"I also say to that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it."
Matthew 16:18 (NAS)

The protestant world, while it deludes itself with the conceit that "the Bible, the Bible alone, is the religion of protestants"-while it spends its thousands for its circulation among the nations in their native tongues-is itself hostile to the belief and practice of what it proclaims. The Bible alone is not its religion; for, if it were, why encumber its professors with the "Common Prayer," "Thirty-nine Articles" and all the other "notions" of a similar kind? To believe and practice the Bible alone would be a sufficient ground of exclusion from all "orthodox" churches.
Elpis Israel, John Thomas, chapter 1

1. The Bible teaches a previous race of beings lived on earth prior to Adam and Eve.
   
   

   Let the reader peruse the history of the creation as a revelation to himself as an inhabitant of the earth. It informs him of the order in which the things narrated would have developed themselves to his view, had he been placed on some projecting rock, the spectator of the events detailed. He must remember this. The Mosaic account is not a revelation to the inhabitants of other orbs remote from the earth of the formation of the boundless universe; but to man, as a constituent of the terrestrial system. This will explain why light is said to have been created four days before the sun, moon, and stars. To an observer on the earth, this was the order of their appearance; and in relation to him a primary creation, though absolutely pre-existent for million of ages before the Adamic Era. This teaching is a theory only, and regardless of the Biblical verses that are used in an attempt to support what is claimed, it remains only a theory, with the Bible providing no valid evidence.
   
   Geologists have endeavored to extend the six days into six thousand years. But this, with the Scriptural data we have adduced is quite unnecessary. Instead of six thousand, they can avail themselves of sixty thousand; for the Scriptures reveal no length of time during which the terrene angels dwelt upon our globe.
   Elpis Israel, John Thomas, Part 1, Chapter 2

   This teaching is not new, having been very popular at the time of John Thomas and is also embraced by many orthodox believers today. It is commonly embodied in what is known as the "Gap Theory" and proposes that there is an undetermined span of time between verses 1 and 2 in Genesis chapter 1 which accounts for the millions of years attributed to the age of the earth by scientists.
   
   This theory came about, not because one would come to that conclusion by reading Genesis chapter 1, but because religious leaders were intimidated by the claim of archaeology that the earth was millions of years old, yet Genesis seemed to teach that the earth was very young; namely in the thousands of years. In order to reconcile the Bible to what was considered to be irrefutable scientific evidence, the Gap Theory was developed. Those leaders were willing to subject the Bible to the belief system of a corrupt world rather than subjecting the corrupt world to the truth of the Bible. While claiming that the religious world was apostate and taught false doctrine, John Thomas was willing to accept the doctrines and beliefs of a Godless world and place them ahead of the teachings of the Bible, which he claimed was inerrant. The hypocrisy of his actions is apparent. The Genesis narrative states that both the heavens and the earth were created at the same time. To presume that the heavens and the earth were created at some time in the far distant past and then corrupted by a previous race of beings on the earth, so that the heavens and the earth had to be recreated, is to deny the flow of the narrative. It also presumes that the heavens were also corrupted in addition to the earth, which would mean the heaven of God would also have been affected, a position which cannot find support in the Bible.

   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
   Genesis 1:1 (NAS)

   Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
   Genesis 2:1 (NAS)

   "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day..."
   Exodus 20:11 (NAS)
   
   

   God Himself affirms the six day creation and nowhere in the Scripture is it indicated that the creation account in Genesis is a "recreation" of a previously existing earth and heavens. The "Gap Theory" is one of the "doctrines of men" that John Thomas claims to denounce, but adopts for his own convenience.
   
   
2. Man is the same as cattle, birds and other creatures.

   "This celestial orb, which is a world or system of itself, is styled 'the earth.' It is the habitation of races of animals which graze its fields, lurk in its forests, soar through its atmosphere and pass through the paths of its seas. At the head of all these is a creature like themselves, animal, sensual and mortal. He is called 'man.'
   Elipis Israel, John Thomas, Part 1, Chapter 1

   So begins the process by which John Thomas denies the existence of an immortal soul in man. If man has no immortal soul, then his life is no different from the animals and plants; a claim that John Thomas then begins to assert and attempt to prove in chapter 2 of his book.

   The dogma of an immortal soul in mortal sinful flesh has eaten out the marrow and fatness, the flesh and sinew of the doctrine of Christ; and has left behind only an ill-conditioned and ulcerated skeleton of Christianity, whose dry bones rattle in the "winds of doctrine" that are blowing around us, chopping and changing to every point of the compass.
   Elpis Israel, John Thomas, Part 1, Chapter 2

   Their systems send "souls" to their account as soon as death strikes the bodies down. Some torment them in purgatory, or in an intermediate state; others send them direct into unmitigated punishment; while both, after they have suffered for thousands of years before trial and conviction, re-unite them to their bodies and if it be asked for what purpose? System replies, "to be judged!" Punish souls first and judge them after! This is truly human, but it is certainly not divine justice. The truth is, that this article of the creed is brought in to defend "orthodoxy" against the imputation of denying the resurrection of the body, which would be a very inconvenient charge in the face of the testimony of God.
   Elpis Israel, John Thomas, Part 1, Chapter 2

