The record in Acts describes how that “the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). The term “Christian” therefore, was designed to distinguish the believers and followers of Christ from other religious systems. It was a distinctive title, which left no doubt as to who the bearer of that name was: a follower of the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. However, this title soon lost its meaning and significance. The Apostasy set in, and the ecclesia of Christ became an apostate church. The Apostle Paul spoke of this prospect: “ … but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). Again, to Timothy, he warned: “so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Tim 3:8). The Truth was resisted, the virgin ecclesia was corrupted by serpentine sophistry, and a Mother of Harlots came into being – that great system of apostasy seen by John in his apocalyptic visions (Rev. 17:5).
In latter times, the Truth has been revived, chiefly due to the Hand of Providence in the labours of John Thomas and Robert Roberts. The fellowship they established was a revival of the Apostle’s fellowship (Acts 2:42), as they continued steadfastly in the true doctrine, setting forth the elementary principles of the Truth concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12). They continued for some time without a name, but due to particular circumstances, a name was adopted: “Christadelphians”, a citation from Colosssians 1 verse 2, signifying “brethren in Christ”. Robert Roberts wrote of this, in his work “The Sect Everywhere Spoken Against”:
“if men are to be faithful to the apostolic testimony, they have no alternative but to “come out” from communities that both in works and words deny it; and if being spoken against is the result, they will accept it in the spirit of the Apostles, who rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. This has been the decision of many. Their “coming out” has necessarily resulted in the formation of a sect, and they have called themselves by the name “Christadelphian” because of a necessity for a name that will distinguish them from those who profess a belief in the Bible, but do not submit to its teachings, and because that name proclaims a fact that Christendom has forgotten: viz., that all who believe and obey Christ are his brethren, whom “he is not ashamed to call such” (Heb. 2:11). But as a sect, they have no sacerdotal pretensions. They are a number of private men and women who have surrendered to the claims of Scripture teaching, by the exercise of the inestimable right of private judgment, and who, on that basis, are seeking to “work out their own salvation” by conformity to the law of Christ in all things …”
(R Roberts, The Sect Everywhere Spoken Against)
But sadly, like Christendom of old, the name Christadelphian is no longer expressive of a community held together by a mutual understanding and defence of the Gospel. Divisions are rife, and false doctrines abound. There is the open and public acceptance and endorsement of Sodomy, even by an “official” Christadelphian organisation, and ecclesial websites. The idea that men and women in the churches can be saved whilst believing in a personal devil, the Trinity and the Immortal soul is not uncommon, as they said to be “fellow-Christians,” who only have a “different perspective” to us. There are those who deny the Inspiration of the Scriptures, and brand the Apostle Paul as “misogynistic”, because they cannot accept his teaching regarding the role of sisters in the ecclesias. There are prominent preachers who openly teach that Christ died as a substitute for us, and that there is no such thing as sin in the flesh. “The Hope of Israel” is minimised – as we see elsewhere in this issue. The nature and sacrifice of Christ is not understood, and the Bible doctrine of the Person of God is denied by a form of pantheism. There are those who claim Holy Spirit possession, and believe in faith-healing. There is an overidding acceptance that differences of opinion are “alternative points of view”, or a “fresh perspective” – where the Bible uses the expression: “damnable heresies” (2 Pet. 2:1). And there is an “open fellowship” whereby the emblems are shared with others, regardless as to their beliefs and fellowship standing: the BASF is openly denied as a basis of fellowship for Christadelphians.
In the book “Christadelphian Treasury”, J M Evans wrote the following:
“I have borne the name of Christadelphian for forty years, and upon the significance of that title a few words may be useful. It came into existence when it was necessary to distinguish the brethren from other so-called Christians. Ever since, that name has stood for the One Faith and for seperation from the present evil world in its Religious, Social and Political aspects.
“Brethren in Christ,” a high and noble calling, an honourable name! Has it lost its meaning since it first came into being? The Ecclesia at Sardis had a “name” that it lived, but it was dead. They called themselves Brethren in Christ, and they had a high reputation, but in Christ’s estimation, they were like the Pharisees, ‘whited sepulchres’, outwarldy beautiful, but inwardly full of dead men’s bones. Should the salt lose its savour, should the name Christadelphia ever become a misnomer; should it come to be borne by a people who have become false to the Truth it signifies, lax, latitudinarian and worldly, it might become necessary for “a few names” who had lived up to the Name to repudiate a title which they once rightly glorified in”
J M Evans, Christadelphian Treasury
It is a sad fact that the name “Christadelphian,” whilst it was once expressive of the community of true believers, it is now a corporate branding held by many who don’t even accept the doctrines described by the BASF as a basis for fellowship. As a survey of ecclesial websites will show, to claim the name “Christadelphian” is to claim a living name, yet the holders thereof do not necessarily believe the elementary principles of the Gospel that saves. It is mainly because of this reason that whilst we do not altogether “repudiate” the title, we have renamed The Christadelphian Waymark to The Living Way magazine, which does not bear or imply the modern connotations associated with the Christadelphian branding.
There is also another reason for our change of Title. The record in Acts chapter 18 describes the experience of Apollos:
“… and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Prisilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26)
This example of Apollos demonstrates that it is quite possible to be zealous and bold in expounding the Word, yet be lacking in understanding. Apollos had the humility to stand corrected, and heeded the instruction of Aquilla and Priscilla, and as a consequence, understood the Way “more perfectly.” The example of the Apostle Paul also demonstrates how it is possible to be highly motivated with a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. He had to be corrected, and redirected in his understanding in order to promote the entire counsel of God.
