Unitarian Views

This document outlines the theological common ground and key distinctions between two major Biblical Unitarian fellowships: STFI (Spirit & Truth Fellowship International) and the Christadelphians. By comparing their respective statements of faith and doctrinal articles, this analysis highlights where their teachings on God, the Holy Spirit, the nature of Jesus Christ, and the mechanics of salvation align, as well as where they diverge.

Note: This comparison is specifically focused on these two fellowships and is not intended as an exhaustive survey of the wider Unitarian movement.

One God

Both fellowships point to one God, identified as the Father.

• STFI says "Yahweh alone ... one true God" and calls Him a "unitary being. The heavenly Father alone".
• Christadelphian sources likewise say "the only true God ... the ONE FATHER" and, more simply, "There is only one God".

Critique

Critics argue that God is triune (plurality in unity) rather than a unitary being, referencing passages like Genesis 1:26 ("Let us make man in our image"), Deuteronomy 6:4 (arguing echad implies compound unity), and Matthew 28:19 (baptizing "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit").

Defense

• In Deuteronomy 6:4, the word echad simply means "one" (numerical unity). Jesus affirms this absolute monotheism in Mark 12:28-34, where both he and the scribe agree God is one person (the Father).
• The plural pronoun "us" in Genesis 1:26 refers to God addressing His heavenly host or divine council (cf. 1 Kings 22:19-22; Job 38:7), not a triune Godhead, as the verbs of creation in the following verse are strictly singular.
• Matthew 28:19 lists three authorities (Father, Son, and Spirit) through which believers are baptized, but does not define them as one substance or co-equal persons. In the Book of Acts, believers are consistently baptized "in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 19:5), showing "name" refers to authority rather than a Trinitarian formula.

Holy Spirit

Both fellowships describe the Spirit as God's own power or presence, not another divine person.

• STFI says the "Holy Spirit" refers to God our heavenly Father and is "not a separate person".
• Christadelphian sources say God is "everywhere present by His Spirit", that the Holy Spirit is "God's personal power", and "not a separate person, but God's own radiant power".

Critique

Critics argue that the Holy Spirit is a distinct, co-equal person in the Godhead, citing Acts 5:3-4 (lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God) and John 14:16,26 (referring to the Spirit as a masculine "Comforter" who teaches, speaks, and guides).

Defense

• Equating the Holy Spirit with God in Acts 5:3-4 does not prove the Spirit is a separate person. The Holy Spirit is God's own active power and presence; lying to a person's spirit is lying to the person themselves (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:11).
• In John 14:16, the use of masculine pronouns ("he/him") is grammatically required to agree with the masculine Greek noun parakletos (Helper/Comforter). Personifying the Spirit as a teacher or guide is a common Semitic figure of speech, similar to personifying wisdom in Proverbs 8 or sin in Romans 5-7.
• The term "Holy Spirit" in Scripture generally refers either to God the Father Himself (who is holy and is spirit) or to the spiritual gift of His power and divine nature imparted to believers.

The Identity of Jesus

Both fellowships present Jesus as the human Son of God, not God Himself.

• STFI / BiblicalUnitarian.com describe Jesus as the "Son of God and Messiah" and the "fully human Son of God, not God the Son".
• Christadelphian sources say Jesus is "a man, not God", was "born of woman at a specific point in history", and is the "Son of God".

Critique

Critics argue that Jesus is "God the Son" possessing two co-existing natures (fully God and fully man, the hypostatic union), pointing to John 1:1 ("the Word was God"), John 20:28 (Thomas calling Jesus "My Lord and my God"), and Hebrews 1:8 ("Your throne, O God, is forever").

