View source for Christadelphians

{{short description|Restorationist nontrinitarian Christian denomination}}{{Advert|date=March 2024}}{{Christadelphians}}
{{Christianity|state=collapsed|expand-nontrinitarian=yes}}

The '''Christadelphians''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|r|ɪ|s|t|ə|ˈ|d|ɛ|l|f|i|ən|z}}) are a [[Restorationism|restorationist]] and [[Nontrinitarianism|nontrinitarian]] [[Biblical unitarianism|(Biblical Unitarian)]] [[Christian denomination]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christadelphian {{!}} Bible-based, Unitarian, Restorationist {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christadelphians |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The name means 'brothers and sisters in Christ',<ref name="BRWname">"The Christadelphians, or brethren in Christ ... The very name 'Christadelphian' was coined by the founder of the movement, John Thomas, at the time of the American Civil War principally to provide a distinctive nomenclature for the use of the civil authorities [...] At the time of the American Civil War, Thomas coined a name for his followers: Christadelphian – brethren in Christ. The exigencies of the situation in which the civil authorities had sought to impress men into the armed forces had accelerated the tendency for those religious bodies objecting to military service to become more definite in their teaching and conditions of membership." [[Bryan R. Wilson]], ''Sects and Society'' (London: William Heinemann, 1961), p. 219, 238</ref><ref name="StrongName">"Christadelphians (or ''Brethren in Christ'') ... Congress had exempted from war service the members of any religious body which was conscientiously opposed to bearing arms. In order to go upon record in a manner that would secure this exemption, the name [Christadelphian] was adopted and certified to by Dr. Thomas, in August or September, 1864." 'Christadelphians' in [[John McClintock (theologian)|John McClintock]] and [[James Strong (theologian)|James Strong]], ''Cyclopedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature'' Supplement, Volume 1 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889), p. 937</ref> from the Greek words for Christ (''Christos'') and brothers (''adelphoi'').<ref name="ourname">Thomas preferred the name ''Brethren in Christ'', but settled on ''Christadelphian''. He once wrote in a letter, "I did not know a better denomination that would be given to such a class of believers, than ''Brethren in Christ''. This declares their true status; and, as officials prefer words to phrases, the same fact expressed in another form by the word Christadelphians, or ''Christou Adelphoi'', Christ's Brethren. This matter settled to their [i.e., the civil authorities'] satisfaction ... " ({{cite journal | last = Carter | first= John | title = Our Name | journal = The Christadelphian | volume = 92 | page = 181 |date=May 1955}}).</ref><ref name="LippyName">"... conscientious objectors had to demonstrate membership in a recognized religious group that prohibited participation in war activity ... Hence in 1864, Thomas settled on the name 'Christadelphian' (from the Greek for "Brethren in Christ") in order that his adherents might provide the necessary credentials for exemption from military service." Charles H. Lippy, ''The Christadelphians in North America'' ([[Lewiston, New York]]: [[Edwin Mellen Press]], 1989), p. 52</ref><ref>Vincent L. Milner, Hannah Adams  ''Religious denominations of the world'' 1875 "CHRISTADELPHIANS. (BRETHREN OF CHRIST.) The distinctive name Christadelphian is derived from two Greek words — Christos (Christ) and Adelphos (brother) — and has been chosen as a fit representation of the intimate spiritual connection ....2, "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ."</ref>

Christadelphians believe in [[Biblical inspiration|the inspiration of the Bible]], the [[Virgin birth of Jesus|Virgin Birth]], the status of [[Jesus]] as the son of God, [[believer's baptism]], [[Christian eschatology#Resurrection of the dead|the resurrection of the dead]], [[Second Coming|the second coming of Christ]], and [[Christian eschatology#The Millennium|the future kingdom of God on earth]]. However, they reject a number of mainstream Christian doctrines, for example the [[Trinity]] and the [[immortality of the soul]], believing these to be corruptions of original Christian teaching.

The movement developed in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] and North America in the 19th century around the teachings of [[John Thomas (Christadelphian)|John Thomas]] and they were initially found predominantly in the developed [[English-speaking world]], expanding in developing countries after the [[Second World War]]. In 2009, the BBC estimated there were approximately 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/christadelphians_1.shtml|title=BBC – Religions – Christianity: Christadelphians|access-date=22 January 2017}}</ref> Congregations are traditionally referred to as "ecclesias".

== History ==

=== Background ===

=== 19th century ===
The Christadelphian movement traces its origins to [[John Thomas (Christadelphian)|John Thomas]] (1805–1871). He initially associated with emerging [[Restoration Movement]] in the United States but later separated from them. The Christadelphian community in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] effectively dates from Thomas's first lecturing tour of Britain (May 1848 – October 1850). During this period, he wrote ''[[Elpis Israel]]''<ref>
John Thomas, ''Elpis Israel: an exposition of the Kingdom of God with reference to the time of the end and the age to come'' (London: 1849). Available [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Elpis_Israel online]</ref> in which he laid out his understanding of the main doctrines of the Bible. Since his medium for bringing change was print and debate, it was natural for the origins of the Christadelphian body to be associated with books and journals, such as Thomas's ''Herald of the Kingdom''. His message was particularly welcomed in [[Scotland]], and [[Campbellite]], [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] and [[Adventism|Adventist]] friends separated to form groups of "Baptised Believers".

[[Image:John Thomas.png|left|thumb|150px|John Thomas]]

{{wikisource|Elpis Israel}}

He was not alone in his desire to establish Biblical truth and test orthodox Christian beliefs through independent scriptural study. Among other churches, he had links with the [[Adventism|Adventist]] movement and with [[Benjamin Wilson (Biblical scholar)|Benjamin Wilson]] (who later set up the [[Church of the Blessed Hope|Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith]] in the 1860s). Although the Christadelphian movement originated through the activities of John Thomas, he never saw himself as making his own disciples. He believed rather that he had rediscovered 1st-century beliefs from the Bible alone,<ref>"The Lecturer [John Thomas] commenced by denying a statement which had appeared in many of the London and country newspapers, and amongst them, one made by a religious Editor in this town, to the effect that he assumed to himself the true, infallible, prophetic character, as one sent from God, ''verbatim''. He would appeal to his writings – and he had written a great deal in twelve years – and to his speeches, whether he had ever claimed to be such, in the remotest degree whatever. He believed truth as it was taught in the scriptures of truth&nbsp;..." {{cite news 
  | title = The Destinies of the Cities, Countries, and Empires
  | newspaper = Nottingham Mercury
  | location = Nottingham, UK
  | date = 13 July 1849
  }}
</ref> and sought to prove that through a process of challenge and debate and writing journals. Through that process a number of people became convinced and set up various fellowships that had sympathy with that position. Groups associated with John Thomas met under multiple names, including Believers, Baptised Believers, the Royal Association of Believers, Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God, Nazarines (or Nazarenes), and The Antipas<ref name = "anrvrv"/> until the time of the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865). At that time, church affiliation was required in the United States and the [[Confederate States of America]] in order to register for [[conscientious objector]] status, and in 1864, Thomas chose for registration purposes the name ''Christadelphian''.<ref name="BRWname"/><ref name="StrongName"/><ref name="ourname"/><ref name="LippyName"/>

Through the teaching of John Thomas and the need in the American Civil War for a name, the Christadelphians emerged as a denomination, but they were formed into a lasting structure through a passionate follower of Thomas's interpretation of the Bible, [[Robert Roberts (Christadelphian)|Robert Roberts]]. In 1864, he began to publish ''The Ambassador of the Coming Age'' magazine. John Thomas, out of concern that someone else might start a publication and call it ''The Christadelphian'', urged Robert Roberts to change the name of his magazine to ''[[The Christadelphian]]'',<ref>Bryan R. Wilson, ''Sects and Society'' (London: William Heinemann, 1961), p. 241</ref><ref>''The Christadelphian'' is published by The Christadelphian Magazine & Publishing Association Ltd (Birmingham, UK)
</ref> which he did in 1869. His editorship of the magazine continued with some assistance until his death in 1898. In church matters, Roberts was prominent in the period following the death of John Thomas in 1871 and helped craft the structures of the Christadelphian body.<ref>Andrew Wilson writes of Roberts, "The organising ability of Robert Roberts was very important: he gave the movement its rules, institutions and much of its literature". Andrew Wilson, ''History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination'' 1997 p.399.</ref>

Initially, the denomination grew in the English-speaking world, particularly in the [[English Midlands]] and parts of North America.{{which|date=October 2013}} Two-thirds of ecclesias and members in Britain before 1864 were in Scotland.<ref>Andrew Wilson, ''History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination'' 1997</ref><ref>Evans, Christmas. The Christadelphian 1956–63
</ref><ref>Norrie, William "Early History of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Britain" Earlston 1904. Available [https://aletheiacollege.net/norrie/norrie3.pdf online]</ref>  In the early days after the death of John Thomas, the group could have moved in a number of directions. Doctrinal issues arose, debates took place, and statements of faith were created and amended as other issues arose. These attempts were felt necessary by many{{according to whom|date=October 2013}} to both settle and define a doctrinal stance for the newly emerging denomination and to keep out error. As a result of these debates, several groups separated from the main body of Christadelphians, most notably the Suffolk Street fellowship in 1885 (with members believing that the whole of the Bible was not inspired) and the Unamended fellowship.

=== 20th century ===
The Christadelphian position on conscientious objection came to the fore with the introduction of conscription during the [[World War I|First World War]]. Varying degrees of exemption from military service were granted to Christadelphians in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In the Second World War, this frequently required the person seeking exemption to undertake civilian work under the direction of the authorities.

During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the Christadelphians in Britain assisted in the [[Kindertransport]], helping to relocate several hundred Jewish children away from Nazi persecution by founding a hostel, [[Elpis Lodge]], for that purpose.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kinderball piano score |publisher=Imperial War Museum |url=http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1463 |access-date=2008-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060127013116/http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1463 |archive-date=27 January 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Morrell | first=Leslie | title=The Christadelphian Response to the Holocaust | url=http://lesliemorrell.com/papers/Response.pdf | access-date=2008-02-08 | url-status=usurped | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227081848/http://lesliemorrell.com/papers/Response.pdf | archive-date=2008-02-27 }}</ref> In Germany, the small Christadelphian community founded by [[Albert Maier]] went underground from 1940 to 1945, and a leading brother, [[Albert Merz]], was imprisoned as a conscientious objector and later executed.<ref>April 1941 in Berlin.Bogner, Gustav. Geschichte der Christadelphians in Deutschland (2) http://www.projekt-glauben.de/?p=205 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025351/http://www.projekt-glauben.de/?p=205 |date=2023-03-26 }}</ref>

After the Second World War, moves were made to try to reunite various earlier divisions. By the end of the 1950s, most Christadelphians had united into one community, but a number of small groups remained separate.

=== Today ===
The post-war and post-reunions periods saw an increase in co-operation and interaction between ecclesias, resulting in the establishment of a number of week-long Bible schools and the formation of national and international organisations such as the Christadelphian Bible Mission<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbm.org.uk/history/ |title=History |date=23 June 2017 |publisher=Christadelphian Bible Mission UK |access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref> (for preaching and pastoral support overseas), the Christadelphian Support Network<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chsn.org.uk/about|title=About |publisher=Christadelphian Support Network|access-date=2020-01-22}}</ref> (for counselling), and the [[Meal-a-Day Fund|Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Fund]] (for charity and humanitarian work).

