Statement of Faith
A Statement of the Doctrines
forming the Christadelphian Basis
of Fellowship
Truths to be received/Doctrines to be rejected.
YTHE FOUNDATION.—That the book currently known as the Bible,
consisting of the Scriptures of Moses, the prophets, and the
apostles, is the only source of knowledge concerning God and His
purposes at present extant or available in the earth, and that the
same were wholly given by inspiration of God in the writers, and
are consequently without error in all parts of them, except such as
may be due to errors of transcription or translation.—
2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13;
Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 14:37;
Nehemiah 9:30; John 10:35.
I.—That the only true God is He who was revealed to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, by angelic visitation and vision, and to Moses at
the flaming bush (unconsumed) and at Sinai, and who manifested
Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the supreme self-existent
Deity, the ONE FATHER, dwelling in unapproachable light, yet
everywhere present by His Spirit, which is a unity with His person
in heaven. He hath, out of His own underived energy, created
heaven and earth, and all that in them is.—Isaiah 40:13-25;
43:10-12; 44:6-8; 45:5; 46:9,10; Job 38, 39 and 40; Deuteronomy
6:4; Mark 12:29-32; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy
2:5; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 26:13; Psalm 124:8; 146:6; 148:5; Isaiah
40:26,27; Jeremiah 10:12,13; 27:5; 32:17-19; 51:15; Acts 14:15;
17:24; 1 Chronicles 29:11-14; Psalm 62:11; 145:3; Isaiah 26:4;
40:26; Job 9:4; 36:5; Psalm 92:5; 104:24; 147:4-5; Isaiah 28:29;
Romans 16:27; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Job 28:24;
34:21; Psalm 33:13,14; 44:21; 94:9; 139:7-12; Proverbs 15:3;
Jeremiah 23:24; 32:19; Amos 9:2,3; Acts 17:27,28; Psalm 123:1;
1 Kings 8:30,39,43,49; Matthew 6:9; 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 1:17.
II.—That Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, begotten of the
Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, without the intervention of man,
and afterwards anointed with the same spirit, without measure, at
his baptism.—Matthew 1:23; 1 Timothy 3:16; Acts 2:22-24,36;
Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; Galatians 4:4; Isaiah 7:14;
Matthew 3:16,17; Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1; John 3:34; 7:16;
8:26-29; 14:10-24.
III.—That the appearance of Jesus of Nazareth on the earth was
necessitated by the position and state into which the human race
had been brought by the circumstances connected with the first
man.—1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Romans 5:12-19; Genesis 3:19;
2 Corinthians 5:19-21.
IV.—That the first man was Adam, whom God created out of the
dust of the ground as a living soul, or natural body of life, "very
good" in kind and condition, and placed him under a law through
which the continuance of life was contingent on obedience.—Genesis
2:7; 18:27; Job 4:19; 33:6; 1 Corinthians 15:46-49; Genesis 2:17.
V.—That Adam broke this law, and was adjudged unworthy of
immortality, and sentenced to return to the ground from whence he
was taken—a sentence which defiled and became a physical law of
his being, and was transmitted to all his posterity.—Genesis
3:15-19,22,23; 2 Corinthians 1:9; Romans 7:24; 2 Corinthians
5:2-4; Romans 7:18-23; Galatians 5:16,17; Romans 6:12; 7:21; John
3:6; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Psalm 51:5; Job 14:4.
VI.—That God, in His kindness, conceived a plan of restoration
which, without setting aside His just and necessary law of sin and
death, should ultimately rescue the race from destruction, and
people the earth with sinless immortals.—Revelation 21:4; John
3:16; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 2:25; 2 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:2;
Romans 3:26; John 1:29.
VII.—That He inaugurated this plan by making promises to Adam,
Abraham, and David, and afterwards elaborated it in greater detail
through the prophets.—Genesis 3:15; 22:18; Psalm 89:34-37;
33:5; Hosea 13:14; Isaiah 25:7-9; 51:1-8; Jeremiah 23:5.
VIII.—That these promises had reference to Jesus Christ, who was
to be raised up in the condemned line of Abraham and David, and
who, though wearing their condemned nature, was to obtain a title
to resurrection by perfect obedience, and, by dying, abrogate the
law of condemnation for himself and all who should believe and
obey him.—1 Corinthians 15:45; Hebrews 2:14-16; Romans 1:3;
Hebrews 5:8,9; 1:9; Romans 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4,5; Romans
8:3,4; Hebrews 2:14,15; 9:26; Galatians 1:4; Hebrews 7:27;
5:3-7; 2:17; Romans 6:10; 6:9; Acts 13:34-37; Revelation 1:18;
John 5:21,22,26,27; 14:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:21; Matthew 25:21;
Hebrews 5:9; Mark 16:16; Acts 13:38,39; Romans 3:22; Psalm
2:6-9; Daniel 7:13,14; Revelation 11:15; Jeremiah 23:5;
Zechariah 14:9; Ephesians 1:9,10.