   John Thomas, in his zeal to exalt his own opinion of what constituted the justice and testimony of God, stated that which is false and denied what is plainly written in the Scripture. But, it was not the goal of John Thomas to preserve the justice and testimony of God, but to present a justification for his own doctrine regarding the lack of a soul in man. Since he taught that man has no eternal soul, and there is nothing at all eternal within man, then at death, man ceases to be in all respects. The reality of his definition is that man is annihilated at death. John Thomas then taught that man will be resurrected (this can only be a recreation, since there is nothing eternal in man), the righteous living on the earth forever and the unrighteous to be judged by God and then sent, once again, to oblivion and annihilation as their eternal "punishment." John Thomas ridiculed what he claimed is orthodox belief, that the wicked go immediately to a place of punishment at their death before being judged, and are then resurrected with spiritual bodies in order to then be judged and sent to a real and eternal hell. However, he ignored the foolishness of his own system in which a person is resurrected from annihilation only to be judged and sent to annihilation again. In addition, in Christadelphian belief, there is taught a more pernicious doctrine than that which it is claimed is found in orthodox teaching, in that Christadelphians teach that there are individuals who die and are never resurrected to face a judgment by God. Among these individuals are babies who die, pygmies in Africa and those who have never heard the truth. In orthodox belief, all people are resurrected from the dead and all face a perfect judgment by Jesus Christ.
   
   This system of belief, developed by John Thomas, fails, in that the apostle Paul refutes the notion of annihilation at death:

   Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord -- for we walk by faith, not by sight -- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."
   2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NAS)

   If one is "absent from the body" then it is not the body that is the person, but that which is "absent." If that which is absent is at "home" with the Lord, then it must be that which was originally given by God. It was clearly taught by the apostle Paul, that it was not the body in which he was going to appear in the presence of the Lord, but that which constituted and defined his true being, which was not part of or attached to the physical composition of his body.
   
   In regards to John Thomas' alleged claim of the punishment being exercised by God prior to judgment being pronounced by Him, which he stated is asserted in orthodox belief, he set up the statement as a "straw man" instead of indicating the true doctrine of orthodox belief. Orthodox doctrine does not teach that man is punished before being judged, but has been judged by God prior to the creation of the world. John Thomas should have read his Bible a little more closely, given God greater credit regarding His justice and paid greater attention to the words of Jesus Christ:
   
   

   "For God did not sent the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. he who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil."
   Jesus Christ, John 3:17-19 (NAS)

   Judgment has been made by God, prior to the birth of every person, and prior to the creation of the heavens and the earth. God is not limited to time and space in relation to any action that He might take, including the time of His judging of human beings. The judgment of God is not limited to a sequence of events in which judgment proceeds from an action on the part of another. God's judgments are expressed through His omniscience, His righteous judgments being expressed at any point that He might choose.

   All who dwell on the earth will worship Him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
   Revelation 13:8 (NAS)

   "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.'"
   Matthew 25:34 (NAS)

3. Oxygen, nitrogen and electricity compose the elements of the life or the "breath" and the "spirit" given to man by God.

   The atmosphere, which extends some forty-five miles in altitude, and encircles the globe, is styled the expanse, by Moses; and the breath of God, in Job. It is a compound body, consisting when pure of nitrogen and oxygen, in the proportion of 79 of the former to 21 of the latter, in 100 parts. These are considered as simple bodies, because they have not yet been decomposed; though it is probable they have a base, which may be ruach. This may exist free or combined with the elementary constituents of the neshemeh. Uncombined, it is that wonderful fluid, whose explosions are heard in the thunder, whose fiery bolts overthrow the loftiest towers, and rive the sturdy monarch of the woods; and in less intensity gives polarity to light, the needle, and the brain. These three together, the oxygen, nitrogen, and electricity, constitute "the breath" and "spirit" of the lives of all God's living souls.
   Elpis Israel, John Thomas, Part 1, Chapter 2

   John Thomas reveals his total misunderstanding of the elements of life and the means by which God granted life to humanity. His presumption that the elements of oxygen and nitrogen are simply uncombined components of their base, ruach (spirit of life), and are combined with the components of the bodies of living beings, neshemeh (creatures), to form living creatures, is indicative of his personal beliefs in applying very old and erroneous ideas regarding the composition of matter and the universe. Indicating that this ruach is a combined fluid of nitrogen and oxygen; these components also existing in an uncombined state where they are said to cause the explosions heard in thunder and also cause the polarity found in magnetism. His claims are a scientific absurdity, since thunder and magnetism have no relationship to the presence of nitrogen and oxygen or any combination of the two, either with themselves or with some other mysterious substance.
   
   Apparently believing that the elements, when formed into a body, are capable of producing life with the application of electricity, John Thomas appears to adopt a belief that is strangely similar to that expressed by Mary Shelly in her book, Frankenstein, in which the monster is infused with life by being subjected to lighting strikes during a storm, and with which John Thomas would have been very familiar. John Thomas applies false personal beliefs and false scientific beliefs to an explanation of a Biblical doctrine, and in the process creates false doctrine that he equates with and states as truth.
   
   John Thomas believed his knowledge, although inferior and deeply flawed, was of such superior quality that he could explain the nature of life outside the reality of what the Bible actually taught. By attempting to redefine the terms and constituents of life, and deny the existence of an eternal soul, John Thomas created an erroneous explanation for the origin and nature of human life and revealed himself to be a false teacher.

"On pages 357, 358, paragraphs indicated which were either lacking in clearness, or rendered erroneous by lapse of time, have been re-written on the basis of later expositions by the author."

"On page 50, the reference to the nature of the resurrection-body on its emergence from the grave is corrected, in harmony with the author's preface to the fourth edition, and Anastasis, a later work on Resurrection and Judgment."