The period following the reunions was accompanied by expansion in the developing world, which now accounts for around 40% of Christadelphians.<ref>Based on figures from ''CBM Worldwide Guide 2006'', Christadelphian Bible Mission (UK), 2006</ref>

== Beliefs ==
The Christadelphian body has no central authority or co-ordinating organisation to establish and maintain a standardised set of beliefs, but there are core doctrines accepted by most Christadelphians. In the formal statements of faith a more complete list is found; for instance, the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith has 30 doctrines to be accepted and 35 to be rejected.<ref>{{Citation |url = http://www.christadelphia.org/reject.php |title = Doctrines to be Rejected |access-date = August 29, 2012}}</ref>

=== The Bible ===
Christadelphians state that their beliefs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christadelphian Statement of Faith |url=http://www.christadelphia.org/basf.php |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=www.christadelphia.org}}</ref> are based wholly on the Bible,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thechristadelphians.org.uk/about-us/| title = About us}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=March 2025}} and they do not see other works as inspired by God.<ref>{{cite book | last =Bull  | first =Mike| title =The Bible—The Word of God | publisher =Printland Publishers | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_bible.htm | isbn =81-87409-52-5 }}</ref> They regard the Bible as inspired by God and, therefore, believe that in its original form, it is error-free apart from errors in later copies due to errors of transcription or translation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christadelphia.org/basf.php |title=The Christadelphian Statement of Faith |publisher=Christadelphia.org }}</ref>

=== God ===
Christadelphians believe that God, [[Yahweh (Christianity)|Yahweh]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Robert |title=The Meaning of the Christadelphian Movement as Apparent in the Report of a Four Days gathering of Christadelphians, From various parts of the country, in Birmingham, on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, August 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, 1872. |page=67 |year=1672 |location=United Kingdom}}</ref>{{refn|group=Note|While the name "Jehovah" has some usage amongst Christadelphians and is suitable in this article due to its interdenominational familiarity, many Christadelphians exclusively use the name "Yahweh" when referring to the name of God represented by the [[Tetragrammaton]] "YHWH".<ref>H.P. Mansfield, ''Publisher's Foreword'' in ''Yahweh Elohim: A Devotional Study of the Memorial Name'' (p. 8), Logos Publications, 1971, Accessed online at https://www.christadelphian.or.tz/sites/default/files/pdf-books/yahweh-elohim---1883.pdf</ref><ref>Mt Waverly Christadelphians, ''God'', Accessed online at https://bibletruth.net.au/god/</ref><ref>Kevin Hunter and Scott Stewart, ''Our Faith and Beliefs'', Accessed online at http://www.christadelphia.org/belief.php</ref>}} is the creator of all things and the father of true believers,<ref>{{cite book | last =Drabbenstott | first =Mark| title =God Our Father | publisher =Printland Publishers | year=2000 | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_father.htm | isbn =81-87409-64-9}}</ref> and that he is a separate being from his son, [[Jesus]] (who is [[Subordinationism|subordinate]] to him). They reject the doctrine of the [[Trinity]].<ref name="trinity1">{{cite book | last =Flint | first =James |author2=Deb Flint | title =One God or a Trinity? | publisher =Printland Publishers | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_onegod.htm | isbn =81-87409-61-4}}</ref><ref name="jesus">{{cite book|title=Jesus: God the Son or Son of God? |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://www.thechristadelphianjournal.com/resources/read-booklets-online/jesus-god-the-son-or-son-of-god/}}</ref>

[[File:Christadelphian Hall (Bath).JPG|thumb|Christadelphian Hall in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], United Kingdom]]

=== Jesus ===
Christadelphians believe that Jesus was the promised [[Judaism|Jewish]] [[Messiah]] in whom the prophecies and promises of the [[Old Testament]] ([[Hebrew Bible]]) find their fulfilment.<ref name="jesus"/><ref name="zilmer">{{cite book | last =Zilmer| first =Paul | title =Who is Jesus? | publisher =Printland Publishers | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_jesus.htm | isbn =81-87409-68-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Tennant| first =Harry| title =Christ in the Old Testament: Israel's True Messiah | publisher =CMPA | location =Birmingham, UK | url =https://www.thechristadelphianjournal.com/resources/read-booklets-online/christ-in-the-old-testament/ }}</ref> They believe he is the [[Son of Man]]—in that he inherited human nature (with its inclination to sin) from his mother—and the [[Son of God]] by virtue of his miraculous conception by the power of God. Christadelphians reject the doctrine of the [[pre-existence of Christ]]. They teach that he was part of God's plans from the beginning and was foreshadowed in the Old Testament, but was not an independent being prior to his human birth.<ref name="jesus"/><ref name="zilmer"/><ref name="devil">{{cite book|title=Do You Believe in a Devil? |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://www.thechristadelphianjournal.com/resources/read-booklets-online/do-you-believe-in-a-devil/ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.christadelphian-advocate.org/features/concerning/TC-v08n02.html |title=''The Christadelphian Advocate, Vol. 8, No. 2'' |access-date=2018-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108154821/http://www.christadelphian-advocate.org/features/concerning/TC-v08n02.html |archive-date=2013-01-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The faith posits that, though he was tempted, Jesus committed no sin, and was, therefore, a perfect representative sacrifice to bring salvation to sinful humankind.{{explain|date=March 2025}}<ref name="jesus"/><ref name="zilmer"/><ref name="devil"/> They believe that God raised Jesus from death and gave him [[immortality]], and he has ascended to [[Heaven]], God's dwelling place, until he returns to set up the Kingdom of God on earth.<ref name="zilmer"/>

=== The Holy Spirit ===

Christadelphians believe that the [[Holy Spirit#Christadelphians|Holy Spirit]] is the power of God used in creation and for [[salvation]].<ref name="spirit">{{cite book | last =Tennant| first =Harry | title =The Holy Spirit—Bible Understanding of God's Power | publisher =CMPA | location =Birmingham, UK | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/holysprt.htm }}</ref> They also believe that the phrase ''Holy Spirit'' sometimes refers to God's character/mind, depending on the context in which the phrase appears,<ref name="trinity2">{{cite book|last=Broughton |first=James H. |author2=Peter J Southgate |title=The Trinity: True or False? |publisher=The Dawn Book Supply |location=UK |url=http://www.biblelight.org/trin/trinind.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118003323/http://www.biblelight.org/trin/trinind.htm |archive-date=18 November 2011 }}</ref> but reject the view that people need strength, guidance and power from the Holy Spirit to live a Christian life,<ref>{{cite book | last1 =Whittaker | first1 =Edward | last2 =Carr| first2 =Reg | title ='Spirit' in the New Testament| publisher =The Testimony }}, p. 117,132,145</ref> believing instead that the spirit a believer needs within themselves is the mind/character of God, which is developed in a believer by their reading of the Bible (which, they believe, contains words God gave by his Spirit) and trying to live by what it says during the events of their lives which God uses to help shape their character.<ref>{{cite book | last =Pearce | first =Graham | title =The Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit Gifts | publisher =Logos | url =http://www.antipas.org/books/holy_spirit_pearce/hsp_toc.html | access-date =2010-10-24 | archive-date =2010-10-26 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101026015938/http://antipas.org/books/holy_spirit_pearce/hsp_toc.html | url-status =dead }}, p. 27-29. Also see the collated quotations from various other Christadelphian authors in [http://www.antipas.org/books/holy_spirit_pearce/hsp_09.html pp. 71–83] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030200422/http://antipas.org/books/holy_spirit_pearce/hsp_09.html |date=2010-10-30 }} of Pearce's book.</ref><ref>"I believe that the Holy Spirit is the only Authoritative, infallible, efficient, and sufficient teacher of the Christian religion, in all its parts. If I be asked, what is the manner in which he teaches this religion, I reply in the same way that all teachers convey instruction to their pupils; ''by words, either spoken or written''.{{nbsp}}[...] Now Paul says that the ''sacred Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation, by the faith'' (or gospel) ''which is through Jesus Christ''. What more do we want than wisdom in relation to this matter? If the sacred Scriptures are able to make us wise, we need no other instrumentality. The Holy Spirit by the word, without infusing a single idea into it more than it actually and ordinarily contains, and without any collateral influence, teaches us all wisdom and knowledge that is necessary ..." John Thomas, ''The Apostasy Unveiled'', as quoted in G. Pearce, ''The Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit Gifts'', pp. 71–2</ref> Christadelphians deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit<ref name="trinity1"/><ref name="jesus"/><ref name="spirit"/><ref name="trinity2"/> and the present-day possession of the Holy Spirit (both "gift of" and "gifts of") (see [[cessationism]]).<ref name="spirit"/><ref name="trinity2"/><ref name="zilmer"/>

=== The Kingdom of God ===
Christadelphians believe that Jesus will return to the Earth in person to set up the Kingdom of God in fulfilment of the promises made to [[Abraham]] and [[David (biblical king)|David]].<ref>{{cite book| last=Wilson| first=Sheila | title =The End of the World: Horror Story—or Bible Hope? | publisher =CMPA | location =Birmingham, UK | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/endworld.htm }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Scott| first =Malcolm |  title =Christ is Coming Again! | publisher =Printland Publishers | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_coming.htm | isbn =81-87409-34-7}}</ref> This includes the belief that the coming Kingdom will be the restoration of God's first Kingdom of Israel, which was under David and Solomon.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgan |first=Tecwyn |title=Christ is Coming! Bible teaching about his return |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://www.thechristadelphianjournal.com/resources/read-booklets-online/christ-is-coming/ }}</ref><ref name="Hughes">{{cite book | last =Hughes | first =Stephen|  title =The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth! | publisher =Printland Publishers | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_kingdom.htm | isbn =81-87409-55-X}}</ref><ref name="Owen">{{cite book|last=Owen |first=Stanley |title=The Kingdom of God on Earth: God's plan for the world |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://www.thechristadelphianjournal.com/resources/read-booklets-online/the-kingdom-of-god-on-earth/ }}</ref> For Christadelphians, this is the focal point of the [[gospel]] taught by Jesus and the [[Twelve Apostles]]. They believe that the Kingdom will be centred upon Israel, but Jesus will also reign over all the other nations on the Earth.<ref>{{cite book|last=M. |title=Israel: God's People, God's Land |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://thechristadelphianjournal.com/read-booklets-online/israel/ }}</ref> Old Paths{{definition needed|date=March 2025}} Christadelphians continue to believe that the Kingdom of God is to be restored to the land of Israel promised to Abraham and ruled over in the past by David, with a worldwide empire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=www.GospelTruth.info [What is the true Gospel?] |url=http://www.gospeltruth.info/gospel.htm |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=www.gospeltruth.info}}</ref>

=== The Devil ===
Christadelphians believe that the word ''[[devil]]'' is a reference in the scriptures to sin and human nature in opposition to God, while the word ''[[satan]]'' is merely a reference to an adversary or opponent (be it good or bad) and is frequently applied to human beings. According to Christadelphians, these terms are used in reference to specific political systems or individuals in opposition or conflict and not to an independent spiritual being or [[fallen angel]]. Accordingly, they do not define [[Hell in Christianity|Hell]] as a place of eternal torment for sinners, but as a state of eternal death and non-existence due to [[Annihilationism|annihilation]] of body and mind.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_delp.htm| title = ''About the Christadelphians: 1848 to now.''| access-date = 2017-04-02| archive-date = 2011-05-20| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110520113420/http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_delp.htm| url-status = usurped}}</ref>

=== Salvation ===
Christadelphians believe that people are separated from God because of their sins but that humankind can be reconciled to him by becoming disciples of Jesus.<ref>{{cite book| last=Watkins| first=Peter | title =The Cross of Christ| publisher =CMPA | location =Birmingham, UK | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/cross.htm }}</ref><ref name="salvation">{{cite book | last =Flint| first=James|author2=Deb Flint | title =Salvation | publisher =Printland Publishers | location =Hyderabad | url =http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/p_salvation.htm}}</ref> This is by belief in [[the Gospel]], through [[repentance]], and through [[baptism]] by total immersion in water.<ref name="salvation"/><ref name="baptism">{{cite book|title=Why Baptism Really Matters: What must we do to be saved? |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://thechristadelphianjournal.com/read-booklets-online/why-baptism-really-matters/ }}</ref> They reject [[assurance of salvation]], believing instead that salvation comes as a result of remaining "in Christ". After death, believers are in a state of [[Psychopannychism|non-existence]], knowing nothing until the [[Resurrection]] at the return of Jesus.<ref>{{cite book|title=After Death – What? |publisher=CMPA |location=Birmingham, UK |url=https://thechristadelphianjournal.com/read-booklets-online/after-death-what/ }}</ref> Following the judgement, the "accepted" receive the gift of [[immortality]] and live with Jesus on a restored Earth, assisting his establishment of the [[Kingdom of God]] and rule over the remaining population for a [[Millennialism|millennium]].<ref>{{cite book| title =Resurrection & Judgement | publisher =CMPA | location =Birmingham, UK | url =https://thechristadelphianjournal.com/read-booklets-online/resurrection-judgement/}}</ref> Christadelphians deny the immortality of the soul.