IX.—That it was this mission that necessitated the miraculous
begettal of Christ of a human mother, enabling him to bear our
condemnation, and, at the same time, to be a sinless bearer thereof,
and, therefore, one who could rise after suffering the death
required by the righteousness of God.—Matthew 1:18-25; Luke
1:26-35; Galatians 4:4; Isaiah 7:14; Romans 1:3,4; 8:3;
2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:14-17; 4:15.
X.—That being so begotten of God, and inhabited and used by God
through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was Emmanuel,
God with us, God manifest in the flesh—yet was, during his natural
life, of like nature with mortal man, being made of a woman, of
the house and lineage of David, and therefore a sufferer, in the
days of his flesh, from all the effects that came by
Adam's transgression, including the death that
passed upon all men, which he shared by
partaking of their physical nature.—Matthew 1:23;
1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 2:17.
XL—That the message he delivered from God to his kinsmen, the
Jews, was a call to repentance from every evil work, the assertion
of his divine sonship and Jewish kingship; and the proclamation of
the glad tidings that God would restore their kingdom through him,
and accomplish all things written in the prophets.—Mark 1:15;
Matthew 4:17; 5:20-48; John 10:36; 9:35; 11:27; 19:21; 1:49;
Matthew 27:11-42; John 10:24,25; Matthew 19:28; 21:42,43;
23:38,39; 25:14-46; Luke 4:43; 13:27-30; 19:11-27; 22:28-30;
Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:44.
XII.—That for delivering this message, he was put to death by the
Jews and Romans, who were, however, but instruments in the
hands of God, for the doing of that which He had determined
before to be done, viz., the condemnation of sin in the flesh,
through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all,
as a propitiation to declare the righteousness of God, as a basis
for the remission of sins. All who approach God through this crucified, but
risen, representative of Adam's disobedient race, are forgiven.
Therefore, by a figure, his blood cleanseth from sin.—Luke 19:47;
20:1-16; John 11:45-53; Acts 10:38,39; 13:26-29; 4:27,28;
Romans 8:3; Hebrews 10:10; Acts 13:38; 1 John 1:7; John 14:6;
Acts 4:12; 1 Peter 3:18; 2:24; Hebrews 9:14; 7:27; 9:26-28;
Galatians 1:4; Romans 3:25; 15:8; Galatians 3:21,22; 2:21; 4:4,5;
Hebrews 9:15; Luke 22:20; 24:26,46,47; Matthew 26:28.
XIII.—That on the third day, God raised him from the dead, and
exalted him to the heavens as priestly mediator between God
and man, in the process of gathering from among them a people
who should be saved by the belief and obedience of the truth.—
1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 10:40; 13:30-37; 2:24-27.
XIV.—That he is a priest over his own house only, and does not
intercede for the world, or for professors who are abandoned to
disobedience. That he makes intercession for his erring brethren,
if they confess and forsake their sins.—Luke 24:51; Ephesians
1:20; Acts 5:31; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:1; Acts 15:14; 13:39;
Hebrews 4:14,15; John 17:9; Hebrews 10:26; 1 John 2:1; Proverbs
28:13.
XV.—That he sent forth apostles to proclaim salvation through
him, as the only name given under heaven whereby men may
be saved.—Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Luke 24:46-48; Acts
26:16-18; 4:12.
XVI.—That the way to obtain this salvation is to believe the gospel
they preached, and to take on the name and service of Christ, by
being thereupon immersed in water, and continuing patiently in the
observance of all things he has commanded, none being recognised
as his friends except those who do what he has commanded.—Acts
13:48; 16:31; Mark 16:16; Romans 1:16; Acts 2:38,41; 10:47;
8:12; Galatians 3:27-29; Romans 6:3-5; 2:7; Matthew 28:20; John
15:14.
XVII.—That the gospel consists of "the things concerning the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ".—Acts 8:12;
19:8,10,20; 28:30,31.
XVIII.—That the things of the kingdom of God are the facts testified concerning the
kingdom of God in the writings of the prophets
and apostles, and definable as in the next twelve paragraphs.
XIX.—That God will set up a kingdom in the earth, which will
overthrow all others, and change them into "the kingdoms of our
Lord and his Christ".—Daniel 2:44; 7:13,14; Revelation 11:15;
Isaiah 32:1,17; 2:2-4; 11:9,10.