"Is this, indeed, the true ending of Daniel's 1,290? And, if so, is A.D. 1865-6 the ending of the 1,335, as well as of John's forty and two months? If it be, then there is an epoch upon us of four years in any day of which Christ may come as a thief. . . . This appears to me, at this writing, to be the correct interpretation of the times. It is, of course, impossible to say that the interpretation is without error. The ensuing years will determine this point beyond dispute. while I write, it is the most satisfactory to my own mind. I have thought that Daniel's 1,290 terminated in 1864, and his 1,335 in 1909. But in writing the exposition of this chapter, the fact of the great earthquake-resurrection of the witnesses being exactly 1,260 years after the promulgation of the civil law of the city, and the hour of 30 years added, bringing us to the beginning of the pouring out upon the desolator of the Holy Land, that which is determined (Dan. 9: 27), or 1,290 years afterwards -- I do not feel at liberty to persist in rejecting my original conviction that the 1,290 ends in 1820; and the 1,335 forty-five years after, or in the epoch current with 1865-6 or thereabouts."

"The judgment upon Ireland has been sitting since 1786. That crisis was the beginning of a retribution of seventy-five years. This period is called THE END the end of the last period, of the continuance of modern Europe, as organised into ten kingdoms, and the Holy Roman Empire in the days of Charlemagne. A.D. 1786 was the beginning of the end, 1848 the concluding of the end, and 1864 the termination of the period. The events of these seventy-five years are the fulfillment of the following words concerning modern Europe: The Judgment shall sit and they shall take away of his (the Little Horn's or Holy Roman) dominion, to consume and destroy it to the end. After 1864 Ireland and the rest of the world will enter upon a new era, in which peace, righteousness, and blessedness will reign in the midst of the nations."
Gospel Banner, November 1864)

"But in a few years, that is, about 1866, when the 1335 years terminate, he will arise to his inheritance in the Kingdom of God."
Anatolia, 1854, p. 97

"'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him so speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' ''You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.''"
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (NAS)

• JESUS CHRIST DID NOT PREEXIST BEFORE HIS INCARNATION THROUGH HIS BIRTH BY MARY.
  
  In order to maintain this belief, Christadelphians must claim that the words of Jesus Christ, recorded by the Apostles, are a lie. Christadelphians must claim that either Jesus Christ or the Apostles lied when they stated that Jesus Christ preexisted His birth and incarnation. If Jesus Christ lied about His preexistence, then nothing that He said can be considered truth. If the Apostles lied about His preexistence, then nothing they wrote can be considered truth. Either position invalidates the infallibility and truthfulness of the Scriptural record. In point of fact, John the Baptist testifies to the preexistence of Jesus Christ, so Christadelphians must also claim that he was mistaken or a liar.
  
  The words of Jesus Christ are as follows:
  
  

  Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."
  John 8:58 (NAS)

  "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
  John 17:5

  "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
  John 17:24 (NAS)

  The words of the Apostles are as follows:
  
  

  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
  John 1:1-2 (NAS)

  For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed though the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ....Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.
  1 Corinthians 10:1-4, 9 (NAS)

  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
  Colossians 1:15-17 (NAS)

  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
  Philippians 2:5-8 (NAS)

  The words of John the Baptist are as follows:

  John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"
  John 1:15 (NAS)
  
  John the Baptist was conceived six months earlier than Jesus Christ (Luke 1:36) and was born six months earlier than Jesus Christ. His statement can only be true if Jesus Christ existed prior to the conception and birth of John the Baptist, which would mean that Jesus Christ existed with the Father in heaven prior to his birth through the virgin Mary.

  RESOURCES ON THE PREEXISTENCE OF JESUS CHRIST
  Reexamining The Eternal Sonship Of Jesus Christ by John F. MacArthur
  A Dissertation On The Eternal Sonship Of Jesus Christ by John Gill
  The Pre-existence Of Christ by Dr. James White
  
  
• JESUS CHRIST IS NOT GOD INCARNATE IN THE FLESH, IS NOT DEITY AND IS NOT PART OF A TRINITY.
  
  It is interesting to note that in this point, Christadelphians deny three Orthodox claims regarding the nature of Jesus Christ. They deny His Deity, deny His incarnation of Deity into humanity and deny His eternal relationship in the Godhead. Having already denied the eternal existence of Jesus Christ and his eternal relationship of a Son to the Father, it is realized that they deny five main doctrines of Orthodox Christianity in relation to Jesus Christ.
  
  It is not within the limitations of this article that a discussion of the Trinity is possible, but it should be noted that the foundation of Christadelphian denial of the Trinity begins with the point that the word Trinity is not found in the Scripture. This is the point also presented by other anti-Trinitarian proponents such as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. However, the lack of a certain word has nothing to do with the reality and truthfulness of the doctrine which it is used to describe. Arguing against the missing word of Trinity is setting up a straw man in order to establish a position that obscures the subject. The doctrine of a single, triune God is clearly taught in Scripture as well as the place of Jesus Christ in that Godhead as well as His Deity and incarnation.
  
  Christadelphian doctrines regarding Jesus Christ become so very distorted because they are intended to strike at the core of Orthodox belief which is the person and work of Jesus Christ. If the Jesus Christ revealed in the Bible can be changed to that of the Jesus Christ of Christadelphian doctrine, or any other doctrine, then the means of salvation, revealed through the gospel of Jesus Christ, can also be changed in order to conform to whatever model of Jesus Christ that is presented. This is the true goal of Christadelphian doctrine. It is a technique used by other religious groups as well, including Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists and many, many others.
  