=== Life in Christ ===
The ''Commandments of Christ'' demonstrates the community's recognition of the importance of biblical teaching on morality. Marriage and family life are important. Most Christadelphians believe that sexual relationships should be limited to heterosexual marriage, ideally between baptised believers.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Christian Life: Marriage—"Only in the Lord" |url=http://www.bibleed.com/bibleteachings/christianlife/marriage.asp |access-date=2008-04-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427021425/http://www.bibleed.com/bibleteachings/christianlife/marriage.asp |archive-date=2008-04-27 }}</ref><ref>''Homosexuality and the Church: Bible Answers to Moral Questions'' (Birmingham: Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association). Available [http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/homosex.htm online]</ref>

== Organisation ==

=== General organisation ===
In the absence of centralised organisation, some differences exist amongst Christadelphians on matters of belief and practice. This is because each congregation (commonly styled 'ecclesias') is organised [[wiktionary:autonomous|autonomously]], typically following common practices which have altered little since the 19th century. Many avoid the word "church" due to its association with mainstream Christianity, and its focus on the building as opposed to the congregation. Most ecclesias have a constitution,<ref>Example: [http://www.god-so-loved-the-world.org/english/constitution.htm Constitution of the Birmingham Christadelphian Ecclesia, Midland Institute] c.1932-onwards</ref> which includes a 'Statement of Faith', a list of 'Doctrines to be Rejected' and a formalised list of 'The Commandments of Christ'.<ref>This list as published by [[The Christadelphian Magazine]] contains 53 paraphrases of Bible verses which were originally read weekly as part of the service at Temperance Hall ecclesia. Other versions, of unconfirmed origin, exist with the list expanded to 100 including some verses justifying division.</ref> The statement of faith acts as the official standard of most ecclesias to determine fellowship within and between ecclesias, and as the basis for co-operation between ecclesias. Congregational discipline and conflict resolution are applied using various forms of consultation, mediation, and discussion, with disfellowship (similar to [[excommunication]]) being the final response to those with unorthodox practices or beliefs.<ref>Robert Roberts, ''A Guide to the Formation and Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias'' (Birmingham: 1883), Sections 32, 35–36</ref>

One influence on Christadelphian organizational practices is the booklet called ''A Guide to the Formation and Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias,'' written early in Christadelphian history by Robert Roberts.<ref name="online">Robert Roberts, ''A Guide to the Formation and Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias'' (Birmingham: 1883). Available [https://www.antipas.org/books/ecclesial_guide/1883guide_toc.html online]</ref> It recommends an arrangement by which congregational members elect 'brothers' to do arranging and serving duties,<ref>Robert Roberts, ''A Guide to the Formation and Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias'' (Birmingham: 1883), Sections 17–27</ref> and includes guidelines for the organisation of committees, as well as conflict resolution between congregational members and between congregations.<ref>Robert Roberts, ''A Guide to the Formation and Conduct of Christadelphian Ecclesias'' (Birmingham: 1883), Sections 35–38, 41–42</ref> Christadelphians do not have paid [[minister of religion|ministers]]. Male members are assessed by the congregation for their eligibility to teach and perform other duties, which are usually assigned on a rotation basis, as opposed to having a permanently appointed preacher. Congregational polity typically follows a [[democracy|democratic]] model, with an elected arranging committee for each individual ecclesia. This unpaid committee is responsible for the day-to-day running of the ecclesia and is answerable to the rest of the ecclesia's members.

Inter-ecclesial organisations co-ordinate the running of, among other things, Christadelphian schools<ref>For example: Christadelphian [[Heritage Colleges (Australia)|Heritage Colleges Australia]].</ref> and elderly care homes, the [[Christadelphian Isolation League]] (which cares for those prevented by distance or infirmity from attending an ecclesia regularly) and the publication of [[:Category:Christadelphian magazines|Christadelphian magazines]].

=== Adherents ===
No official membership figures are published, but the ''[[Columbia Encyclopedia|Columbia Encyclopaedia]]'' gives an estimated figure of 50,000 Christadelphians, spread across approximately 120 countries.<ref name="exrydu">[http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Christad 'Christadelphians'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728003246/http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Christad |date=July 28, 2011 }}, ''The Columbia Encyclopedia''</ref> Estimates for the main centers of Christadelphian population are as follows: Mozambique (17,800),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbm.org.uk/mozambique/|title=Mozambique |publisher=Christadelphian Bible Mission UK |access-date=2024-01-18}}</ref> Australia (9,734),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing: Census article - Religious affiliation in Australia, 2021 |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/cultural-diversity-census/2021/Census%20article%20-%20Religious%20affiliation%20in%20Australia.xlsx |website=www.abs.gov.au}}</ref> the United Kingdom (8,200),<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Christadelphian Tidings, October 2019 |url=https://tidings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tidings-2019-10-Oct-647973.pdf |website=tidings.org}}</ref> Malawi (7,000),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbm.org.uk/malawi/|title=Malawi |publisher=Christadelphian Bible Mission UK |access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref> United States (6,500),<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Christadelphians |encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia |url=http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Christad |publisher=Education.yahoo.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728003246/http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Christad |archive-date=2011-07-28 }}</ref> Canada (3,000),<ref>{{cite web |title=2011 National Household Survey - Data Tables| date=8 May 2013 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=105399&PRID=0&PTYPE=105277&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2013&THEME=95&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=|publisher=[[Statistics Canada]]|access-date=January 23, 2020}}</ref> Kenya (2,700),<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbm.org.uk/kenya/ |title=Kenya |publisher=Christadelphian Bible Mission UK |access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref> India (2,300)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://acbm.org.au/mission-area/india/ | title=India – ACBM }}</ref> and New Zealand (1,785),.<ref>2006 Census figures from [http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/classification-counts-tables/about-people/~/media/Statistics/Census/2006-reports/Classification-Count-Tables/People/religious-affiliation.xls Statistics New Zealand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115113848/http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/classification-counts-tables/about-people/~/media/Statistics/Census/2006-reports/Classification-Count-Tables/People/religious-affiliation.xls |date=2013-11-15 }} (link opens [[Microsoft Excel|Excel]] file)</ref> Figures from Christadelphian mission organisations are as follows: Africa (32,500),<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cbm.org.uk/africa/| title = Christadelphian Bible Mission UK}}</ref> Asia (4,000),<ref name="acbm.org.au">{{Cite web |url=https://acbm.org.au/mission-area/india/ |title=India |access-date=2024-01-18}}</ref> the Caribbean (400),<ref name="cbma.net">{{cite web| url = https://cbma.net/the-mission-field/caribbean/| title = Christadelphian Bible Mission of the Americas}}</ref> Europe (including Russia) (700),<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cbm.org.uk/europe/| title = Christadelphian Bible Mission UK - Europe}}</ref> Latin America (275),<ref name="cbma.net"/> and the Pacific (200).<ref name="acbm.org.au"/>

=== Fellowships ===
The Christadelphian body consists of a number of ''fellowships'' – groups of ecclesias which associate with one another, often to the exclusion of ecclesias outside their group. They are to some degree localised. The Unamended Fellowship, for example, exists only in North America. Christadelphian fellowships have often been named after ecclesias or magazines who took a lead in developing a particular stance.

The majority of Christadelphians today belong to what is commonly known as the ''Central Fellowship''.<ref name="Birmingham 1933, p. 376">The first use of the term "Birmingham (Central) fellowship" in ''The Christadelphian'' magazine was in volume 70, 1933, p. 376.</ref> The term "Central" came into use around 1933 to identify ecclesias worldwide who were in fellowship with the Birmingham (Central) Ecclesia. These were previously known as the "Temperance Hall Fellowship". The "Suffolk Street Fellowship" arose in 1885 over disagreements surrounding the inspiration of the Bible. Meanwhile, in Australia, division concerning the nature of Jesus Christ resulted in the formation of the "Shield Fellowship". Discussions in 1957&ndash;1958 resulted in a worldwide reunion between the Central, Suffolk Street and Shield Fellowships.

The ''[[Unamended Christadelphians|Unamended Fellowship]]'', consisting of around 1,850 members, is found in the East Coast and Midwest USA and Ontario, Canada.<ref>Verified figure, Ecclesial Directory 2006. Parts of grouping currently involved in unity talks with Central.</ref> This group separated in 1898 as a result of differing views on who would be raised to judgement at the return of Christ. The majority of Christadelphians believe that the judgement will include anyone who had sufficient knowledge of the gospel message, and is not limited to baptised believers.<ref>The Sydney Ecclesia, Australia had already "disfellowshipped" 10 members for denying this in 1883. The Christadelphian Magazine 1884, ecclesial news p.90 and editorial comment p.382</ref> The majority in England, Australia and North America amended their statement of faith accordingly. Those who opposed the amendment became known as the "Unamended Fellowship" and allowed the teaching that God either could not or would not raise those who had no covenant relationship with him. Opinions vary as to what the established position was on this subject prior to the controversy.<ref>For example: [https://archive.today/20130102170350/http://www.genusa.com/Truth/UnamendedErrors.html Website] claiming views held by Amended community were original Christadelphian beliefs Versus [http://www.republic-christadelphians.org/Unamended.html Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515083019/http://www.republic-christadelphians.org/Unamended.html |date=2008-05-15 }} claiming views held by Unamended community were original Christadelphian beliefs.</ref> Prominent in the formation of the Unamended Fellowship was [[Thomas Williams (Christadelphian)|Thomas Williams]], editor of the Christadelphian Advocate magazine. The majority of the Unamended Fellowship outside North America joined the Suffolk Street Fellowship before its eventual incorporation into Central Fellowship. There is also some co-operation between the Central (Amended) and Unamended Fellowships in North America – most recently in the Great Lakes region, where numerous Amended and Unamended ecclesias are working together to unify their ecclesias. The Central Fellowship in North America is still often referred to today as the ''[[Amended Christadelphians|Amended Fellowship]]''.

