GladTidingsO F T H E K I N G D O M O F G O D 11447700

GladTidings

High and Lifted Up – page 3

Walking on the Water – page 13

Christadelphians – Where did they come from? – page 17

High and Lifted Up – page 3

Walking on the Water – page 13

Christadelphians – Where did they come from? – page 17

Bible Talks, Study Classes, Sunday Schools and Youth Clubsare held regularly by Christadelphians worldwide. The address

of your nearest group can be obtained from either the Distribution Secretaries or from the local agents or

information addresses given above.

Bible VersionsThe version most used in this issue isthe New King James Version (NKJV)and other versions are sometimes

used.

✤ The New King James Version iscopyrighted by Thomas Nelson.

✤ The Revised Standard Version is copyrighted 1946 and 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the NationalCouncil of Churches in the USA.

✤ The New International Version is copyrighted 1978 by New York Bible Society

GladTidingsO F T H E K I N G D O M O F G O D

122nd Year 1470A monthly magazine published by the

Christadelphians (brothers and sisters in Christ) and availablethroughout the world. Its objectives are – to encourage

study of the Bible as God’s inspired message to men; to call attention to the Divine offer of forgiveness of sins

through Jesus Christ; and to warn men and women that soon Christ will return to Earth as judge

and ruler of God’s world-wide Kingdom.

AcknowledgementsPhotographs:

Walking in Spacephotos.com (NASA)

Illustrations:

Clipart.com pgs 3-16,19; CMPA18,19a

ContentsL06

Magazine orders to the address nearest you.For Free Offers see the back coverUnited Kingdom – Cilla Palmer (Mrs), “Highlands”, 78 Mildenhall Road, Fordham, Ely, Cambs, EnglandCB7 5NR Tel: (01638) 723959 (24hrs&Fax) cilla@gladtidings.fsnet.co.uk

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Other Countries – Geoff Maycock, 8 Hale End, Bracknell, Berks., England, RG12 9YH gmaycock@fish.co.uk

Local information is also available from:Fiji – Bible Mission, Box 1012, G.P.O., Suva, Indonesia

– Bible Mission, Gereja Saudara Dalam Kristus, Kerten Rt01/RW10, JalanMundu 3/40, Solo 57143, Indonesia.

Philippines – Mr Albert Cruz, PO Box 991, Manila,Philippines 1099

Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Pacific Islands, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea – Bible Mission, PO Box 42, Wallacia, NSW 2745, Australia

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Banani, Dhaka 1213

Editor: Owen Tecwyn Morgan26 The Crescent, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull, B92 OBP, England, UK glad.tidings@virgin.net

Publisher: The Glad Tidings Publishing Association (a registered charity) number 248352

ContentsHigh and Lifted Up....3

Did Christ Die for You?..........................5

Do you really knowJesus Christ? ............8

Isaac, son of Abraham ...............11

Walking on the Water .....................13

More about the Council in Jerusalem ..............15

Christadelphians –Where did they come from?..............17

Walking with God ...19

122nd Year 3

It’s an ancient proverbial saying thatthe higher you climb, the further youhave to fall; and that has proved truetime and again. The more mankindasserts itself and takes pride in itsaccomplishments, the more dangerthere is that everything will comecrashing down. “Pride comes before a fall.”

The MasterThere was once a man who mastered ahostile environment and who did so bybeing lifted high. That man was JesusChrist. Born the Son of God, of the virginMary, he never once exalted himself and

was never once proud aboutanything he accomplished.Scripture says of him that he:“humbled himself andbecame obedient” (Philip-pians 2:8);“did not please himself”(Romans 15:3); “committed no sin, norwas guile found in hismouth” (1 Peter 2:22);and “though he was a Son,

yet he learned obedience by thethings which he suffered” (Hebrews5:8).

All of those are remarkable statementsand things we should never take forgranted. They designate the Lord Jesusas someone who is the Master ofmankind; for Jesus achieved perfectobedience when everyone else hasfailed. And he did that in the most hostileenvironment – in the very nature that webear and that he too shared (Hebrews2:14; 4:15).

Only a few people havehad the opportunity toview the world from spaceand even fewer havewalked there, either toprove that it could be doneor to repair some spaceequipment.

Getting there and moving about insuch a hostile environment is still amarvellous achievement yet, like somany other marvellous things in life, wesoon become accustomed to it.

Taken for GrantedAnother launch of the shuttle, a probe to Mars, achange of personnel atthe Space Station ...these things go by withhardly a mention, as faras many people areconcerned. Yet it was onlyApril 1961 when the 27year old Soviet astronautYuri Gagarin became the firstman to fly in space, byorbiting the earth for about 90 minutes in the capsuleVostok 1.

That was less than 50 yearsago, yet now we take space travelfor granted. Such is our ability to adaptto changes in human achievement, andsuch is our expectation about what mancan achieve. But do you know whathappened to the first spaceman? Sevenyears after his spaceflight, at the age ofjust 34, Yuri Gagarin was killed on atraining flight in a jet fighter. Man had notmastered a hostile environment; he hadmerely survived it.

High and Lifted UpHigh and Lifted Up

4 Glad Tidings

Jesus was obedient to the point ofdeath, for although he could haveresisted capture and crucifixion (he oncesaid that he could have summoned theangels of God to assist him, had he sodecided), he willingly laid down his life. Itwas all part of God’s great plan ofredemption, which required his willinginvolvement; and it was all done for us.

