What Is Christadelphianism? In Reply .to Several Requests for Information Regarding This Growing Cult
POLLOCK to Is r a e l th ro u g h h im (H eb. 1:1). Je s u s C h rist, th e re fo re , in th e d ay s of h is w e a k n ess, h a d tw o sid es—one D e ity : th e o th e r M an : b u t n o t as c o n s tru e d b y T rin i- ta ria n is m , w h ich m a k e s Je s u s th e Son I n c a rn a te . T h e m an w a s th e son w h o se e x iste n c e d a te s fro m th e b ir th o f Je su s ; th e D e ity d w e llin g in h im w a s th e F a th e r w ho, w ith o u t b e g in n in g o f d ay s, is e te r n a lly p re -e x is te n t. T h ere w ere n o t tw o or th re e e te rn a l p e rso n s b e fo re ‘th e m an C h rist J e su s ,’ b u t o n ly O ne—God th e F a -, th e r, w h o se re la tio n to th e Son w a s a f t e r w a rd s ex em p lified in th e e y e n t r e la te d b y L u k e (chap. 1:36), b y w h ic h w a s e s ta b lish e d w h a t P a u l s ty le s th e ‘m y s te ry of g o d lin e ss’: ‘God m a n ife s te d in th e flesh, ju stifie d in th e S p irit, seen of an g e ls, p re a c h e d u n to th e G en tiles, b eliev ed on in th e w o rld , receiv ed u p in to G lo ry ’ (1 T im . 3:16). In th is proposition is stated , as clearly as words are able, th a t th e Lord Jesus Christ is not God th e Son. No one believes in “an etern al T rin ity of Gods,” bu t Christendom believes in God the F ather, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost— ONE GOD. Christendom be lieves in a T riune God, not in a p lu ral ity of Gods. This can be proved most clearly from Scripture. Yet we are told in this proposition th a t th e re are not * two or th ree etern al persons, th a t Jesus is not the Son Incarnate, th a t He is only God’s Son as begotten into th is world, whose existence dates only from His birth, th a t DEITY is not essential to th e person of the Lord Jesus, bu t “Deity dwelling in Him was the F a th e r.” The whole proposition is entirely false. Let Scripture, to which they so confidently appeal, answer them . The Christadelphians assert th a t the Lord Jesus had no existence previous to His incarnation. The Lord’s own words are:
By A. J. IRISTADELPHIAN1SM makes a g reat show of appealing to Scripture. Every lover of the tru th will be well content to
judge this system by such an unerring standard. No seeker afte r ligh t need fear th e result. If it be of God, Scrip tu re will surely be its am plest vindica tion., if not of God, its fu llest exposure. Nor is it mere details we shall have to consider. There is not one im portant fundam ental doctrine upon which Chris tendom has for ages been agreed th a t is not by th is system denied. The book from which we cull extracts to show w hat they distinctly hold, and which was sent to th e w riter by a Chris- tadelphian to convince him of th e ir tenets, consists of thirty-six propo sitions w ith about five hundred Scrip tu re quotations. The number of Scrip tu re quotations only proves thdir in fat uation, fo r Scripture is th e ir exposure, as we shall see. Read by th e careless or ignorant, they may succeed in mis leading, but once le t the tru th be clearly stated by Scripture, it will soon be ap paren t how g reat is the deception. 1. Christadelphians believe th a t the L o rd , Jesu s Christ was not divine, bu t merely a man— th u s aim ing a fata l blow a t the whole scheme of redemption. Let us quote th e ir own words— “J e s u s C h rist, th e Son of God, is n o t th e ‘seco n d p e rso n of a n e te rn a l T rin ity of G ods,’ h u t th e m a n ife sta tio n of th e ONE E te rn a l C reato r, w h o is ‘ab o v e a ll a n d th ro u g h a ll’ (E p h . 4:6) a n d ‘o u t of w hom a re a ll th in g s ’ (R om . 11:36). T h is C re a to r is S p irit, d w e llin g c o rp o re a lly a n d p e r so n a lly in h eav en , y e t in H is S p irit-e fflu ence, fillin g im m en sity . B y th is , S p irit- efflu en ce H e b e g o t Je su s, w h o w a s th e r e fo re H IS SON: b y t h e . sam e p o w er H e a n o in te d h im a n d d w e lt in h im a n d sp o k e
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