Body: | Refuted: The Christadelphian view of Resurrection, Judgement and Hell
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Click to View Introduction: Understanding the Christadelphian doctrine
Click to View Universal resurrection of every creature proven in Bible
Click to View Christadelphian proof texts refuted
Other links outside this page:
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Click to View conscious life after death
Click to View Objections to conscious life after death refuted!
Click to View Death always means separation
Click to View Demons are spirit creatures not flu viruses
Click to View Rich man and Lazarus examined
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I. Introduction: contrary to the Christadelphian doctrine, the Bible
teaches:
All men are resurrected: Jn 5:28; Mt 25; Rev 20:12-15
The devil, demons and evil men all go to the same place: Rev
20:12-15
Resurrection for all men brings about immortality: physical death is
abolished 1 Cor 15
Top 6 verses that outright refute the Christadelphian doctrine:
#1 John 5:28 outright states all in the tombs will be raised at the same
moment
#2 2 Thess 1:5-8 Outright states that those who do not know the gospel will
suffer at the second coming.
#3 Acts 17:30-31 God does not exempt the ignorant from the final
resurrection and judgement.
#4 Romans 2:9-16 Outright says that those without law will be judged at the
last day by Christ
#5 Jeremiah 25:17-18, 26-28 The people of Jerusalem would "fall and rise
and no more". (Same language Christadelphians use to in other verses to
prove no resurrection)
#6 Prov 2:18-19; 7:14, 25-27 For those Christadelphians who say that only
Jews who have offered an animal sacrifice will be raised from the dead,
consider the Jewish adulteress: "I was due to offer peace offerings; Today
I have paid my vows. ... Her house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the
chambers of death. ... None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach
the paths of life."
The Christadelphian view of resurrection and hell
All Christadelphians teach that wicked men who never heard the
gospel will never be raised. (ignorance is bliss; babies and pigmies in
Africa will not be raised) In fact the Bible teaches the exact opposite:
"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring
to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in
which He will judge the world Acts 17:30-31. God no longer overlooks
ignorance of never hearing the gospel, all will be judged, even the
ignorant!
All Christadelphians teach that baptized disciples who fall away
will be raised. (seed that fell upon rocky or weedy soil)
Historically since early 1800's, Christadelphians (same as today's
unamended) taught that all unbaptized will never be raised, even if they
knew they needed to be baptized and refused or delayed.
Some modern Christadelphians (the amended) teach that a wicked man
will not be subject to resurrection until he hears about his need for
baptism once and rejects it. (seed that fell upon the pavement) Wicked men
will not be subject to resurrection and torment until a Christadelphian
spends 5 minutes and tells them about baptism. The moment they hear about
baptism, they are now put on God's "to be resurrected list".
The wicked who never hear the gospel suffer exactly the same
"punishment" as the righteous: physical death.
Christadelphian selective view of resurrection
All Christadelphians say
these will be raised
Faithful Jews
Faithful baptized Christians
Unfaithful Jews who fall away
Unfaithful baptized Christians who fall away
All Christadelphians say
these will be not be raised
Babies
African Pigmies, Muslims etc. who never heard about baptism
Amended Christadelphians say
these will be raised
the unbaptized who knew about baptism.
Unamended Christadelphians say
these will be not be raised
all unbaptized whether they knew or not about baptism
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The, "Am I a good Christadelphian?" test, for Christadelphians.
"Test yourself to see if you are in the faith!" 2 Cor 13:4
Identify which of the following categories of people will be raised from
the dead based upon the two different sects of Christadelphians: amended
and unamended.
.
All Christadelphians
Amended
only
Unamended
only
No Christadelphians
Faithful Jews
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Unfaithful Jews never offered an animal sacrifice
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Faithful baptized Christians
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Unfaithful baptized Christians who fall away
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The unbaptized who knew about baptism
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Will be raised
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Will not be raised
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African Pigmies who never heard about baptism
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babies
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Muslims who never heard about baptism
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Teenagers who listen to rap music who never heard about baptism
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Every wicked man who lived will be judged: 2 Thess 1:5-8
A. The one text refutation:
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CN Tower verse on universal Resurrection and eternal torment: 2 Th 1:5-8
(tallest free standing building in the world: Toronto, Canada)
If some evil men are never raised then God is not just: 2 Th 1:5-8 "This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed"
From 2 Thess 1:5-8 we prove:
Torment and suffering of the wicked is the sign of God's righteous
judgement v5
If some evil men are never raised they escape torment and suffering
and God is not just v6 (all evil men must be raised to suffer torment of
some kind, whether eternal or temporary. Christadelphians maintain that
most evil men will die without suffering torment at the second coming.
Angels are supernatural spirit beings: v7
This torment and suffering happens at the second coming, after they
have died and been raised v7,9
The wicked will get retribution (eye for eye) for their evil: v8 In
the Christadelphian view, the wicked who never hear the gospel suffer
exactly the same "punishment" as the righteous: physical death.
Contrary to the resurrection teaching of all Christadelphians, those
who never heard the gospel and those who knew but refused to obey the
gospel, will be raised and punished. V8
The wicked will be penalized with conscious banishment away from
presence and power. v9
B. Bible passages:
"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with
Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "And all the nations will
be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Mt 25
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has
done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the
book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written
in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them;
and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 And
death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second
death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in
the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20:12-15
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to
every man according to what he has done. 13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Rev 22:12
"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now
declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed
a day in which He will judge the world Acts 17:30
"Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom
and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. Matthew 10:15
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are
storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the
righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his
deeds: Romans 2:5-7
C. Wicked men and spirit beings are awaiting judgement now
Angels reserved in pit: Jude 6 "And angels who did not keep their
own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds
under darkness for the judgment of the great day."