Lifted HighIn what must have seemed a difficultsaying at the time, Jesus once said to hisfollowers:

“As Moses lifted up theserpent in the wilderness,even so must the Son ofMan be lifted up, thatwhoever believes in himshould not perish but haveeternal life” (John3:14,15).

He was referring to anoccasion when Israel wastravelling through thewilderness on the way tothe Promised Land. Theirsin had brought Divinejudgement upon them andthe only remedy was forMoses to make a bronzeserpent just like the serpents that werebiting the people, and then to hoist it upon a pole. Anyone who looked at it wouldthen be saved from the serpent’s poison– it was a case of “look and live!”

Now, Jesus was saying, he must belifted up if the effects of sin were to beneutralised – if sin, and its companiondeath, was to be destroyed. And the“lifting up” of which he spoke was thecross upon which he would be crucified,as he later explained just a few daysbefore his execution (see John 12:32-34). For Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin,to condemn sin and to make it possiblefor sinners like us to be forgiven

(Romans 8:3). If we look to this manwho has been lifted high abovehumanity, and who is deservedly on ahigher plane than anyone else, we toocan be raised to a new life.

Heavenly PlacesScripture uses the language of spaceand height to describe the status ofthose who have become believers in andfollowers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Writingto baptised believers – men and womenwho had pledged their lives in his service– the apostle Paul said this of them:

“But God, who is rich inmercy, because of his greatlove with which he lovedus, even when we weredead in trespasses, madeus alive together with Christ(by grace you have beensaved), and raised us uptogether, and made us sittogether in the heavenlyplaces in Christ Jesus, thatin the ages to come hemight show the exceedingriches of his grace in hiskindness toward us inChrist Jesus” (Ephesians2:4-7).

Jesus has been lifted high after hisdeath and resurrection. For he now sitsin glory at the Father’s right hand inheaven: he has been highly exaltedindeed, and those who look to him, whobelieve and are baptized into his savingname, become members of God’s family.They come to share in his victory andhave an exalted status indeed, as sonsand daughters of the Almighty. They maynot walk in space, but now they can walkwith God, making sure their steps areever leading onwards and upwardstowards better things, both in this lifeand in the life to come.

Editor

122nd Year 5

Here are five key teachings about thedeath of the Lord Jesus Christ, withsome Scriptural references in support:1 The Bible makes it clear that the

Almighty gave His only begottenSon, Jesus Christ, to die for thesins of the whole world. John theBaptist declared him to be “theLamb of God, who takes away thesin of the world” (John 1:29).

2 In our natural state, we all inheritdeath as the rightful wages for oursins (Romans 6:23).

3 Death is the end of all activity (seePsalm 146:4 and Psalm 6:5).

4 But God is all-merciful, He doesnot want any of us to die (seeEzekiel 18:32).

5 Through His beloved Son’ssacrifice, God offers us themarvellous free gift of beingtreated as righteous (see Romans5:18).

Now let’s explore what all thismeans, in particular whether or notthis ‘taking away of sin’ means that allof us became entitled to live forever.

BeliefThe verse in the Bible which is oftensaid to be the best known verse of allsays: “For God so loved the world thathe gave his only begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in him should notperish but have everlasting life” (John3:16). Properly read this explains thatthere is more to being saved fromdeath than merely having Jesus comeinto the world.

A person has to believe in him to besaved. The Lord himself said, “He whohears my word and believes in himwho sent me has everlasting life” (John

5:24) and elsewhere we are told that:“by him (Christ) everyone who believesis justified (treated as righteous) fromall things from which you could not bejustified by the law of Moses” (Acts13:39).

So, escape from death requiresbelief or faith, for “without faith it isimpossible to please him, for he whocomes to God must believe that he is,and that he is a rewarder of those whodiligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Unless we have faith we cannotplease God.

ObedienceThe Lord Jesus was a great teacher buthe expected people to do more thanlisten to him. Offering them eternallife, he once said: “If anyone keeps myword, he shall never see death” (John8:51). “Blessed...are those”, he saidon another occasion, “who hear theword of God and keep it” (Luke11:28). So there is more to belief inChrist than just believing: we have alsoto do what Jesus commanded.

Through his sacrifice, the Son of Godbecame “the author of eternalsalvation to all who obey him”(Hebrews 5:9), and this is what hecommanded, right from the beginningof his teaching: “Repent and believe inthe gospel” (Mark 1:15). Repentingmeans turning away from our sins, andtrying to change our way of life.

We have said that our Creator doesnot wish us to die; we are told He is“not willing that any should perish, butthat all should come to repentance” (2Peter 3:9). And that is the stark choicethat faces us: repentance oreverlasting death, for to “perish”means just that – to cease to exist for

Did Christ Die for YDid Christ Die for You?ou?

6 Glad Tidings

ever! Once the Lord Jesus was toldabout some unfortunate folk who haddied when a tower had collapsed onthem and he answered: “Unless yourepent, you will all likewise perish”(Luke 13:3). So, to be saved from oursins by the death of Christ, we musthave a change of heart and give up ourselfish ways. We are promised thateternal life will be granted to thosewho “by patient continuance in doinggood seek for glory, honour andimmortality” (Romans 2:7).

Following JesusWhen he was talking tothe Pharisees, wholargely rejected hismessage, the LordJesus Christ said, “Youare not willing to cometo me that you mayhave life” (John 5:40).Following the Master isan active, not a passive,thing and involves acommitment to denyour natural selves, andshouldering our crosseach day, as hisdisciples (see Matthew 16:24).

