1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

"The Latter Days"

One‮ ‬cause‮ ‬of‮ ‬error‮ ‬in‮ ‬the‮ ‬interpretation‮ ‬of‮ ‬the‮ ‬apostles‮ ‬has‮ ‬been‮ ‬the‮ ‬confounding‮ ‬of‮ "‬the‮ ‬latter‮ ‬days‮" ‬with‮ "‬the‮ ‬last‮ ‬days.‮"

These‮ ‬are‮ ‬two‮ ‬distinct,‮ ‬or‮ ‬separate,‮ ‬and‮ ‬very‮ ‬remote,‮ ‬periods‮ ‬of‮ ‬time.‮ ‬A‮ ‬course‮ ‬of‮ ‬centuries‮ ‬intervenes‮ ‬which‮ ‬keeps‮ ‬them‮ ‬as‮ ‬distinct‮ ‬as‮ ‬the‮ ‬north‮ ‬and‮ ‬south‮ ‬poles‮ ‬of‮ ‬earth.

‎‮ ‬Nearly‮ ‬eighteen‮ ‬hundred‮ ‬years‮ ‬have‮ ‬elapsed‮ ‬since‮ ‬the‮ ‬termination‮ ‬of‮ "‬the‮ ‬last‮ ‬days‮;" ‬and‮ ‬we‮ ‬await‮ ‬only‮ ‬the‮ ‬further‮ ‬lapse‮ ‬of‮ ‬about‮ ‬five‮ ‬or‮ ‬six‮ ‬years‮ ‬till‮ ‬we‮ ‬arrive‮ ‬at‮ ‬the‮ ‬beginning‮ ‬of‮ "‬the‮ ‬latter‮ ‬days.‮"

The‮ ‬phrase‮ ‬in‮ ‬the‮ ‬original‮ ‬is‮ ‬běacharith hayyahmim,‭ ‬in the end of the days.‭" ‬That is,‭ ‬there are certain days appointed,‭ ‬such as,‭ "‬a time,‭ ‬times,‭ ‬and a half time,‭ ‬42‭ ‬months or‭ ‬1260‭ ‬days,‭ ‬and‭ ‬1335‭ ‬days—Dan.‭ ‬12:7,‭ ‬12,‭ ‬7:22‭; ‬Rev.‭ ‬11:2.‭

These days are concurrent with‭ "‬the times of the Gentiles,‭" ‬during which the twelve tribes of Israel,‭ ‬and those adopted into Israel's commonwealth through Jesus,‭ ‬are prevailed against by the little horn power of the East and West.‭

Until these days are expended,‭ ‬there is no redemption for Israel and the saints.‭ ‬But when those days are expired,‭ ‬an‭ ‬end will have been attained,‭ ‬which is styled‭ "‬the end of the days,‭" ‬but in the English version‭ "‬the latter days.‭"

‭"‬The last days‭" ‬were the‭ "‬days of vengeance‭" ‬upon the Jewish people and rulers of the forty-second generation‭; ‬but‭ "‬the latter days‭" ‬are the days of the restitution of all things pertaining to Israel and the saints,‭ ‬as all the prophets from Moses have foreshown.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Aug 1859

Perilous Times

"This know also that in the last days, perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, and some shall depart from the faith, . . . speaking lies in hypocrisy."

Doubtless, these words referred to the apostacy which was incipiently active amongst the ecclesias in the days of Paul, and which attained final development in the establishment of the Papal abomination some centuries afterward; but there does not lack reason for believing that the same experience will, to a certain extent, befal the latter-day revival of the truth.

Flesh and blood is the same, and under similar circumstances, will manifest itself identically. Israel was true to God

"all the days of Joshua and of the elders that overlived Joshua."—(Judges 2:7.)

A remnant of the brotherhood remained faithful while the apostles lived: but after they disappeared from the scene, speculation, lukewarmness and disobedience took the place of faith, zeal, and submission to God, and soon brought forth the Man of Sin.