2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from
temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of
judgment. (see Luke 16)
D. All men, good and evil will be judged:
Good
Evil
Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and shall come forth; "those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life,
those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:28
"having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous
and the wicked." Acts 24:15
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good
or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thessalonians 5:9
God has destined the wicked for wrath 1 Thessalonians 5:9
"And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you shall be justified,
and by your words you shall be condemned." Matthew 12:36
7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed" 2 Thess 1:5-8
God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. Romans 2:5ff
10 glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 11 For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:5ff
as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
and the goats on the left. "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels Mt 25
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. Colossians 3:23
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future 1 Timothy 6:18
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom 2:5
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Bonus thought for Christadelphians: Ecclesiastes 4:2-3
"So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. 3 But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 4:2
Christadelphians say that the dead do not exist, since they reject
conscious life after death.
What is interesting about this verse is that the living and dead are
congratulated in contrast with the man who has never existed. According to
Christadelphian doctrine both the dead and the one never born never
existed.
Remember the context is strictly the relief one can attain from
seeing the sin and evil that is in the world. Since Christadelphians reject
conscious life after death, neither the one's who will be raised or the
one's who will never be raised, will ever see the corruption of sin on
earth again.
The passage clearly says that the one who never existed is better
off than the one who is dead. Yet according to Christadelphians, when most
the earth's population die, they will never exist again because they will
never be raised!
The Christadelphian doctrine make nonsense of this verse.
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13 Christadelphian proof texts refuted
(wrested scriptures)
Click to View Jeremiah 51:37, 39-40,57 The Wicked will sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up
Click to View Ps 49:10-20 The wicked shall never see the light and is like the beasts that perish.
Click to View Isaiah 26:13-14; 19 14 The wicked dead shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise
Click to View Prov. 21:16 the wicked will rest in the assembly of the dead
Click to View Job 10:18-22 I go and I shall not return: To the land of darkness
Click to View Job 3:11-19 I would be, as infants that never saw light
Click to View John 3:19 this is the judgment, that the light is come
Click to View John 9:41 If you were blind, you would have no sin
Click to View John 15:22-24 If I had not spoken to them, they would not have sin
Click to View John 11:24-26 he who believes in Me shall live
Click to View Rom 4:15 where there is no law, neither is there violation
Click to View Rom 5:12-14 sin is not imputed when there is no law
Click to View Ps 88:1-18 Forsaken among the dead; Thou dost remember no more
Click to View Job 20:5-9 He perishes forever, He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him
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Romans 2:9-16
Before we start. Romans 2:9-16 is the "CN Tower" (tallest free standing building in the world: Toronto, Canada) of Bible verses to prove that the ignorant Gentiles and unbelievers WILL BE RAISED from the dead and be judged:
Romans 2:9-16 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
The text flat out states universally that both Jews and Gentiles
will be judged
It is qualified to say, "every soul of man who does evil".
Christadelphians actually teach that a Gentile who murders, but never read
the Bible, is not guilty of sin. (see below: John 9:41 below) Further v 12
flat says those "without law" have indeed sinned.
The text says in v 14 that Gentiles instinctively know right from
wrong based upon the conscious and are under a law of their own which they
keep. There is a universal law of morality in the world that every culture
clearly understands. (lying, stealing, adultery etc.)
Finally v 16 says that these "ignorant Gentiles, who had never heard
about God's law WOULD BE JUDGED by Christ.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #1 Refuted: Jeremiah 51:37, 39-40,57
"And Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants. ... 39 "When they become heated up, I shall serve them their banquet And make them drunk, that they may become jubilant And may sleep a perpetual sleep And not wake up," declares the Lord. 40 "I shall bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams together with male goats. .. 57 "And I shall make her princes and her wise men drunk, Her governors, her prefects, and her mighty men, That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up," Jeremiah 51:37, 39-40,57
The context is clearly Babylon who will "not wake up" from sleep so
it does fit the Christadelphian interpretation to prove that Gentiles will
not be raised from the dead but will "sleep forever". But to force bodily
resurrection into the passage is simply too far fetched when a much simpler
and natural interpretation is available: Just like we use the expression,
"He went to sleep and never woke up" to denote a common death in bed, so
too Jeremiah uses exactly the same kind of expression. To "sleep a
perpetual sleep and not wake up," means that they will die.
Resurrection is not part of the context in any way at all.
Sheol and the grave are not only absent from the text, but not
needed for the point Jeremiah was making, namely that God would physically
kill the Babylonians.
Further, the context is the "cup of God's wrath" is used elsewhere
in Jeremiah: (And echoed in Revelation) Notice the expressions "sleep and
not wake up" (Jer 51:39) and " be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more" (Jer
25:27) mean nothing more than to die physically. Notice also that Jerusalem
was to also drink this cup from which, "They would rise no more". So
according to Christadelphian logic not even Israel would be raised from the
dead, since the identical type of language was used.
Jeremiah 25:15-18, 26-28 For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says
to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand, and cause all the
nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. 16 "And they shall drink and
stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them." 17
Then I took the cup from the Lord's hand, and made all the nations drink,
to whom the Lord sent me: 18 JERUSALEM AND THE CITIES OF JUDAH, and its
kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing, and a
curse, as it is this day; ... 26 and all the kings of the north, near and
far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the
face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. "And
you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
"Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the sword which
I will send among you."' 28 "And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup
from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord of
hosts: "You shall surely drink!
Jeremiah 49:12 "For thus says the Lord, "Behold, those who were not
sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who
will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will
certainly drink it.".
The idea of God overthrowing enemies with sleep is also seen in
Psalms. Again here God is really killing them and resurrection is not even
hinted at:
Psalm 76:4-8 The stouthearted were plundered; They sank into sleep;
And none of the warriors could use his hands. 6 At Thy rebuke, O God of
Jacob, Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep. 7 Thou, even Thou,
art to be feared; And who may stand in Thy presence when once Thou art
angry? 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth
feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, To save all the humble
of the earth.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #2 Refuted: Ps 49:10-20
"He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish."