“Lord, are there few who are saved?”his disciples once asked Jesus, and hesurely meant “Yes”, when he toldthem: “Strive to enter through thenarrow gate, for many will seek toenter and will not be able” (Luke13:23,24).

Everything the Saviour preached,the example of the way he lived his life,all the miraculous acts of healing hecarried out, even raising the dead,demonstrated the love of God formankind. He showed that the way itwas to be in God’s kingdom, was verydifferent from the way it was underman’s rulership. But, perhaps above

all, Jesus made it clear that he wasachieving, on our behalf, what wecould not achieve for ourselves. Weare, after all, nothing but sinners andtry as we might to follow Christ’steaching and imitate His example, andwe must try to, we will all fail.

Christ in UsWe are told by the Apostle John that“he who has the Son has life; he whodoes not have the Son of God does nothave life” (1 John 5:12).But what does

it mean, to “have” Christ inthis sense? It means that wehave to develop the life ofChrist in us, or to becomelike-minded with him.Various terms are used todescribe this process bywhich we become like him(see, for example, Romans8:9-11) but it is a vitaldevelopment that has totake place in the life of everybeliever.

The apostle Paul describedthis hope of daily identifica-tion with Christ – the life ofChrist in the believer – as

“the hope of glory … Christ in us”(Colossians 1:27). And he said that ifwe are Christ’s, and if we belong tohim, we will be made alive at hiscoming (1 Corinthians 15:22,23).Even though we may sleep the sleep ofdeath, if we die before Jesus returns toearth, we shall be raised to life. This iswhat our Lord meant when he said thatif we keep his word we will not “seedeath” (John 8:51).

Baptized into HimBut first we have to identify with ourLord’s sacrifice by dying with him insymbol. To be baptised into ChristJesus is to be baptised into his death

122nd Year 7

(Romans 6:3), and if we have diedwith him, we believe that we shall alsolive with him (verse 8). Baptism has tobe by full immersion; it must be aburial in water if that symbolism is tobe satisfied.

The same chapter of Romans tells usthat we have to “obey from the heartthat form of doctrine to which we weredelivered.” Being set free from sin weare to become servants to God and torighteousness. This is the “baptism ofrepentance for the remission of sins”on which the Saviour’s preaching wasbased (Luke 3:3; 5:32). Jesus evenallowed himself to be baptized,explaining it was essential to fulfil allrighteousness (Matthew 3:15), and hetaught that a person can only enter theKingdom of God if he is born again, ofwater and the Spirit (John 3:3-5).

Living in HimHaving set our feet on the right path,we must not continue our old selfishhabits. As we discovered before,believing is not enough: � We must make a practice of

reading the Bible, so that we canappreciate what God requires ofus, for “the scriptures are able tomake us wise for salvation” (2Timothy 3:15).

� The Apostle Paul talks aboutChrist being “formed” in hisfollowers (Galatians 4:19) andthis is the effect that God’s HolyWord can have upon us (see alsoRomans 12:2).

� We must continually pray to ourFather for guidance (Psalm25:4,5); always in the name ofthe Lord Jesus Christ (John16:23).

� It is also essential that wecontinue to repent for, despite ournew commitment, we shall

certainly continue to sin. We mustconstantly seek forgiveness, asthe Lord’s Prayer teaches us(Matthew 6:12).

� As disciples, we also have toassemble ourselves together(Hebrews 10:25), and breakbread in obedience to Christ’scommand (Acts 2:46).

� And however much we try to live alife of faith, we must realise wecan never earn a place in theKingdom. Eternal life comes onlyby God’s grace (His unmeritedfavour).

Friends of JesusSo, although the Lord Jesus Christ wassent to take away the sins of the wholeworld we all need to associate with hissacrifice if we are to benefit from thegift of salvation. Jesus laid down hislife for his friends, and his friends werethose “who would do whatever hecommanded them” (John 15:13,14).When he returns to the earth to judgeus, Romans 2:16, he will “takevengeance on those who do not knowGod, and on those who do not obeyhis gospel” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

Baptism is only the start of a lifetimeof discipleship, which will involvecommitment on our part, but bringuntold rewards in this life as well as inthe age to come. The apostle Paulsums it all up by explaining:

“The kindness and love of God ourSaviour toward man appeared, not byworks of righteousness which we havedone, but according to his mercy hesaved us ... that being justified by hisgrace, we should become heirsaccording to the hope of eternal life”(Titus 3:4-7).

Liz Robinson

8 Glad Tidings

The Eternal GodIt is said about Almighty God that he is“the blessed and only Potentate, theKing of kings and Lord of lords, whoalone has immortality, dwelling inunapproachable light, whom no man hasseen or can see, to whom be honour andeverlasting power.Amen” (1 Timothy6:15,16).

� He is “fromeverlasting to ever-lasting” (Psalm 90:2),the God who hasneither beginning norend.

� He has always beenand always will be.

But there is much more to AlmightyGod than just His existence, marvellousthough that is. He is a God with a planand purpose; a God who makes thingshappen and who knows from the verybeginning what He will do and how it willbe accomplished. That is the reason whythe promises of God are certain andunshakeable – because He alwaysknows what is best for us, and becausehe has the power to make it happenexactly as He purposes.

