Trinity
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The doctrine of the Trinity
In the modern Trinitarian doctrine, God exists as three persons but it is said in that doctrine that they are one being, having a single divine nature.
The members of the Trinity within that basic doctrine are said to be co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will.
The rhetoric of this often dogmatic definition is in essence saying that each of the members of that divine triad are separate personalities that are distinct, yet are in a perfect unified alliance, agreement, and accord.
The idea of this monotheistic union is not as mysterious as it is unfathomable and even inscrutable. The would be true if for no other reason but because of the incomprehensible nature of an infinite Creator God by a finite mind. It would be reasonable to assume because of the limited capacity of the mind of the created person of man.
God is Spirit and man had the spirit of God breathed into him to give him life. And the God gave man a tree of knowledge that was not to be a source of understanding and also the tree of life so the he might receive the revelations of His Holy Spirit.
To know and comprehend God the Father, who is also identified as God the Creator, and know Jesus who is called the Son of God and who is the Christ i.e. the King of the Kingdom of God according to the order of Melchisedec, and the Holy Spirit who is receivable as the Comforter for all believers.
To say you "believe" in the "Trinity" almost does the idea of this concept a disservice. To say it while doing contrary to the directives of God and Christ is alive and betrayal.
To then require other to repeat the words of that proclamation of belief in Trinity without understanding the basic doctrine of Jesus nor true repentance required by Christ, and manifesting the evidence of seeking His kingdom and righteousness is a denial of the purpose, precepts, and practices of Christ.
Not Explicit
The New Testament contains no explicit "trinitarian doctrine" nor did Jesus expound upon a subject under the heading of ""Trinity"".
There is definitely "God the Father"[1], the Son of God[2], and of course the Holy Spirit[3][4]. They are certainly described in ways that would suggest they are different persons but there are little reasons to think they are in conflict as to their individual will which would be the ine existing "Will of God".
But inferred
However, many modern Christian theologians, apologists, and philosophers hold that the doctrine of the trinity can be inferred from what the New Testament is said to teach about God.
This of course would take people into the area of private interpretation rather than direct teachings of Christ, which is the Doctrine of Jesus.
For this reason and others those who emphasize the doctrine of the Trinity are often following the error of Balaam which has been a part of the apostasy of Constantine from the of his church.
Controversy
While discussion of any doctrine may have a place among Christians who are faithful to the Christ there should be no private interpretation that should be allowed to distract the individual from, nor displace, nor undermine the essential Doctrine of Jesus.
There is a pathway of thinking that may seem to be benign, but it may cause the mind to accept conflict as a natural state. The seemingly benign conflict may cover other more injurious, detrimental, even degenerative conflicts that take up residence deeper in the mind.
It has been said that "He who denies the Trinity loses his soul; he who tries to explain the Trinity loses his mind."
The idea that three persons are one individual or one is divided into three parts but remains one is by its nature a conflicting idea. Is there conflict in the nature or ideas of God?
Should the idea of God present or bring conflict?
Should it bring confusion, or peace?[5] Or was confusion brought in to cover a real conflict with Christ?
Was there something creeping in with the formation of the trinity doctrines?
The term
The word 'trinity' appears nowhere in the Bible; the Trinity as a doctrine was instituted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE after years of debate. It was an attempt to articulate Christianity's belief in the oneness of God with their claims about Jesus and their experiences of the spirit.
The term trinity is from the Latin trinus, meaning "threefold"and may profess that there is one God, but three eternal and consubstantial persons (aspects of character and personality) identified as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
While, the first of the early Church Fathers to be recorded using the word "Trinity" was Theophilus of Antioch writing in the late 2nd century.[6]
In his writing about Genesis chapters 1–3, Theophilus expresses the Trinity as follows:
- "In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His wisdom."
But this statement of Theophilus was not what became a "doctrine of the Trinity" until the church writer Tertullian (AD 160–225) began the first application of the term Trinity to explain something about the Nature of God or is not.