The ''[[Berean Christadelphians|Berean Fellowship]]'' was formed in 1923 as a result of varying views on military service in England, and on the atonement in North America. The majority of the North American Bereans re-joined the main body of Christadelphians in 1952. A number continue as a separate community, numbering around 200 in Texas, 100 in Kenya and 30 in Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bereanecclesialnews.com/|title=The Berean Ecclesial News|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-date=10 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610085120/http://bereanecclesialnews.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most of the divisions still in existence within the Christadelphian community today stem from further divisions of the ''Berean'' ''Fellowship''.<ref>Phillips, Jim, ''The Berean Christadelphians: Why the Bereans?'' [https://www.angelfire.com/bc2/Bereans/wbp3.html From the Formation of the Bereans to the Restatement (1923–1960)], [https://www.angelfire.com/bc2/Bereans/wbp4.html Our last 30 Years]</ref>
[[Image:Gate of Christadephian Cemetery near Hye, Texas (2018).jpg|right|thumb|150px|Gate of the Christadelphian Cemetery near [[Hye, Texas]]]]

The ''Dawn Fellowship''<ref>{{cite web|author=Andrew Longman |url=http://www.dawnchristadelphian.co.uk/ |title=The Dawn Christadelphian Homepage |publisher=Dawnchristadelphian.co.uk |date=2007-01-05 |access-date=2010-03-15 }}<br />{{*}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dawnchristadelphians.org |title=A Dawn Christadelphian's Website |publisher=Dawnchristadelphians.org |access-date=2010-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918203722/http://dawnchristadelphians.org/ |archive-date=2010-09-18 }}</ref> are the result of an issue which arose in 1942 among the Berean Fellowship regarding divorce and remarriage. The stricter party formed the Dawn Fellowship who, following re-union on the basis of unity of belief with the Lightstand Fellowship in Australia in 2007 increased in number.<ref>The Dawn Christadelphian Magazine, January 2008</ref> There are now thought to be around 800 members in England, Australia, Canada, India, Jamaica, Poland, the Philippines, Russia and Kenya.<ref>Estimate undergoing review. Please see Talk pages – on the Discussion tab at page head</ref>

The ''Old Paths Fellowship''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gospeltruth.info |title=Old Paths Fellowship (Australia) |publisher=Gospeltruth.info |access-date=2010-03-15}}<br />{{*}}{{cite web|url=http://www.christadelphians.co.uk |title=Old Paths Fellowship (UK) |publisher=Christadelphians.co.uk |access-date=2010-03-15}}</ref> was formed in 1957 in response to the reunion of the Central and Suffolk Street Fellowships. A minority from the Central Fellowship held that the reasons for separation remained and that full unity of belief on all fundamental principles of Bible teaching was necessary; thus reunion was only possible with the full agreement and understanding of all members rather than a decision by majority vote. Ecclesias forming the Old Paths Fellowship arose in England, Australia, New Zealand and Canada numbering around 500 members in total. They now number around 250 members in total, with members in Australia, England, Mexico and New Zealand. They maintain that they hold to the original Central Fellowship position held prior to the 1957 Reunion.

Other fellowships (ranging in numbers from as few as 10 to over 200 members) include the ''Watchman Fellowship'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christadelphian-watchman-fellowship.org/ |title=Christadelphian Watchman Fellowship |publisher=Christadelphian-watchman-fellowship.org |access-date=2010-02-08 |archive-date=2011-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627002750/http://christadelphian-watchman-fellowship.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the ''Companion Fellowship''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://companionchristadelphians.com/ |title=Companion Christadelphians |publisher=Companion Christadelphians |access-date=2010-03-15}}</ref> and the ''Pioneer Fellowship''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pioneerchristadelphians.org |title=Pioneer Christadelphians | publisher=Pioneer Christadelphians |access-date=2013-09-22}}</ref>

According to [[Bryan R. Wilson|Bryan Wilson]], functionally the definition of a "fellowship" within Christadelphian history has been mutual or unilateral exclusion of groupings of ecclesias from the breaking of bread.<ref>Bryan R. Wilson, Sects and Society (London: William Heinemann, 1961)</ref> This functional definition still holds true in North America, where the Unamended Fellowship and the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith are not received by most North American [[Amended Christadelphians|Amended]] ecclesias. But outside North America this functional definition no longer holds. Many articles and books on the doctrine and practice of fellowship now reject the notion itself of separate "fellowships" among those who recognise the same baptism, viewing such separations as schismatic.<ref>[http://www.god-so-loved-the-world.org/english/oates-pearce-1957-booklet-fellowship-and-withdrawal.doc Oates & Pearce ''Fellowship and Withdrawal'' (doc)] 1957<br />{{*}}[http://www.god-so-loved-the-world.org/english/whittaker_fellowship_1973.doc H.A. Whittaker ''Block Disfellowship?'' (doc)] articles from [[Testimony Magazine]] 1973<br />{{*}}{{cite web |url=http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/booker/bible_fellowship/ch01.html |title=Biblical Fellowship |publisher=Christadelphianbooks.org |access-date=2010-03-15 |archive-date=2010-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100919044155/http://christadelphianbooks.org/booker/bible_fellowship/ch01.html |url-status=dead }}<br />{{*}}Perry, Andrew. ''Fellowship Matters'', Willow publications, 2nd edition, 1996</ref> Many ecclesias in the Central fellowship would not refuse a baptised Christadelphian from a minority fellowship from breaking bread; the exclusion is more usually the other way.

While their operational methods emphasize different important qualities, the Central, Old Paths, Dawn<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawnchristadelphians.org |title=Dawn Christadelphians |publisher=Dawn Christadelphians |access-date=2010-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918203722/http://dawnchristadelphians.org/ |archive-date=2010-09-18 }}</ref> and Berean<ref>[http://www.bereans.org/basf.html Bereans.org BASF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619152908/http://www.bereans.org/basf.html |date=2013-06-19 }} With some exceptions including the Lampasas Texas Berean Ecclesia. Some have an amendment in the Doctrines to be Rejected which prohibits a person being a police constable.</ref> fellowships generally subscribe to the ''Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith'' (BASF), though the latter two have additional clauses or supporting documents to explain their position. Most Unamended ecclesias use the ''Birmingham Unamended Statement of Faith'' (BUSF)<ref>''Birmingham Unamended Statement of Faith''. Available [http://www.monroechristadelphians.com/browser/unamendedsof.html online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219110110/http://www.monroechristadelphians.com/browser/unamendedsof.html |date=2013-12-19 }}</ref> with one clause being different from the aforementioned BASF. 

Within the Central fellowship individual ecclesias also may have their own statement of faith, whilst still accepting the statement of faith of the larger community. Some ecclesias have statements on specific positions, especially on divorce and re-marriage, making clear that offence would be caused by anyone in that position seeking to join them at the 'Breaking of Bread' service. Other ecclesias tolerate a degree of divergence from commonly held Christadelphian views. 

For each fellowship, anyone who publicly assents to the doctrines described in the statement and is in good standing in their "home ecclesia" is generally welcome to participate in the activities of any other ecclesia.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===Related groups===
There are a number of groups who, while sharing a common heritage and many Christadelphian teachings, have adopted alternative names in order to dissociate themselves from what they believe to be false teachings and/or practice within the main Christadelphian body. Ranging in size from two or three members in size to around 50, each group restricts fellowship to its own members. These include the Nazarene Fellowship,<ref>[http://www.thenazarenefellowship.co.uk/ The Nazarene Fellowship]</ref> the Ecclesia of Christ, the Remnant of Christ's Ecclesia,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.remnantofchristsecclesia.com/ |title=The Remnant of Christ's Ecclesia |access-date=2021-12-29 |archive-date=2020-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127083006/http://www.remnantofchristsecclesia.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Apostolic Fellowship of Christ <ref>{{cite web| url = https://theapostolicfellowshipofchrist.com/| title = The Apostolic Fellowship of Christ}}</ref> and the Apostolic Ecclesia.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.bible-truth.co.uk/| title = The Apostolic Ecclesia}}</ref>

The [[Church of the Blessed Hope|Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith (CGAF)]] also has common origins with Christadelphians and shares Christadelphian beliefs.<ref>[https://cotbh.org/Our-Belief/our-belief.html Our Belief – Church of the Blessed Hope]</ref> Numbering around 400 (primarily Ohio and Florida, USA),<ref>From CGAF directory.</ref> they are welcomed into fellowship by some "Central" Christadelphians and are currently involved in unity talks.

==Historical antecedents==
{{See also|Baptist successionism}}
One criticism of the Christadelphian movement has been over the claim of John Thomas and Robert Roberts to have "re-discovered" scriptural truth.<ref>Christendom Astray, Robert Roberts, written 1862, Lecture 1: 'Do you mean to say, asks the incredulous enquirer, that the Bible has been studied by men of learning for eighteen centuries without being understood?  and that the thousands of ministers set apart for the very purpose of ministering in its holy pages are all mistaken?'  (He then goes on to suggest that social conditioning, self interest by the clergy and an incomplete reformation prevented its rediscovery.)</ref><ref>In an article 'A Glance at The History and Mystery of Christadelphianism', a contemporary of John Thomas, David King, from the Restoration Movement 1881, argues that a complete losing of truth would have been unlikely.  Available [http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~pdover/histmyst.htm online]</ref> However one might argue that ''all'' [[Protestant]] groups make the same claims to some extent. Although both men believed that they had "recovered" the true doctrines for themselves and contemporaries, they also believed there had always existed a group of true believers throughout the ages, albeit marred by the apostasy.<ref>'An arrangement of this sort was absolutely necessary for '''the preservation and protection of the One Body, witnessing for the truth''' against "the worshipping of the daemonials and idols", in the midst of the nations, and "before the God of the earth;" the weapons of whose warfare were civil disabilities, and the infernal tortures of anti-heretical crusaders and inquisitions.', John Thomas, 'Eureka' (1915 edition), volume 2, chapter 11, section 2.1</ref><ref>''''Thus, the history of the ages and the generations of the unmeasured Court is in strict harmony with this prophecy of the witnesses'''. For a period considerably over a thousand years after Rome renounced its old gods for the ghosts, dry bones, and fables of the catholic superstition, '''the Spirit had provided himself with Two Witnessing Classes, to whose custody he providentially committed the truth''', and its judicial vindication by fire and sword.', John Thomas, 'Eureka', volume 2, chapter 11, section 2.2</ref><ref>'Though the apostles died, their work continued, '''and the generation of believers that went to the grave with them were succeeded by other believers who maintained the integral structure of the temple of God, founded in Europe'''. True, the work was marred and corrupted by the apostasy of the mass: '''still, a real work—a real temple, existed, consisting of the remnant of true believers preserved by God as His witnesses in the midst of the prevailing corruption'''.', Robert Roberts, 'Thirteen Lectures On The Apocalypse' (4th edition 1921), page 98</ref>