In our day, the truth has been brought to light by Dr. Thomas. Now he is dead, and many who continued in the faith so long as he was alive, have begun within so short a time as two years and a half, to wander far out of the way, under the guidance of one or two who cause to err from the words of knowledge. It was the leaders of the people that caused Israel to err. It is so now.

"One sinner destroyeth much good;"

especially if he be a clever sinner and have acquired influence with the people

The Christadelphian, Dec 1873

Perilous Times

Then we have our Renunciationist friends with their good flesh, their "life" that can be condemned or uncondemned apart from the flesh; their immaculate Christ and immaculate conception; their Jesus with no God in him to do the appointed work, but a "sheer determination" of unaccounted origin; their ignoring of the Eternal Spirit as the offerer of the spotless Lamb, &c., &c.

Another class would wink at immortal — soulism; another would discard the judgment from the category of first principles; another would admit the monster-devil of paganism; a fourth would make morals of no account in a saint; another would have Christ a mere man; another that he was the son of Joseph; still another, that he was the "eternal son."

In fact, there is no element of the truth that has not a secret enemy in some who profess friendship for it as a whole. If they were all to have their way, there would be no truth left. The times are perilous. There is but one safe position, and in that we mean by the favour of God, to entrench ourselves "for better or for worse" viz., the whole truth as brought to light by Dr. Thomas.

A brick displaced loosens the building. We understand the structure of the edifice. We yield not a slavish deference to the judgment of Dr. Thomas; but we rejoice to be able to see that by the grace of God, he exhumed for us the whole truth; and for this we shall stand till death or the Lord's coming end the fight. This is our "platform:" here we shall be found or not at all.

The Christadelphian, Dec 1873

I used to think Dr. Thomas too severe and too suspicious. It is the mistake of all children till bitter experience makes them finally aware of the sort of world they are living in.

My days and my ways Ch 26.

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The form of godliness

If seed is put into the earth, and does not germinate, it has no power in the soil. It is powerless, and at last succumbs to corruption. This is a simile employed by Jesus himself, in reference to the word: the word is seed: our minds are soil: if the seed does not bring forth the results intended, we have the form without the power.

As a rule, the failure of seed to germinate is due to some defect in the seed: in other cases the seed is good, but some one or more of the conditions necessary to its fructification are wanting. There is a lack of moisture, or the ground is too hard, or it is not sufficiently covered with soil.

In the case of the seed of the word, there is no defect in the seed: failure in fructification must be due altogether to the surrounding conditions. These conditions are most of them subject to control.

The quality of the soil cannot be altered: a man cannot by an act of will change himself at the start from being what he is, as regards natural capacity and proclivity, but he can regulate the external conditions which at last even affect the constitution of the mental soil to some extent.

A piece of poor ground well cultivated will show a fair result, and even improve in quality, where good soil left untended will yield a crop of weeds, and deteriorate in its own constitution. The parallel in the case of mental tillage is perfect.

Bro Roberts - Danger, Seasons 1: 37.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

This sort

As to the incapability of a woman being reasoned into transgression by a brute beast, we are every day familiar with the contrary. Man that is in honour and does not understand the word has no pre-eminence over a beast. This is the doctrine of Scripture. He is as an ass or a serpent, whether performing in a pulpit, a temple, a mosque, or in the private walks of life.

The folly that hisses from their mouths is but the teaching of the serpent less speciously expressed than in the beginning; so that it is not a question of principles and brains, but of external configuration, that establishes an apparent difference between them and

"their father who abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him" (John 8:44).

These "natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed," serpent-like, speak evil of the things that they understand not.

They reason them into transgression of the word, and into self-satisfaction and contentment in sin, as effectually as their father did the mother of all living.

Eureka 12.14.

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This being the case in Paul's day we need not be surprised, that it is the general rule now. The Spirit daguerreotyped the word of the kingdom by apostolic agency much more quickly upon some fleshy plates than upon others.

The Spirit was effective, and the agency good, yet both often failed, because of the extremely corroded condition of the plates; and their consequent insusceptibility of polish.

But in our day, the Spirit is inoperative; the agency decidedly bad and inefficient; and the plates rust eating, soft, and intensely dim.

