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.

It is foolish to carelessly adopt a cartoon version of God’s plan for your life without trying to verify that the interpretation matches the Bible’s testimony. Relying on someone else to tell you what the Bible says without reading it for yourself is especially risky. We do not think that believers should entrust the understanding of their eternal salvation to people who are paid to tell them what to think (like priests and ministers).

The Bible is our only authority and we believe it should be read prayerfully and with reverence at all times. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 16:25-26; John 17:17) The Bible we read is a translation made by humans, so sometimes it is necessary to question the translation provided in commonly available texts, but the main messages of the Bible remain intact and are readily understood without difficulty.

Certain key teachings stand out. We invite you to thoughtfully consider these teachings with your Bible in hand.

God: There is only one eternal, immortal God. Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit is His Power. (Isa 45:5; Lk 24:49; Eph 4:6; 1Tim 1:17)

Humans: We are mortal and we have all sinned before God. Our whole being is prone to sin. The punishment for sin is death. When we die, our thoughts, plans, and actions cease to exist. The idea that people’s souls continue to think and operate in a disembodied state after death is a lie. (Job 4:17; Psa 146:4; Ecc 9:1-6; Jer 17:9; Mk 7:21-23; Rom 3:23, 6:23)

Jesus: In His love, God sent his only son, Jesus, into the world to save people from their sins. Those who believe in him will not perish, but have eternal life. (Mt 1:21; Jn 3:16)

Hope: The only hope of life after death is the resurrection of the body and everlasting life in God’s Kingdom on Earth. (Eph 1:18, 4:4-6; Jer 29:11-14; Rom 8:23-39)

Sacrifice of Christ: Though he committed no sin, it was necessary for Jesus to die to show the righteousness of God and to redeem those who receive this sacrifice by faith. God raised him from the dead, gave him immortality, granted him all authority on earth and in heaven, and set him as mediator in heaven between God and man. (Acts 2:23-36; Rom 3:21-26; Eph 1:19-23; 1Tim 2:5; Heb 4:14-16)

Return of Christ: Jesus will return to the earth someday. He will then raise many of the dead, judge them with the living, and give his faithful followers everlasting life in God’s Kingdom. (Dan 12:1-2; Mt 25:31-34; Lk 21:20-31: Jn 5:28-29: 2 Tim 4:1; Rev 22:12)

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. (Lk 4:43; Mt 4:23, 6:9-10; Jer 3:17)

The Promises: The Gospel is inseparable from the promises which God made to Abraham and David in the Old Testament times. These promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. (Gen 13:14-17, 22:15-18; Gal 3:6-9, 26-29)

The Way of Salvation: The way to enter the Kingdom of God is by faith. This involves belief in His Word, the Bible, and obedience to its requirements that men and women confess their sins, repent, be baptized and follow Jesus faithfully. (Mt 16:24-27; Mk 16:16; Jn 3:3-5; Acts 2:37; Eph 2:4-5; 1 Thes 2:13; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Heb 11:6)

Grace: It is only by God’s grace through Jesus that we are saved, not by anything we do. His gift of grace is offered to everyone. (Rom 3:24; Rom 4:16; Rom 5:2; Eph 2:8)

Love: God’s love for us is at the root of his whole plan. Love should also be a major part of our reaction to His message. We are commanded to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mt 22:34-40; Jn 3:16, 13:34; 1 Cor 13:4-13: 1 Jn 4:7-21)