Christadelphian Answers

CHRISTADELPHIAN ANSWERS ON ALL KINDS OF DIFFICULTIES, OBJECTIONS ARGUMENTS AND QUESTIONS, EXHIBITING "THE TRUTH" IN OPPOSITION TO THE DOGMAS OF PAPAL AND PROTESTANT CHRISTENDOM BY WELL-KNOWN CHRISTADELPHIANS COMPILED, DIGESTED OR WRITTEN BY FRANK G. JANNAWAY Author of ''Without the Camp'1, "Palestine and the Powers'", etc INTRODUCTION. CHRISTADELPHIANISM is essentially militant in charac- ter : it is set for the defence of the Gospel and wars unceasing warfare against the Apostasy which has changed the Truth of God into a lie. There can be no truce between the true Christadelphian and the expo- nents of clerical theology. During the seventy years which have elapsed since the early labours of Dr. John Thomas, this militant charac- ter of the Christadelphian belief has been abundantly manifested. It is but natural that during the course of such a struggle with false teaching and practice, many difficulties and objections have had to be faced; arguments, cunningly devised and skilfully propounded, have had to be met; questions have had to be answered, and seeming contradictions reconciled. These difficulties, objections, arguments and questions have been cogently answered by Christadelphians of standing since the days of Dr. Thomas onwards, and their answers are scattered throughout the pages of " The Christadel- phian " and other Christadelphian works. Many of these have now been collected (for the first time, we believe) and condensed into the briefest compass: others have been written specially for this book. Their compilation into a single volume, easy of reference and with references for further study, should form a valu- able aid to the Christadelphian warrior of these days. A further object has been prominently in mind in publishing " Christadelphian Answers ". There is no doubt that Christadelphian labours in the past have been abundantly blessed by God in the calling out of INTRODUCTION many thousands from the errors of " Christendom ". Whilst rejoicing in this increase, there are correspond- ing dangers which cannot be overlooked, and which must be unflinchingly combated. With larger numbers in the ecclesias there is undoubtedly a tendency towards the development of a considerable body of " non- workers " who leave the proclamation of the Truth and other features of the Truth's warfare too exclusively to the duly appointed serving brethren. This development of a considerable proportion of " non-com- batants " renders the ecclesias more susceptible to in- fluences antagonistic to spiritual and doctrinal well- being. There are many amongst us who are unmindful of the enormous labours required of Dr. Thomas to rescue the Truth from the mountains of ecclesiastical rubbish under which it had been laid for centuries, and who had no knowledge of the bitter attacks made by clerical antagonists of the days of Brother Robert Roberts. These seek to tone down the uncompromising language of these Christadelphian pioneers, forget- ting that the Holy Spirit brands Apostate Christendom as " The Mother of Harlots " and " The Mystery of Iniquity ". There is abroad the spirit of compromise. Earnest Christ adelphians of many years' standing look with in- creasing alarm on the many new " developments " in the ecclesias. Practices which forty years ago were un- hesitatingly condemned as inconsistent with the true profession of the brother of Christ, are now being tolerated in the Ecclesias—e.g., smoking, theatre-going, card-playing, marriage with the unbeliever, serving in political capacity, etc. As an antidote to such retro- grade tendencies this book gives the mature judgment of leading Christ adelphians on such questions. In many cases the brethren quoted from have ceased from their labours and sleep in Jesus. " Yet they, being dead, speak "—speak to a new generation of Christadel- phians, who know little of the fierceness of the early INTRODUCTION combat, or of the spirit of the earlier brethren and sisters. Young brethren and sisters—and older ones, too—may well ponder carefully their sterling words when confronted with the allurements and temptations of modern times, remembering that it was their faithful and uncompromising attitude in both doctrine and practice which has resulted in our receiving the precious heritage of the Truth in its purity and simplicity, and that should the Lord further delay His Coming, the responsibility of preserving the Truth undefiled must devolve upon the rising generation of Christadelphians. May they realise their glorious privilege and prepare themselves to discharge courageously their great responsibility. The " Answers " marked " COMPILED " are mainly digests of longer ones by Dr. Thomas and Brother Roberts; the remainder are by Christadelphians whose names or initials they bear. To all who have so readily contributed, I feel deeply indebted and grateful. For the reading of the printer's proofs we are sincerely thankful to Brother C. C. Walker and his staff. It is more than probable that " Christadelphian An- swers " will be followed by " Further Christadelphian Answers ", of which we have already a large number in hand. FRANK G. JANNAWAY, 99, Stockwell Park Road. London, S.W. 9. September, 1920. CONTENTS. Page. INTRODUCTION iii. SECTION I CONCERNING GOD, HOLY SPIRIT, ANGELS AND CREATION : " No man hath seen God "—Image of God—How was man created in God's Image?