Defense

• Scripture maintains that there is "one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5); logically, a mediator stands between two parties and cannot be one of the parties Himself.
• In John 1:1, the "Word" (logos) refers to God's plan, purpose, or wisdom, which was with Him from the beginning and was personified. This plan became flesh (John 1:14) in the human Jesus, who came into existence at his birth.
• In John 20:28, Thomas recognizes God the Father acting in and through the resurrected Jesus (cf. John 14:9, "He who has seen me has seen the Father"). Furthermore, the word "god" (theos) is biblically applied to God's human representatives, such as kings, judges, and prophets (cf. Psalm 82:6; John 10:34-35).
• Hebrews 1:8 quotes Psalm 45:6-7, which was originally addressed to a human king of Israel who was called "god" in the sense of holding divine authority, yet clearly had a God above him ("therefore God, your God, has anointed you," Hebrews 1:9).

Pre-existence of Jesus

Both fellowships reject Jesus' personal pre-human existence.

• STFI teach that Jesus "did not personally exist prior to birth or conception", and distinguish "ideal or notional pre-existence" (existence in the plan or foreknowledge of God) from "actual pre-existence" (literal personal pre-existence).
• Christadelphian material says Jesus did not exist "as a person before Eve, Abraham, or David".

Critique

Critics argue that Jesus had a literal personal pre-existence before his birth, citing John 8:58 ("Before Abraham was, I am"), John 17:5 (the glory he had with the Father before the world began), and Colossians 1:15-17 (stating all things were created by/through him).

Defense

• Literal pre-existence conflicts with Jesus' genuine humanity, since a being who existed before conception and is immortal cannot be a real human sharing our nature.
• Jesus' egō eimi in John 8:58 is a common self-identification used by many (the blind man in John 9:9, Paul in Acts 26:29, and the disciples/Judas in Matt 26:22-25), not an exclusive divine title; the Exodus 3:14 link weakens because the Septuagint renders God's name as ho on, not egō eimi, and Jesus said Abraham saw his day and rejoiced (John 8:56), pointing to prophetic foreknowledge of his central role in God's eternal plan rather than literal pre-existence.
• The glory mentioned in John 17:5 represents "ideal" pre-existence in God's foreknowledge and plan, a concept applied to believers who were also chosen or given grace "before the foundation of the world" (cf. Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:20).
• Colossians 1:15-17 refers to the new creation (the church and the new spiritual order), not the Genesis creation, which the Old Testament states God performed alone (Isaiah 44:24).

Jesus' Sonship and Full Humanity

Both fellowships reject adoptionism and physical-divine procreation. They view Jesus as the Son of God because God miraculously initiated his life in Mary's womb (a creative act similar to Adam's creation), while he remains fully human because he was genuinely born of Mary and shared human nature.

• Rejection of Adoptionism: They explicitly reject adoptionism (the idea that Jesus was a regular human adopted by God later in life). They affirm that Jesus' personal existence and Sonship began at his conception.
• Miraculous Conception as a Creative Act: Rather than a physical or sexual procreation (which would violate the Genesis principle of reproducing "after their kind" from a human father), they view Jesus' conception as a direct, miraculous act of creation by God's power (the Holy Spirit) in Mary's womb. This directly parallels the creation of the first Adam: just as Adam was called the "son of God" (Luke 3:38; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47; Romans 5:14) because he was brought into existence directly by God's creative power without human parents, Jesus is the Son of God because God directly initiated his life as a new creative act.

However, they differ in the following ways:

• STFI: They teach that Jesus' life "began when he was conceived". They describe the conception as God placing a "perfect seed" or providing a perfect genetic contribution, making Jesus the "genetic equivalent" to the sinless Adam before the Fall, thereby bypassing the inheritance of a "sin nature" from a human father.
• Christadelphians: They say Jesus was "begotten of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit" and is the "only begotten Son of God". They emphasizing that Jesus "shared every aspect of our nature" (including our vulnerability to temptation and mortality) but remained sinless through perfect, voluntary obedience.

Critique

Critics argue that "Son of God" denotes ontological deity (possessing the same divine nature as the Father) rather than just a created or human status, referencing John 5:18 (calling God his Father was making himself equal with God) and Hebrews 7:3 (describing the Son as having "neither beginning of days nor end of life").