Psalm 49 is addressed to the whole world (v2) Jew and Gentile alike in a
contrast between "Both low and high, Rich and poor together." The Bible
often portrays the rich as evil and the poor as righteous (Luke 16:21f;
James 5:1f) and Ps 49 like is an example of such.
Ps 49:10-20 "For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inner thought is, that their houses are forever, And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. 12 But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish. 13 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. [Selah]. 14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning; And their form shall be for Sheol to consume, So that they have no habitation. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For He will receive me. [Selah]. 16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself- And though men praise you when you do well for yourself- 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light. 20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
Eccl 2:16-18 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! 17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. 18 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
Ecclesiastes 3:19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
Psalm 56:13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.
Job 33:16-18,28-30 "Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, 17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; 18 He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol." ... "'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.' 29 "Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, 30 To bring back his soul from the pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life."
Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
Eph 4:17-18 the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart
Christadelphians use Ps 49 as a proof text that some of the wicked will
never be raised or judged. In order to do this they must maintain that the
wicked of Ps 49 are gentiles who will not be raised and the righteous are
Jews who will be raised to eternal glory. Any sensible Christadelphian
would stop here and never again try to use Ps 49 to prove their selective
resurrection doctrine. But for those unwilling to do such we address the
following comments:
Ps 49:10 says that, throughout world, the "wise, stupid and
senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others." If
Christadelphians try to say that only the wicked "perish", they must not
only deal with the many Bible verses to the contrary that say the righteous
and wicked perish alike, but Ps 49 itself! In Job 29:13, Job had rescued a
poor righteous widow from perishing: "The blessing of the one ready to
perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy." This is
the same way the word perish is used in Ps 49... simply physical death.
Ps 49 is closely parallel to the theme of Ecclesiastes 2:16-18;
3:19-21. Christadelphians want infer into the text with their imagination
that the wicked are appointed like sheep to Sheol and death but the
righteous are not. Problem is that this Ps 49 is really saying that the
wicked will die prematurely but the righteous, God will rescue from
premature death. While we openly admit that the God will redeem the
righteous from death at the last day, (Hosea 13:14) this is not the meaning
of expression here. Rather Job 33:18,28 is again exactly parallel in
thought that the righteous can live longer on earth than if they were
wicked, thus be redeemed from sheol. Job 33:14 captures this thought
perfectly by saying that the righteous will not die physically as soon as
the wicked and shall rule over the wicked in the light of the next morning.
Remember, the context of Job 33 is that God had ALREADY redeemed Job's soul
from the pit/sheol and he was "seeing the light of life", BEFORE he died
physically. This completely nullifies the Christadelphian interpretation
that v 19 ("the wicked will die and never see the light.") means the wicked
will not be part of the resurrection of the last day. What this verse means
is simply that the wicked will died and never see the light of truth while
they live or as the next verse says, are without understanding. That the
wicked never see the light before they die is a common Bible teaching: "the
Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in
their understanding". Eph 4:17-18. This is the meaning of the text.
But even if we grant for the sake of argument that "never see the
light" meant after the wicked die they will never be raised to see light
again, Jesus said of the wicked Jews who will be raised, "the sons of the
kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Mt 8:12 So even if
Christadelphians force the expression into eternity, Jesus applied the same
figure of those WHO WOULD BE RAISED but cast into a place where, "they
would never see the light".
Now here is one of the most amazing dilemma's Christadelphians must
face. Not only do we find the text of Ps 49 saying that the wise and stupid
perish alike, but Christadelphians have blissfully overlooked the fact that
the whole Psalm is addressed to INCLUDE JEWS under David's kingdom.
Remember, according to Christadelphian theology, all covenant Jews
(circumcised) both wicked and righteous are subject to resurrection. There
are only two ways Ps 49 is helpful to Christadelphians: 1. If they adopt a
new position that NO WICKED will be raised. 2. Try to prove the scope of Ps
49 is a contrast of wicked rich Gentiles (who won't be raised) and poor
covenant Jews (who will be raised) and that the Psalm must therefore
exclude rich Jews (who will be raised) and poor Gentiles (who won't be
raised). Any attempt to do such will cast one spiraling into a dizzying
mess of confusion.
In conclusion, when Ps 49 is taken at face value to be a contrast
between the wicked rich and the righteous poor the world over, the message
clearly supports our truth and obliterates Christadelphian theology.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #3 Refuted: Isaiah 26:13-14; 19
"LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 13O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 14They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, THEY SHALL NOT RISE: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and Thou hast wiped out all remembrance of them. ... 19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits." Isaiah 26:13-14; 19
Of all the proof texts Christadelphians use to prove that the
ignorant Gentiles, babies and faithless Jews will not be raised, Isa
26:13-14 + 19 is the only serious one that needs to be addressed. It does
have opposite statements, first that the dead will not rise v14 and second
that the dead will rise v19. On the surface at least, given the appropriate
Christadelphian "reading into the verse", their interpretation is possible.
But we are reminded that this is the only direct possible verse they have
to support their theory of selective resurrection. So let us examine what
the text is saying in an honest and objective manner.
Isa 26:13-14 + 19 is a difficult and disputed text that many have
varying opinions interpreting. Men differ in their answers to: 1. Are there
two different categories of men or does the verse speak universally of all
humanity? Who are the different groups of men. Why do some rise and others
not? Is this speaking of the last day resurrection, the spiritual
resurrection ("Awake sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will shine
on you" Eph 5:14) or a symbolic resurrection that took place when Israel
was restored from Babylonian captivity (see Ezek 37).