Tertullian a proponent of the Nicene doctrine originated new theological concepts and the term "Trinity" advanced the development of this new doctrine. He is the first writer in Latin known to use the term trinity (Latin: trinitas).[7]
"The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost [are] three … not in condition, but in degree; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in aspect; yet of one substance, and of one condition, and of one power, inasmuch as He is oneheresies6" God, from whom these degrees and forms and aspects are reckoned, under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Tertullian [8]
In the "Against Heresy" there is expressing 6 heresies[9] that were creating conflict.[10]
We must reference the term "trinity" in relation to Tertullian because Jesus never mentioned the term "trinity" itself.
Tertullian is not insisting people must "believe in" any of the the different doctrines concerning the Trinity but he is saying we need to not "deny" God the Father, His obedient Son, nor the Holy Spirit which is consistently the same where ever it listeth.
Tertullian is simply saying you cannot deny one without denying them all because he sees them as all in agreement.
Whatever Tertullian means by the the term is a matter of speculation or conjecture.
What does it mean to deny the "trinity"?
Does it mean to deny a doctrinal ideology?
Tertullian is simply saying you cannot deny one without denying them all because he sees them as all in agreement.
Which brings me to ask why do you think people can be "united" by believing in something Jesus never mentioned, the "trinity" deny the very things he directed and even commanded.
Certainly there is someone we identify as God who has a personality that includes that of a Father, Creator, law maker, and "ruling judge" which is the definition of the Hebrew and Greek terms we translated into the word "God" or "gods".
Jesus had the personality of an obedient son, loving brother, and a sacrificing husband.
The Holy Spirit would include the spirit or life of the Father and Son for the purpose of comforting us. It is like the tree of life in the garden when man walked with God.
We can all be fathers, sons, and comforters (or mothers, daughters etc.).
We can all be givers of life, self sacrificing, if we let the Holy Spirit dwell within us. If anyone deny or reject any aspect of the personality and character of the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit in our life and soul, though we say we believe in the "Trinity" he "loses his soul" as Tertullian professed.
It is a strong delusion to think "religion" is what you "think" about "God" or the "Trinity".
For centuries the word "religion" was the "performance of a duty". If you refuse or deny the "performance of that duty to God" imposed by the righteousness of the Spirit of the Father and Son you deny all.
Three in the Bible
Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
This one of the verses that have propagated the doctrines of the "Trinity" that seems to have divided rather than united people who say they want to "follow" Christ.
If we just read the rest of the sentence, Jesus explains his doctrines on these three personalities of "the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".
Matthew 28:20 "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Jesus is not talking about water "Baptism". Jesus never did water baptizing and Matthew explained His form of baptism by reporting what "John the Baptist" explained about it in Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:"
Again his explanation is continued in the rest of the sentence, 12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
This is a metaphor speaking of the separation of the wheat from the chaff on the threshing floor. The wind of His fan or spirit of His way comes with the "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you".
The chaff is burned because it contains the weed seeds that grow up amongst the wheat, which represents the true followers of Christ.
It seems counterproductive to require everyone to state they believe in something that they do not understand and according to what Tertullian says, "he who tries to explain the Trinity loses his mind."
It also seems a bit hypocritical to press the issue of requiring people to say they believe in "the Trinity" when Jesus never even mentioned the term and those often do have clearly neglected in the actual instructions, if not failed the people all together by not "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever" he has commanded us.
Elements of conflict
"He who denies the Trinity loses his soul; he who tries to explain the Trinity loses his mind."
The idea that three persons are one individual or one is divided into three parts but remains one is by its nature a conflicting idea.
Is there conflict in the nature or ideas of God?
Does He bring confusion or peace?[5]
Was there something creeping in with the formation of the trinity doctrines?
Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term describing the uncomfortable tension that may result from having two conflicting thoughts at the same time.
Requiring an individual to accept conflicting ideas as the truth opens the doorway of the mind to other conflicting ideas without mental reservation.
Three elements
Leon Festinger’s theory identified three primary triggers, or causes, of cognitive dissonance which have been listed as forced compliance, decision-making, and effort.:
Induced acceptance or coerced verbal compliance sets in motion an internal motivation to mentally justify the acceptance of an idea. That mental rational will override any right reason or fact that conflicts with the original acceptance, which feeds a cycle of conflict, guilt, and additional justification.
Choice justification must be counted as a positive and therefore good. This will mean that any rejection of the choice that is labeled good or true must be counted as negative or evil. Individuals evaluate the chosen alternative more positively and must as a consequence reject alternative more negatively. This effect is referred to as spreading of alternatives because is spreads apart the conflict of ideas.