The most notable Christadelphian attempts to find a continuity of those with doctrinal similarities since that point have been geographer [[Alan Eyre]]'s two books ''The Protesters''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antipas.org/books/protesters/prot_toc.html|title=The Protesters Contents|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-date=23 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923233727/http://www.antipas.org/books/protesters/prot_toc.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> (1975) and ''Brethren in Christ''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.antipas.org/books/brethren_in_christ/binc_toc.html |title=Brethren In Christ Contents Contents |publisher=Antipas.org |date=2012-10-07 |access-date=2013-06-26 |archive-date=2012-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227143407/http://www.antipas.org/books/brethren_in_christ/binc_toc.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> (1982) in which he shows that many individual Christadelphian doctrines had been previously believed. Eyre focused in particular on the [[Radical Reformation]], and also among the [[Socinians]] and other early [[Unitarianism|Unitarians]] and the [[English Dissenters]]. In this way, Eyre was able to demonstrate substantial historical precedents for individual Christadelphian teachings and practices, and believed that the Christadelphian community was the 'inheritor of a noble tradition, by which elements of the Truth were from century to century hammered out on the anvil of controversy, affliction and even anguish'.<ref name="Alan Eyre page 8">Alan Eyre, 'The Protestors', page 8 (1975)</ref> Although noting in the introduction to 'The Protestors' that 'Some recorded herein perhaps did not have "all the truth" — so the writer has been reminded',<ref name="Alan Eyre page 8"/> Eyre nevertheless claimed that the purpose of the work was to 'tell how a number of little-known individuals, groups and religious communities strove to preserve or revive the original Christianity of apostolic times',<ref>Alan Eyre, 'The Protestors', page 11 (1975)</ref> and that 'In faith and outlook they were far closer to the early springing shoots of first-century Christianity and the penetrating spiritual challenge of Jesus himself than much that has passed for the religion of the Nazarene in the last nineteen centuries'.<ref>Alan Eyre, 'The Protestors', pages 11–12 (1975)</ref>

Eyre's research has been criticized by some of his Christadelphian peers,<ref>E.g., both of Eyre's works were criticized by Ruth McHaffie 'Finding Founders and Facing Facts' (2001), in which evidence was presented suggesting that Eyre had misread a number of his sources, and that some his claims could not be supported from (and were often contradicted by) the available historical evidence. Also see James Andrews, ''Ferenc Dávid and the search for Bible truth in Transylvania''</ref> and as a result Christadelphian commentary on the subject has subsequently been more cautious and circumspect, with caveats being issued concerning Eyre's claims,<ref>'But some, though having neither time nor opportunity to search archives, knew enough to realise that the claims were exaggerated, however praiseworthy the intention. Moreover, misgivings increased as the years passed and when members examined the subject more closely for themselves. As explained in the November 1993 issue of The Endeavour Magazine, Brother Ron Coleman in 1986, when preparing an address for the Oxford ecclesia to commemorate the 450th anniversary of William Tyndale's death, not only sought information from ''The Protesters'' but also from Tyndale's own writings. He was surprised to find serious misrepresentations in our community's publication.', Ruth McHaffie, 'Finding Founders And Facing Facts' (2001), page 8</ref><ref>'In 1989 when an article by Brother Alan appeared in The Christadelphian containing a number of inaccuracies on the hymn writer Isaac Watts, editor of The Christadelphian, and subsequently corresponded with Alan in the manner which becomes Brethren.  Scholarly evidence to disprove Ron's criticisms was not forthcoming with regard to either Tyndale or Watts, and the editor was requested to publish a short note of amendment on both writers, but there appears to have been no response.', Ruth McHaffie, 'Finding Founders And Facing Facts', (2001), page 8</ref> and the two books less used and publicised than in previous years.