The daguerreotyping power of the Spirit is still in the word; but it is not read, and where read, it effects but little, because the plates, or tables, of the heart, are dimmed by other impressions.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, May 1856.

As to not admitting articles hostile to the Christadelphian views of the truth, we must leave the discontented to grumble, and, if such be their mind, to turn somewhere else for the gratification of their polemical propensities.

We have a definite purpose in view, to which, for years, we have subordinated everything. That purpose grows stronger with time. That purpose is to advance the truth. We are convinced what this is. We seek to persuade others of it. If anybody will help us in this, we are glad of their co-operation, but we decline to throw open our pages to indiscriminate "discussion," which is the delight of the class who are

"ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

We have no objections to answer hostile arguments, or harmonize apparent discrepancies. This, indeed, we are always anxious to do for the sake of the honest objectors, "feeling their way;" but to make the Christadelphian a debating magazine is not within the scheme of our policy.

There is a great and serious work in hand—the development, upbuilding, encouragement, and purification of believers in the truth—and to this work we seek to stick as closely as possible, doing everything that will promote it, and avoiding everything that would weaken or obstruct it.

Those who demur to this narrow line of action have nothing to complain of. We are only exercising the prerogative of a private individual. If they don't agree with it, let them strike out a course of their own.

Editor.

The Christadelphian July 1870

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

This is human nature to the life.

It always sympathises with the perverters and corrupters of the truth to the condemnation of those who would vindicate it.‭

I know this by experience‭; ‬for there is not a principle or element of truth now rejoiced in by Christadelphians,‭ ‬and brought out by my instrumentality,‭ ‬that has not in time past brought ridicule,‭ ‬reproach and condemnation upon myself while engaged in its advocacy and vindication.‭ ‬..‭ ‬The great desideratum in this superficial generation of ours is,

‭ "the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

‭ If this had more currency, we should have fewer difficulties and vain imaginations among professors to deplore. Men would know Jesus Christ, and be able to comprehend

‭ "the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," "the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

We should neither hear of a mortal high-priest with corruptible blood in the skies‭; ‬nor of a Christ that had no existence till six months after the birth of John the immerser,‭ ‬nor of a Christ that did not die,‭ ‬nor could.‭ ‬I have no sympathy with any of these traditions.‭ ‬They are no part of the Christadelphianism taught and advocated by me.

The Christadelphian, October 1870

10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Paul's Mind

"Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience."

We cannot so fully know these things as Timothy who had the advantage of personal intercourse; but we may know them with wonderful fulness if we act on the advice he gave to Timothy.

"Give attendance to reading-meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them."

What we have to do is to transfer the ideas that are enshrined in Paul's letters to our own minds. This is what he enjoins:

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly."

"Put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him."

We shall have to be very determined in following this bent, for we shall have very little help from the people around - even from many who are called brethren. We shall even encounter obstacles. It is not only that our own minds need dragooning, as it were, in spiritual directions, because of the native aversion of the ignorant mind of the flesh to divine thoughts, but among many with whom we may be thrown in contact, we shall have to fight against the passive resistance of friends which is sometimes more chilling and obstructive to spiritual life than contradiction.

On what is this passive resistance founded - this want of relish for divine things? It is founded on unbelief. No man heartily believing the testimony of Paul could show the indifference and aversion that are prevalent in modern society towards the mighty matters he had in hand. Belief always produces its logical effect in minds not absolutely insane. We have therefore to resist the influence of all manner of people who are dead towards Paul's matters, but who are wonderfully alive to the "things that are seen."

They would drag us to worship at their carnal shrines. We say, No; we believe in Jesus who appeared to Paul, and therefore accept the manner and aims of life growing out of that, which are totally different from those that are congenial to the children of the flesh.

Jesus had to ask the question: "Who is my mother and my brethren?" when his natural mother and brethren were pressed upon his attention. He had to define the relationship that he would own:

"Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same is my mother and sister and brother."

So Paul had to say,

"I know no man after the flesh."