  As an example, Mormon doctrine states that God was once just a man, and so they also claim that Jesus Christ was once just a man. Their god, who was once just a man, became a god through the adherence to the doctrines of the Mormon belief system, while an inhabitant of another planet, and became a God through his own efforts, just as they claim Jesus Christ did. As a result, all Mormons are taught that they have the potential to become gods themselves. By altering doctrines regarding God and Jesus Christ, found in the Bible, it then becomes possible for Mormons to teach that human beings can attain to godhood through their own efforts. God and Jesus Christ are redefined and reduced to the level of humanity, and humanity is elevated to the level of godhood. This twisting of the reality of the nature of God, presents God in the form of man, which strips God of his omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, holiness and righteousness.
  
  Christadelphian doctrine strips Jesus Christ of His deity, presenting Him as just a man, and as a consequence presents a different Jesus Christ than that found in the Bible and a different salvation from that which He has provided. Christadelphians present a different Jesus Christ and a different gospel which are the roots of the heresy.
  
  The Bible is clear regarding the nature of Jesus Christ in that it is claimed that He is Deity. In one respect it is difficult to deny the fact, because to be a Son of God would presume that the individual would be of the same substance and nature as the Father, which is deity. But the Bible also presents Jesus Christ as a Son of God prior to His incarnation, so His Sonship is not dependent upon His physical birth into humanity.

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

  But of the Son He says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.'
  'You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands...'
  Hebrews 1:8, 10

  It is interesting to note, in the above verse, that there are two testimonies regarding Jesus Christ, both of which Christadelphian doctrine denies.
  1. God calls Jesus Christ God, settling the question of the deity of Jesus Christ forever.
  2. God says that Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth, stating that He is the Creator and by definition Deity, once again settling the question of the deity of Jesus Christ forever.
  3. God states that Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth, thus proving that Jesus Christ existed prior to His birth, invalidating the claim by Christadelphians that He did not exist prior to His birth.
  
  Christadelphians go to great lengths in order to justify their doctrines, even to the point of denying the direct words of God. As a result, they go far beyond simple disagreements over minor doctrinal interpretations of incidental issues. They place themselves and their doctrines in a position superior to the words of God, presuming that what they say can change the reality of what God says. God does not approve, is not pleased and Christadelphians will not escape the judgment of God on such assertions.

  Thomas answered and said to Him. 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him. 'Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.'
  John 20:28-29 (NAS)

  Once again the deity of Jesus Christ is settled through two elements in the above verse:
  1. The apostle Thomas declares Jesus Christ to be God.
  2. Jesus Christ in his reply to Thomas, does not deny the claim, and by His words, in fact, confirms what Thomas stated.
  
  Christadelphians must claim that Thomas was deluded or mistaken, and at the same time must conclude that Jesus Christ did not understand the magnitude of Thomas' reply and, therefore, did not correct him, or else Jesus Christ was deceptive in allowing the apostles to believe a falsehood. None of those positions are acceptable, and the statement of Thomas stands and the acceptance of that statement by Jesus Christ confirms His position as Deity.
  
  RESOURCES ON THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
  The Incarnation Of The Triune God by John F. MacArthur
  Christologia: The Nature Of The Person Of Christ, And The Hypostatical Union Of His Natures Declared by John Owen
  The Nature Of God - The Tri-unity Of God by Dr. James White
  
  
• JESUS CHRIST HAD A SIN NATURE.
  
  The assault on the character and nature of Jesus Christ through the assertions of Christadelphian doctrine leads to the ultimate goal in which not only is deity stripped from His person, but He is assigned to the same category as human beings.
  
  Having been previously stripped of His Deity by Christadelphian doctrine, Jesus Christ is viewed as powerless to command. Now, being stripped of His sinless nature, He is presented as being powerless to grant salvation, and, in fact, as the next point will show, it becomes necessary for Jesus Christ to be "saved" Himself. So the ultimate oxymoron is presented in that the Savior also needs to have a Savior because as a Savior He cannot save.
  
  RESOURCES ON THE SINLESSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST
  Unbelievers Contemn The Glory And Excellency Of Christ by Jonathan Edwards
  
  
• JESUS CHRIST HAD TO SAVE HIMSELF.

  Probation before exaltation, then, is upon the principle of a faith in the promises of God, made precious by trial well sustained. There is no exemption from this ordeal. Even Christ himself was subjected to it. "By the grace of God he tasted death for every man. For it was fitting for God, that in bringing many sons to glory, He should make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. . . . For in that he himself hath suffered being put to the proof, he is able to succour them who are tried." (Heb. 2:9-18) And "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered: and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him." (Heb. 5:8- 9) He was first morally perfected through suffering, and then corporeally, by being "made into a spirit" by the spirit of holiness in his resurrection from the dead. I say, "morally perfected"; for, although he was without transgression, his perfection of character is predicated upon his "obedience unto death."
  Elpsis Israel, John Thomas, Part 1, Chapter 3

  "That these promises had reference to Jesus Christ, who was to be raised up in the condemned line of Abraham and David, and who, through wearing their condemned nature, was to obtain a title to resurrection by perfect obedience, and, dying, abrogate the law of condemnation for himself, and all who should believe and obey him."
  The Christadelphian Statement of Faith, Unamended Version and Birmingham Version, Article 8

  "He saved himself in order to save us."
  (Christadelphian Answers, Compiled by Frank G. Jannaway. A reproduction of an original edition by, The Herald Press, 4011 Bolivia, Houston, Texas, 77092, 1920. page 24)

  "And it was for that very reason -- being a member of a sinful race -- that the Lord Jesus himself needed salvation."
  (Answers, p. 24)

  "Therefore, we conclude that it is not only that Jesus was called a sinner at his trial by his enemies or that he was "numbered with the transgressors" when he was crucified between two thieves, but more particularly that he shared the very nature which had made a sinner out of every other man who had borne it"
  Christadelphians: What They Believe and Preach, page 74

  Having stripped Jesus Christ of His deity, making Him simply a human being, Christadelphians subject Christ to a sinful nature and by that make Him subject to sin, requiring that He qualify Himself before God in order to receive salvation. The claim is made, that Jesus Christ had a sinful nature yet, He did not sin and by that accomplishment of His own will, He could obtain the possibility of salvation.
  