Nevertheless, even with most source writings of those later considered heretics destroyed, evidence can be provided that since the first century BC there have been various groups and individuals who have held certain individual Christadelphian beliefs or similar ones. For example, all the distinctive Christadelphian doctrines (with the exception of the non-literal devil),<ref name="socinian_devil">Rees, Thomas. (1818). [https://archive.org/details/racoviancatechi00reesgoog/page/n118 <!-- pg=7 quote=devil. --> The Racovian Catechism: With Notes and Illustrations, Translated from the Latin; to which is Prefixed a Sketch of the History of Unitarianism in Poland and the Adjacent Countries], p. 7.</ref> down to interpretations of specific verses, can be found particularly among sixteenth century [[Socinianism|Socinian]] writers (e.g. the rejection of the doctrines of the trinity, [[pre-existence of Christ]], immortal souls, a literal hell of fire, original sin).<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |last=Pope  |first=Hugh |title=Socinianism |year=1912 |encyclopedia=The Catholic Encyclopedia |volume=14 |location=New York |publisher=Robert Appleton Company |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14113a.htm |via=New Advent}}</ref><ref>'Socinianism' in ''Ologies & -Isms'' (The Gale Group, 2008). Available [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Socinianism online]</ref> Early English Unitarian writings also correspond closely to those of Christadelphians.<ref>See, e.g., Joseph Cottle, ''Essays on Socinianism'' (London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1850), [https://books.google.com/books?id=O7MHAAAAQAAJ&q=satan&pg=PA10 p. 10]; Edward Hare, ''The principal doctrines of Christianity defended against the errors of Socinianism'' (New York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), [https://archive.org/details/principaldoctri01haregoog/page/n42 p. 37]</ref> Also, recent discoveries and research have shown a large similarity between Christadelphian beliefs and those held by [[Isaac Newton#Religious views|Isaac Newton]] who, among other things, rejected the doctrines of the trinity, immortal souls, a personal devil and literal demons.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Snobelen |first=Stephen D. |author-link=Stephen Snobelen |title=Isaac Newton, heretic : the strategies of a Nicodemite |journal=British Journal for the History of Science |volume=32 |pages=381–419 |year=1999 |url=http://www.isaac-newton.org/heretic.pdf |doi=10.1017/S0007087499003751 |issue=4 |s2cid=145208136 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007005450/http://isaac-newton.org/heretic.pdf |archive-date=2013-10-07 }}</ref> Further examples are as follows:{{Original research inline|date=June 2015}}
* The typical Old Testament belief in unconsciousness until resurrection,<ref>The Christadelphian understanding of Daniel 12:2, etc.<br />{{*}}'Barr is surely right to stress that the Genesis story as it now stands indicates that humans were not created immortal, but had (and lost) the chance to gain unending life.', Wright, 'The Resurrection of the Son of God', p. 92 (2003); Wright himself actually interprets some passages of Scripture as indicating alternative beliefs, 'The Bible offers a spectrum of belief about life after death', Wright, 'The Resurrection of the Son of God', p. 129 (2003)<br />{{*}}'In contrast to the two enigmatic references to Enoch and Elijah, there are ample references to the fact that death is the ultimate destiny for all human beings, that God has no contact with or power over the dead, and that the dead do not have any relationship with God (see, inter alia, Ps. 6:6, 30:9–10, 39:13–14, 49:6–13, 115:16–18, 146:2–4). If there is a conceivable setting for the introduction of a doctrine of the afterlife, it would be in Job, since Job, although righteous, is harmed by God in the present life. But Job 10:20–22 and 14:1–10 affirm the opposite.', Gillman, 'Death and Afterlife, Judaic Doctrines Of', in Neusner, 'The Encyclopedia of Judaism', volume 1, p. 176 (2000)<br />{{*}}' "Who knows whether the breath of human beings rises up and the breath of an animal sinks down to the earth?" (Eccles 3:21). In Qohelet's day there were perhaps people who were speculating that human beings would enjoy a positive afterlife, as animals would not. Qohelet points out that there is no evidence for this.', Goldingay, 'Old Testament Theology', volume 2, p. 644 (2006)<br />{{*}}'The life of a human being came more directly from God, and it is also evident that when someone dies, the breath (rûaḥ, e.g., Ps 104:29) or the life (nepeš, e.g., Gen 35:18) disappears and returns to the God who is rûaḥ. And whereas the living may hope that the absence of God may give way again to God's presence, the dead are forever cut off from God's presence.241 Death means an end to fellowship with God and to fellowship with other people. It means an end to the activity of God and the activity of other people. Even more obviously, it means an end to my own activity. It means an end to awareness.', Goldingay, 'Old Testament Theology', volume 2, p. 640 (2006)</ref> instead of the immortality of the soul, has been held marginally throughout the history of both Judaism and Christianity;<ref>'In the first place, there have not been a few, both in ancient and modern times, who have maintained the truth of a "Conditional Immortality".', McConnell, 'The Evolution of Immortality', p. 84 (1901).<br />{{*}}'At the same time there have always been isolated voices raised in support of other views. There are hints of a belief in repentance after death, as well as conditional immortality and annihilationism.', Streeter, et al., 'Immortality: An Essay in Discovery, Co-Ordinating Scientific, Psychical, and Biblical Research', p. 204 (1917)<br />{{*}}'Many biblical scholars down throughout history, looking at the issue through Hebrew rather than Greek eyes, have denied the teaching of innate immortality.', Knight, 'A brief history of Seventh-Day Adventists', p. 42 (1999)<br />{{*}}'Various concepts of conditional immortality or annihilationism have appeared earlier in Baptist history as well. Several examples illustrate this claim. General as well as particular Baptists developed versions of annihilationism or conditional immortality.', Pool, 'Against returning to Egypt: Exposing and Resisting Credalism in the Southern Baptist Convention', p. 133 (1998)</ref> such sources include certain Jewish pseudepigraphal works,<ref>'However, Strack and Billerbeck, noted authorities on Rabbinic literature, suggest that the pseudepigraphal references to eternal punishment simply denote everlasting annihilation. See Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch (Munchen: C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Oskar Beck, 1928), 2:1096.', Fudge, 'The Old Testament', in Fudge & Peterson, 'Two views of hell: a biblical & theological dialogue', p. 210 (2000)<br />{{*}}'Psalms of Solomon 3:11–12; Sybilline Oracles 4:175–85; 4 Ezra 7:61; Pseudo-Philo 16:3. Other presumed annihilation texts may be found in Fudge, The Fire That Consumes, 125–54', Walvoord, 'The Metaphorical View', in Crockett & Hayes (eds.), 'Four Views on Hell', p. 64 (1997).</ref> rabbinical works,<ref>'Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish as well as his colleague Rabbi Yannai, said that there is no such thing as the popular concept of a hell, gehinnom, lasting a long time, but that at the time when G'd passes out judgment the wicked will be burned', Chananel, et al., 'Hut ha-meshulash', p. 183 (2003)<br />{{*}}'Thus we have one Rabbi denying the very existence of hell. "There is no hell in the future world," says R. Simon ben Lakish.', Darmesteter, 'The Talmud', p. 52 (2007)</ref> [[Clement of Rome]],<ref>Edward Fudge, Robert A. Peterson ''Two views of hell: a biblical & theological dialogue'' p184</ref>{{Dubious|reason=This claim is highly debatable since 1 Clement 5–6 refers to martyrs having gone to a place of glory and received a noble reward. As Mutie states, "not only does the writer of 1 Clement understand death in terms of sleep, but he also, within the tradition of the Old Testament, affirms the survival of the soul beyond the physical death" (Mutie, J. (2015). Death in Second-Century Christian Thought: The Meaning of Death in Earliest Christianity. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, p. 57.) A Wikipedia article on Christadelphians is not the place to dogmatically assert a dubious interpretation of 1 Clement's anthropology.|date=June 2015}} [[Arnobius]] in the third to fourth century,<ref>'Some have believed in the annihilation of the wicked after they should have undergone just punishment proportioned to their sins. This supposition has had a considerable number of advocates. It was maintained, among others, by Arnobius, at the close of the 3rd century, by the Socini, by Dr. Hammond, and by some of the New England divines.', Alger, 'The Destiny of the Soul: A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life', p. 546 (14th ed. 1889).<br />{{*}}'The theory of annihilationism in which the wicked pass into nonexistence either at death or the resurrection was first advanced by Arnobius, a 4th-century "Christian" apologist, according to standard reference works such as Baker's Dictionary of Theology (p. 184).', Morey, 'Death and the Afterlife', p. 199 (1984)<br />{{*}}'Already in the fourth century Arnobius taught the annihilation of the wicked.', Hoekama, 'The Bible and the Future', p. 266 (1994)</ref> a succession of Arabic and Syrian Christians from the third to the eighth century<ref>'others arose in Arabia, putting forward a doctrine foreign to the truth. They said that during the present time the human soul dies and perishes with the body, but that at the time of the resurrection they will be renewed together.', Eusebius (a contemporary), 'Ecclesiastical History' (6.37.1), NPNF2 1:297<br />{{*}}'It is unclear if Arabian thnetopsychism ['soul death'] is related to the Syriac tradition of the soul's dormition [sleep] espoused by writers like Aphrahat (d. ca. 345), Ephrem (d. 373), and Narsai (d. 502), according to whom the souls of the dead are largely inert, having lapsed into a state of sleep, in which they can only dream of their future reward or punishments.', Constas, '"To Sleep, Perchance to Dream": The Middle State of Souls in Patristic and Byzantine Literature', in Talbot (ed.), 'Dunbarton Oaks Papers', No. 55, p. 110 (2001)<br />{{*}}'Gouillard notes that variations of thnetopsychism ['soul death'] and hypnopsychism ['soul sleep'] existed alongside the views of the official church until the 6th century when they were resoundingly denounced by Eustratios.', Constas, '"To Sleep, Perchance to Dream": The Middle State of Souls in Patristic and Byzantine Literature', in Talbot (ed.), 'Dunbarton Oaks Papers', No. 55, p. 111 (2001).<br />{{*}}'Thnetopsychism ['soul death'] continued to challenge the patience and ingenuity of church officials, as evidenced by writers such as John the Deacon, [[Niketas Stethatos]], Philip Monotropos (Dioptra, pp. 210, 220), and Michael Glykas, all of whom are keenly interested in the survival of consciousness and memory among the souls of the departed saints. John the Deacon, for example, attacks those who "dare to say that praying to the saints is like shouting in the ears of the deaf, as if they had drunk from the mythical waters of Oblivion" (line 174).', [[Robert Murray (priest)|Murray]], 'Symbols of church and kingdom: a study in early Syriac tradition', p. 111 (2006)<br />{{*}}'The Syriac tradition of the soul's "sleep in the dust" (Job 21:26), with its links to the Old Testament and Jewish apocalyptic, stands as a corrective to overly Hellenized views of the afterlife, and was canonized at a Nestorian synod in the 8th century (786–787) presided over by Timothy I (d. 823), who rejected anything else as blatant Origenism.', Murray, 'Symbols of church and kingdom: a study in early Syriac tradition', p. 111 (2006).<br />{{*}}'In virtually every period of Byzantine history, critical voices denied that the souls of the dead could involve themselves in the affairs of the living or intercede on their behalf in heaven. Based on a more unitive, materialist notion of the self as irreducibly embodied, some thinkers argued that the souls of the dead (sainted or otherwise) were largely inert, having lapsed into a state of cognitive oblivion and psychomotor lethargy, a condition sometimes described as a state of "sleep" in which the soul could only "dream" of its future punishment or heavenly reward. Still others argued for the outright death of the soul, which, they claimed, was mortal and perished with the body, and which would be recreated together with the body only on the day of resurrection.', Constas, '"To Sleep, Perchance to Dream": The Middle State of Souls in Patristic and Byzantine Literature', in Talbot (ed.), 'Dunbarton Oaks Papers', No. 55, p. 94 (2001)<br />{{*}}'Till the end of the sixth century and beyond, Christians in Nisibis and Constantinople, Syria and Arabia adduced Leviticus 17:11 which states that "The soul of the whole flesh is the blood" to argue that the soul after death sank into non-existence, that it lost its sensibility and stayed inert in the grave together with the body.', Samellas, 'Death in the eastern Mediterranean (50–600 AD.): the Christianization of the East: An Interpretation', Studien Und Text Zu Antike Und Christentum, pp. 55–56 (2002)</ref><ref name="Ephrem p. 279">'The doctrine of the 'sleep of the soul' after death, a Syrian tradition held in common with Ephrem, Narsai and others', Murray, 'Symbols of church and kingdom: a study in early Syriac tradition', p. 279 (2006)</ref> including [[Aphrahat]],<ref>'On the subject of the fate of souls after death. Aphrahat insists – as does Ephrem – "that as yet no one has received his reward. For the righteous have not inherited the Kingdom, nor have the wicked gone into torment" (8.22; fc. 20). At present, the dead simply "sleep" in their graves, which are collectively referred to as Sheol, or the underworld. Their capabilities for activity and experience are, apparently, almost non-existent, "for when people die, the animal spirit is buried with the body and sense is taken away from it, but the heavenly spirit they receive [i.e. the Holy Spirit, given in baptism] goes, according to its nature, to Christ" (6.14). Aphrahat, however, seems to ascribe to the dead a kind of anticipatory consciousness of their own future which is akin to dreaming in earthly sleep.', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 73 (1991)<br />{{*}}'The wicked will be sent back to Sheol, the real of Death under the world (22.17.24; cf. 6.6), where they will be punished in the measure and the way that their sins deserve – some in "outer darkness," others in unquenchable fire, others by simple exclusion from the presence of God (22.18–22).', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 73 (1991).</ref> [[Ephrem the Syrian|Ephrem]],<ref>'Ephrem, too, conceives of the time between our death and the second coming of Jesus as a "sleep," a period of inactivity in virtually every aspect of human existence. Because his anthropology is more highly developed than Aphrahat's, and because he is so insistent – in contrast to Bardaisan and other earlier, more dualistic Syriac writers – that the human person needs both body and soul to be functional, Ephrem seems to imagine that this sleep as {{sic}} deprived even of the "dreaming" Aphrahat mentions. For Ephrem, the soul without the body is "bound," "paralyzed" (CN 476.6); it is like an embryo in its mother's womb or like a blind or deaf person: "living, but deprived of word and thought" (HP 8.4–6).', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 74 (1991)<br />{{*}}'Because of his insistence on the positive role of the body in human life and its necessity for a full human existence (e.g., CN 47.4), Ephrem sees eschatological reward and punishment as delayed until the resurrection of the dead. Resurrection will begin when souls are "awakened" from their sleep by the angel's trumpet and the commanding voice of God (CN 49.16f.).', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 75 (1991)<br />{{*}}'Ephrem's picture of Gehenna is less detailed and more traditional than his picture of heaven. The damned there seem to suffer most from their awareness that they have lost all hope sharing in beauty and happiness (HP 2.3f.; 7.29).', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 76 (1991)</ref> [[Narsai]],<ref>'Following in the tradition of Ephrem and Aphrahat, as well as that of Theodore of Mopsuestia, Narsai assumes that the souls of the dead do not receive the reward or punishment for their deeds until they are reunited with their bodies in the resurrection; until then, they must all wait in Sheol, the earthly place of the dead, in a state of conscious but powerless inactivity that Narsai refers to as a "sleep."', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 174 (1991)<br />{{*}}'The Nestorian Narsai described the soul and the body as a pair of inseparable lovers who could not live the one without the other. From the moment that her lover deserted her, he recounts, nephesh lost her speech and fell into a deep slumber. In spite of this, even in this state of forced inertia, she maintained her essential characteristics: her galloping intellect, her acute judgement, the emotions that open up a view in the world. The reason that all her faculties had ceased to function is that they had no more any purpose to serve, since the body for the sake of which they operated was no longer there. Nephesh recovered her sentience and her speech at the end of time when, together with the body, she rose to give an account for her deeds. Till then she felt no pain or joy. The vague knowledge she had of what was in store for her scarcely disturbed her peaceful sleep.', Samellas, 'Death in the eastern Mediterranean (50–600 AD.): the Christianization of the East: An Interpretation', Studien Und Text Zu Antike Und Christentum, pp. 56–57 (2002)</ref> [[Isaac of Nineveh]] (d.700),<ref>'"Isaac," too, is convinced that the final reward and punishment for human deeds awaits the resurrection (e.g., Bedjan 724.4 from bottom). Then those who died in "peace and quiet" with the lord will find eternal peace (Bedjan 276.15), while sinners will be banished to a darkness far away from God (Bedjan 117f.). Gehenna, the kingdom of the demons (Bedjan 203.4 from bottom), is a place of fire, and on the day of judgment this fire will burst forth from the bodies of the damned (Bedjan 73.4.; 118.3–7). Until the resurrection, the dead must wait in Sheol, which the author seems to imagine as a collective grave (Bedjan 366.3 from bottom; 368.5; 369.4). Some passages in the corpus suggest that the dead continue to act, in Sheol, as they have during life (e.g., Bedjan 90.13; 366.10–18). Others declare that action for good or ill is no longer possible after death (e.g., Bedjan 392.4 from bottom), and even envisage Sheol, before the judgment, as a place of fire ruled over by Satan (Bedjan 93.4f.).', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', pp. 174–175 (1991)</ref> and [[Jacob of Sarug]],<ref>'His eschatology remains within the Syriac tradition. Thus he speaks often of death in personified terms, as the captor of an enslaved human race or as an insatiable glutton; although Sheol, where the dead now exist, is a dark place of sleep. Jacob also describes the experience of death as a dangerous journey across a sea of fire.', Daley, 'The hope of the early church: a handbook of patristic eschatology', p. 175 (1991)<br />{{*}}'On the influence of hypnopsychism on the theology of Jacob of Sarug see M. D. Guinan, "Where are the dead? Purgatory and Immediate Retribution in James of Sargu," in Symposium Syriacum 1972, pp. 546–549.', Samellas, 'Death in the eastern Mediterranean (50–600 AD.): the Christianization of the East: An Interpretation', Studien Und Text Zu Antike Und Christentum, p. 56 (2002)</ref> Jewish commentators such as [[Abraham Ibn Ezra]] (1092–1167),<ref>'But Ibn Ezra held that the souls of the wicked perish with their bodies.', Davidson, 'The Doctrine of Last Things Contained in the New Testament, Compared With Notions of the Jews and the Statements of Church Creeds', p. 139 (1882)</ref> [[Maimonides]] (1135–1204),<ref>'Maimonides claims that since the greatest punishment would be to lose one's immortal soul, the souls of the wicked are destroyed along with their bodies.', Rudavsky, 'Maimonides', p. 105 (2010)</ref> and [[Joseph Albo]] (1380–1444),<ref>'Maimonides' views are reasserted by Joseph Albo (1380–1444) in his Book of Principles.', Rudavsky, 'Maimonides', p. 206 (2010)</ref> and later Christians such as [[John Wycliffe]],<ref>'During the pre-Reformation period, there seems to be some indication that both Wycliffe and Tyndale taught the doctrine of soul sleep as the answer to the Catholic teachings of purgatory and masses for the dead.', Morey, 'Death and the Afterlife', p. 200 (1984)</ref> [[Michael Sattler]],<ref>'He has written at length on psychopannychism, the doctrine of soul sleep, widely held in the sixteenth century by such diverse figures as Camillo Renato, Michael Sattler, and for a while, Martin Luther.', Williams, Petersen, & Pater (eds.), 'The contentious triangle: church, state, and university: a festschrift in Honor of Professor George Huntston Williams', Sixteenth Century Essays and Studies, volume 2, p. (1999)<br />{{*}}'It appears that Sattler came to hold the doctrine of psychopannychism, or sleep of the soul', Snyder, The life and thought of Michael Sattler', p. 130 (1984)</ref> and many [[Anabaptists]],<ref>'Many who became Anabaptists also believed that the soul is not naturally immortal but "sleeps" between death and the final resurrection. Some affirmed, further, that only the righteous would be resurrected, while the unrighteous would simply remain dead. Many denied hell. The Venice Synod affirmed soul sleep and rejected hell Snyder, The life and thought of Michael Sattler', pp. 871–72 (1984).', Finger, 'A contemporary Anabaptist theology: biblical, historical, constructive', p. 42 (2004)</ref> long before [[Martin Luther]] challenged [[Roman Catholic]] views on heaven and hell with his teaching of "[[soul sleep]]".<ref>'The belief that the soul goes to sleep at the death of the body to await eventual resurrection was held by both Martin Luther and William Tyndale', Watts, 'The Dissenters: From the Reformation to the French Revolution', p. 119 (1985)</ref>
* The Christadelphian denial of the [[pre-existence of Christ]], and interpretation of verses such as "I came down from heaven" (John 6:38) as relating to the [[Virgin birth of Jesus|virgin birth]] and Christ's mission only, are found in the teachings of: the early [[Jewish Christians]],<ref name="Hagner 2000">Hagner, "Jewish Christianity", in Martin & Davids (eds.), 'Dictionary of the later New Testament and its developments' (2000)</ref>{{Dubious|reason=It is not clear what the scope of the term 'Jewish Christians' is here. Esler reminds us that "If 'Jewish Christianity' is defined as that form of Christianity which reflects the thought-patterns and literary forms of Judaism then virtually all of early Christianity is surely included." (Esler, P.F. (2000). The Early Christian World. New York: Routledge, p. 137). Besides the imprecise language, the claim itself is dubious. For instance, Watson writes, "An early development in Christology in Jewish Christian churches was to associate Christ with God of the Old Testament. We see this development in James and Jude, both of which were probably written in the 50s CE in early Jewish Christian contexts." (Watson, D.F. (2014). 'Christology'. In C.A. Evans (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus (pp. 107–114). New York: Routledge, pp. 112–113.|date=June 2015}} the [[Ebionites]],<ref>Wright, "Ebionites", in Martin & Davids (eds.), 'Dictionary of the later New Testament and its developments' (2000)</ref> the [[Nazoreans]] (or Nazarenes),<ref>'They called Jesus the Son of God (→ Christological Titles 3.3), accepted his virgin birth, but rejected his preexistence as God', Merkel, 'Nazarene', in ), Fahlbusch & Bromiley (eds.), 'Encyclopedia of Christianity', volume 3, p. 714 (1993–2003)</ref>{{Dubious|This is very debatable, since Pritz's monograph on the Nazarenes regards their Christology as orthodox. (Pritz, R. (1988). Nazarene Jewish Christianity. Leiden: Brill, p. 35 n. 8). An article on Christadelphians is not the place to assume a disputed reconstruction of early Jewish Christianity.|date=June 2015}} the Theodotians of [[Theodotus the Cobbler]] (who believed Jesus was supernaturally begotten but a man nonetheless),<ref>'He came from Byzantium to Rome under Pope *Victor (c.189–198), proclaiming that Jesus was a man who was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism and thus became Christ. He was excommunicated by Victor. His disciples, who were known as 'Theodotians', included his namesake, 'Theodotus the Money-changer' (early 3rd cent.)', Cross & Livingstone (eds.), 'The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church', p. 1614 (3rd ed. rev. 2005)</ref> [[Artemon]],<ref>'Adoptionist heretic. He is mentioned twice by *Eusebius, who says that *Paul of Samosata revived his heresy (HE 5. 28 and 7. 30. 16 f.)', Cross & Livingstone (eds.), 'The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church', p. 113 (3rd ed. rev. 2005)</ref> [[Paul of Samosata]],<ref>'It is clear that in his Christology Paul was an *Adoptianist, holding that in the Incarnation the Word descended on and dwelt in the man Jesus, who thus became 'Son of God'.', Cross & Livingstone (eds.), 'The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church', p. 1250 (3rd ed. rev. 2005)</ref> the [[Pseudo-Clementines]],<ref name="Hagner 2000"/> and [[Photinus]] (d.376);<ref>R.P.C. Hanson (1916–1988), [[Lightfoot Professor of Divinity]] ''The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Arian Controversy, 318–381'' (9780801031465): 1973 "Christ, Photinus said, did not exist before Adam, but Adam before Christ. The sayings about Christ's celestial origins do not refer to his person, but to his teaching and his character."</ref> naturally however, given that [[non-Trinitarian]] beliefs were punishable with death from the fourth century to the seventeenth{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}, it would be foolish to expect to discover any consistent line of people or groups holding such beliefs. Such attempts become possible only after the [[Protestant Reformation]]. Christadelphian Christology is found from the publication of [[Lelio Sozzini]]'s commentary on John (1561)<ref>Wulfert De Greef ''The writings of John Calvin: an introductory guide'' 2008 p253 "Lelio Sozzini's Brevis explicatio in primum Johannis caput appeared in 1561, which marked the beginning of the Socinian phase among the Italian..."</ref> through to the increasing resistance to the miraculous among English Unitarians after 1800.<ref>R. K. Webb "Miracles in English Unitarian Thought" Essay, chapter 6 in ed. Mark S. Micale, Robert L. Dietle, Peter Gay Enlightenment, passion, modernity: historical essays in European Thought and Culture 2007 p120</ref>
* Affinities with the Christadelphian concept of the devil and/or demons are found in a range of early Jewish and later Christian sources such as: [[Jonathan ben Uzziel]] (100s AD);{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} [[Joshua Ben Karha]] (135–160);{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} [[Levi ben Gershon]] (d. 1344); [[David Kimhi]] (1160); [[Saadia Gaon|Saadia ben Joseph]] (892–942); [[Shimon ben Lakish]] (230–270),<ref>The [[Baptist]] [[theologian]] [[John Gill (theologian)|John Gill]] (1697–1771) acknowledged that early Jewish teachers interpreted 'satan' as a reference to the natural inclination people have to sin, the 'evil imagination'; "...they often say, "Satan, he is the evil imagination", or corruption of nature...", Gill on 12 Corinthians 12:7 in ''An Exposition of the New Testament''</ref> [[David Joris]] (1501-1556), [[Lelio Sozzini]] (1525-1562), [[Fausto Sozzini]] (1539-1604), [[Gerrard Winstanley]] (1609-1676), [[Joseph Mede]] (1640), [[Jacob Bauthumley]] (1650), [[Thomas Hobbes]] (1651), [[Lodowick Muggleton]] (1669), Dr. [[Anthonie van Dale]] (1685),<ref>Carus P. ''History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil''</ref> [[Emanuel Swedenborg]] (1688-1772), [[Balthasar Bekker]] (1695), [[Isaac Newton]];<ref>{{Cite book |last=Snobelen |first=Stephen |chapter=Lust, Pride, and Ambition: Isaac Newton and the Devil |year=2004 |title=Newton and Newtonianism |editor-first=J.E. |editor-last=Force |editor-first2=S. |editor-last2=Hutton |publisher=Kluwer Academic Publishers |chapter-url=http://www.isaac-newton.org/pdf/Snobelen%20Newton%20on%20the%20devil%202004.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107205928/http://www.isaac-newton.org/pdf/Snobelen%20Newton%20on%20the%20devil%202004.pdf |archive-date=2010-01-07}}</ref> [[Christian Thomasius]] (1704), [[Arthur Ashley Sykes]] (1737), [[Nathaniel Lardner]] (1742), The New-Light Quakers of Lynn and New Bedford (1800s), [[Elias Hicks]] (1748-1830), Dr. [[Richard Mead]] (1755), [[Hugh Farmer]] (at least in the account of Christ's temptation; 1761), [[William Ashdowne]] (1791),<ref>An attempt to shew that the opinion concerning the devil or satan, as a fallen angel, and that he tempts men to sin, hath no real foundation in scripture. By William Ashdowne. 1791, printed by J. Grove; and sold by Johnson, in St. Paul's Church-yard; Marsom, bookseller, Holborn; Bristow, Canterbury; and Ledger, Dover (Canterbury)</ref> [[John Simpson (Unitarian)|John Simpson]] (1804), [[John Epps]] (1842) and [[Primitive Baptist Universalists]] also known No-Hellers (1907 to present)

