 16:17).
Introduction
Over the years, I have been exposed to many of those who have opposed our Christadelphian community. As I am sure is common to many of my readers, I have been both verbally challenged and read many tracts written by those who consider our beliefs apostate. Although the Internet has allowed us to spread our message, it has also allowed those who disagree with us to spread their own messages. In addition, I have received quite a few communications from our members asking for help when they have been attacked for their beliefs.
The aspect that has interested myself, and led to this editorial, is how, by and large, the arguments used on me many decades ago are virtually identical to those used today. The only (although major) difference is that the Internet allows these views and diatribes to be far more widely dispersed and readily available. Simply typing in “Christadelphians” often brings up one or more of these opposing websites, quite high among the almost 400,000 sites indexed by Google which mention “Christadelphian”. Decades ago, you might find the occasional pamphlet in Christian Bookstores, and some mentions in the more comprehensive encyclopedias, but you would have to be a very diligent researcher to find much more than this.
However, when I looked at these arguments, they seem to be based upon the same “research”. With rare exceptions, then, the approaches used by both those who oppose and those who defend have remained the same, and the lack of success of the opponents has likewise remained the same. Our community has not been exploding in size like those of the mega-churches around us, but our faith and our beliefs have remained unchanging. We all sometimes encounter those who create obstacles for us, and particularly those who are young in their work towards the Kingdom, but we can draw comfort, knowledge, and guidance in the fact that most of the challenges of those who oppose have been met long ago.
In the beginning
There have always been opponents of the Christadelphian faith, and those who were opposed the most vigorously became the most important in the development of our beliefs and community. However, I will concentrate on the attacks that have been most often repeated, and date back the furthest. I am not including any of the great debates of the past conducted by Bro. Roberts and others in which they directly challenged individuals who defended the false doctrines of Christendom, or even those of atheists. Some of these debates are still in print, and reflect Bro. Roberts’ mastery of this form of preaching.
It was not long after he commenced publishing The Ambassador (later The Christadelphian) that the nascent community was assaulted by David King, a Campbellite. This was not surprising, because a number of the members of his denomination formed the nucleus of the emerging Christadelphian denomination from 1849 on, including about half the congregation in Aberdeen where Bro. Roberts, as a boy of about 10, heard John Thomas speak.
The attacks continued, although David King refused all offers to debate with Bro. Roberts. There later was a broadside, written by him in 1881, entitled “A glance at the history and mystery of Christadelphianism”, and this is actually still being used by our opponents. To quote from what Bro. Roberts wrote at the time1:
“It is not a history of the truth, but an unfriendly representation of certain incidents, over 30 years old, of no manner of moment to those who desire only to know what the Bible teaches. They are incidents connected with the visit of Dr. Thomas to Britain in 1848–9, incidents which were naturally galling to those whose fellowship he was leaving, but which in no way affect the question of Christ’s coming and Kingdom. They are incidents of which those who cherish Dr. Thomas’ memory need in no wise be ashamed. The Tract has been answered and the incidents explained long ago.
“As for ‘mystery,’ there is none in Christadelphianism. It is the outcome of a reasonable and frank acceptance of the Bible as the word of God. Studying this for himself, Dr. Thomas discovered that its teaching was at total variance with recognized theology in all points and particulars. He set himself to work by voice and pen to make this manifest. Others examined to see if it was so. They found it was so, and they in turn have done the same towards others. In this there is no “mystery,” but a very straightforward and obvious operation of reason and truth.”
It does seem strange to me that some episodes from over 150 years ago are used to attack a community whose foundation relies on the evidence of the Bible: although Bro. Thomas indeed developed much of what we believe, we only rarely cite any of his writings when we teach. And although it must be admitted a few of his prophetical views have not been fulfilled in the way he expected, we can still read his works with profit.
A common pamphlet
I first came across a pamphlet attacking the Christadelphians in the 1960’s, while browsing a religious bookstore. I did not know it at the time, but it was first published around 1910, and fully answered by Bro. Walker in 19122. The basis of Pollock’s attacks was a copy of “The Declaration”, in which each statement, of which there are 36, is followed by the appropriate Bible verses. Pollock chooses to address ten or so of these topics: as the whole reply would run to twelve pages or so of this magazine, it is impossible for me to even summarize the arguments. However, these are common to many who attack our doctrines: a list (as in bold) will probably suffice, because all these items are well covered in our literature, and we all should be prepared to answer for our beliefs in each of these areas.
- “Son Of God,” Not “God The Son”: or The True Nature of Christ
- Christ And Creation: Or the Preexistence Of Christ
- The Atonement: or Representation not Substitution
- The Gospel: “The Power of God unto Salvation”: We must believe the Gospel to be Saved.
- Baptism: And Why It Is Essential To Salvation
- David Is Not Ascended Into The Heavens: There is no Heaven as a Place For Our Souls
- The Thief On The Cross: The meaning of “Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise”
- The Holy Spirit: the Power of God, not the Third person of the Trinity
- The Devil: A Symbol For The Temptations That Overcome Mankind
- Hell: Either The Grave Or Permanent Destruction
- “Soul” And “Spirit”: The Immortality of the Soul
Christadelphian prophecies
This is another area in which our opponents have assailed us, although in some cases you can argue they might be somewhat justified. There is an unfortunate tendency in our community to engage in speculation as to the time of Christ’s return, and this has persisted from the time of John Thomas to now. In writing “Anatolia” in 1854, (later published in a modified form as “Exposition of Daniel”, he was convinced that Russia would win the Crimean War. In the same year, he forecast:
“When this appointed time shall have elapsed [that is in 1866], the work of establishing the Kingdom’s economy in the land promised to Abraham and Christ, and to all constitutionally in them, will be commenced”3
Of course, this date, which has often been regarded as the end of the temporal power of the Pope, can be regarded as significant, but certainly did not fulfill the expectations of John Thomas. And this tendency to set specific dates has continued: I can remember quite a few of them even in my short time. Famously, an Australian brother, Charles Wauchope, actually had his prediction of Armageddon in 1934 entered into the Australian Parliamentary record in 1921. Some (although not all) were hedged by “we cannot be sure, but the signs of the times seem to indicate that…”. Of the return of our Lord we can be sure: but of the date, not so. So we should keenly look at the “Signs of the Times.” But I believe he will return when we (or at least most of us) least expect it. We need to be ready to make our defense before our opponents, and pray that, by the grace of God, we will be admitted to the Kingdom of our Lord.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One