Plan and PurposeOne of the Scriptures that has causedconfusion for a lot of people is to befound at the opening of John’s accountof the gospel. Where the other recordsbegin with the circumstances of Jesus’early life, or the beginning of his earthly

ministry, John startshis account right atthe very beginning bydetailing what Godhad in mind from theoutset.

In John Chapter 1,he speaks of thispurpose as the “Wordof God,” that whichexisted from Eternity.Some have linked this“Word” with a glorious

pre-existent Christ, and have thoughtthat John was saying that Jesus existedfrom all time. But John’s record sayssomething quite different. Whilst theintent was there from the outset, it wasonly when the Word “was made flesh”that Jesus came to exist as a person.

“And the Word became flesh and dweltamong us, and we beheld his glory, theglory as of the only begotten of theFather, full of grace and truth” (John1:14).

Do you really Do you really know Jesus Christ?know Jesus Christ?

The Bible is the Word of the living God.Jesus was the embodiment of that Word

Over the centuries there have been many debates and conferences about the nature and work of the Lord Jesus and his precise relationship to theFather. People have drawn up complicated creeds and statements about this

which have split the Christian world, for some people have believed these creedsand others have not found them to be Bible based. In this article Ken Quixley

examines some of the Scriptures which tell us about Jesus and his relationship with the Father.

122nd Year 9

The Word of GodAnybody who thinks of the Bible as theWord of God, which it most certainly is,can recognise this terminology and it isthat very language John is using when hesays that God’s Word was with Him fromthe very beginning:

“In the beginning was the Word, and theWord was with God, and the Word wasGod” (John 1:1).

In Old Testament terms, that is preciselywhat we are told about God’s wisdom orunderstanding. It accompanied Him atcreation, and by that wisdom all thingscame to be. Everything God did waspurposeful and full of meaning. A key tounderstanding this is in the Book ofProverbs where we read:“The LORD by wisdom founded theearth; by understanding he estab-lished the heavens; byhis knowledge thedepths were brokenup, and clouds dropdown the dew”(Proverbs 3:19,20).

And later Solomonspeaks of wisdom asthough it was aperson, just as Johnpersonifies the samething in his gospel:

“The LORD possessed me at thebeginning of his way, before his works ofold. I have been established fromeverlasting, from the beginning, beforethere was ever an earth. When therewere no depths I was brought forth,when there were no fountains aboundingwith water. Before the mountains weresettled, before the hills, I was broughtforth … When he prepared the heavens,I was there, when he drew a circle on theface of the deep” (Proverbs 8:22-27).

Then, speaking of God’s creative work,the personified Wisdom says:

“Then I was beside him, as a mastercraftsman; and I was daily his delight,rejoicing always before him, rejoicing inhis inhabited world, and my delight waswith the sons of men” (8:30-31).

Such is the excellence of DivineWisdom, an essential attribute of God.But how very much like the openingwords of John’s Gospel. Here it is God’swisdom – His plan and purpose – ofwhich John is writing: a plan thatresulted in the birth of Jesus, when thetime was right. For, in the fullness oftime, God caused His Son to be born ofthe virgin Mary (Galatians 4:4).

The Wisdom of GodJesus was the very embodiment of DivineWisdom. He always knew what to do and

say, because heconstantly listened to hisheavenly Father, andremarkably andwonderfully he alwayschose to be obedient tohis Father’s commands.The Bible states that theall-knowing God in HisWisdom has a gloriouseternal purpose which iscentred in Jesus Christ.When Jesus came he was

the willing embodiment of the Purpose.In Jesus, the glory of the Father wasmade visible to men.

God knows everything from the verybeginning – His knowledge is thatwonderful and all-embracing. He oncetold Jeremiah the prophet that He“knew” Jeremiah before ever he wasborn (see Jeremiah 1:4,5). And theapostle Paul declares that God evenknows those of us who will becomebelievers from the very outset ofeverything:

10 Glad Tidings

“For whom he foreknew, he alsopredestined to be conformed to theimage of his Son, that he might be thefirstborn among many brethren.Moreover whom he predestined, thesehe also called; whom he called, these healso justified; and whom he justified,these he also glorified” (Romans8:29,30).

Mark that well. One writer hasdescribed that passage as one of themost remarkable ever written. For it tellsus much about the mind ofAlmighty God. Hisknowledge is so far-reaching and soforward-looking thatHe already knowswhich of us will beglorified in His comingKingdom, when Jesusreigns on earth. In hismind’s eye, so to speak, God has alreadyglorified those people; for he speaks offuture things as though they were apresent reality (Romans 4:17).

The Glory of GodJesus was the perfect expression of thewisdom of God and he also displayed theglory of God – a term which means themoral excellence and Divine character ofthe Almighty. That is what John says inthe opening of his gospel account:

“The Word became flesh and dweltamong us, and we beheld his glory, theglory as of the only begotten of theFather, full of grace and truth … For thelaw was given through Moses, but graceand truth came through Jesus Christ. Noone has seen God at any time. The onlybegotten Son, who is in the bosom ofthe Father, he has declared him”(1:14-18).

When Jesus lived on earth, his life wassuch that it “declared” to those who

knew him just what God is like. We can’tsee God, but we can understand Him bythinking about Jesus and getting to knowhim, the very point that Jesus himselfmade when his disciples asked if theycould see Almighty God:

“Have I been with you so long, and yetyou have not known me, Philip? He whohas seen me has seen the Father; sohow can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?“Do you not believe that I am in theFather, and the Father in me? The words

that I speak to you Ido

not speak on myown authority; butthe Father whodwells in me does

the works” (John14:9,10).