Organised worship in England for those whose beliefs anticipated those of Christadelphians only truly became possible in 1779 when the [[Act of Toleration 1689]] was amended to permit denial of the Trinity, and only fully when property penalties were removed in the [[Doctrine of the Trinity Act 1813]]. This is only 35 years before John Thomas' 1849 lecture tour in Britain which attracted significant support from an existing [[non-Trinitarian]] [[Adventism|Adventist]] base, particularly, initially, in Scotland where [[Arian]], [[Socinian]], and unitarian (with a small 'u' as distinct from the Unitarian Church of [[Theophilus Lindsey]]) views were prevalent.

== Practices and worship ==
[[File:Richmond Chapel sign.jpg|thumb|A sign showing the times of service for a Christadelphian ecclesia in [[Richmond, Virginia]]]]
Christadelphians are organised into local congregations, that commonly call themselves ''ecclesias'',<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.thechristadelphian.com/resources/read-booklets-online/who-are-the-christadelphians/| title = Who are the Christadelphians?}}</ref> which is taken from usage in the New Testament<ref>e.g. see Greek of Acts 5:11; 7:38</ref> and is Greek for ''gathering of those summoned''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Ecclesia |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |date=3 February 2009 |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/177746/Ecclesia }}</ref> Congregational worship, which usually takes place on Sunday, centres on the remembrance of the death and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the taking part in the "memorial service". Additional meetings are often organised for worship, prayer, preaching and Bible study.

Ecclesias are typically involved in preaching the gospel ([[evangelism]]) in the form of public lectures on Bible teaching,<ref>Examples of lecture titles on [https://www.sale-christadelphians.net/bible-hour/ Sale Christadelphians] website</ref> college-style seminars on reading the Bible,<ref>For example: [http://www.biblecourse.f9.co.uk/ Learn to Read the Bible Effectively]</ref> and Bible Reading Groups. Correspondence courses<ref>For example: [https://www.thisisyourbible.com/courses This is Your Bible]</ref> are also used widely, particularly in areas where there is no established Christadelphian presence. Some ecclesias, organisations or individuals also preach through other media like video, 
<ref>For example: https://ChristadelphianVideo.org [https://christadelphianvideo.org videos] and the Christadelphians of Southern California's [http://thisisyourbible.org/video.asp videos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211091848/http://thisisyourbible.org/video.asp |date=2008-12-11 }}. Podcasts, For example: Bible Truth Feed thousands of bible related audio files [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/bible-truth-feed/id1448751691 Bible Truth Feed][http://www.searchforhope.org/podcasts Search for Hope] podcasts.</ref> and internet forums.<ref>For example: [ [http://www.btdf.org/forums/ Bible Truth Discussion Forum]</ref> There are also a number of Bible Education/Learning Centres around the world.<ref>For example, the [[Solihull]] [http://www.biblelearningcentre.org Bible Learning Centre] (UK); [[Castle Hill, New South Wales|Castle Hill]] [http://www.castlehillbec.org.au/ Bible Education Centre], [[Sydney]] (Aus.); [[Urbana, Illinois|Urbana]] [http://bibleeducationcenter.org/ Bible Education Center], [[Champaign County, Illinois]] (USA); [[Durban]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH1NXKf0yrM Bible Education Centre] (SA). There are also other [http://biblecourses.com.au/resources BECs in South Africa and India].</ref>

Only baptised (by [[Immersion baptism|complete immersion in water]]) believers are considered members of the ecclesia. Ordinarily, baptism follows someone making a "good confession" (cf. 1 Tim. 6:12) of their faith before two or three nominated elders of the ecclesia they are seeking to join. The good confession has to demonstrate a basic understanding of the main elements – "first principles" – of the faith of the community. The children of members are encouraged to attend Christadelphian [[Sunday school]]s and youth groups. Interaction between youth from different ecclesias is encouraged through regional and national youth gatherings, conferences and camping holidays.