We believe that the Christadelphians are making the same kind of
error that the Mormons do in their interpretation of another difficult
passage. "Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If
the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?" 1 Cor
15:29 Mormons alone use this text as proof that living Mormons should be
literally baptized on behalf of their dead relatives. Christadelphians
interpretation of Isa 29:14 is in the same category as the Mormon view of 1
Cor 15:29. We may not be sure what these texts are saying, but we can be
sure what they are not saying. Just as the Mormon view of 1 Cor 15:29
violates the well established principle that our eternal fate is sealed
when we die (Heb 9:27) so too the Christadelphian view of Isa 29:14
violates the principle of universal resurrection. (Jn 5:28; Acts 24:15)
We notice that the expression "wiped out all remembrance of them"
v14, is used by Christadelphians to support the notion that those not
raised from the dead will be forgotten forever. Yet Eccl 2:16 says the same
thing in general terms of both the good and bad: "For there is no lasting
remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming
days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!"
Neither text is saying that God forgets the wicked, but that those on the
earth "under the sun" are forgotten by the living generations who succeed
them. This thought is also found in Eccl 9:5-10, yet Christadelphians do
not read selective resurrection into that text!
Ezek 37 is generally recognized as a spiritual resurrection that
took place at the return from Babylonian captivity: "11 "Son of man, these
bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried
up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' 12 "Therefore
prophesy, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will open
your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I
will bring you into the land of Israel." Ezek 37
Our interpretation of the passage: We take the view that both
resurrections, although sounding like a physical resurrection, are
spiritual resurrections like the spiritual resurrection when Israel
returned from Babylonian exile in Ezek 37. There is a curious parallel
between Isa 26:14+19 and Rev 20:5+6. Hence Isa 26 is being continuously
fulfilled in Christ starting from the cross through the second coming. The
enemies of God will not become Christians by being born again, rising to
walk in newness of Christ through faith and baptism. God's people will
respond to the gospel of Christ and although dead in sin, will be raised at
baptism from the dead as it were. This concept is indisputably taught in
the New Testament. So we merely suggest that this is what Isa 26 was
prophetically referring to. Of course death is always defined as a
separation between two things. Physical death is a separation of body and
soul. Spiritual death the separation of God and man. First, graphically in
the Garden of Eden when Adam died spiritually (cast away from God's
presence outside Eden). Then thereafter our sins separate us from God (Isa
59:1-2) Since Isa 59:1-2 is the primary place to define "spiritual death"
it should not surprise us that Isa 26 uses the concept. Spiritual life, is
being united with God. Hence the second death or hell is not non-existence,
but being cast away from God's presence in the figure of a banishment. This
explains how the wicked do not come to spiritual life in Rev 20:5 until the
last day when they stand before God IN HIS PRESENCE (spiritual life = no
separation between God and man) but only for a moment when they are
eternally separated from God's presence. (Second death) To support the view
that Isa 26 is messianic and fulfilled in the cross, the section before and
after (Isa 26:1; 27:1) start with the expression, "in that day", which
always indicates messianic fulfillment starting with the first advent of
Christ and thereafter.
The Wicked
The Righteous
"They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise." Isaiah 26:14
"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise" Isaiah 26:19
"Let the [spiritually] dead bury the [physically] dead" Mt 8:22
"But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives." 1 Tim 5:6
"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. Jn 5:25
Awake "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." Eph 5:14
"made us alive together with Christ" Col 2:13
"were raised together with Christ" Eph. 2:5-6
The rest of the [spiritually] dead did not come to [spiritual] life [united with God momentarily for judgement] until the thousand years were completed [at the last day]. Rev 20:5
"Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first [spiritual] resurrection [at baptism]; over these the second death [hell] has no power, Rev 20:6
7. Other interpretations of Isa 26:13-14 + 19:
One common interpretation of Isa 26:13-14 that is more plausible than the Christadelphian one, is that the "other lords" who ruled Israel were the idol gods, who were not alive in any way at all, but were mere wood, stone and metal as Habakkuk 2:19 verifies: "Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a dumb stone, 'Arise!' And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it." So it is the idol gods that rules Israel who would not rise.
Another common interpretation is that 14 & 19 form a contrast between the enemies of Israel who rule over them (like Pharaoh had) who will die and not rise while Israel's dead will rise and be restored, spiritually (Isa 54:1-3), civilly and nationally (Isa 26:15); whereas Israel's foes will not, ultimately, and in the fullest scope of the prophecy, be restored to life literally (Eze 37:1-14 Da 12:2). (J-F-B commentary)
The Geneva Study Bible (1599 AD) suggested that of v 14: "the reprobate even in this life will have the beginning of everlasting death" and of v 19, "He comforts the faithful in their afflictions, showing them that even in death they will have life and that they would certainly rise to glory, the contrary would come to the wicked." This is certainly an acceptable interpretation of the passage.
