Serious Bible Study
Christadelphians continue with their daily devotions as they
have for generations. In our homes, apart from our morning and evening prayers,
the Bible is very much in evidence. There are likely to be at least as many
copies of this book in the home as there are members of the family who can read;
and each copy is probably well used.
It is our widespread custom to read the Bible every day, using
a reading plan which enables us to systematically read the Old Testament once,
and the New Testament twice, each year. It is the same all over the world,
wherever Christadelphians are found. Many, of course, read more widely than
this, and study specially for the duties they have as teachers and preachers,
but the daily reading discipline is the minimum with which a "good
Christadelphian" is content. [See Lessons, Bible
Companion (with Prov), and Bible reading, daily.]
Apart from this reading, we may attend one or more evening
Bible classes each week. Every Sunday, we hold a service which a visitor might
find similar to the "Communion" of other bodies, but which Christadelphians
refer to as the "Memorial Service" or "Breaking of Bread". Here, all our members
partake of bread and wine, and here, too, the Bible is publicly read, followed
by a talk or "exhortation" based on the Bible. Attendance at this service is the
focus of our religious life. [See Lessons,
Memorial meeting, importance, and Memorial meeting, significance.]
In short, we are people of the Bible. Of course, we are not
alone as such: there are other people and religious bodies who read the Bible,
and give it prominence. In fact, there is probably no sect which does not give
some attention to the Book, although we believe there are few who read the whole
Book as consistently and as thoroughly as Christadelphians. Whenever reading the
Bible helps anyone to develop faith and a closer relationship with God, we can
only give God thanks. But Christadelphians maintain that, at least as important
as reading the Bible, is understanding its message and having a healthy respect
for its authority and power in our lives.
So the way we look at the Bible is important, also. It is, for
Christadelphians, the "Word of God", containing all that is necessary for
salvation: that is, its message is given by God, with His authority behind it,
and it is not subject to human criticism (see
Lesson, Bible inspired). Here, regrettably, we begin to part company
with other churches. To varying degrees, most churches tolerate a view of the
Bible as largely a human production, not wholly reliable on matters of fact, nor
wholly reflecting the mind of God on matters of doctrine or morals. While it is
not for us to question that these other views are honestly held,
Christadelphians are determined to hold ourselves apart from them. The Book, to
us, is "given by inspiration of God" (2Ti 3:16), and its authors "spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2Pe 1:21). We do not doubt its
infallibility.
Nor can we agree with the opinion that there are authorities
in addition to the Bible, to which we must look. Christadelphians oppose the
Roman Catholic contention that the Pope and his Council, in specified
circumstances, are infallible and therefore must be trusted and accepted in
matters of doctrine or Bible interpretation. We refuse to set the Bible side by
side with the Book of Mormon, as the Mormons do, or with Mrs. Eddy's "Science
and Health", as the Christian Scientists do, or with the "inner light" of the
heart, as the Quakers do, or with the presumed revelations of departed spirits,
as do those Spiritualists who also claim to be Christian. Christadelphians
publish and circulate their own writings to defend the Bible and to explain its
teaching, of course; but our constant advice is that the reader should test
these writings by the Bible. Christadelphians do not claim that the Bible can
only be understood in conjunction with our writings, as some other exclusive
churches do.
If this consideration by itself isolates us from the biggest
of all denominations, as well as a variety of smaller ones, it is an unfortunate
but unavoidable price of our belief. And that is only part of the price: there
are other points of the Christadelphian faith which set us apart even from the
many earnest evangelicals who look upon the Bible in much the same way as
we.
