‘The Office of The Christadelphian magazine’, has been producing magazines continuously since 1864.

In his desire to seek to establish Biblical truth and test orthodox Christian beliefs through independent scriptural study Dr. John Thomas was not alone. He did not start the unitarian movement because there have always been people who did not want to accept the false doctrine of the Trinity. John Thomas, continued his thinking in line with the first century followers of Christ or the early Christians. It was not his intention to be a special person who had to revered or to be called 'reverend'. He never saw himself as making his own disciples. and those followers of him who called themselves Thomasites in a way went against Dr.Thomas his own wish not to be part of a personal cult or religious group.

He wanted to present his thoughts based on his study of the Bible and of the 1st century beliefs from the apostles and their followers. To facilitate the spreading of those ideas he created a magazine. In it he wanted to bring a look on the world and events of his time as well as bring studies on the Bible and exhortations.

Brothers, I do not put myself forward as an authority, and never have done so, as you know. I put forward the Holy Oracles as an authority, and for them I shall fight so long as God pleases to continue life in this body.

I am not learned in the conventional sense. I know more of God's Book than any other document under the sun; and in this I am content and thankful. To cause men to know what it contains is a higher work than making them acquainted with the oddities and quiddities of human wisdom. I leave those who are content with husks to make their bows at the shrine of human wisdom.

I am determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. Shortly with him I hope to stand, when human learning and human pride, with all its nasty paraphernalia of parchments, papers, inkmarks, books, libraries, contradictions, disputations, bewilderments, and general erase, shall have disappeared in the abyss of rottenness and eternal decay.

R. Roberts.

We are not called upon to give a hearing to error merely because the errorist thinks he is otherwise. Scriptural precept and common prudence rather counsel a contrary attitude (Prov. xix. 27; 1 Tim. vi. 3-5)

R. Roberts

True Christadelphian Magazines

The Truth would long ago have become extinct, but for such "pestilential" publications as the "Herald", whose " mission" is to agitate the waters, that stagnation may not arise. They are like the great Teacher, in that they "come not to bring peace, but a sword". As soon as they cry "peace", their mission is at an end. They preach peace to the righteous; but for the wicked, who make void the Word of God by their pious traditions, they have nothing but torment day and night. This is the philosophy of that cry against them of bitterness, uncharitableness, censoriousness and severity!

Cry aloud and spare not.

Dr. J. Thomas

In the goodness and mercy of God, the Christadelphian Body has been conspicuously free from men seeking to make merchandise of the Truth. Its very constitution is against such. May the day never come for the Brotherhood to sanction preaching or writing as "A Living", like the churches of "Christendom" — "good works" turned into "goodwills", to be inherited or passed on as money-getting concerns!

Imagine Paul claiming copyright in his Epistle to the Hebrews, or John forbidding his brethren to reprint The Apocalypse!

If there be widows and orphans, or aged and infirm, let their needs be generously supplied by voluntary subscriptions, and not by an arbitrary tax on the standard works of the Truth. That such is the mind of the Brotherhood is evident by the hundreds of pounds subscribed in a few weeks so that "Christendom Astray" might be sold at a low price.

F. G. J.

"To our own Master we stand or fall".

Leaving their resolute and undecided to settle the matter for themselves, we go to work. We cannot afford to waste time discussing such cold preliminaries. The time is too short, and the old man naturally too strong, to be taking care lest we serve Christ and the Truth too much.

The Bridegroom is at the door; the thunders of God's overthrowing judgments are at the point of out-bursting, and shall we pause to consider whether it is legal or not to say so?

Away with such faithless formalities, such lukewarmness, such spiritual blunt and incapacity.

R. Roberts

It is to the "pestilent fellows" and their publications in all past ages, not to canting pietists and sickly sentimentalists, puling from morn to dewy eve about "charity'' and a "Christian spirit", that the world is providentially indebted for the preservation of the Gospel from entire oblivion.

The charitable and pious orthodoxy of "The Four Denominations" fills the pulpits of the land. Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian clergy all recognise one another asambassadors of Christ, and their sects as so many divisions of the true Church. But what have they done with the Gospel?