Another view is that Isa 26 and Ezek 37 are both speaking of the restoration of Israel from Babylonian captivity. "Eliminate the supplied words, men, and, together with. "Body" is in the plural, "bodies." Isaiah 26:19-21 with chapter 27., constitute Jehovah's answer to the plaint of Israel, Isaiah 26:11-18. Verse 19 should read: "Thy dead shall live: my dead bodies shall rise" (i.e. the dead bodies of Jehovah's people). The restoration and re-establishment of Israel as a nation is also spoken of as a resurrection Ezekiel 37:1-11 and many hold that no more than this is meant in Isaiah 26:19." (Isa 26:19, Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition)
Keil & Delitzsch takes this view: "ISAIAH 26:11-13 "what the prophet states in v. 11 will be a general truth, which has now received its most splendid confirmation through the overthrow of the empire. The complaint of the prophet here is the same as in Isa 53:1. We may also compare Ex 14:8, not Ps 10:5; ... And the deliverance just obtained from the yoke of the imperial power is the work of Jehovah also. The meaning of the complaint, "other lords beside Thee had enslaved us," is just the same as that in Isa 63:18; but there the standpoint is in the midst of the thing complained of, whereas here it is beyond it. Jehovah is Israel's King. He seemed indeed to have lost His rule, since the masters of the world had done as they liked with Israel. But it was very different now, and it was only through Jehovah ('through Thee') that Israel could now once more gratefully celebrate Jehovah¹s name. ISAIAH 26:14 The tyrants who usurped the rule over Israel have now utterly disappeared. V. 14. 'Dead men live not again, shades do not rise again: so hast Thou visited and destroyed them, and caused all their memory to perish.' The meaning is not that Jehovah had put them to death because there was no resurrection at all after death; for, as we shall see further on, the prophet was acquainted with such a resurrection. In meethim (dead men) and rephâ¹im (shades) he had directly in mind the oppressors of Israel, who had been thrust down into the region of the shades (like the king of Babylon in ch. 14), so that there was no possibility of their being raised up or setting themselves up again. ... They had fallen irrevocably into Sheol (Ps 49:15), and consequently God had swept them away, so that not even their name was perpetuated. ... ISAIAH 26:19 But now all this had taken place. Instead of singing what has occurred, the tephillah places itself in the midst of the occurrence itself. V. 19. 'Thy dead will live, my corpses rise again. Awake and rejoice, ye that lie in the dust! For thy dew is dew of the lights, and the earth will bring shades to the day.' The prophet speaks thus out of the heart of the church of the last times. In consequence of the long-continued sufferings and chastisements, it has been melted down to a very small remnant; and many of those whom it could once truly reckon as its own, are now lying as corpses in the dust of the grave. ... Those who understand v. 18 as relating to the earnestly descried overthrow of the lords of the world, interpret this passage accordingly, as meaning either, 'and thou castest down shades to the earth'... or, 'and the earth ... causeth shades to fall,' i.e., to fall into itself. This is Rosenmüller¹s explanation... . But although rephaim, ... when so interpreted, agrees with v. 14, where this name is given to the oppressors of the people of God, it would be out of place here, where it would necessarily mean, 'those who are just becoming shades.' But, what is of greater importance still, if this concluding clause is understood as applying to the overthrow of the oppressors, it does not give any natural sequence to the words, 'dew of the lights is thy dew;' whereas, according to our interpretation, it seals the faith, hope, and prayer of the church for what is to follow. When compared with the New Testament Apocalypse, it is 'the first resurrection' which is here predicted by Isaiah. The confessors of Jehovah are awakened in their graves to form one glorious church with those who are still in the body. In the case of Ezekiel also (Ez. 37:1-14), the resurrection of the dead which he beholds is something more than a figurative representation of the people that were buried in captivity. The church of the period of glory on this side is a church of those who have been miraculously saved and wakened up from the dead. Their persecutors lie at their feet beneath the ground." (Keil & Delitzsch)
Another view that we consider as far out as the Christadelphian interpretation is that the text of Isa 26:14 specifically refers to the offspring of angels and women. Lambert Dolphin writes in support of this view: "The Nephilim, Rephaim and others like them were the offspring of the union of angels with human women. These "demi-gods" would have been humanoid in form, born of human women, but without human fathers. Thus they would not be eligible to be redeemed--they were not, strictly speaking, members of the human race. Thus, it is also possible that when these giants ("fallen ones") died their spirits became "disembodied" and they wandered the earth looking for animals or humans to possess." Problem is that "rephaim" is a common Hebrew word used many places in the Old Testament for nothing more than fully human men who have died. The term is used to clearly indicate conscious life after death, not the product of some Angel-human sexual encounter. Of course the fatal blow to this ridiculous interpretation is the fact that while Isa 26:14 says the "rephaim" will not rise, v 19 says that the "rephaim will rise". Obviously both refer to human spirits.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #4 Refuted: Proverbs 21:16
Prov. 21:16 "A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead."
First, we notice that Christadelphians cannot use this verse to
prove "Ignorant Gentile unbelievers" will never be raised from he dead
because this is Jew who "wanders from the way of understanding". This man,
according to Christadelphian theology, is already subject to resurrection
and judgement. We love watching Christadelphians do the big flip flop when
we point this fact out. Before we point out that it is a "backsliden Jew"
they say "rest in the assembly of the dead" means they will never be
raised. After we point this out they say "rest in the assembly of the dead"
DOESN'T necessarily mean they will never be raised ... and in this verse it
certainly doesn't. Well, we agree!
Second we notice that other verses that apply to Covenant Jews say
exactly the same thing: Notice the Jewish Adulteress had offered her "peace
offerings and paid her vows" according to the Law of Moses. The woman of
Prov 7 is clearly rebellious to God's law and is subject to resurrection.
Proverbs 2 and 7 are much more powerful than 21, in teaching the wicked
ignorant dead will never be raised, but no Christadelphian will touch these
verses as proof texts! Prov 7 not only says her tracks lead to death, but
that "none return again or reach life". Christadelphians only wish to God
this kind of language had been used in Proverbs 21:16.
The Jewish adulteress: ""I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I
have paid my vows." ... "Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do
not stray into her paths. 26 For many are the victims she has cast down,
And numerous are all her slain. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death. Prov 7:14, 25-27 "For her house sinks
down to death, And her tracks lead to the dead; 19 None who go to her
return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life." Prov 2:18-19
The Jewish thief: "Stolen water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret
is pleasant." 18 But he does not know that the dead are there, That her
guests are in the depths of Sheol. Prov 9:17-18
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Christadelphian Proof Text #5 Refuted: Job 10:18-22
'Why then hast Thou brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me! 19 'I should have been as though I had not been, Carried from womb to tomb.' 20 "Would He not let my few days alone? Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer 21 Before I go-and I shall not return- To the land of darkness and deep shadow; 22 The land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness." Job 10:18-22
Christadelphians use Job 10:18-22 as a proof text that babies will
not be raised from the dead. Yet notice what Job says about himself! He
knew God (and was therefore subject resurrection) yet he said, "Before I
go-and I shall not return." It is important to notice that starting in v
20, Job stops speaking about "If I was miscarried" and starts talking about
his ACTUAL situation. Paraphrasing v20-21, Job says, "my days are short
enough as it is, leave me alone, let me have a little happiness, I will die
soon enough and not return!" If babies were not subject to resurrection,
Job didn't know anything about it because he says, "Carried from womb to
tomb" is the same destiny as he who "Before I go-and I shall not return".