Defense

• In John 5:18, the claim that Jesus made himself equal with God is the hostile accusation of the Jews, not a statement by John or Jesus. Jesus immediately refutes this in John 5:19, stating, "the Son can do nothing of his own accord," asserting his complete subordination to the Father.
• In John 10:30 (cf. John 10:34-36), Jesus responds to charges of blasphemy/equality by explaining that the Scriptures call human judges "gods", and he is merely claiming to be the "Son of God" because God consecrated and sent him. The unity of the Father and Son is one of purpose and action, not of ontological substance.
• Hebrews 7:3 uses Melchizedek's literary presentation in Genesis (where his genealogy, birth, and death are unrecorded) to represent a perpetual priesthood, not to declare that Christ literally lacked a beginning.
• Furthermore, Luke 1:35 states that Jesus is called the Son of God because of the Holy Spirit's creative act in Mary's womb, which proves his sonship had a beginning.

Why Jesus' Blood and Sacrifice Saves

Both fellowships reject the idea that any random human death could save. They present Jesus as uniquely qualified because he was the sinless human Son God gave, the fitting representative of the race, and the final sacrifice.

• STFI teach that Jesus "paid for sin by sacrificing himself" as the "atoning sacrifice for the whole world". They argue that Jesus alone was fit because of his "original genetic purity" and "behavioral purity", making him the "perfect sacrifice". They also say the "payment for sin came by man" because the representative had to belong to the race that sinned, while God showed the cost of salvation by giving "his Son".
• Christadelphian sources say remission of sins comes through the "offering of the body of Jesus once for all" and that his "perfect life, sacrificial death and resurrection to immortality guarantees" victory, serving as the final "one sacrifice for sins forever". They emphasize that "Jesus did not die instead of us but he died on our behalf", and that God "condemned sin in the flesh".

Critique

Critics argue that a mere human's death cannot pay for the infinite sins of humanity; only a Savior with an infinite, divine nature (God Himself dying) could satisfy God's justice. They cite Acts 20:28 (God purchased the church "with His own blood").

Defense

• The Bible states that sin entered through one man, and justification must come through one man (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21). The representative had to be a genuine human because the law demands a human life for human sin. An immortal God cannot die (1 Timothy 6:16).
• Jesus' sacrifice is of supreme value because he is the sinless, uniquely begotten Son of God who rendered perfect, voluntary obedience.
• God showed His love not by dying Himself, but by giving His beloved Son as a sacrifice.
• In Acts 20:28, many ancient Greek manuscripts read "the church of the Lord" rather than "church of God," or the phrase can be translated as "purchased with the blood of His own Son".

The "Spirit of Jesus" and "Spirit of Christ"

Both fellowships can speak of "spirit of Christ" in ways tied to Christ's mind, character, or activity, without requiring a separate spirit from God's Spirit.

• STFI notes that after the resurrection, Jesus is occasionally referred to as "the Spirit" and explain that the "spirit of Christ" is called such because it is associated with or foretells of Christ, not because there are separate, distinct spirits.
• Christadelphian sources treat the "Spirit of God", "Spirit of Christ", and "Christ in you" as similar in meaning. They explain that having the "spirit of Christ" means displaying a "Christ-like spirit" and sharing "Christ's thinking" (Romans), while the "spirit of His Son" sent into our hearts refers to the "spirit (mind) of Christ" (his obedient love) being fashioned in believers (Galatians). They also treat the "Spirit of Jesus" in Acts as equivalent to the Holy Spirit in that context, showing Christ's active involvement in guiding early believers (Philippians).

Critique

Critics argue that interchanging the "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ" proves that Jesus is God and co-equal with the Father, sharing His divine essence and omnipresence, referencing Romans 8:9 ("Spirit of God" / "Spirit of Christ") and Galatians 4:6 ("Spirit of His Son").