This was no claim toequality or identity, as a later

verse in the same chapter makes clear(see verse 28). It was a claim to bedeclaring what God is like. And whenJesus comes again, this time to reign onearth over God’s kingdom, he will comein his Father’s glory, once again to showmankind what his Father is really like andwhat he means to do for all those whowant to be part of the new world:

“Whoever is ashamed of me and mywords, of him the Son of Man will beashamed when he comes in his ownglory, and in his Father’s, and of the holyangels” (Luke 9:26).

“And to give you who are troubled restwith us when the Lord Jesus is revealedfrom heaven with his mighty angels, inflaming fire taking vengeance on thosewho do not know God, and on those whodo not obey the gospel of our Lord JesusChrist … when he comes, in that Day, tobe glorified in his saints and to beadmired among all those who believe,

122nd Year 11

because our testimony among you wasbelieved. Therefore we also pray alwaysfor you that our God would count youworthy of this calling, and fulfil all thegood pleasure of his goodness and thework of faith with power, that the nameof our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorifiedin you, and you in him, according to thegrace of our God and the Lord JesusChrist” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-12).

What a prayer that is for all of us whowant to be found acceptable at that Dayof the Lord. Jesus said that it is LifeEternal to know and believe (John 17:3).We must come to understand that:

� God is the unchanging and eternalUnity, the Father in heaven.

Father had woken me very early inthe morning and he seemed agitated.He was in a hurry to get organised. Ateenager at that time, sunrise was justa bit too early for me to be rushingaround. “We are going to a mountain,”father said, “It will take three days andso we shall need food, water and menservants to organise the animals fortransport. We start immediately”.

Mother was quiet as we parted. Myparents were very old, but still full offun and laughter. I’d always known thatmy birth had brought them specialhappiness. I was the child promised tothem by God. She gave me a stronghug, appearing reluctant to let me go,but she smiled as she watched ourdeparture from the tent opening.

Journey’s EndThe first two days were pleasant. We

walked from the desert into greenerplains, grasslands and water brooks;but by the third day the terrain becamebleaker as we climbed the mountainfather called Moriah. Although he wasagile, for a man over a hundred, hefound the climb increasingly hard.There were more frequent stops andhe became increasingly tense. Theserving men had stayed at the bottomof the mountain, as father had said wewould make better progress alone. Inany case he preferred just the two ofus to go into the mountain to pray toGod.

I had noticed the wood and thecontainer of fire he was carrying andalthough initially I had assumed that itwas to help us cook food, it becameapparent that it was a sacrificialbundle. I had grown up knowing aboutthe sacrifices we offered to God. My

Days that Changed my Life

Isaac, son of AbrahamIsaac, son of Abraham

� The Holy Spirit is the power of Godexpressed in all His works.

� Jesus Christ is God’s only begottenSon, conceived and empowered bythe Holy Spirit.

He is now the very living embodimentof God’s Word, and in him the promisesof God come to their intended climax.Know Jesus and by knowing him you canget to know what God is really like andhow great His love is to each of us. Itreally matters that we know about Jesusand that we come to know him as acompanion and friend who will stick withus all our life long.

Ken Quixley

12 Glad Tidings

parents had been faithful to the God ofHeaven all their lives and had taughtme from the time I was a toddler thatHe had made them special promises.God regarded my father as a friend, forhis faith and his faithfulness.

“Where’s the Lamb?”I can’t remember when I asked thequestion. I couldn’t work out where thelamb for the sacrifice was, but fatherreplied that God would provide it. Myfather had that sort of faith in God. Sowe continued the steep climb. Onreaching the top, father and I, veryslowly it seemed to me, built the altarfor the sacrifice, putting the wood inthe accepted order, but stillthere was no lamb. Thensuddenly father sat medown and explained. Godhad asked him to sacrificeme as the offering! It was atest of his obedience, andmine as well I suppose.

Never were two men sotorn. Father, at the veryidea of having to kill me,his long-awaited andmuch-loved son and mehorrified at what I wouldhave to go through if I was to obey hiswishes and let him offer me. I couldhave stopped him. He was old. I wasyoung and could have run away orforced the knife from his hand.

For a long time we discussed thepromises God had made to my fatherabout his seed. He was to havedescendants that were as numerousas the stars and like the sand on theseashore. And we talked about theresurrection: something which we bothunderstood and believed. Perhaps Godwould raise me from the dead after myfather had sacrificed me. Finally, withheavy hearts we concluded that God

had a reason for his command and Iagreed that we should go ahead asGod wanted.

Ram in the ThicketWe would carry out the task together. Iallowed my father to bind me to thewood and he took out the knife whichhe had specially sharpened so as tocause me less pain. In great terror, butcalm less I frightened him, I watchedhis distressed body and tearstainedface as he raised the knife. And then ithappened. We both heard it – a voicethat was loud and insistent: “Abraham,do not kill or hurt Isaac”. My fatherjumped in shock, and when the

command came again thistime we saw the angel. “Donot hurt your son: now Godknows that you really will giveHim all that you holdprecious.”

God provided a sacrifice afterall. There was a ram, caught byits horns in some scrub bushesnearby. You can just imaginehow I felt as that sacrifice wasbeing made! God had madearrangements that meant thatI could live and not die. Those

experiences on that mountain mademe think hard about my relationshipwith this all powerful but deeply caringGod. If I was a special instrument inHis plans I needed to get to know Himbetter.