Again when we point this out to Christadelphians, they suddenly do the flip
flop. Before we point out the fact that Job, (who is subject to
resurrection) said of himself "I shall not return" is his actual present
state and not like miscarried babies, Christadelphians say the expression
proves babies will never be resurrected. After we point out the fact that
Job ceases using the "miscarried baby" figure in v 20, Christadelphians
flip flop and say the expression doesn't necessarily imply no
resurrection... and certainly not in this verse. We agree!
But even more telling is that King David said the same thing in 2
Samuel 12:22-23 "And he said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted
and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the
child may live.' 23 "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring
him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."" So both
David and Job said they would die and be in the same place babies are. Same
destiny: all subject to resurrection and judgement.
The truth is that miscarried babies are saved because they have done
no evil. That is why Jesus said, "Hinder not the babies, for such as these
are in the kingdom of God." Luke 18:15 Well not according to
Christadelphians! They say babies won't even be raised from the dead!
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Christadelphian Proof Text #6 Refuted: Job 3:11-19
Job 3:11-19 "Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire? 12 "Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck? 13 "For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest, 14 With kings and with counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ruins for themselves; 15 Or with princes who had gold, Who were filling their houses with silver. 16 "Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light. 17 "There the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest. 18 "The prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster. 19 "The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master."
Christadelphians use Job 3:11-19 as a proof text that babies will not be
raised from the dead. However the concluding remarks in v17-19 prove this
idea wrong. Notice babies, the wicked and those they oppress are in the
same place! Christadelphians must say that all these are "ignorant gentile
unbelievers" but this must again be "read into the text" because it isn't
there. If this text proves babies are not subject to resurrection, then so
too those whom the wicked oppress! The text says nothing at all about being
raised from the dead. Christadelphians have again read this into the
passage and again shoot themselves in the foot. All the following classes
of people are in the same place and subject to resurrection:
Babies
Wicked who raged and Righteous oppressed weary
Righteous Prisoners and their evil Taskmasters
Small and great (both righteous and wicked)
Slave and masters
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Christadelphian Proof Text #7 Refuted: John 3:19
"And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. John 3:19
Christadelphians say, "It requires the light of knowledge to make men
responsible; for so it is written: "This is the (ground of) condemnation,
that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light" (John 3:19)."
Regarding John 3:19, we are immediately struck that Christadelphians
view the gospel light as "condemning the ignorant" rather than "saving the
lost".
Of course the light of Jesus was sent ONLY TO THE LOST SHEEP OF
ISREAL, all of whom are subject to resurrection even before Jesus came
along! So John 3:19 certainly cannot be used to show that ignorant Gentiles
will not be raised, when those on whom the judgement of light was shining
were already going to be raised before the light shone on them. Jesus said
this to Nicodemus who was not only a covenant Jew, but a teacher of Israel.
We know Christadelphians would say that after the cross, when the
law of Moses was formally abolished, that all adherents to the Jewish
religion, who had not been baptized into Christ, are no longer subject to
resurrection. Although such a view is outrageous, it is at least consistent
within a framework of Christadelphian logic. But exactly when were covenant
Jews no longer subject to resurrection? The logical place would be the
cross since Jesus lived and died under the Old Testament law of Moses: Gal
4:4. At the birth of Christ? When he actually started preaching the "Light
of the gospel judgement?" Are Christadelphians willing to say that all
covenant Jews were subject to resurrection UNTIL Christ started teaching?
Or was it when we was born? If so then Christadelphians are forced into the
most unenviable position of having to say that Nicodemus, would be first
subject to resurrection, then when Jesus started preaching the Light of the
gospel in 27 AD, Nicodemus would no longer be subject to resurrection. But
then when Jesus finally got around to preaching the "condemning gospel" to
Nicodemus, he was again suddenly subject to resurrection again!
This on-again; off-again; on-again scenario is a real problem for
Christadelphians and is part of the reason the amended and unamended take
different positions on exactly when and if Nicodemus was subject to
resurrection. (The amended say Nicodemus walked away from Jesus subject to
resurrection. The unamended say he walked away not subject to resurrection
unless he was baptized.) In fact John 3:19 creates so many problems for
Christadelphians, we wonder why they would ever bother even trying to use
it as a proof text!
The fact is that Nicodemus was a covenant Jew his whole life and by
all standard Christadelphian definitions would be subject to resurrection.
The constant modifications and exceptions Christadelphians are forced to
make is evidence enough their whole theology is wrong.
When the very concept Christadelphians say is central to the text
does not even apply to the very one Jesus said it to (Nicodemus), we can be
sure their interpretation is wrong. Remember, Christadelphians say the
principle taught in John 3:19 is that men are not accountable to
resurrection and judgement until the "light of the gospel" is preached to
them. Yet Nicodemus was subject to judgement before and after the light of
the gospel was preached to him. So we can be sure that the text cannot
teach what Christadelphians say it does.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #8 Refuted: John 9:41
Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. (John 9:41).
Christadelphians actually say: "When men are blind, or ignorant of the
word, they have no sin to be punished for: but at the same time, they are
not forgiven and justified men, and unless they become so by learning and
repenting, they cannot be saved for eternal life (John 9:41).