  The above teaching is a great distortion of the Biblical record. Jesus Christ did not become the Redeemer after His appearance on earth, as a result of His obedience. Jesus Christ came to earth having already been declared the Redeemer. Jesus Christ was already the Redeemer, by the choice of God, and stated to be so prior to His coming, because He was the only one qualified because of His character and nature. He was chosen as the Redeemer, because He was qualified, prior to His incarnation, not because He became qualified, but because He was the qualifying standard. He was always qualified, the result of His nature as Deity, and that is the very reason why He could accomplish the work of redemption.
  
  The eternal existence of Jesus Christ, which Christadelphians deny, is the proof of His qualifications and is expressed in the following references:
  Isaiah 9:6-7
  Isaiah 53:1-12
  John 1:1
  John 8:58
  John 17:5
  
  Salvation, in Christadelphian belief, is accomplished by specific actions on the part of the person which give that person standing before God. Among those things are baptism, absolutely necessary for salvation, and a moral life. Salvation is not through faith or grace alone, but is granted by the grace of God, after a person has performed certain duties and obligations as defined in Christadelphian doctrine. Salvation then is accomplished by a system of works, in which certain duties and obligations must be met and certain beliefs must be held. Christadelphian doctrine teaches that salvation is obtained by a system of works which are actions by human beings that are of such a high and noble character that God grants salvation on that basis.
  
  This is very similar to other works-oriented religions such as Mormonism. Mormon doctrine claims that salvation is by grace, but they then deny the reality of grace by asserting that salvation is granted "...after all we can do." A system of obligations, duties and beliefs precedes the granting of salvation. It is claimed that salvation is by grace, but the reality is that it is through works in which salvation is earned through the performance of the individual and the adherence to the duties inherent in Mormon doctrine. Like Christadelphian doctrine, Mormon doctrine teaches that salvation is based on the works of human beings that are of such a high and noble character that God grants salvation on that basis.
  
  Salvation through the performance of duties or works is salvation based on law, not on grace. The Christadelphian claims that the adherent must keep the 10 Commandments. In that assertion, they make the same error of the Mormon who claims salvation is "...after all we can do." The standard of "...all we can do..." and the keeping of the 10 Commandments is the same: absolute perfection of performance in every area of life. If the Christadelphian wishes to keep the 10 Commandments, they must be kept perfectly. If the Mormon wishes to do "all" then there must be absolute perfection in the performance of every single duty and obligation. Both systems of belief ignore the reality of what constitutes perfection of performance. Even in their own systems of belief, they cannot manifest perfection of performance, therefore, they cannot obtain salvation, even through their own beliefs.
  
  Both systems ignore the fact that all people have committed sins, even before becoming a Christadelphian or Mormon. Since that is the case, those sins committed have already prevented the person from obtaining perfection of performance in their life. Even if their performance could be perfect from the point of conversion into their religious system of belief, they cannot be more perfect than perfect in order to eliminate those previous sins.
  
  The idea that a person can qualify to stand before God because of some performance of a duty, ignores the teaching of God regarding a relationship to Him that is seen in both the Old and New Testaments. The sins of all men are so profound and so deep that they separate man from God with such a gulf that God does not even hear the prayers that man makes.

  Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and you sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue mutters wickedness. No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. They hatch adders' eggs and weave spiders's web; he who eats of their eggs dies, and from that which is crushed a snake breads forth. Their webs will not become clothing, nor will they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of iniquity, and an act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thought are thought of iniquity, devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks; they have made their paths crooked, whoever treads on them does not know peace.
  Isaiah 59:1-8 (NAS)

  RESOURCES ON SALVATION AND JESUS CHRIST
  The Atonement by J. Gresham Machen
  Looking At The Cross From The Perspective Of God by John F. MacArthur

• THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD WHO IS ONE PERSON AND NOT A TRINITY.
  
  The reality of the teaching regarding the Trinity cannot be dealt with in the confines of this article. The following links on the On Doctrine website deal with the subject in a much more thorough manner than could ever be presented by On Doctrine. It might be noted, that by changing even one major doctrine in Orthodox belief, Christadelphian doctrine is forced into the position of changing virtually every other major doctrine as well. The changing of the definition of the Godhead, presupposes a change in the nature of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as well, thereby bringing about a change in the nature and method of salvation. The aim of Christadelphian doctrine, by changing the definition of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is to change the definition of salvation so that a salvation based on humanistic values can be substituted in its place. Human values, when applied against a definition of God, always diminish the authority, nature and character of God, and conclude that human beings can attain, by the performance of certain duties, a self-worth that presumes to be good enough to compare favorably with the character and nature of the God that is defined within those values.
  
  RESOURCES ON THE TRINITY
  On The Trinity by Jonathan Edwards
  The Trinity, The Definition Of Chalcedon, And Oneness Theology by Dr. James White
  The Nature Of God - The Tri-unity Of God by Dr. James White

• THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT A PERSON BUT ONLY THE POWER AND EMANATION FROM GOD.
  