Maybe the incident had some othersymbolic meaning, though I’m not surequite what. Father is relieved butneeds to explain things to mother. Onething I’ve learned: trusting in God anddoing what he asks can be tough, butvery rewarding.

Cynthia Miles

See Genesis Chapter 22

122nd Year 13

Five Thousand FedJesus had just performed the miracleof feeding 5000 people who thenwanted to make him king. At this pointJesus needed the privacy of a nearbymountain retreat where he would prayto his Father in heaven.He had sent his disciplesaway, so they went homewithout Jesus whichmeant crossing the Seaof Galilee by boat toCapernaum, a distanceof about six miles. It wasdark; a strong wind wasblowing and rowing washard work even for theseasoned fishermenamong them.

They were about halfway across the sea whenthey saw Jesus comingtowards them walking onthe water! (John 6:19). They were allstartled, to say the least. They couldn’tbelieve their eyes, thinking it just couldnot be true! It was not until Jesuscalled out to them, “It is I; do not beafraid”, that they were reassured. Yes,it was really true that Jesus had cometo them walking on the water.

Peter’s InvolvementJohn is not the only one who recordedthis extraordinary miracle. Matthewalso records it (Matt. 14:24-33) andadds an interesting incident involving

the impetuous disciple Peter, who somuch wanted to be with his Master. Hemay have thought it would bewonderful if he could enjoy the noveltyof walking on the water too. Yet heevidently realised the risks involved, sohe cautiously asked, “Lord, if it is you,

command me to come toyou on the water”. Jesusjust said, “Come”. Herewas an opportunity forPeter to demonstrate hisfaith, so his Lord invitedhim to do so. But howstrong was his faith?

Peter climbed out ofthe boat and actuallywalked on the water; butwhen he saw that thewind was boisterous andthe waves were high, hiscourage failed him andhe began to sink! He

immediately cried out to the only onewho could save him, “Lord, save me!”And immediately Jesus stretched outhis hand and caught him, and said tohim, “O you of little faith, why did youdoubt?” And when they got into theboat, the wind ceased. (Matthew14:30-32). No wonder the disciplesworshipped Jesus saying, “Truly youare the Son of God”.

Another MiracleThe miracles did not end there, forJohn adds: “Immediately the boat was

The Miracles of Jesus 5

WWalking on the Walking on the WateraterAmong the many marvellous miracles or signs recorded in the

gospel of John is one that is quite different from the others. We read of Jesusturning water to wine, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and feeding a

great multitude of people. But in John chapter 6 (verses 17-21) we find the miracle of Jesus walking on the water.

14 Glad Tidings

at the land where they were going”(John 6:21). This sort of thing – instanttravel – is really beyond our compre-hension. The miracle involvedovercoming the law of gravity anddealing with the weight of water if thiswas displaced in the process, etc. Thedivine power that Jesus possessed wastruly wonderful, even awesome. Wewould surely want to be friends of hisand this is indeed possible if we doeverything he has commanded us.

Looking for JesusSome of the five thousand who hadeaten of the five barley loaves mayhave noticed that when the twelvedisciples left the boat for home theprevious day, Jesus was not with them.They did not want to losetrack of their possibleking so they made thecrossing to Capernaumlooking for him.

The next day they sawhim with his disciples!The discerning amongthem must have come tothe inescapableconclusion that Jesuswas able to arrive withoutthe need for a boat. Hetherefore must have hadother wonderful powersbesides the ability to feedfive thousand people.

So they put theintriguing question tohim, “Rabbi, when did you comehere?”(v.25). Jesus made no attemptto satisfy their curiosity but since theywanted to talk to him he responded bytelling them not to labour for naturalfood but to make the effort to obtainthe spiritual food which he was able togive them in his teaching. He said, “Donot labour for the food which perishes,

but for the food which endures toeverlasting life, which the Son of Manwill give you” (v.27). That is to say, theyshould not concentrate all their efforton working to obtain natural food thatcould only sustain their natural bodiesfor a limited time during their lifetime.They (and we) should rather make aspecial effort to absorb the spiritualfood – the teaching of our Lord which,when accepted and obeyed, will leadeventually to eternal life in the gloriousKingdom of God which Jesus willestablish here on earth when hecomes again.

Our Dependence on JesusTo emphasize our dependence onJesus for spiritual sustenance, he

likens himself in hismetaphorical style to‘bread from heaven’ andto the ‘bread of life’(v.32,34). He adds, “Hewho comes to me shallnever hunger, and hewho believes in me shallnever thirst”. Jesussums up his discoursewith the mostencouraging words:

“And this is the will ofHim who sent me, thateveryone who sees theSon and believes in himmay have everlastinglife, and I will raise him

up at the last day”(v.40). It does not matter, therefore, if death

should overtake us in our pilgrimagebefore the Lord Jesus returns. Jesuscan and will raise us up again togetherwith all the worthies of old. May thatwonderful time come soon!

Ralph Green

Jesus had fed the multitude withbread and fishes; now he urged

them to feed upon him

122nd Year 15

Council Speeches

� Peter“When there had been muchdisputing…” the Apostle Peter stoodup and rehearsed his experiences inthe case of Cornelius and his familyand friends. The key part ofPeter’s address was that Godhad “made no distinctionbetween us and them,purifying their hearts byfaith” (Acts 15:9) and hethen went on to make thisappeal:

“Now therefore, why do youtest God by putting a yoke onthe neck of the discipleswhich neither our forefathersor we were able to bear? Butwe believe that through thegrace of our Lord Jesus Christwe shall be saved in the samemanner as they ” (Acts 15:10,11).

