The Christadelphians are a non-Christian restorationist group who hold the unbiblical view of unitarianism. They’re no different from Muslims in the sense that they believe God is a solitary one or monad. As oppose to the biblical Christian view that God is complex in His unity as one in being yet three distinct Persons who are of the one being of God.

The straw-man argument Christadelphians use as well as Muslims is that Christians believe in three gods. This cannot be more further from the truth, as Christians only believe in one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). The following are actual portions taken from their own website. I’ll provide biblical Christian responses to each segment.

The God of the Bible

“The Christadelphians believe that the God of the Bible is one, the Father alone (1 Corinthians 8:6). God stands alone and unrivaled in the universe, the source of all good and evil (Isaiah 45:5-7). We reject the idea that the devil is one of Gods’ angels that was permitted to rebel in the very heavens (thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven) and now wrestles with God for control of the world. We likewise reject the idea of a God with multiple independent personalities as not being in harmony with the teachings of scripture.”

In the Ketuvim (writings) the Psalmist in prayer to the LORD spoke of God as creating the heavens and earth, that He laid the foundation of the earth. The Psalmist David also says God is immutable which means that He never changes and will remain forever even though the heavens and earth will perish.

Psalm 102:1, 25-27 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. … Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.

The Christadelphians have a problem because they would have to answer for the fact that in Hebrews chapter one, the context is Jesus Christ better than the angels. Hebrews 1 echos Psalm 102 as the Father is speaking of the Son calling Him (Jesus Christ) God and tells us that Jesus Christ created the heavens and earth; and that Christ never changes and will remain forever.

Hebrews 1:8, 10-12 But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom. … And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

If God is a solitary one as they claim how do they explain that the LORD in Psalms 102 is the one who “laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands” and then the writer of Hebrews 1 says Jesus Christ “laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:”?

Jesus is a Man, not God!

“We believe that the Bible is quite clear in its presentation that Christ is a man. The Son of God, but certainly not God Himself. The bulk of mainstream Christianity has staked its life on the assertion that Jesus is God. However, this is to be rejected for the following inescapable reasons, and many more:”

1 “God is one. There can only be one true God. It is undeniable that Jesus referred to himself and the Father as separate. To fly in the face of this the most fundamental of Biblical teachings, in any way, is to venture out onto very thin ice.”

We agree there’s only one true God, the issue is they cannot comprehend how the Father and Christ Jesus can be God. They are both of the same essence, the same way if we take two humans the two are obviously distinct. They are two different persons, but does that mean they are not the same? It depends on how you look at it, because they are the same. Both individuals are human to their nature, therefore, they are the same.

The same is true of Jesus Christ, of course Jesus is going to call the Father the only true God because He is; but the Father along with Jesus Christ is the only true God because He’s of the same substance as the Father.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Here’s John 17:3 in Greek the word θεὸν is referencing the Father, the Greek word καὶ conjoins θεὸν with Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν (Jesus Christ) as the one true God μόνον ἀληθινὸν

αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν

In Greek which is what the New Testament was written in uses the copulative kai which conjoins the two subjects in the verse. Namely the Father and Jesus Christ as being the only true God. This is why in 1 John the Lord Jesus is called the true God.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

2 “Mortality and immortality are mutually exclusive characteristics. God is immortal, and cannot die. Jesus died. If you alter this, all Scripture is inexorably weakened.”

The Christadelphians make a Logical Fallacy claiming because Mortality and immortality are exclusive, hence since Jesus died, therefore, He cannot be God. If this is true then how do they explain how we as humans will die but yet our souls will live on eternally either in heaven or hell?

While they deny those who are not saved will end up in hell, how do they reconcile when Christ said they would go away to everlasting punishment found in Matthew 25.

Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The context of the above passage is Christ speaking of unfaithful servants, those who showed no compassion for his fellowman. As they failed as being faithful stewards, because they didn’t show any compassion for the needy they didn’t have any compassion for the Lord Himself. Hence they were cast into everlasting punishment.

3 “Jesus always very clearly pointed out his subservience to God; in power, teaching and life itself. To assert their equality is untenable.”

The Lord Jesus took the place of a servant (Philippians 2:7) thereby humbling Himself becoming a man (Philippians 2:8). He came not to be ministered unto but to serve (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45) so that He could give Himself as a ransom at the cross of Calvary. God became a Man according to Philippians 2:5-8.

Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

4 “Mortal humans cannot exist in the direct presence of God. As Exodus 33:20 says, no man can see God and live. Therefore, to say Jesus was fully God and fully man violates scripture, since thousands of people saw Jesus.”

It seems that Christadelphians don’t read the Bible, if God was not seen then how do they explain all the people in the Old Testament who saw God?

Abraham sat down and ate food with God in Genesis chapter 18, God appeared to Moses (Exodus 6:2-3), Jacob wrestled God seeing God face to face (Genesis 32:24-30).

Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

The Lord Jesus Christ unveiled His glory on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 16:28—17:13; Luke 9:27–36; 2 Peter 1:16–18 ), Christ called Himself God Almighty (Revelation 1:8), lastly we have the account of one of Christ disciples (Thomas) calling Jesus God, if Jesus is not God this would have been the perfect moment that the Lord Jesus should have said He’s not God.

John 20:27-28 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

As we read the Lord Jesus response to Thomas we’ll see that Jesus never rejected Thomas in calling Him God.

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.

In the Old Testament God said He would not share His glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8; Isaiah 48:11), and then we see in the New Testament the Lord Jesus said He shared glory with God the Father before creation was made (John 17:5).

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Conclusion

The Christadelphians cult is deceived into thinking that Jesus is only a man, just like Muslims claim. Christians have always believed Jesus Christ is a real Man, but He’s also God because He took unto Himself a human nature; this is called the Hypostatic Union. In addition to the 2 erroneous doctrines they hold to there are more, therefore, they cannot be saved as long as they keep these false teachings. We’ll touch upon those other teachings in a later article, Lord willing.