  By defining the Holy Spirit as an emanation of power from God, Christadelphians find themselves in a difficult position. Claiming that the Holy Spirit is not active in the world today, they are forced to deny the action of the God in which they claim to believe.

  "But it must be obvious that the case stands very differently now. There is no manifestation of the Spirit in these days. The power of continuing the manifestation doubtless died with the apostles; not that God could not have transferred it to others, but that He selected them as the channels of its bestowment in their age, and never, so far as we have nay evidence, appointed 'successors'."
  Christendom Astray, Lecture 6, Robert Roberts

  If God is ruling the universe today and is doing so through His power, then by Christadelphian belief, He must be expressing that rule through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, or the power or manifestation of God, must be active today:

  He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
  Psalm 66:7 (KJV)

  The Bible claims that the Holy Spirit gives strength to the saints, so He must be active today:

  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
  Ephesians 3:14-19 (NAS)

  The Bible says that the Holy Spirit helps the Christian and intercedes for the Christian before God, so He must be active today in order to accomplish that task:

  "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
  Romans 8:26-27 (NAS)

  Christadelphians deny the personal existence of the Holy Spirit, explaining that "it" is simply the emanation of the power of God. They use various selective verses in an attempt to provide a foundation for that belief, but the reality is that they must deny every single reference to the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testament that assign personal terms and a real and personal nature to the Holy Spirit. This denial is done with impunity and those references to the Holy Spirit that are personal, and indicate the existence of an actual being or person, are stated to be allusions, anthropomorphisms, or personifications, which is the assigning of human characteristics and actions to that which is not human. This type of blanket pronouncement, when the Scripture does not provide that explanation, is not acceptable and is indicative of the false claims found in Christadelphian doctrine. Claims are made, simply because they can be made, not because they are necessarily true.
  
  Now, there is no question that personification is used in the Scripture, however the Christadelphians claim that EVERY reference to the Holy Spirit, containing a mention of a personal being, is an example of personification, a claim which they do not make in relation to other personalities. What criteria does the Christadelphian use in order to support their assertion? They start with an a priori doctrine (that the Holy Spirit is not a person), and then search for "explanations" of how they can support their predefined belief. Instead of properly reading the Scripture and applying what it says, (exegesis), they improperly read into the Scripture what they wish it to say, (eisegesis). By using a predetermined belief, they then apply that belief to the Scripture and in the process attempt to make the Scripture conform to their belief instead of their belief conforming to the Scripture.
  
  The characteristics that are assigned to the Holy Spirit are simply to numerous and varied to be dismissed by a blanket statement rejecting their nature.
  
  Attributes and characteristics of the Holy Spirit revealed in the Bible:

  A. Anoints - 1 John 2:27
  B. Comforts - John 16:7, Acts 9:31
  C. Contends - Genesis 6:3
  D. Controls - Romans 8:9
  E. Convicts - John 16:8
  F. Counsels - John 14:26
  G. Discloses - John 16:15
  H. Glorifies - John 16:14
  I. Grieves - Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30
  J. Guest - John 14:16
  K. Guides - John 16:13, Romans 8:14
  L. Hears - John 16:13
  M. Inspires - Acts 1:8
  N. Knowable - John 14:17
  O. Lives - Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16
  P. Object of lies against - Acts 5:3
  Q. Object of sin against - Isaiah 63:10, Matthew 12:31, Mark 3:29
  R. Prays to God - Romans 8:26
  S. Regenerates - Titus 3:5
  T. Reprover - John 16:7
  U. Restrains - Acts 16:6
  V Sanctifies - 1 Peter 1:2
  W. Speaks - Acts 10:19-20, Acts 13:2, Galatians 4:6
  X. Teacher - Nehemiah 9:20, Luke 12:12, John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 John 2:27
  Y. Testifies - Romans 8:16, 1 John 5:6
  Z. Thinks - 1 Corinthians 2:10

  What Christadelphians wish to ignore and cover over is the fact that the Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit as a person, because He is a person.
  
  

  It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit spoke and then proceeds to quote the very words that He said (Acts:19-20).
  
  

  It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit prays to God on behalf of the believer (Romans 8:26). In what manner does a force interact with its source in a manner which could be personified as a prayer?
  
  

  It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit searches the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). In what manner does a force search and understand its source, the God of the universe, in a manner that could be described as searching?
  
  

  It is nonsense to claim that the Bible uses personification when it claims that the Holy Spirit can be known. Can an emanation be known? Only a person can be known.

  
  
• THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT DEITY AND IS NOT PART OF A TRINITY.
  Since Christadelphians do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, then of course they do not believe that He is part of the Godhead, and so they deny this aspect of Trinitarian teaching also.
  
  RESOURCES ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
  HOLY SPIRIT various articles
  
  

• DENY THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST.
  
  It is the atonement which is the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ stated by all orthodox Christians from the time of the apostles. The atonement of Jesus Christ is the gospel and to deny its efficacy or to change its precepts is to invalidate the true message and change the message to that which is false. Christadelphians adopt and preach a false message regarding the atonement and as a result they teach and preach a false message regarding salvation. Rejection of salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ results in the adoption of salvation through human works, which is the core of Christadelphian doctrine.
  
  RESOURCES ON THE ATONEMENT
  The Atonement by J. Gresham Machen
  Looking At The Cross From The Perspective Of God by John F. MacArthur
  The Necessity Of The Atonement by Francis Turretin

• DENY SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH ALONE.
  
  To deny salvation by faith is to deny the direct words of the Scripture through the apostle Paul:

  ...for all have sinned an fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Romans 3:23-28

• DENY THE SECURITY OR ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.
  