Like causes produce like effects. The Truth that reigned in Jesus and Paul, when reigning in men in the 19th century, will render them equally independent of the relationship of the flesh, and equally unintelligible to those who judge after the flesh.

Seasons 2.74

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

In the days of the first seal [AD 96-183], the New Man of the spirit was healthy, vigorous, and formidable to the Old Man of the Flesh; who ruled in the Pagan Church and State, as he does now in all the Churches and States of what he ignorantly calls "Christendom." The conflict between the two was very earnest and bloody. Many lives or souls were ruthlessly precipitated under the altar, while many of the Old Serpent-Man's adherents fell from their allegiance, and became incorporated in the New Man.

But, in this sanguinary strife all the desertions were not from the party of the Serpent; many relaxed their hold upon the Lamb, fell into the ranks of the enemy, and became, either implacable adversaries, or perverters of the truth, who pretended to have found a common ground, on which Jew, philosopher, vulgar Pagan, and christian might meet in the fellowship of the same essential opinions.

Sects, formed of the factions who had become impatient of the restraints of the truth, had greatly multiplied. The seed sown in the first century by the seducers, evil men, and false prophets, of whom we read so much in the New Testament, was now in vigorous growth; multiplied, varied, complicated, and refined by endless subtleties and fancies, in which the poverty of taste and genius discovered itself abundantly.

There were at the time of the closing of the period of the first seal and the opening of the second, two classes among the professed adherents of the New Man, whose opposite characteristics were becoming daily more distinct. The one may be regarded as the vital and wholesome element of the man himself -- Christadelphians; those who held fast the Spirit's Name, and had not denied His faith; and those of the Balaam class, who held the teaching of the Nikolaitans, or Gnostics, and were multiplying considerably.

Instead of holding fast the Spirit's Name, they were developing what in history is called the Arnestitheos apostasia, or Deity-denying apostasy, which affirmed that "Christ was no more than a man."

The Spirit's Name was the Father by his spirit manifested in Sin's Flesh begotten and born, not of the will of man, but by his own creative energy, as was Adam the first: but, to say, that he was no more than a man, was to affirm, that he was begotten of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man; which was to lay the basis of a name which the spirit not only will not recognize, but one which he hates.

These Gnostics also, while they claimed the name of christian, denied the Spirit's faith, as do "the names and denominations" of modern times. These Nikolaitan sects amused and stultified themselves with the discussion of the merest trifles; such as, the proper time of the observance of Easter; the pretended prophetical illuminations of fanatics, and the questions agitated by the Eclectics of Egypt.

These sects were "the Mystery of Iniquity" working under the name of christians; the Synagogue of the Satan that aggravated greatly the difficulties of the genuine elements of the New Man in that department of his work, the "taking out from among the Gentiles a people for the Spirit's Name." Still, out of the evil of these sects some good was extracted. They became a numerous and powerful political party, which eventually acquired sufficient strength to contend with the pagan party sword in hand and to expel it from "the heaven" of the Roman world.

While they had denied the Spirit's name and faith by their traditions, they still contended against the idolatry of the Gentiles; and in this contention they were, doubtless, very successful. The Christadelphians or true believers, and the heretics called Christians combined were too much for the heathen in their argument against their gods, and the worship with which they honored them; so that the New Man, notwithstanding all the discouragements which afflicted him on the right hand and on the left, still went on "conquering" under this second seal "that he might conquer" under the sixth, when his brethren and fellow servants who were to be slain should be filled up.

Eureka 6.2.

Deceiving and being deceived

Nothing new in the history of the truth.‭ ‬No error ever yet established a footing without its being made,‭ ‬in clever hands,‭ ‬to have a strong semblance to the truth.‭

When God gave the early ecclesias over to strong delusion,‭ ‬that they might believe a lie,‭ ‬because of their want of love for the truth which they had,‭ ‬they thought the lie they believed was the truth.‭ ‬It could have been shown to be a lie,‭ ‬but the preachers would not come to the light that their deeds might be manifest.‭

So it is now.‭ ‬The purveyors of heresy will not submit to the test.‭ ‬They only succeed by working under cover.‭ ‬God preserve all faithful hearts from the snare.

