The Unique Position of Bro. John Thomas

When brethren and sisters are sometimes heard questioning the worth of traditional Christadelphian values and beliefs we should note the voice of the Spirit which exhorts us: "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." (Rev. 3:3).

The Christadelphian community has "received and heard" as a result of the work done by Brother John Thomas over 100 years ago. This is a fact of our history, and as such, introduces a principle that we do well to recognize.

Brother Thomas was the chosen instrument through which the apostolic faith was to be revived in the last days. Consider the Bible principle:

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." - Psalm 127:1.

Brother Thomas's work was not in vain; it has borne fruit for over a century in leading men and women to embrace the Hope of Israel. Brother Robert Roberts once wrote:

"I have said with sincerity and will say, perhaps, many times over again, because they are the words of sober truth - that God has revived the Truth in our age by Dr. Thomas and that the best work a man can put his hand to, in this age, is to defend that work against all the assaults, whether the open antagonism of those who call the Truth "blasphemy", or the insidious attacks involved in theories that make the Word of God of none effect". (Quoted from "Christadelphian Treasury", page 246, by Bro. F. G. Jannaway).

To deny these facts of our history is not only a refusal to submit to the Spirit's voice in Revelation 3:3, but it is also tantamount to saying that the Truth's existence today is the mere product of chance. No true Christadelphian could possibly accept such absurdity as that!

Christ's Servants in Darkness?

The Truth which God has revived in this age through Bro. Thomas's instrumentality, includes a detailed understanding of the book of Revelation. Certainly, it would seem incongruous that if Christadelphians have held the Truth for over a century, that these "servants" have not properly understood the meaning of the Apocalypse - for it was given to show them the things that were coming to pass!

Consider just how many Christadelphians must have studied, tried, and tested Brother Thomas's exposition during the past 100 years - has it really taken until now to realise that these conclusions are fundamentally wrong? Do we really think that God has kept his people in ignorance about Jesus' testimony to the ecclesias for over 100 years? Such a view is both unreasonable and unscriptural: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants . . ." Amos. 3:7.

That Brother Thomas correctly understood the Apocalypse over a century ago is borne out by the fulfillment of what we find predicted throughout his exposition. His anticipations have been well justified. It is sad - nay, a tragedy - that a generation of Christadelphians is now rising which is almost totally ignorant of what he actually wrote.

The Right Method of Interpretation

Many of those who now advance their own theories as being suitable replacements for Eureka, claim that they are seeking truth, and that they desire "A Biblical Approach" (Such is the title chosen by Bro. H. A. Whittaker for his ideas). Bro. Peter Watkins has claimed that "the Bible is indeed its' own interpreter" (page 27 of his book), and Bro. A. D. Norris through correspondence in The Christadelphian magazine (May, 1981, page 189) appeals for a "careful analysis of the teaching of Scripture" in place of what he sees as "emotional appeals".

This is mere assertion and proves nothing. It does not seem to occur to them that Bro. Whittaker's "Biblical Approach" produces a somewhat different result from Bro. Watkins' use of the Bible as it's own interpreter - or that both of these arrive at different conclusions from those produced by Bro. Norris's "careful analysis of the teaching of Scripture."

The reason why these witnesses do not agree is because they do not make use of the basic principle involved in interpreting the book of Revelation. It must be obvious that their approach ("Let scripture interpret scripture" is the frequent plea) cannot guarantee an arrival at truth - Evangelicals, Jehovah's Witnesses and Roman Catholics all claim a scriptural approach - and they produce numerous cross-references in proof thereof. Each of these produce different results from one another.

When Paul wrote to Timothy of the "workman that needeth not to be ashamed" (2nd Epistle, Chap. 2:15), he did not merely counsel study. Nor did he simply advise study of the word. He taught that the word of God should be rightly divided. Anything else is "profane and vain babblings."

So with the book of Revelation, we must rightly divide the word of Truth. In other words, there must be a perfect harmony maintained with other parts of the Bible and consequently with the doctrines and spirit of the Truth ("the Scripture cannot be broken" - John 10:35; c/p Isa. 8:20).

Go to: Chapter 4: A Look At Some Prominent Alternatives