Jesus was clearly using a play on words in John 9:41. The Pharisees
claimed the man was born blind because of sin. Jesus said blind people are
not sinners. Yet when you analyze this Jesus is not saying the man born
blind was not a sinner himself, just that his parents or own sin did not
cause the blindness. No one would question that both the man and his
parents were sinners. After all they were Jews living under the Law of
Moses and "subject to resurrection". The only question is did this sin
cause the blindness and the answer is no. So when Jesus turns this on the
Pharisees and says if you were blind you would have no sin, He was not
saying they were sinless, but that they were not guilty of the specific sin
of rejecting his miracles.
What Jesus means by the expression, "if you were blind you would
have no sin", is the same as John 15:22. Had Jesus not come along, the
Pharisees were sinners under the Law of Moses, but were not guilty of the
specific sin of rejecting God's messiah. John 9 is just like John 8, where
Jesus said to the Pharisees, "He who is without sin cast the first stone."
All admit that Jesus is not asking if any present HAD NEVER SINNED, but if
any present were not guilty of the a specific sin by condemning the woman
caught in adultery. So the "you would have no sin" of John 9 is a specific
sin just like the "He who is without sin" of John 8. The Christadelphian
imagination is running wild to suggest the passage teaches that the
ignorant are not sinners before God.
If spiritually blind, according to Christadelphians, means not
accountable or subject to resurrection and judgement, then those "covenant
Jews" who hear the gospel light and reject it are no longer accountable or
subject to resurrection. Jesus said "they which see might made blind".
Notice the expression "they which see might made blind" Jesus applied to
the Pharisees. This is EXACTLY OPPOSITE to what Christadelphians say is the
purpose of the gospel. It is obvious that there is a play on words with
"blindness and seeing" and a crossing over from physical sight to spiritual
sight. But no matter how we take this expression, it hurts the
Christadelphians.
they which physically see might made physically blind
All agree, this is not likely what Jesus had in mind
they which spiritually see might made physically blind
Notice the Pharisees already had spiritual sight and therefore, according to Christadelphian theology are subject to resurrection.
"they which physically see might made spiritually blind"
Notice the Pharisees already had spiritual sight before Jesus spoke to them after which they became spiritually blind. Therefore, according to Christadelphian theology are subject to resurrection before Jesus spoke to them.
"they which spiritually see might made spiritually blind"
Same as above, the Pharisees had spiritual sight before Jesus spoke to them and were subject to resurrection.
"Jesus said unto them 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but
since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.'" (John 9:41). In the
Christadelphian way of thinking, a person is blind who has not heard the
gospel light and can see if they have heard the gospel light. Yet the
Pharisees before Jesus came along had not heard the gospel light of Jesus
and would therefore be "blind". This is inferred by the context based upon
Christadelphian reasoning. So the very Pharisees that stood before Jesus
were at one point in their life, "blind" and therefore not subject to
resurrection. Again this contradicts Christadelphian theology.
The passage is being taken out of context by Christadelphians. Jesus
said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might
see; and they which see might made blind. And some of the Pharisees which
were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Jesus said unto him, if ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye
say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." In verse 41 Jesus teaches the
Pharisees that being born blind is not because of sin such as the case with
the healed blind man. He then tells the Pharisees who think they "see" the
righteousness of God but denying Jesus, caused them to be blind. Therefore
their sin remaineth. This scripture has nothing to do with being ignorant
of the will of God and not facing judgment. There are two types of
blindness mentioned in the bible, the physical blindness and the spiritual
blindness. The man born blind did not sin in the womb to cause his
blindness. The Pharisees on the other hand refused this teaching and
accused Jesus of being a sinner. And because of this refusal, their sin
remained within them. (Jack Wise, Jr.)
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Christadelphian Proof Text #9 Refuted: John 15:22-24
"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 "He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well." John 15:22-24
Christadelphians simply cannot use this verse to prove that those
ignorant of God's law are not subject to resurrection. It has again escaped
their notice that Jesus was talking to covenant Jews who were already going
to be raised BEFORE Jesus spoke to them and preformed His works. So here
are Covenant Jews who "had no sin" yet were going to be raised either way!
The sin Jesus is referring to is the specific sin of rejecting Him and his
message and has nothing to do with overall accountability of sin in
judgement.
It is a strange doctrine indeed that would suggest that Jews, under
the Law of Moses, were not counted sinners until Jesus did his miracles
among them and they rejected Him.
If Jesus was talking to or about Gentiles, then Christadelphians
might have a consistent argument. But not in John 15:22!
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Christadelphian Proof Text #10 Refuted: John 11:24-26
"Martha *said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
In a most curious manner, Christadelphians use John 11:24-26 to
prove that resurrection is something promised only to believers and use
this verse to prove the ignorant "sinless" Gentiles and non-Christians will
never be raised because they "do not believe". This argument would be valid
(though still wrong) if Christadelphians taught that ONLY Christians are
raised from the dead to eternal life. Yet Christadelphians openly teach
that unfaithful Christians will also be raised, but not to eternal life,
rather to eternal punishment. The key is that the verse promises two things
based upon faith: Resurrection and life. They simply cannot be logically
separated. So Christadelphians make mush of this verse:
The ignorant Gentiles will neither be raised or get eternal life.
The unfaithful Christians will get raised but not get eternal life.
Faithful Christians will be raised and get eternal life.
Did you get all that from Jesus words? We sure didn't!
But even more amazing is the fact that Christadelphians must explain
the very dilemma they create for Christians in the discussion of eternal
conscious torment. They argue that Eternal life and immortality is
something promised for believers and if the wicked spend eternity in hell
then they too have eternal life and immortality yet they don't believe. We
will answer that question with a question: "How come both resurrection and
eternal life is promised to all believers but some believers will be raised
but not get eternal life?" When Christadelphians answer that question, they
will have the answer to their own question about whether eternal life is
for those in hell.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #11 Refuted: Rom 4:15 & 5:13
"for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation." Rom 4:15
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned- 13 for before the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. Rom 5:12-14
Christadelphians use these two verses as proof that those who have
never heard God's law or the light of the gospel, are not subject to
resurrection. Yet the whole central theme of the book of Romans is that
every man who has ever lived has sinned, whether Jew or Gentile. Why their
very proof text of Rom 5:12 not once, but twice states that "ignorant
gentiles" are accountable for sin. "because all sinned" v12 and "before the
law sin is in the world". It just doesn't get any plainer than that! So
although we have difficulty ascribing an sure and precise interpretation to
the text, we can be sure the Christadelphian interpretation is wrong.