  Christadelphians teach that in order to obtain salvation, a person must be baptized. At the same time, they teach that baptism does not assure that salvation will be obtained. All of the duties and requirements of Christadelphian doctrine, even if they are all met, do not guarantee that a person will obtain salvation. Salvation, in Christadelphian doctrine, is a gamble that one takes with their life and hope that in the end, resurrection will occur. It cannot be known that it will happen and at no time can a person state with any sense of assurance that they are at peace with the knowledge that salvation will be the result of the works and duties that they have performed throughout their life.
  
  From a position in which they presume that works and duties performed are sufficient to obtain salvation, the Christadelphian must then be satisfied with the reality that they do not know and cannot be assured that their efforts are sufficient to secure what they claim those works and duties are great enough to obtain.
  
  Security is a hallmark of orthodox Christian doctrine, but it is also a hallmark of the salvation offered by God in all times, and is expressed in the Old Testament, even by believers before the covenants of Abraham and Moses. Job makes the most distinct and forceful statement of the assurance of salvation found in the Old Testament, and at the same time affirms the living existence of the Redeemer to come, Jesus Christ, prior to His birth.

  As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!
  Job 19:25-27 (NAS)

  Christadelphian doctrine once again denies what is written in the Scripture, by denying that the assurance of salvation can be known, and in the process, it denies the testimony of Job and the testimony of God regarding the righteous and acceptable character of Job. Christadelphian doctrine asserts that it is of greater authority and truthfulness than the words of Job and the words of God.
  
  The New Testament and the apostles also speak of the reality of the assurance of salvation, but again, Christadelphian doctrine denies what is written.

  For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
  2 Timothy 1:12 (NAS)

  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 given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
  And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one and we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
  1 John 5:10-13, 19-20 (NAS)

  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God...
  Romans 8:16 (NAS)

  Assurance of salvation is given to true believers by God. To those who do not have assurance of salvation, God does not grant assurance to that which they do not possess. The Christadelphian has no assurance because they have no true salvation.
  
  RESOURCES THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION:
  The Security Of Salvation 3 sermon series by John F. MacArthur
  Gospel Grounds And Evidences Of The Faith Of God's Elect by John Owen

• DENY THE EXISTENCE OF AN ETERNAL SOUL.
• DENY THAT MAN EXISTS AFTER DEATH.
  
  These two Christadelphian doctrines, the denial of an eternal soul in man and the denial that man exists after death, must be considered together. According to Christadelphian belief, there is nothing eternal in man, death leading to nothingness. For all practical purposes, man is annihilated at death, the components of his body dissolving into the elements from which it came. Yet they believe in a resurrection in which God brings back to life those who have died. Yet, this cannot be a resurrection, since after death there is nothing left of man that is eternal. Their claim to a resurrection of the person is incorrect, since that could only be a recreation of the individual based on the memories of God. It cannot be the original person, who has no eternal soul or substance that can be resurrected.
  
  The aspects of the claim to resurrection are very surreal. The evil and sinful people are resurrected from nothingness, or oblivion, only to be judged and then once more sent to nothingness through annihilation. This is considered to be a punishment. In what manner the second annihilation is any different from the death of an individual, resulting in that person going out of existence into nothingness is difficult to understand. Punishment requires a conscious state of being, which annihilation is not. However, the doctrine provides a convenient back door escape. If man has no eternal existence in which there is accountability to God, then death or annihilation is of no consequence. To cease from existence is not really a punishment because there is no sense or understanding, by the person, of being punished because they are non-existent. There is no regret or pain or remorse at not being resurrected to an eternal existence on earth, because there is no longer a mental function to comprehend the consequences.
  
  The doctrines become beliefs of convenience in which it is hoped that salvation can be obtained, but if it is not, then punishment can be avoided through annihilation, or even so far as to assume, that if Christadelphian doctrine is not correct, death is all there is and nothingness follows.
  
  However, the Bible is clear that the hope of the Christadelphian is a false hope and that human beings do have an immortal soul and accountability to God for eternity. It may not be convenient or desirable to believe that a real and eternal punishment will await those who are resurrected having not obtained salvation, however denial will not change the reality of that eventuality.

• DENY THAT SATAN IS A REAL BEING.
  
  Christadelphians deny the existence of a personal and real being who is called Satan, preferring to define the references to that being in the Bible euphemistically as definitions of the manifestation of sin in the flesh and evil men, just like they define the Holy Spirit as the manifestation of the power of God.

  "The terms Satan and Devil are simply expressive of "sin in the flesh" in individual, social, and political manifestations." (Answer, p. 100)

  This view is held against all historical documentation regarding the early church fathers and against the direct references in the Bible itself. Christadelphians, while claiming the Bible as their authority, attempt to change what the Bible actually says, in order to support their a priori doctrine. The Bible is very clear regarding the existence and personality of Satan, defining exactly who he is, what he does, his origin and his eventual destination.
  
