John Thomas (Christadelphian)
Dr. John Thomas (April 12, 1805 - March 5, 1871) is generally considered to be the founder of the Christadelphian church, a Restorationist Christian church with doctrines similar in part to the 16th century Anti-Trinitarian Rationalist Socinians and the 16th century Swiss-German pacifist Anabaptists.
Early life
John Thomas M.D., born in Hoxton Square, London, on April 12th, 1805, was the son of a Dissenting minister, also named John Thomas. His family is reputed to be descended from French Huguenot refugees. His family moved frequently, as his father took up various pastorships including a congregation in London, a brief but eventful stay in northern Scotland, back to London, and then up to Chorley, Lancashire. John Thomas was a very disciplined student having taught himself Hebrew as a teenager. At the age of 16, in Chorley, he began studying medicine. His family moved back to London, but John Thomas stayed in Chorley. After two years, he returned to London continue his studies at the Guy’s and St. Thomas’s hospitals for a further three years. He trained as a surgeon and had a keen interest in chemistry and biology, publishing several learned medical articles for the Lancet, one of which argued in favour of the importance of the use of cadavers for the study of medicine (it was illegal in England to disect them at this time).
Emigration to the United States
Like many people of that era, in 1832 his father made the decision to seek fresh opportunities and emigrate to America. So it was that Dr John Thomas having few ties decided to go with his family, agreeing to go on ahead and prepare for the family. He took the opportunity to further his career and accepted an appointment as ship's surgeon on the Marquis of Wellesley which was bound from St. Katherine’s Docks, London to New York.
The ship embarked on May 1, 1832 and immediately sailed into stormy weather that lasted the whole voyage. During one ferocious storm the ship lost the top of the main mast and heavy seas stove in the bulwarks, washing everything moveable off the deck. Now well off course, the ship eventually ran into shallow water and ran aground off the coast of Nova Scotia. The ship was raised up by the waves on twelve successive occasions each time the keel striking the sea bed with such force that both crew and passengers were convinced the ship would break up.
Fearing that his life was about to end, Thomas determined to die with a prayer on his lips, prayed for mercy. He was very conscious of a void in his knowledge about what was to happen to him should he die. Thus he made a vow to dedicate his life, should he be spared, to religious study and to seeking out the truth about the matter of life and death.
Aided by a change in wind direction, the captain’s efforts to turn the ship back out to sea were successful and after one final bone-jarring grounding, the ship floated free. Thomas never forgot his vow and spent the rest of his life devoted to Bible study, determined to understand the true message of the scriptures.
Association with Alexander Campbell
The Marquis of Wellesley docked in New York and Thomas travelled on to Cincinnati, Ohio where he discovered the teachings of Alexander Campbell. After further study he eventually joined the "Restoration Movement" and in October 1832 he was baptised in the Miami Canal. Initially he became a Campbellite evangelist, spending his time travelling around the eastern States of America preaching, until eventually settling down as a preacher in Philadelphia. It was here on the 1st January 1834 that he married Ellen Hunt who became his lifelong companion and constant support throughout the trials of faith that persisted throughout his life.
Dr Thomas also wrote for and was editor of the Apostolic Advocate which first appeared in May 1834. His studies during this period of his life generated the foundation for many of the beliefs he came to espouse as a Christadelphian. However, disagreement over beliefs eventually surfaced between Alexander Campbell and Dr Thomas. Dr Thomas believed that the Bible taught the requirement for candidates to demonstrate knowledge of the scriptures before baptism and that there would be a resurrected when Jesus Christ returned. Because of these differences in belief Dr Thomas was "disfellowshipped" in 1837. However some of the Campbellite congregations agreed with his views and departed with him.
At this time the Millerite or Adventist movement was growing and in 1843 Dr Thomas was introduced to William Miller, the leader of the Millerites. He admired their willingness to question orthodox beliefs and agreed with their belief in the second coming of Christ and the founding of a millennial age upon his return. Dr Thomas continued his studies of the Bible and in 1846 travelled to New York where he gave a series of lectures covering thirty doctrinal subjects that later formed part of his book Elpis Israel (The Hope of Israel).
The birth of the Christadelphian movement
Based upon his new found understanding of the Bible, Thomas was rebaptised in 1847 and the groups of congregations and individuals who shared his beliefs continued to grow. In 1848 the movement became international when he travelled to England in order to preach what he now saw as the true gospel message. Upon his return to America Dr Thomas moved from Richmond to New York City and began to preach there. He made a point of speaking to the Jewish community because Dr Thomas had come to believe that Christianity did not replace the Law of Moses, but rather fulfilled it. He believed that Christians must though faith and baptism become the ‘seed’ of Abraham.
It was at this time that Dr Thomas and those who shared similar beliefs became known as the Royal Association of Believers. This group of believers used the term "ecclesia", a Greek word meaning church, to describe them. Instead of having a system of clergy, all the brethren took equal responsibility on a rota to take on the role of presiding and speaking during their meetings.
When in 1861 the Civil War broke out, Dr Thomas travelled to the South and became concerned that the war had placed believers upon opposing sides. However, the movement did not have an ‘official’ name until 1864. The movement as a whole considered that the war required them to make a stand for what they believed in as conscientious objectors. However, in order to be exempted from military service, it was required that believers had to belong to a recognised religious group that did not agree with participation in war. Thus in 1864, Dr. Thomas coined the name Christadelphian to identify members of the movement. The term Christadelphian comes from Greek and means ‘Brethren in Christ’. It was during the war that Dr Thomas worked on the three volumes of Eureka which discusses the meaning of the Book of Revelation.
On May 5 1868 Dr Thomas returned to England where he travelled extensively giving lecturers about the Gospel message and meeting with Christadelphians in England. During this period of his life he found extensive support and help from Robert Roberts who had been converted during a previous visit to England by Dr Thomas. Following his return to America he made one final tour of the Christadelphian congregations prior to his death on 5th March 1871 in Jersey City. He was buried in Brooklyn, New York.
Summary
The results of his labours were committed to several books one of which, Elpis Israel, sets out many of the fundamental scriptural principles believed by Christadelphians to this day. However the reader needs to note, that no Christadelphian would view Thomas as being anything more than a sincere man who was an avid student of God’s Word.
John Thomas was neither prophet nor a type of messiah. He was neither leader nor director of any movement. He was just a man determined to find out what the Bible really taught and was able to inspire others to read and study the Bible for themselves. Dr John Thomas’ one overriding belief was that it was vital for individuals not to simply accept what they are taught about the Bible, but rather to read, understand and believe the scriptures for themselves.
This example and his work is the legacy that he has left to all true ‘Christadelphians’.
References
- Peter Hemingray, John Thomas, His Friends and His Faith (2003: ISBN 81-7887-012-6)
- Charles H. Lippy, The Christadelphians in North America (Lewiston/Queenston: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989).
- Robert Roberts,Dr Thomas: His Life and Work (Birmingham: The Christadelphian, 1873)
- Bryan R. Wilson, Sects and Society: A Sociological Study of the Elim Tabernacle, Christian Science and Christadelphians (London: Heinemann, 1961; Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1961).