We believe the best interpretation among several possible ones, to
be the following: What Paul is really saying is that if there was no law at
all, of any kind given by God, then no man could be guilty of sin, because
sin is a transgression of God's law. Yet obviously, since Paul just flat
out stated that all men sinned and that sin reigned from Adam to Moses,
there was a law. But the sin that resulted from breaking this law was not
like Adam who disobeyed the voice of God or the Jews who violated the Law
given through an intermediary like Moses. Rom 2:12 is helpful to confirm
out interpretation, "For all who have sinned without the Law [of Moses, but
still under a universal moral law] will also perish without the Law; and
all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law". In other
words Paul flatly states that the Gentiles who were not under the law of
Moses, still sinned. Obviously they were under some kind of law. Paul
states that the Gentiles "not having the Law, are a law to themselves" Rom
2:14. So Paul's statement in Rom 5:13 actually affirms that all men are
under some kind of law of God and are accountable. Otherwise his statement
in the previous verse that "death spread to all men because all sinned" is
nullified. So Paul's logic is the following:
Statement #1: All men sinned, including those from Adam to Moses 5:12
Statement #2: Men are only free from sin where there is no law 5:13
Conclusion: Those from Adam to Moses, although not under the law of Moses, were clearly under some kind of law where God could charge them with sin. Of course no Christadelphian could ever except this interpretation because it would 100% over throw their doctrine in one verse by proving all men, even those who never directly heard the voice of God like Adam, or the gospel message through intermediaries like Moses or Gospel preachers, are in fact accountable to God for sin through universal law.
To prove the point we use the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. They were
very wicked, knew not God and were destroyed as an example of eternal fire.
(Jude 7) By all Christadelphian standards, S & G would not be subject to
resurrection. After all Christadelphians make a big deal about how Jude 7
proves hell is not eternal. So if S & G are examples of eternal fire, there
is no circumstance we would expect them to be raised from the dead or be
judged further. Yet Jesus said this: "Verily I say unto you, It shall be
more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment,
than for that city." Mt 10:15 Notice the text says "it WILL BE more
tolerable in the day of judgement" not "it WAS more tolerable for Sodom
when they were judged 2000 BC, then it will be for you on the last day,
when Christ will judge the world. Had Jesus said this, Christadelphians
would cluck with glee! Even when you check all the parallels, they all
clearly indicate the Sodom and Gomorrah will be judged at the last day.
Only by reading into the text a meaning not centrally and obviously there,
can Christadelphians change the verse to over come a major contradiction in
their theology.
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Christadelphian Proof Text #12 Refuted: Ps 88
Ps 88:1-18 "O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before Thee. 2 Let my prayer come before Thee; Incline Thine ear to my cry! 3 For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. 4 I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, 5 Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom Thou dost remember no more, And they are cut off from Thy hand. 6 Thou hast put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. 7 Thy wrath has rested upon me, And Thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. [Selah]. 8 Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me; Thou hast made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. 9 My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon Thee every day, O Lord; I have spread out my hands to Thee. 10 Wilt Thou perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise Thee? [Selah]. 11 Will Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Thy faithfulness in Abaddon? 12 Will Thy wonders be made known in the darkness? And Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But I, O Lord, have cried out to Thee for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before Thee. 14 O Lord, why dost Thou reject my soul? Why dost Thou hide Thy face from me? 15 I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Thy terrors; I am overcome. 16 Thy burning anger has passed over me; Thy terrors have destroyed me. 17 They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether. 18 Thou hast removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness."
First we observe that the Psalmist states he has been "put in the
lowest pit" (sheol). This is poetry and not literal. He is pleading with
God that he is alive to praise God.
In v 10 we have the key text Christadelphians use to prove the
ignorant/wicked Gentiles will not be raised from the dead. "Will the
departed spirits rise?" Problem is the Psalmist makes no distinction, like
Christadelphians do, as to who these "departed spirits" (raiphim) are!
The fact this is in the Psalm and the conflict appears to be "within
Israel" proves their interpretation to be error.
Remember, Christadelphians believe that all covenant Jews will be
raised. So again this verse must exclude all covenant Jews and apply only
to Gentiles and babies. Nothing even remotely hints at this in the text of
Ps 88 but once again Christadelphians must "read it into the text".
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Christadelphian Proof Text #13 Refuted: Job 20:5-9
"That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless momentary? 6 "Though his loftiness reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds, 7 He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?' 8 "He flies away like a dream, and they cannot find him; Even like a vision of the night he is chased away. 9 "The eye which saw him sees him no more, And his place no longer beholds him." Job 20:5-9
This verse is used by Christadelphians to prove that the wicked will
never be raised from the dead on the last day.
The verse has nothing to do with any kind of resurrection.
The verse says that the wicked will die prematurely, or earlier than
if they were righteous.
Notice that in verses 7 and 9, it is the living "eye which once saw
him". This is obviously limited to before those who saw the wicked die
themselves. To extend such to the last day or into eternity is just
imagination.
The way Christadelphians read the verse, they almost think the text
says, "After the righteous have themselves died and been raised from the
dead, they will never again see the wicked, who will never be raised."
All the verse really says is that wicked triumph for a short time
before they die and vanish off the earth forever.
At the second coming the earth will be destroyed (uncreated 2 Pe
3:10; Rev 20:11) so even at resurrection, they still never see the earth
again!
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