The present writer also had the need to have the Way of God expounded to him more perfectly. In the year 2000, he began producing The Christadelphian Waymark magazine, with its stated mission to be: “Devoted to the Defence and Proclamation of the Way of Life, in Opposition to the Dogmas of Papal and Protestant Christendom”. The intention was to present and defend the Christadelphian position on particular First Principles, primarily the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Atonement. However, it was more recently pointed out that whilst the present writer was contending against errorists, he himself lacked an understanding of certain principles, that the BASF plainly teaches. These included the acknowledgment that the Kingdom God is essentially as the BASF has it: “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.” Our previous position was that the Kingdom over which Christ will reign will be a worldwide Kingdom, albeit with Jerusalem being its capital. But as we demonstrate elsewhere in this issue, the kingdoms of men will still retain their national identity during the Millennial Reign of Messiah. They be part of his empire and under his rulership, but they are not the “first dominion”, or the kingdom proper. This will be Israel, which will remain when the other kingdoms are ultimately done away with.
Another issue was to do with the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over the diabolos. Assuming that we die because we transgress, and that sin in the flesh was “the Carnal Mind”, it was previously thought that the victory of Christ was in his death, when the thinking of the flesh ceased. However, the truth of the matter, is that Scripture uses the word “victory” in the context of resurrection, and not of death. So Paul wrote: “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brougth to pass the saying that it is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54). The victory therefore, is in the resurrection from the dead, and not descending into the death-state.
Some of these errors found their way into our earlier publications, and therefore must be corrected. Whilst we anticipate the scolding criticism of our adversaries for changing our position, we believe that it is better to stand corrected than to continue with erroneous beliefs for the sake of pleasing men.
This was another reason for renaming the magazine: it draws a line under what has gone before, and provides impetus for going forward to proclaim the Truth. We have developed a completely new website for The Living Way magazine, and the address is here: http://www.bibleonline.uk
THE LIVING WAY
Why “Living Way”? The title comes from the book of Hebrews, which reads:
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiests by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecreated for us, through the veil, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19-20).
The believers in Christ, then, have access to “a new and living way”. In the early history of the ecclesias, the system of doctrines they followed was described as “the Way”. Hence Paul described his persecution of the believers, saying: “I persecuted this way unto the death …” (Acts 22:4). Again, we read that he desired of the High Priest “letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:2).
So it is that those who have left the Truth have left the Way:
“There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:11-12).
Instead, they walk along a different way:
“For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward …” (Jude 11:
The Proverbs also speak of those who have forsaken the Way:
“the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead” (Prov. 21:16).
It is clear then, that we need to ensure that we are walking along the path of understanding and wisdom.
The Lord Jesus Christ also spoke of “The Way”:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there by which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Mat. 7:13-14).
There are only a “few” that find the strait gate, and there are even fewer who enter in through it. A gate is designed to be both a barrier to keep out the undesireables, and also an entrance to provide access to a Way. Only those who have the Key can enter therein, and the leaders of Jesus’s day took away that key from those who would otherwise enter:
“ … for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered” (Lu. 11:52).
We need then, to use the Key of Knowledge to unlock the gate, and proceed along the narrow path that leads to life.
One of our adversaries, whilst steadfastly refusing to discuss the Scriptures with us, mocks and scorns the fact that we are few in number. Another asks whether or not what we promote is just a “minority view” that can therefore be discarded. But according to Messiah himself, the Way is accesssed and traversed by a despised minority – so, yes, according to our Master, our “view” is only held by a few. Doubtless in Noah’s day, there would have been the same scorning and deriding. Out of the entire world population, only eight individuals had faith. They would have been laughted at, and despised because of they were so few, amongst multitudes who had no faith in the things of the Truth. But, when the rain fell, and the floods came, it was only those few who entered into the Ark who were saved. No matter how righteous the pious of their day thought themselves to be, they were outside the ark – and were therfore outside of the arena of salvation. The door was shut, and the day of opportunity came to an end. We do not write for the majority who have no interest in the things of the Truth, but for the few that might yet have ears to hear and eyes to see.
John chapter 14 records the words of Thomas to the Master concerning the means of acceess to salvation:
“Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?”
Then we read that:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jno. 14:6).
Messiah, therefore, is “The Way”. But being the Word Made Flesh, he is also “the Truth” and “the Life”. Often the first and third of these aspects are referred to: the Way and the Life. But he is also “The Truth”. Christ is the epitome of truth and holiness, and is the Way of reconciliation to the Father. Whereas in the Edenic paradise the Truth of God was denied and the serpent’s lie embraced, in Messiah we have absolute Truth epitomised. We must therefore seek to forsake the deceitful ways of the flesh, and embrace the Truth as it is in him. Then we will overcome, being participants of his victory through Resurrection. Walking back along the Way to the Tree of Life, we will be granted the privilege of partaking of it’s life-giving fruit, and live eternally with our Redeemer. This is the purpose and mission of “The Living Way” magazine. We are devoted to upholding the original Christadelphian faith concerning: “the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12). To contact Christadelphians who still uphold the doctrines of Scripture described by the BASF as their basis of fellowship, please do message the undersigned here
Christopher Maddocks