  I. The Bible gives NAMES to SATAN:
  
  
  1. Abaddon (destruction): Revelation 9:11
  2. Apollyon (exterminator): Revelation 9:11
  3. Beelzebub (lord of flies): Matthew 10:25; Mark 3:22
  4. Belial (worthless): 2 Corinthians 6:15
  5. Devil (adversary): Matthew 4:1; Revelation 20:10
  6. Dragon: Revelation 12:9
  7. Lucifer (light bearer): Isaiah 14:12
  8. Satan (adversary): 1 Chronicles 21:1
  9. Serpent (Revelation 12:9
  
  II. The Bible presents SATAN as a historical figure:
  
  
  1. God created Lucifer, meaning: the Son of the Morning, Light Bearer or Shining One: Isaiah 14:12
  2. Lucifer was the "anointed cherub that covereth", or the chief archangel closest to the throne of God: Ezekiel 28:14
  3. Lucifer was the most beautiful and perfectly created of the angelic beings: Ezekiel 28:12-13
  4. Lucifer became obsessed with himself, choosing to oppose God and made five claims as to his ambitions with respect to himself:
     
     
     1. "I will ascend to heaven": he wish to elevate himself - Isaiah 14:13
     2. "I will raise my throne above the stars of God": he wished to be greater than God - Isaiah 14:13
     3. "I will sit on the mount of the assembly...": he wished to take the position of God - Isaiah 14:13
     4. "I will ascend to the heights...": he wished to exalt himself above all others - Isaiah 14:14
     5. "I will make myself like the Most High": he wished make himself as God - Isaiah 14:14
     
     
  5. Lucifer was judged by God, divested of his position and cast out of his place in heaven and placed on the earth: Isaiah 14:12
  6. Satan is the "serpent of old": Revelation 12:9
  
  III. At the point of his fall, Lucifer is then referred to as Satan.
  
  

  "And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.'" - Luke 10:18 (NAS)

  
  IV. The Bible presents SATAN as a contemporary being:
  
  
  1. He wanders from heaven to earth and speaks to God after an interrogation: Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Matthew 4:10-11; Mark 4:15; 1 Peter 5:8
  2. He has a kingdom:
     
     
     1. Realm of darkness: 2 Corinthians 4:4
     2. Realm of fallen angels: Matthew 12:24; Matthew 25:41; Ephesians 10:12
     3. Realm of fallen men: Acts 26:18, 2 Timothy 2:26
     4. Realm of this world: Daniel 10:13; Luke 4:6; John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2
     5. Realm of This Age: 2 Corinthians 4:4
     
     
  3. He controls false religions: 2 Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 2:9
  4. He is the cause of persecution: Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38
  5. He can afflict the righteous: Job 1:12
  6. He continually criticizes Believers before God: Zechariah 3:1, Revelation 12:10
  7. He has the ability to foster evil thought: John 13:2; Acts 5:3
  8. He has power over man, extending even to death: Hebrews 2:14
  9. He is the father of murder, murdering and murderers: John 8:44
  10. He is the father of lies, lying and liars: John 8:44
  11. He is an enemy: Matthew 13:39
  12. He is evil: Matthew 13:19, 38; John 17:15;
  
  V. SATAN was known, acknowledged and SEEN by JESUS CHRIST:
  
  
  1. Jesus saw Satan cast down to the earth: Luke 10:18
  2. Satan tempted Jesus Christ in the wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1-13
  
  VI. SATAN was considered a real being by the DISCIPLES:
  
  
  1. He is an opportunist: Ephesians 4:27
  2. He is a schemer: Ephesians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 2:11
  3. He is a deceiver: 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
  4. He is a fraud: 2 Thessalonians 2:9
  5. He is a tempter: 1 Corinthians 7:5; Matthew 4:1
  6. He is an attacker: Ephesians 6:16
  7. He is an obstruction: 1 Thessalonians 2: 18
  8. He is a consumer of souls: I Peter 5:8
  
  VII. SATAN will be judged and THROWN into the LAKE OF FIRE by JESUS CHRIST:
  
  

  Satan will be judged finally and placed in the lake of fire prepared for him and his angels: Isaiah 14:15, 19-20; Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10

  
  The Bible states that God created Lucifer and defines him as Satan and the devil. Since Christadelphians define Satan and the devil as manifestations of sin in the flesh and evil men, then they are claiming that God is the creator of sin and directly created men to be evil. This is a direct assault on the character and integrity of God and is refuted by the Scripture:

  Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do wrong.
  Job 34:10 (NAS)
  
  For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You.
  Psalm 5:4 (NAS)
  
  Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?
  Habakkuk 1:13 (NAS)

  To deny the reality and existence of Satan in the face of such overwhelming evidence presented in the Bible is to deny what is stated beyond all reason. It is the same denial that is presented in relation to the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Christadelphians must claim that every reference to Satan that describe attributes of personhood are just personifications or anthropomorphisms. One must stretch reality past the breaking point to adopt a position that Satan is not a real being.
  
  RESOURCES ON SATAN:
  Is He? Who Is He? What Is He Like? How Does He Operate? Three messages by Dr. John F. MacArthur
  
  
• DENY THE EXISTENCE OF A LITERAL AND REAL HELL.
• DENY THAT THERE IS ETERNAL PUNISHMENT AFTER DEATH.
  
  As a result of their denial of the existence of Satan, Christadelphians feel confident that they can also deny the reality of a literal hell and a literal eternal punishment of the wicked in hell. Having disposed of Satan as being non-existent, they deny the words of Jesus Christ when He specifically states that hell is a place, prepared originally for Satan, who they deny is a person, and his angels who come under his control.

  "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...'"
  Matthew 25:41 (NAS)

  And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
  Revelation 20:10, 14-15 (NAS)

  RESOURCES THE EXISTENCE OF HELL:
  The Future Punishment Of The Wicked Unavoidable And Intolerable by Jonathan Edwards
  The Eternity Of Hell's Torments by Jonathan Edwards
  The Eternity of Hell-Torments by George Whitefield

"So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' An then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"
Matthew 7:20-23 (NAS)

"'Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.'"
John 8:24 (NAS)