� Barnabus and PaulThen Barnabas and Paul addressedthe assembly, relating how they hadbeen able, under God’s hand, toperform miracles for the benefit of theGentiles amongst whom they hadworked.

� JamesAt this point the apostle Jamesaddressed the assembly. It seemslikely that he had presided over theCouncil and now took the opportunity

to sum up the evidence and offer asolution that might satisfyboth sides.

First he reminded them ofSimon Peter’s contributionregarding the conversion ofthe first Gentile, Cornelius.He then stressed that theacceptance of Gentiles intothe family of God had beenpart of His plan from thebeginning and that this wasevident in the Old Testamentprophecies. By way ofdemonstration of this, hecited a passage from theprophecy of Amos(9:11,12):

“After this I will return and will rebuildthe tabernacle of David which hasfallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, andI will set it up so that the rest ofmankind may seek the Lord, even allthe Gentiles who are called by myname, says the Lord who does allthese things” (Acts 15:16,17).

There are many other passages in

Growth of the Gospel –19

More about the More about the Council in JerusalemCouncil in Jerusalem

A Conference has been convened in Jerusalem where the apostles and representatives of different congregations can discuss the way in which

Jewish and Gentile believers can live together in harmony. It was an importanttest for the new community and a good example of how to resolve difficulties,

by patiently listening to different points of view and then examining the Scripturesfor guidance and help. As John Hellawell now explains the outcome was

most satisfactory, under the hand of God.

16 Glad Tidings

the Old Testament that indicate that itwas always God’s intention that theGentiles would be included in Hispurpose. The Jews had a duty toconvey God’s word to the rest ofhumanity; but they were blindedspiritually by their obsession with theirposition as the “chosen race”. Theytended to focus on their being selectedby God, not on what they were chosento do!

Practical PropositionsJames suggested a very simple buteffective solution. The Gentiles wouldbe sent a letter which would requirethat they complied with four“necessary things,” but otherwise theywere to be free from observing thedetails of the Law of Moses. Thesenecessary things were to:� abstain from things polluted by

idols� sexual immorality� things strangled and� blood.

All these things were associated withheathen worship and caused offenceto Jews. Put very simply: The Gentileswere not required to become Jews butthey had to stop being Pagans.

These proposals were welcomed byeveryone and a group consisting ofPaul, Barnabas, Judas Barsabas andSilas, was selected to convey theCouncil’s conclusion in a letteraddressed to the churches in Antioch,Syria and Cilicia.

Content of the LetterThe letter read as follows:

“The apostles, the elders, and thebrethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentilesin Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.Since we have heard that some whowent out from us have troubled youwith words, unsettling your souls,saying ‘You must be circumcised andkeep the law’ – to whom we gave nosuch commandment – it seemed goodto us, being of one accord, to sendchosen men to you with our belovedBarnabas and Paul, men who haverisked their lives for the name of ourLord Jesus Christ. We have thereforesent Judas and Silas, who will alsoreport the same things by word ofmouth. For it seemed good to the HolySpirit, and to us, to lay on you no othergreater burden than these necessarythings: that you abstain from thingsoffered to idols, from blood, fromthings strangled and from sexualimmorality. If you keep yourselves fromthese you will do well.Farewell” (Acts 15:23-29).

Return to AntiochThe small party set off to Antioch and,on their arrival, gathered everyonetogether and delivered the letter. Afterreading it, everyone rejoiced and theywere further strengthened by wordsfrom Judas and Silas, who werethemselves prophets. It was fitting thatthese should have been involved sincethey represented the Jerusalemchurch.

Eventually it was time for Judas andSilas to return to Jerusalem, carryinggreetings from the members of thechurch at Antioch. However, Silasdecided to stay longer, supporting thework of Barnabas and Paul. Under thehand of God everything had worked outbetter than might have been expectedand now there was an agreement thatshould allow Jews and Gentiles to liveand work together as members of thefamily of God

John Hellawell

and the doctor decided to spy out theland for his parents, and so began whatproved to be a providential journey. ThatMay he boarded the ship “The Marquisof Wellesley” which was setting sail forNew York, acting as the ship’s surgeonfor the 70 passengers and 19 crew. Itwas foul weather for most of the journey,

so much so that themain mast wassnapped off, sails werelost, the ship wasblown off course and,as the stormintensified, terror set inamongst thepassengers.

The chances ofsurvival began to lookgrim and Dr. Thomasfaced for the first timethe reality of death.

Profoundly ignorant about what mightbecome of him after death, if anything,he vowed that if he reached land safelyhe would not rest until he found out thetruth of the matter. That was a life-changing resolution.

New York, New York

After a journey of 8 weeks, the shipreached the safety of New York’sharbour. His parents arrived very soonafterwards, having had a much smootherpassage and the young doctor set about

122nd Year 17

Christadelphian Origins

We travel back in time to the year 1805when a boy was born on the 12th April,one of a family of seven children, byname John Thomas. His father was avery talented man with an energeticmind whilst his mother was a veryamicable lady. It was said that JohnThomas inherited thefire and energy of hisfather and the softerqualities of his mother.

