A REPLY And Re-statement of Christadelphian Belief

Preface

The appearance of the booklet The Holy Spirit and the Believer Today by William Davison¹, distributed to most ecclesias in the English-speaking world, is but one more evidence of a desire on the part of an increasing minority to foist evangelical² beliefs upon the Christadelphian community. In addresses, books, articles, and comments on internet discussion groups, the contention that we cannot be saved and live the Christian life without in some way being directly influenced by the Holy Spirit is being increasingly aired, and, to our shame, for the most part allowed to go unchallenged. Because this view is unscriptural, all those who love the Truth will be fundamentally and irrevocably opposed to it.

The three pillars of evangelical theory that underpin The Holy Spirit and the Believer Today are:

1. The gift of the Holy Spirit promised to the New Testament Ecclesia consisted of miraculous and non-miraculous gifts. The gift of the Holy Spirit, in its non-miraculous form at least, is still available to believers today.

2. Men and women can only be ‘born again’ and become members of the Ecclesia if they are influenced by the Holy Spirit to enable them to repent, believe and respond to the gospel.

3. The fruit of the spirit — the characteristics that the Christian seeks to cultivate — consists of virtues that are brought about by the activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men and women.

The principal aim of this Reply is to show these premises to be totally lacking in Scriptural support. I shall not consider it necessary to explain every Scripture used by William Davison to support his thesis. I shall, for the most part, content myself with setting out the clear Scriptural teaching about the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer as the basis from which explanations for the individual verses will readily flow. Occasionally it will be necessary to explain a passage but for those who find the remaining individual verses difficult to understand I suggest that ‘Spirit’ in the New Testament, (by Edward Whittaker and Reg Carr); The Spirit - A General Exposition on New Testament Usage, (by Aleck Crawford); and The Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit Gifts, (by Graham Pearce); be consulted.³

Throughout the booklet, from time to time, I have given quotations from early Christadelphian sources. This is not to establish the case I seek to make, which stands or falls on Scripture. The quotations are to illustrate that the position I advance expresses a belief that goes back to the beginnings of the Christadelphian community; a belief that from earliest times was considered to be a fundamental teaching of Scripture. I have not seen fit to append names to these quotations but they are accurately referenced so that anyone seeking further information can easily find it.

The belief that God acts directly upon the hearts of men and women by the Holy Spirit is characteristic of all the denominations of Christendom. This is one of the principal differences between the Christadelphian community and Christendom, from which we feel it right to separate ourselves. I find it difficult to think that the author of the booklet, a brother of over 50 years in the Truth, was not fully aware that in publishing and distributing the booklet he was embarking on a course of action that could well have serious repercussions. Equally, I think it likely that those mature members of the community who are named — presumably with their approval — as his collaborators in the venture would also be aware that the material set out in the booklet is contrary to accepted Christadelphian beliefs and would not be acceptable to most. I make no apology to the author or to his helpers for challenging the teaching in The Holy Spirit and the Believer Today.

John Allfree
Mansfield 2006

Acknowledgements

I would like to place on record my grateful thanks to those brethren and sisters who have encouraged me in the production of this Reply especially to JMA, AC, and PM, whose suggestions and editorial help have been invaluable.

Other works by the author:

A World Destroyed By Fire
An exposition of 2 Peter 3 explaining from Scripture exactly what is meant by the destruction of the heavens and the earth, what are the elements that melt with fervent heat, and who are the scoffers of the last days. — 2006 edition, A5 booklet, 34 pages.

Demon Possession and the Bible
A Biblical approach to an intriguing and sometimes perplexing subject. — A5 booklet, 18 pages.

Edom in Bible Prophecy
This new publication attempts to makes sense of end-time prophecies involving Edom, and presents a Scriptural answer to such questions as - Does Edom represent the Gogian hosts or a group of Arab nations? Will the Arabs overthrow Israel? — Book, 93 + vii pages.

Ezekiel - An Exposition of Chapters 1-39
This work published by C. S. S. S. offers a detailed exposition of chapters 1-39 of the prophecy. — Hardcover book, 470 pages.

Faith and Conversion
Examines the process of conversion and answers the question: What part is played by the Holy Spirit in developing faith and in the process of conversion? A much needed restatement of the Christadelphian viewpoint. — A5 booklet, 18 pages.

Gospel Truth: A Manual for Students and Teachers
To be released in 2006, God willing. Intended as an aid for preaching the truth and as a useful guide for inexperienced preachers of the gospel. — Book, approx 200 pages.

The Cherubim
Concentrates on the principles that lead to an understanding of the cherubim throughout Scripture. — A5 booklet, 40 pages.

The Lord’s Mount Olivet Prophecy
The second, revised, edition of this work originally published in 1996 offers a detailed exposition of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. It seeks to understand this important prophecy in the light of the rest of Scripture. — Book, 141 + xi pages.

Trinitarian Texts Examined
Examines the Bible passages that are used by trinitarians to support the doctrine. — A5 booklet, 50 pages.