Christadelphians understand the Bible to teach that male and female believers are equal in God's sight, and also that there is a [[Complementarianism|distinction between the roles]] of male and female members.<ref>{{Citation
 | last = Ashton
 | first = Michael
 | title = Women Priests? The Bible Answer to the Current Debate 
 | place = Birmingham
 | publisher = CMPA
 | url = http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/wpriests.htm}}</ref> Women are typically not eligible to teach in formal gatherings of the ecclesia when male believers are present, are expected to [[Christian head covering|cover their heads]] (using hat or scarf, etc.) during formal services, and do not sit on the main ecclesial arranging (organising) committees. They do, however: participate in other ecclesial and inter-ecclesial committees; participate in discussions; teach children in Sunday schools as well as at home, teach other women and non-members; perform music; discuss and vote on business matters; and engage in the majority of other activities. Generally, at formal ecclesial and inter-ecclesial meetings the women wear head coverings when there are acts of worship and prayer.

There are ecclesially accountable committees for co-ordinated [[evangelism|preaching]], youth and Sunday school work, [[conscientious objection]] issues, care of the elderly, and humanitarian work. These do not have any legislative authority, and are wholly dependent upon ecclesial support. Ecclesias in an area may regularly hold joint activities combining youth groups, fellowship, preaching, and Bible study.

Christadelphians refuse to participate in any military or police force because they are [[conscientious objectors]]<ref name="gospelandstrife">{{cite book | last =Norris | first =Alfred | title =The Gospel and Strife | publisher =Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association | location =Birmingham, UK | url =http://www.god-so-loved-the-world.org/english/norris_gospelandstrife.doc}}</ref><ref name="warandpolitics">{{cite book | last =Watkins | first =Peter | title =War and Politics: The Christian's Duty | publisher =Christadelphian Auxiliary Lecturing Society | location =Birmingham, UK | url =http://www.god-so-loved-the-world.org/english/watkins_warandpoliticsthechristiansduty.doc }}</ref> (not to be confused with [[Pacifism|pacifists]]).

There is a strong emphasis on personal Bible reading and study<ref>'They are characterized by holding a firm belief in the inspired status of the Bible and place enormous emphasis upon biblical study', Evans, John S, 'The Prophecies of Daniel 2', page 251, USA:Xulon Press (2008)<br />{{*}}'Christadelphian devotion centers on daily Bible study and weekly meetings', page 421, Fahlbusch, Erwin and Bromiley, Geoffrey W, 'The Encyclopedia of Christianity', USA:Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (1999)<br />{{*}}'Christadelphians are devoted students of the Bible, which they believe to be the infallible and inerrant word of God', Edwards, Linda, 'A Brief Guide to Beliefs', page 421, USA:Westminster John Knox Press (2001)<br />{{*}}'Daily Bible study is enjoined', Powles, Lilian V, 'The Faith and Practice of Heretical Sects', page 23, Michigan:Mothers' Union (1962)</ref> and many Christadelphians use the [[Bible Companion]] to help them systematically read the Bible each year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/christadelphians_1.shtml |title=The BBC Website |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2009-06-25 |access-date=2010-03-15}}</ref>

=== Hymnody and music ===
{{Main|Christadelphian hymnals}}

[[File:2002_Christadelphian_hymnbook.jpg|left|thumb|130px|The 2002 English language hymn book]]
Christadelphian hymnody makes considerable use of the hymns of the Anglican and English Protestant traditions (even in US ecclesias the hymnody is typically more English than American). In many Christadelphian hymn books a sizeable proportion of hymns are drawn from the [[Hymnbooks of the Church of Scotland|Scottish Psalter]] and non-Christadelphian hymn-writers including [[Isaac Watts]], [[Charles Wesley]], [[William Cowper]] and [[John Newton]]. Despite incorporating non-Christadelphian hymns however, Christadelphian hymnody preserves the essential teachings of the community.<ref>'Hymnody was an important part of Christadelphianism from its beginning, and, along with the journal, The Christadelphian, gave independent ecclesias a broader fellowship. Hymns reflected the essential doctrines and principles of their faith. These principles were anti-Trinitarianism. They also believed that God would establish his kingdom on Earth through the return of Jesus to reign a thousand years in Jerusalem', Wesley Roberts, Professor of Music, Campbellsville University, Kentucky, in the magazine 'Hymn', July 1997</ref>

The earliest hymn book published was the "Sacred Melodist" which was published by [[Benjamin Wilson (Biblical scholar)|Benjamin Wilson]] in Geneva, Illinois in 1860.<ref>{{cite thesis |first=Rachel |last=Hocking |title=A Study of Christadelphian Hymnody: singing with the spirit and with the understanding |date=2000 |url=http://www.rachelhocking.com.au/christadelphian-hymnody.html |publisher=The University of New South Wales, Sydney}}</ref> The next was the hymn book published for the use of ''Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God'' (an early name for Christadelphians)<ref name = "anrvrv">Peter Hemingray, ''John Thomas: His Friends and His Faith'' 2003 p. 235</ref> by George Dowie in Edinburgh in 1864.<ref>Andrew Wilson, ''History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885: the emergence of a denomination'' 1997 p. 326</ref> In 1865 [[Robert Roberts (Christadelphian)|Robert Roberts]] published a collection of Scottish psalms and hymns called ''The Golden Harp'' (which was subtitled "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, compiled for the use of Immersed Believers in 'The Things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ{{'"}}).<ref>Peter Hemingray, ''John Thomas: His Friends and His Faith'' 2003 p. 195</ref> This was replaced only five years later by the first "Christadelphian Hymn Book" (1869), compiled by J. J. and A. Andrew,<ref>Ambassador of the Coming Age Vol. 6, P. 148</ref> and this was revised and expanded in 1874, 1932 and 1964. A thorough revision by the Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association resulted in the latest (2002) edition<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thechristadelphian.com/product-category/books/hymn-books/ |title=Hymn Books |publisher=Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association |access-date=2020-01-22 }}</ref> which is almost universally used by English-speaking Christadelphian ecclesias. In addition some Christadelphian fellowships have published their own hymn books.

Some ecclesias use the ''Praise the Lord'' songbook.<ref>''Praise the Lord'' (Hoddesdon Christadelphian Service, 1993, 2000)</ref> It was produced with the aim of making contemporary songs which are consistent with Christadelphian theology more widely available. Another publication, the "Worship" book<ref>{{cite web |title=Worship |work=Worship Book Committee, NCC, 2008, 2010 |url=http://www.theworshipbook.com |publisher=Theworshipbook.com }}</ref> is a compilation of songs and hymns that have been composed only by members of the Christadelphian community. This book was produced with the aim of providing extra music for non-congregational music items within services (e.g. voluntaries, meditations, et cetera) but has been adopted by congregations worldwide and is now used to supplement congregational repertoire.

In the English-speaking world, worship is typically accompanied by organ or piano, though in recent years a few ecclesias have promoted the use of other instruments (e.g. strings, wind and brass as mentioned in the Psalms). This trend has also seen the emergence of some Christadelphian bands<ref>An example is the Christadelphian folk rock band [[Fisher's Tale]] (albeit this is a witness project as opposed to being for the purpose of church worship)</ref> and the establishment of the Christadelphian Art Trust to support performing, visual and dramatic arts within the Christadelphian community.

In other countries, hymn books have been produced in local languages,<ref>e.g. ''Liedboek van de Broeders in Christus'' (Netherlands, circa 1980)</ref> sometimes resulting in styles of worship which reflect the local culture. It has been noted that Christadelphian hymnody has historically been a consistent witness to Christadelphian beliefs, and that hymnody occupies a significant role in the community.<ref>'Considering the scope of hymnic literature by Christadelphians, we might conclude that few branches of Christianity can claim such a close relationship between hymn writing and their own religious development, and such a high percentage of hymnists in their membership.  As their hymns become better known, this close relationship will reveal that the heritage and faith of Christadelphians has been enhanced through a strong emphasis on hymnody, from their beginnings to the present day', Wesley Roberts, Professor of Music, Campbellsville University, Kentucky, in the magazine 'Hymn', July 1997</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* [[Bibliography of Christadelphians]]
* Fred Pearce, ''Who are the Christadelphians? Introducing a Bible Based Community'' (Birmingham: CMPA). Available https://thechristadelphianjournal.com/read-booklets-online/who-are-the-christadelphians/ online]
* Stephen Hill, ''The Life of Brother John Thomas – 1805 to 1871'' (2006).
* Peter Hemingray, ''John Thomas, His Friends and His Faith'' (Canton, Michigan: The Christadelphian Tidings, 2003, {{ISBN|81-7887-012-6}}).
* Andrew R. Wilson, ''The History of the Christadelphians 1864–1885 The Emergence of a Denomination'' (Shalom Publications, 1997, {{ISBN|0-646-22355-0}}).
* Charles H. Lippy, ''The Christadelphians in North America'', Studies in American Religion Volume 43 ([[Lewiston, New York]]: [[Edwin Mellen Press]], 1989, {{ISBN|0-88946-647-5}}). 1-895605-32-6.
* Lorri MacGregor, ''Christadelphians & Christianity'' (Nelson, B.C.: MacGregor Ministries, 1989, {{ISBN|1-895605-32-6}}). 
* Robert Roberts, ''Christendom Astray: Popular Christianity (Both in Faith and Practice) Shewn {{sic}} to Be Unscriptural, and the True Nature of the Ancient Apostolic Faith Exhibited: Eighteen Lectures [on Christadelphian doctrine], Originally Published as 'Twelve Lectures on the True Teaching of the Bible{{'}}'' (Birmingham, Eng.: C.C. Walker, 1932).
* Harry Tennant, ''The Christadelphians: What they believe and preach'' (Birmingham, England: The Christadelphian, 1986, {{ISBN|0-85189-119-5}}). Also titled ''What the Bible Teaches'' (see '[https://www.thechristadelphian.com/shop/books/foundations/the-christadelphians-what-they-believe-and-preach-paperback/ CMPA Bookshop] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105033856/https://www.thechristadelphian.com/shop/books/foundations/the-christadelphians-what-they-believe-and-preach-paperback/ |date=2022-11-05 }}).
* [[Bryan R. Wilson]], ''Sects and Society: A Sociological Study of the Elim Tabernacle, Christian Science and Christadelphians'' (London: Heinemann, 1961; Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1961).
* BBC article, "Religion & Ethics—Christianity: Subdivisions: Christadelphians". Available [https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/christadelphians_1.shtml online].
* Rachel Hocking, ''A Study of Christadelphian Hymnody: Singing with the Spirit and with the Understanding'', 2000. Available [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725145209/http://www.catonline.org/node/327 online]
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Christadelphian}}
{{wikisource|Category:Christadelphians|Christadelphians}}
{{Commons category}}

* [https://christadelphianvideo.org/ Christadelphian Videos - video-based material highlighting the beliefs of Central Christadelphians worldwide]
* [https://thechristadelphian.com/ The Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association]
*  Old Paths Christadelphians [http://www.gospeltruth.info/gospel.htm online]
* [https://christadelphian.org.au/ Australian Christadelphians]
* [http://www.thechristadelphians.org.uk/ The Christadelphians (UK)]
* [http://www.christadelphia.org/ Christadelphia World Wide]
* [https://www.cbm.org.uk/ Christadelphian Bible Mission UK]
* [https://acbm.org.au/ Asia Pacific Christadelphian Bible Mission]
* [http://cbma.net/ Christadelphian Bible Mission of the Americas]

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