They have laid it in a sepulchre and walled it up, and have set to it their seal of reprobation. But God has raised it from the dead, and put it into the hearts of certain, whom it has freed from ecclesiastical servitude, to contend for it earnestly and fearless of the authority, power, or denunciation of scribes, pharisees, hypocrites, or any other of this generation of vipers new revived. This is our work, and by God's grace we will do it heartily until the hour of His judgment comes, and the Lord Jesus appears to vindicate His own.

Dr. J. Thomas

Brother Robert Roberts, the Founder of "The Christadelphian", declared his policy to be that of Dr.Thomas in "The Herald". That policy was boldly proclaimed on its cover every month for nearly half a century: —

" OPPOSITION TO THE DOGMAS OF PAPAL AND PROTESTANT CHRISTENDOM "

We much regret, as do other Christadelphians, that those words do not now appear every month on the outside front page, where every reader, friend or foe, could see the attitude of a real Christadelphian. It simply appears once a year on an inside page, to be bound up and put away on a bookshelf.

We are aware that many newly-fledged Christadelphians rejoiced when those unmistakable words were hauled down, as it were, from our mast; and such commended the new editor for removing what was a cause of offence to their church and chapel friends. But when tempted to be "more kind" and to "water down" God's truth, it would be advisable to reread the advice Dr. Thomas gave Brother Roberts. Neither Dr. Thomas or Brother Roberts yielded to the clamourings of weak-kneed subscribers for "less bitterness and less severity", or, because some readers were offended at what they called pestilential language.

We speak that we do know.

F. G. J.

In our former work, "Christadelphian Answers",page 245, we inserted what has been taken in some quarters as an unreserved recommendation of the "Christadelphian Magazine", whereas, as Dr. Thomas said nearly 70 years ago, under similar circumstances,

"When I said the Truth was safe in 's hands, I only expressed an opinion in hope that it was so; but by no means to be taken as a guarantee for all future time whatever might turn up to the contrary".

Having been taken seriously to task — and that, too, by those who have been its staunchest supporters from the very beginning, we would point out that the recommendation in question was written before any marked change in the policy of "The Christadelphian". We refer to the policy so clearly defined on pages 34 and 35 .When that policy is departed from, and "outsiders"given space that our best friends are ready to occupy, then we are bound to protest.

Fair-play is all very well in its place, but when such is urged as a reason forgiving the adversary a hearing at the expense of truth, we exclaim with Paul, "No, not for an hour" (Gal.ii. 5). That being so, we are compelled, in duty to the Truth, to comply with a manifold request, to caution all readers of "The Christadelphian" to accept nothing "on trust", but to read the contents with the eyeglasses specified in 1 Thess. v. 21; although we sincerely trust that its Editors will see to it that it speedily regains the Christadelphian reputation of being in every sense a Christadelphian Magazine — "our" magazine.

F. G. J.

A seat on the fence is no place for a leader in Israel, and that is what every speaking or writing brother should be, not to say every Christadelphian magazine.

Want of conviction and perverted views of Hebrews xii. 14 are more often than not at the root of what Brother Roberts aptly termed "masterly inactivity".

Biother F. W. Turner truly writes:

"There is need in these days for a clear lead on questions of difficulty in both doctrine and practice",

and such has not been found where the brethren expected to find it; consequently, upon more than one occasion they have had to lament the deficiency and look elsewhere for guidance, as witness the "Facts" headed "Military Service", "Clipping Dr. Thomas's Wings" and "Be not En-tangled",

F. G. J.

A Christadelphian is a Bible student. This should be reflected in his bookshelves.

What should be there?

Something must be left to individual choice, but the following may be a useful guide to the beginner.

• First,the expository works of Dr. Thomas, Brother Roberts and other brethren should be there; these are invaluable.

• There should also be (1) A good "Bible Dictionary" — not a modern one full of the critics' surmises, but one like Dr. Smith's or Kitto's;

• (2) A Hebrew and a Greek Lexicon, and

• (3) "Strong's Exhaustive", or "Young's Analytical Concordance".

• To these may be added a few reliable historical and archaeological works. They well fill in the details of Apocalyptic interpretation and cast light on Old Testament references

• There are a number of Zionist works well worthy of being included.

Use Orthodox writers with care. In case of doubt as to the desirability of a particular book, consult a brother of repute and experience.

W. H. Boulton.