XX.—That for this purpose God will send Jesus Christ personally
to the earth at the close of the times of the Gentiles.—Acts 3:20,21;
Psalm 102:16,21; 2 Timothy 4:1; Acts 1:9,11; Daniel 7:13.
XXI.—That the kingdom which he will establish will be the
kingdom of Israel restored, in the territory it formerly occupied,
viz., the land bequeathed for an everlasting possession to Abraham
and his seed (the Christ) by covenant.—Micah 4:6-8; Amos
9:11,15; Ezekiel 37:21,22; Jeremiah 23:3-8; Genesis 13:14-17;
Hebrews 11:8,9; Galatians 3:16; Leviticus 26:42; Micah 7:20.
XXII.—That this restoration of the kingdom again to Israel will
involve the ingathering of God's chosen but scattered nation, the
Jews; their reinstatement in the land of their fathers, when it shall
have been reclaimed from "the desolation of many generations";
the building again of Jerusalem to become "the throne of the
Lord" and the metropolis of the whole earth.—Isaiah 11:12;
Jeremiah 31:10; Zechariah 8:7,8; Ezekiel 36:34,36; Isaiah 51:3;
60:15; 62:4; Jeremiah 3:17; Micah 4:7,8; Joel 3:17; Isaiah 24:23.
XXIII.—That the governing body of the kingdom so established
will be the brethren of Christ, of all generations, developed by
resurrection and change, and constituting, with Christ as their
head, the collective "seed of Abraham", in whom all nations will
be blessed, and comprising "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets", and all in their age of like faithfulness.—Daniel
12:2; Luke 13:28; Revelation 11:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17;
John 5:28,29; 6:39,40; Luke 14:14; Matthew 25:34,46.
XXIV.—That at the appearing of Christ prior to the establishment
of the kingdom, the responsible (namely, those who know the
revealed will of God, and have been called upon to submit to it),
dead and living—obedient and disobedient—will be summoned
before his judgement-seat "to be judged according to their
works"; and "receive in body according to what they have done,
whether it be good or bad" —2 Corinthians 5 10, 2 Timothy 4 1,
Romans 2 5,6,16, 14 10-12, 1 Corinthians 4 5, Revelation 11 18
XXV —That the unfaithful will be consigned to shame and "the
second death", and the faithful, invested with immortality, and
exalted to reign with Jesus as joint heirs of the kingdom,
copossessors of the earth, and joint administrators of God's
authority among men in everything —
Matthew 7 21,8 12, 25 31-46, Daniel
12 2, Galatians 18, 5 21, 2 Thessalomans 18-10, Hebrews
10 26-29, 2 Peter 2 12, Revelation 21 8, Malachi 4 1, Psalm
37 29-38, Proverbs 10 25-30,
1 Corinthians 15 51-55, 2 Corinthians 5 1-4,
James 1 12, Romans 2 7, John 10 28, Matthew 5 5,
Psalm 37 9,22,29, Revelation 5 9, Daniel 7 27, 1 Thessalomans
2 12, 2 Peter 111, Revelation 3 21, 2 Timothy 2 12, Revelation
5 10, Psalm 49 7-9, Luke 22 29,30
XXVI —That the kingdom of God, thus constituted, will continue
a thousand years, during which sin and death will continue among
the earth's subject inhabitants, though in a much milder degree
than now—Revelation 20 4-9, 11 15, Isaiah 65 20, Ezekiel
37 22,25, 1 Corinthians 15 24-28
XXVII —That a law will be established, which shall go forth to the
nations for their "instruction in righteousness", resulting in the
abolition of war to the ends of the earth, and the 'Tilling of the earth
with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover
the sea -Micah 4 2, Isaiah 42 4, 11 1-5, 2 3,4, Habakkuk 2 14
XXVIII —That the mission of the kingdom will be to subdue all
enemies, and finally death itself, by opening up the way of life to
the nations, which they will enter by faith, during the thousand
years, and (in reality) at their close —1 Corinthians 15 25,26,
Revelation 21 4, 20 12-15 Isaiah 25 6-8
XXIX —That at the close of the thousand years, there will be a
general resurrection and judgement, resulting in the
final extinction of the wicked, and the immortalisation of those who shall have
established their title (under the grace of God) to eternal life during
the thousand years —Revelation 20 11-15, 1 Corinthians 15 24
XXX —That the government will then be delivered up by Jesus to
the Father who will manifest Himself as the ' all-in-all", sin and
death having been taken out of the way, and the race completely
restored to the friendship of the Deity —1 Corinthians 15 28