Who are the Christadelphians?
The Christadelphians of Hamilton Greenaway are a group of people from all walks of life. The name "Christadelphian" means "Brothers in Christ". We are united by a common faith in the Gospel preached by the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles in the first century. Our love for the study of God's inspired word, the Bible, leads us to live in hope of the resurrection to eternal life in God's coming Kingdom on earth.
Christadelphians in general, base their beliefs wholly on the Bible, and accept it as the only inspired by God. We have come to know the love of God in Christ through the Gospel. We seek, in response, to live in obedience to our God, to emulate His love in our lives, and to look fervently for His Son's return to this earth and "the restoration of all things." To emphasize that we are a community, rather than a place where people meet, we call our local organizations, "ecclesias."
What do Christadelphians believe & teach?
We believe that the Bible is God's only revealed message to mankind, given to bring responsive individuals to a loving obedience to God and His ways, and to give man hope through the precious promises God has made. The Bible is our only authority, and we believe it should be read prayerfully and with reverence at all times.
[Romans 16:26; Hebrews 11:6; John 17:17; Acts 17:11]
Certain key teachings stand out. We invite you to thoughtfully consider these teachings with your Bible in hand:
God
There is only one God. He created all that we see around us. He alone has immortality and is the source of all life. Apart from Him we have no existence. Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son, born of a virgin, by the power of God, the Holy Spirit.
[Isaiah 45:5; 1 Timothy 1:17; Ephesians 4:6; Luke 1:35; Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49]
Man
Man is a dying creature, this being the result of the sin of the first man, Adam. All the offspring of this first man - the whole human race - experience the same powerful desires to follow their own ways, just like their forefather in his disobedience. As such all men become sinners before God. The punishment for sin is death, the end of all existence.
[Romans 5:12-14; 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 6:23; Ecclesiastes 9:1-6, 10; Psalm 146:4]
Jesus Christ, His Sacrifice
God, in His love, has provided Jesus to save man from perishing. Jesus, begotten of a virgin descended from Adam, had the exact same rebellious and mortal nature as all other humans. He experienced the same fleshly desires to go his own way as those he came to save, yet he never sinned against God. He loved his Father so intensely and trusted Him so completely that he willingly submitted to death, even death on the cross. In this final act of obedience, Jesus overcame and destroyed the power of sin in his own body. But in this battle death did not have its usual victory. God raised him from the dead, gave him immortality, and granted him all authority in heaven and earth. He now sits at God's right hand as a faithful mediator and savior for all who would come to God through him.
[Matthew 1:18-21; Galatians 4:3-5; John 3:16; Acts 2:23-36; Ephesians 1:19-23; Hebrews 2:9-18; 4:14-16; 5:5-10; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Timothy 2:5]
The Hope
The only hope of life after death is through the resurrection of the dead and the receiving of everlasting life in God's Kingdom on earth. [Psalm 49:12-20; 1 Corinthians 15:12-50: Romans 8:23-35; Acts 24:15; John 11:25; Revelation 5:10; 20:4]
The Return of Christ
Jesus will return to the earth. He will come suddenly and unexpectedly. At that time he will raise many of the dead, judge them with the living, and give his faithful followers everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.
[Acts 1:11; Revelation 22:12; Luke 21:20-32; John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; 2 Timothy 4:1; Matthew 25:31-46]
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God will be established on earth with Jesus as king. His capital will be Jerusalem, his dominion will be worldwide, and his government will bring righteousness and peace without end.
[Daniel 2:44; 7:27; Acts 3:21; Jeremiah 3:17; Isaiah 2:2-4; Psalm 72; Daniel 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-9; 11:1-9; 61:1-11]
The Promises of God
The Gospel is inseparable from the promises which God made to Abraham and David in Old Testament times. These promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
[Galatians 3:6-9, 16, 25-29; 2 Peter 1:2-4 Genesis 13:14-17; 22:15-18; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Luke 1:31-33]
The Way of Salvation
The way to enter the Kingdom of God is by faith in what God has promised and the one through whom God will fulfill His promises, Jesus Christ. This involves believing God's Word - the Bible - and obedience to its requirements that men and women confess their sins, repent, and be baptized, and follow Jesus faithfully.
[Hebrews 11:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; Acts 2:37; Mark 16:16; John 3:3-5; Matthew 16:24-27]
What a Christadelphian Meeting is Like
Christadelphians meet together each Sunday to remember God's work of salvation in Christ Jesus, His Son. Hymns, prayers and words of encouragement from the Bible (called an "exhortation") are a normal part of our service. As you listen to those speaking, you will find that we are a Bible-centered church, holding that God's Word alone gives insight into what is right and true. We believe that regular Bible study is necessary to gain this insight, and we encourage all to reverently study the Bible.
The focal point of our Sunday gathering is the "Breaking of Bread". This is a simple practice established by Jesus as a remembrance of his sacrifice. This involves partaking of bread and wine. If you have not visited a Christadelphian meeting before you may be surprised that we practice "membership communion." This is the practice of extending the bread and wine to members only - those who have joined this church through a specific process of study, conviction, repentance and obedience in baptism.
If you decide to attend, we hope that you will stay and chat with us following services so that we may meet you and answer any questions you may have about Bible study opportunities or one of our adult, young people or children's activities.
Where can further information be obtained?
Personal Study Sessions, Home Study Correspondence Courses and booklets on many Bible subjects may be obtained free and without obligation. Please contact us for further details or click on Resources for links.