Defense

• The Spirit is called the "Spirit of Christ" because Christ is the one through whom God pours it out onto the church (Acts 2:33), and because it is the power that produces the mind and character of Christ in believers (cf. Philippians 2:5). It does not mean Jesus is a separate person of a Trinity.
• In Romans 8:9 and Galatians 4:6, the terms are used to show that the same gift of holy spirit connects believers both to God the Father and to His Son Jesus Christ, fashioning the obedient mind of the Son in them.

Jesus' Role Today

Both fellowships present the risen Jesus as reigning under God and now helping believers come to God by standing between God and man as high priest and intercessor.

• STFI says Jesus "currently reigns as God's regent king and vicegerent". REV/STFI also says he is the one "between" God and people, serving a priestly role by interceding for us so that through him believers can approach God openly.
• Christadelphian sources say Jesus was "exalted to the heavens as priestly mediator between God and man" and is "mediator and high priest", who opened the way to God and "makes intercession for erring brethren".

Critique

Critics argue that for Jesus to rule as King, judge all people, and intercede for millions of believers simultaneously in heaven, he must possess the incommunicable attributes of deity (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence). They cite Hebrews 1:3 (Jesus is "upholding all things by the word of His power") and Revelation 5:13 (equal praise and worship given to God and the Lamb).

Defense

• Jesus' authority is delegated by the Father, not inherent. Matthew 28:18 states: "All authority... has been given to me." If Jesus were God, he could not be given authority, as he would already possess it. He acts as God's regent.
• Sitting at God's right hand in Hebrews 1:3 proves he is subordinate and distinct from the "Majesty" Himself. The phrase "upholding all things" refers to Christ sustaining the new creation/order by God's delegated authority.
• In Revelation 5:13, the Lamb is praised together with "Him who sits on the throne," but they are clearly distinguished. Furthermore, the Lamb is praised because he was slain (Revelation 5:9) — an act that is ontologically impossible for God, who is immortal.

Believers' Interaction With Jesus Today

The shared sourced pattern is God-centred worship with Jesus as mediator and Lord to be followed and obeyed. The mediation language here describes believers approaching God through Christ, especially where sin and confession are in view, rather than Jesus persuading an unwilling God.

Both sets of sources say God alone is God, Jesus is the "one mediator" between God and believers, and Christians obey, follow, remember, and serve Jesus (BiblicalUnitarian.com; Christadelphia belief; BASF; Commandments of Christ).

The clearest sourced difference: STFI sources explicitly allow prayer to Jesus, while the Christadelphian material stresses prayer to God through Christ rather than directly addressing Jesus.

• STFI sources add that one "can pray to Jesus, but does not have to". They still present the Father as the chief focus, while Jesus now serves in an active mediatorial role (What Do Biblical Unitarians Believe?; What Is Jesus Christ Doing Now?).
• Christadelphian sources emphasise approach to God "through Christ". Their prayer and praise language is centred on God, while Jesus is followed, obeyed, memorialised, and served (belief; BASF; command.php).

Critique

Critics argue that believers must pray directly to Jesus and worship him as God, citing Acts 7:59 (Stephen calling out to Jesus during his stoning: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit") and 1 Corinthians 1:2 (believers are those who "call upon the name of our Lord Jesus").

Defense

• Jesus consistently instructed his disciples to direct their prayers to the Father alone (Matthew 6:9; John 16:23).
• Stephen's exclamation in Acts 7:59 was a unique event where he had a direct vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56). He spoke to Jesus because he saw him face-to-face, not as a standard practice of prayer to an unseen deity.
• "Calling upon the name" of Christ in 1 Corinthians 1:2 is a biblical idiom for invoking Christ's authority, identifying as his follower, or seeking his mediation, not an instruction for prayer or worship.
• Biblical Unitarians emphasize that while we acknowledge Jesus' active role, our ultimate prayers and worship belong to the Father through the Son.