Cult Alert for Vanuatu

Christadelphians

Some people in Vila may have been handed a small foldable handout from some very nice people around the Market recently. The handout is called 10 Important Facts You Need to Know. But who are the Christadelphians and since they have Christ in their name, are they Christian?

The short answer is NO THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIAN
Cults are very good at taking a truth, presenting it as truth but adding a small twist of lies in with it. This is very subtle and the intention is to hooking you into their belief and follow their programming before you realise they are false teachers.

I will cover this cult in more detail but for now I will cover the first “fact” that they list in their handout to prove they are not based on sound bible doctrine and you should beware! Let us look at what the handout says: (I have put their statements in red so that you are not confused)

There is only one God
Jesus taught that knowing and understanding God is ESSENTIAL to life eternal.

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17v3

The word ‘Trinity’ and the phrases “God the Son” and “God the Holy Spirit” are NEVER found in the Bible.

Let us tackle each one - point at a time

There is only one God

The first statement is true. There is only one God.

Jesus taught that knowing and understanding God is ESSENTIAL to life eternal.

The second statement you would think sounds true but is not. The Bible makes it very clear that Eternal Life is given as a free gift to those that believes (follows) Jesus Christ. Belief in Jesus as the Christ is ESSENTIAL to life eternal. Furthermore, it is Christ that gives us Eternal Life (Jn 10:28), just as Father God can and just as the Holy Spirit can also. This claim came from Jesus and through the Apsotles (Rom 6:23)

John Chapter 3 explains all of this (Jn 3:14-16, 36). Jesus taught that the one who is given life eternal is whoever believes in Him (Jesus)

Christadelphians do not like John 1:1-3,14 (KJV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1

[So here we see that The Word was in the beginning, from time eternal past (Bifo we bifo); Also the Word was God.]

The same was in the beginning with God.John 1:2

[God and the Word existed bifo we bifo]

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.John 1:3

[The word “him’ here is plural. It can mean ‘him’ or ‘them’. Notice that John did not say, All things were made by God, so we cannot assume that he meant God, the Word or both. was responsible for creation verse 10 says that the world was made by the word. (1 Cor 8:6 suggests that it was God through the Word also).

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.John 1:14

[The Word was made flesh. God was not made flesh but his Son Jesus was. So Jesus is the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. – God the Son!

In John 5:37-40: Jesus was talking to the scribes and Pharisees. These people thought that they could become righteous and know God and gain eternal life through studying scripture. But in that they failed to see the Jesus the Messiah. This is true of the Christadelphians. You will also read here that the Son (Jesus) will raise us up on the last day. The ability to raise people up like this is reserved for deity. Then in the next Note in the verse above that Jesus said “I am the father are one.” He was accused of blasphemy by saying that he was God. His answer was “I am the Son of God.”

It is not just Jesus that claims that eternal life comes through Him, but the Apostles claim eternal life comes through Jesus too

1John 5:5-12 (NET) (Apostle John writing)

5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood – not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify, 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.

The word ‘Trinity’ and the phrases “God the Son” and “God the Holy Spirit” are NEVER found in the Bible.

This is put in there to question your faith. It is there to confuse and make you question your faith. The word Christadelphian is not in the bible too, but that does not deny their existence. It also never says the word Bible in the Bible, but you know that to exist. It also NEVER says in the bible that the Apostles went to the toilet either. I know that you breathe. I did not read anywhere that you do, but I can deduce you can because you are a living human. But we know that they must have done so, because we know what humans do. This is called implicit reasoning.

So lets clear this up: It is true that Trinity, “God the Son” and God the Holy Spirit” is never found in the bible, but you can find implicit references that prove that the Son (Jesus) IS God and that the Holy Spirit IS God by looking to see they have the characteristics of God.

God has characteristics that only deity can possess – OMNIPOTENCE (All powerful), OMNISCIENCE (All knowing) AND OMNIPRESENCE (Present everywhere). Only God has those three. Only God is Eternal and therefore only God can give eternal life. So if Jesus is God then he must match those characteristics – If it looks like a mango, and smells like a mango and tastes like a mango then it is a mango!

JESUS IS OMNIPOTENT AND ETERNAL- For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Isa 9:6

Rom 1:2-4 (NET)

2This gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,3 concerning his Son who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh,4 who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Rev 5:12-14 (KJV)

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

 John 8:57-58 (NET)

Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”

[the term I AM is a holy name for God (see Ex 3:14). Here we see that jesus called himself God and also that he existed before Abraham!]

JESUS IS OMNISCIENT (all knowing) - Furthermore, I will strike her followers with a deadly disease, and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay each one of you what your deeds deserve. Rev 2:23

JESUS IS OMNIPRESENT but not while he was in the flesh on Earth. For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”Matt 18:20.

For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, Col 2:9, see also Gal 2:20 







Sadly, despite the Christadelphians declaring that they recognise Jesus as the Son of God, they do not declare that Jesus is God. Because of this fact they do not worship the Jesus that a true believer in Jesus, and scripture regards as the Son of God.

1John 2:22-26 (NET) (Apostle John Writing)

22 Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

The word Christ means saviour. Only God can save and forgive sins and give eternal life yet Jesus Christ can also do this. Because Jesus stated categorically that he was God then we can rightly say God the Son. To deny that is to deny the Son and to deny the Son does not have God. That person is a liar.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

It does not say “names” It says name but name here is a noun – the name being (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) – Trinity – The three are one God!

I will have more to say about the Christadelphians later.  In the meantime, if you see them, be friendly and say hello.  Greet them as Ni-Vanuatu are famous for.  They are here to build their meeting place in Vila.  Remember that you should pray for their salvation and that they come to know the true God.  Often these people are unaware themselves that they have been lead astray,  One out of three Mormon missionaries leave the Mormon Corporation when they finish their term after two years because they come to realise that they have been preaching lies.  They often leave God altogether.  This may be true for the Christadelphians too.  That is very sad.

Eph 1:15-23 (NET)
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him,
 – since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
 and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength.
 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms
 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
 And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things.
 Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.