The Christadelphian, Dec 1873

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Concerning the Scriptures,‭ ‬Paul informs us that‭ "‬All scripture is given by inspiration of God,‭ ‬and is profitable,‭" ‬etc.‭ (‬2‭ ‬Tim.‭ iii. ‬16‭)‬.‭

This statement is very simple,‭ ‬and,‭ ‬if a common sense interpretation be admitted,‭ ‬will fortify us against the many faith-destroying contentions that beset us on every side.‭ ‬We will not stay to emphasise the fact that a God-inspired writing must be wholly true.‭ ‬This truth is too palpable.‭

The apostle says that‭ "‬all scripture is given by inspiration.‭" ‬This precludes any exception being made in the productions to which he alludes.‭ ‬What writings are these‭? ‬The previous verse‭ (‬15‭) ‬gives the answer.

‭"‬From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures‭"

‭—‬the scriptures which were at that time in the hands of the Jews,‭ ‬and were regarded by them as‭ "‬holy.‭" ‬These writings comprised what is known to us as the Old Testament.‭ ‬Josephus shows this,‭ ‬and there is no reason to doubt the fact.

Bro AT Jannaway

TC 05/1899

Search the Scriptures, for in them are contained the words of eternal life, and these are they which testify regarding the Christ; and all Scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Therefore let the word of God dwell in us richly, and every one prove his own work, that he may have rejoicing in himself and not in another, for every man shall bear his own burden.

Every facility which can legitimately be brought to render the investigation of Scripture as easy as the subject will admit of, cannot be too extensively known. Many persons have a great deal of Scripture in their memories which exists as mere verbiage,—they fail to compare Scripture with Scripture—don't collate so as to eliminate the truth, and consequently miss the prime object of Scriptural study—to know what is the mind of the Spirit.

In many instances this arises not so much from a wilful perversion of the word as from the inability to see the truth in a connected form, caused either by the want of a talent to classify and arrange portions of holy writ, lying apart, or from a defective education in youth.

In the hope that every little may be in some measure successful in helping to contend against the delusive fallacy of "Spiritualizing," and helping some one to use the sword of the Spirit in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints, I transcribe the following, which, if you think worthy, you may give a place in the Herald, that unflinching advocate of "the truth." Fraternally in the one hope,

James Foreman.

Rules of Interpretation and Directions for Investigating the Scriptures

First. Let the Bible define and explain its own terms, figures and symbols.

Second. Give every passage a literal construction, unless its own connection and phraseology render such a course absurd, by bringing it into collision with truths elsewhere established by positive language.

Third. The proper connection of any given passage is not always that with which it stands immediately connected, but those bearing on the same subject found recorded anywhere in the Scriptures. Select all these texts from where they stand, put them together and you will have all the truth revealed on that subject.

Fourth. All passages belonging to any particular subject must contain one or more of the peculiar features of that subject, by which it may be identified as belonging to that subject.

Fifth. The truth in relation to any doctrine must be established by those passages which speak of it in positive and unequivocal language, and those texts belonging to the same subject but which only admit of inferential testimony, no inference should be drawn from them at variance with the truths already established by positive texts.

Sixth. No doctrine should be predicated upon mere inference, neither upon one isolated text of Scripture. Any true doctrine will be found interspersed through the whole Bible.

Rules for Studying the Scriptures

First. In any doctrine taught by types or shadows, the anti-type must always correspond with the type, and the shadow with the substance.

Second. In studying the Scriptures, consider that the New Testament is a commentary on the Old.

Third. Never be afraid of results to which you may be driven by your investigations, as this will inevitably bias your mind and disqualify you to arrive at ultimate truth.

Fourth. Investigate everything you believe: if it is the truth, it cannot be injured thereby; if error, the sooner it is corrected the better.

Fifth. Pursue this course with as much independence as if you were the only one concerned.

Sixth. Rely on no authority less than divine in so momentous an undertaking.

Prove all things: Hold fast that which is good.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Aug 1859