—Three in One—History of the Trinity—the Athanasian Creed—the Deity's Names—Yah- weh—Elohim—Ail—Shaddai—Adonai—Logos—The Righte- ousness of God—Lord Kelvin on God—God as a Man of War —God the Author of Evil—God the Saviour of all Men— God's " own blood "—Holy Ghost—" The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost "—" Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit "—Pentecostian Descent of the Spirit—Possession of the Holy Spirit—Gift of the Holy Spirit—" Unknown Tongues "—" Born of the Spirit "—Angels—Spontaneous Generation—Evolution—Spirit Gifts—Quenching the Spirit —Light before the Sun. SECTION II. 19 CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST, HIS MISSION, LIFE AND WORKS : Infidels' Opinion of Jesus—Josephus' Testimony to Christ —Christ's Genealogies—" Before Abraham was I am "— " A Virgin shall be with Child "—Why was Jesus Baptised? Christ dependent upon God—" For your sakes became poor "—Christ made a curse for us—Christ in need of Sal- vation—Joshua's Filthy Garments—Substitution—·•" That Rock was Christ "—" If I be lifted up "—" Christ: a Ransom for All "—Christ not now a King—Christ now Crowned with Glory—Ought we to worship Christ— Thomas: " My Lord and my God "—Did Christ partake of the Last Supper? CONTENTS Page SECTION III 30 CONCERNING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AND ALLIED SUBJECTS : Why no Revelation Now—Why no Original Scriptures—The Learned against the Bible—Book of Jasher—Book of Enoch—Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews—The Early Fathers and the Bible—The Bible Companion—Bible Marking—Higher Critics and Writing—Searching the Scrip- tures Daily—The Inspiration Question—Permissive Inspira- tion—Bible Errors—Inconvenient Bible Facts—Josephus on the Scriptures—Ancient Biblical Manuscripts—The Septua- gint Version—The Talmud— The Latin Vulgate—The Apo- crypha—Mosaic Law Divine—Mosaic Law andJesus Christ— Mosaic Law and Eternal Life—Moses recording his own death—Revengeful Psalms—Divine Philosophy—The Book of Proverbs—Ecclesiastes XII.—Song of Solomon—Daniel in the Lions' Den. SECTION IV. 51 CONCERNING WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP; THEIR PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITY: Fellowship with God—Worship—Indecorous Prayers—Wor- ship with the Alien—Worship in Public—Seekers after God — God heareth not Sinners "—Children and Prayers— Children and Worship—Children and Hymn Singing—Use of the terms " Brother " and " Sister r'-~Musical Instru- ments in Worship. SECTION V 59 CONCERNING HEAVEN, PARADISE, AND HEAVENLY PLACES : Where is Heaven?—" Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven " —" Your Reward is Great in Heaven "—" Your Names are written in Heaven "—" Sit together in Heavenly Places " —" Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven "—" A Heavenly Country "—" An Inheritance * Reserved in Heaven ' "— Elijah taken up to Heaven—" Our House which is from Heaven "—" Our Citizenship is in Heaven "—" Treasure in the Heavens"—Lay up "Treasures in Heaven"—No man ascended to Heaven—Enter the Kingdom of Heaven— In Heaven a better substance—Hope laid up in Heaven— '* Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence "—Paradise— House of Many Mansions. SECTION VI. 68 CONCERNING SOUL, SPIRIT, AND DEATH: ** A Living Soul "—Immortal Souls and Egypt—** Not able to kill the Soul "—" Her Soul was in Departing "— Child's Soul come back—-" Whence I shall not Return "— The Witch of Endor—" Out of the Body "—" Spirit shall return unto God "—" The Spirits in Prison "—" Spirits of Just Men made perfect"—" Gave up the Ghost "— Stephen's Dying Prayer—" Absent from the body "·—" My CONTENTS Page Departure is at Hand "—" Put off this my Tabernacle "— "Live or Die, we are the Lord's"—"Blessed are the Dead"— " Shall never die "—" Shall never see death "—" They fell asleep "—" House not made with hands "—*' Not the God of the dead "—" To die is gain "—" Desire to Depart and be with Christ "—Thief on the Cross—Rich man and Lazarus—" Live together with Him "—" Them He also Glorified "—Moses in the Transfiguration. SECTION VII 83 CONCERNING FIRST PRINCIPLES, BELIEF, AND BAPTISM : " Only Believe "—Examining Candidates—First Principles of the Truth—Baptismal Essentials—Baptismal Formula— Leaving First Principles — Universalism — Dying before baptised — Dean Stanley on Baptism — Russellism — Calvinism. SECTION VIII 92 CONCERNING HUMAN NATURE,

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