It was at Chorley, inLancashire, England,that John Thomas beganhis medical studies atabout the age of 15. Atthe same time hebecame a member ofthe Baptist Churchwhere his father was apaid minister, though one member of theChurch commented that John had a“profound ignorance on the wholesubject of theology.” That earlyassessment turns out to be a veryinteresting comment in the light of laterdevelopments.

At the age of 23 John had obtained hisdiploma in anatomy and surgery,reaching a very high standard. Hepossessed a tremendous capacity forstudy and had a formidable intellect. In1832 his parents were seized with theAmerican emigration fever of that time

You may be thinkng that the very name “Christadelphian” is strange and mightwonder where it came from and who started this community of Bible-based

believers. In this article Robert Tarrant deals with the origin of the communityand in the next issue he explains a little more about the development and

beliefs of Christadelphians .

“The Marquis of Wellesley”

ChristadelphiansChristadelphians– – Where did they come from?Where did they come from?

Christadelphians

In 1848 Dr Thomas visited Englandwhere he stayed for some two years,giving 13 lectures at Nottingham and 4at Glasgow, attended by about 5,000people each time. That was the measureof religious interest in those days, which

is very different now, sad tosay. As a result of theseaddresses, he published abook entitled “Elpis Israel”(the title means “The hopeof Israel”) and thecombined effect of thisbook (which is still availabletoday) and his manylectures, small groups ofbelievers began to beformed. They were knownas “ecclesias” (from the

Greek word for congregations). In 1849John Thomas spoke at Aberdeen and inthe audience was a young boy of 10years old, who slept for most of theaddress (addresses in those days werevery long, anything up to 2 hours ormore). This boy later said that he wasonly interested in the speaker’s beardand not in what was being said!

Back in America

Returning to America Dr. Thomascontinued his preaching work until 1862when the American civil war broke outand conscription to military service wasintroduced. During this period believersneeded a name which they couldpresent to the authorities in their appealfor exemption from this service. Dr.Thomas decided that “Brethren in Christ”would be a correct description and as hehad a tendency to use the original Greekhe expressed that phrase in one word –“Christadelphian”.

The name is in fact based on the twoGreek words “Christos” and “adelphos”,meaning Christ’s brethren or followers

his theological education withenthusiasm. It was not long before hewas baptized, though he then discoveredthat he had really just become a memberof the group known as “The Campbel-lites.”

As it turned out, that baptism waspremature. He had notfinished his enquiries andhe had not properlybelieved what the Bibleteaches. Baptism withoutproper belief had, he laterdiscovered, neither valuenor meaning.

The years that followed,some 15 in all, were onesthat not only includedtravels and many difficul-ties but also involved himin constant debates and discussions.The result was that he left the Campbel-lites in 1847, having already started hisown Christian magazine called “TheHerald of the Future Age.”

His close study of God’s Word, led himto understand that “we are saved byhope” (Romans 8:24), and he realisedthat he had not fully understood at thatbaptism some 14 years earlier whatconstituted the true Christian hope. Bystudying the Bible, he found out justwhat it teaches about the promises ofGod, the Kingdom of God and the natureof man – to mention just three aspectsof that hope.

Convinced he had now found theTruth, John Thomas asked a friend tobaptize him into the true hope of theGospel and so, after a journey ofdiscovery which lasted some 14 years,he found what he had been searchingfor, and he did not intend to keep thatdiscovery to himself. He promptly issueda declaration of what he believed to bethe true teaching of God’s Word.

John Thomas as a young man

18 Glad Tidings

122nd Year 19

(it is a word whichincludes men andwomen). Those words arefound in the ApostlePaul’s Epistle to theColossians, where hewrites to: “the saints andfaithful brethren in Christwho are in Colosse”(Colossians 1:2).

So the name of ourcommunity was born outof conflict. It was aroundthis time that Dr. Thomasmade a second visit toEngland, preaching and teaching invarious places, including Huddersfieldwhere he stayed with a young Christadel-phian and his wife, Robert Roberts byname. He was now 23 years old and wasthat very young boy of 10 who first heardDr. Thomas preach at Aberdeen. By nowhe was interested in much more than his beard!

Acting on the suggestionof Dr. Thomas, RobertRoberts started acommunity magazine in1864 which, five yearslater, became known as“The Christadelphian”, amonthly magazine which isstill in publication today.

The last few years of theDoctor’s life were fraughtwith ill health, as the resultof which a projected thirdvisit to England nevercame to pass for, in March

1871, Dr. Thomas fell asleep and waslaid to rest in New York Cemetery toawait the promised day of resurrection.His work was a pioneering one whichresulted in the founding of the Chris-tadelphian community.

Robert Tarrant

WWaallkkiinngg WWiitthh GGooddThink how many times we dwell uponThe things that we go through:Why certain things should happenOr ‘Is this the thing to do?’But David always had in mindGod – that He, His purpose would fulfil:So everything that happened Was ‘according to His will’.

If we go through lifeThinking – ‘God is always nearAnd is guiding all our actions’,Then we have no need to fear;We do not walk uncertainlyNor ‘with every wind be blown’For, we have the consolationThat we never walk alone.

Peggy Rawson

John Thomas, aged 64, on his thirdvisit to Britian

Local Information

Apostolic FellowshipThe Christadelphiancommunity has no paidministry, no elaborateceremonies, nor any“head of the church” orlegislative council. Eachcongregation organisesits own affairs andwherever they existthroughout the worldthey have an agreedbasis of belief, basedon Bible teaching.

Fred Pearce

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