Rationalizing is an attempt at dissonance or pain reduction. Any questioning or questioner of the accepted idea is seen as a threat and no further decision-making may even be considered, for it is seen as doubt or a lack of faith. This is when a conflicting idea becomes an idol.
Applied effort consummates our relationship with the idea. There will need to be regular expenditure and performed rituals to reconfirm the faithful acceptance of the cognitive belief. We see that with the annual burning of incense at the temples of Rome where the faithful confirmed their allegiance to and acceptance of Caesar as the Son of God.
Footnotes
- ↑ John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
- 1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.
- Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
- Galatians 1:3 Grace [be] to you and peace from God the Father, and [from] our Lord Jesus Christ,
- Ephesians 6:23 Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 2:11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and [in] the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 2 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, [my] dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Titus 1:4 To Titus, [mine] own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
- 1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
- 2 Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- 2 John 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
- Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, [and] called:
- ↑ [[Daniel ]:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
- Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
- Matthew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
- Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
- Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
- ]]Matthew 26]]:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
- Matthew 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
- Matthew 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
- Matthew 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
- Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
- Mark 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
- Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
- Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
- Luke 3:38 Which was [the son] of Enos, which was [the son] of Seth, which was [the son] of Adam, which was [the son] of God.
- Luke 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
- Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
- Luke 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking [them] suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
- Luke 8:28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
- Luke 22:70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.
- John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
- John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
- John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
- John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
- John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
- John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
- John 11:4 When Jesus heard [that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
- John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
- John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
- John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
- Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
- Acts 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
- Romans 1:4 And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
- 2 Corinthians 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
- Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
- Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
- Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
- Hebrews 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
- Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
- Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
- 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- 1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- 1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
- 1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
- 1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
- 1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
- 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
- 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- Revelation 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
- ↑ 40 ~ἅγιος~ hagios \@hag’-ee-os\@ from hagos (an awful thing) [cf 53, 2282]; adj AV-holy 161, saints 61, Holy One 4, misc 3; 229 \@Holy,\@ characteristic of God, separated to God, worthy of veneration
- 1) Its highest application is to God himself, in his purity, majesty and glory. {#Lu 1:49 Joh 17:11 Re 4:8}
- 1a) Of things and places which have a claim to reverence as sacred to God, e.g. the Temple: {#Mt 24:15 Heb 9:1}
- 1b) Of persons employed by him, as angels: {#1Th 3:13 marg.} prophets, {#Lu 1:70} apostles, {#Eph 3:5}
- 2) Applied to persons as separated to God’s service:
- 2a) Of Christ: {#Mr 1:24 Ac 4:30}
- 2b) Of Christians: {#Ac 9:13 Ro 1:7 Heb 6:10 Re 5:8}
- 3) In the moral sense of sharing God’s purity: {#Mr 6:20 Joh 17:11 Ac 3:14 Re 3:7}
- 4) Of pure, clean sacrifices and offerings: {#1Co 7:14 Eph 1:4}
- For Synonyms see entry 5878
- 1) Its highest application is to God himself, in his purity, majesty and glory. {#Lu 1:49 Joh 17:11 Re 4:8}
- ↑ 4151 ~πνεῦμα~ pneuma \@pnyoo’-mah\@ from 4154; 643} n n AV-Spirit 111, (Holy) Ghost 89, Spirit (of God) 13, Spirit (of the Lord) 5, (My) Spirit 3, Spirit (of truth) 3, Spirit (of Christ) 2, human (spirit) 49, (evil) spirit 47, spirit (general) 26, spirit 8, (Jesus’ own) spirit 6, (Jesus’ own) ghost 2, misc 21; 385
- 1) the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
- 1a) sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his personality and character (the Holy Spirit)
- 1b) sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his work and power (the Spirit of Truth)
- 1c) never referred to as a depersonalised force
- 2) the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated
- 2a) the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides
- 2b) the soul
- 3) a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at leastall grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting
- 3a) a life giving spirit
- 3b) a human soul that has left the body
- 3c) a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel
- 3c1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men
- 3c2) the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels and equal to God, the divine nature of Christ
- 4) the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one
- 4a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.
- 5) a movement of air (a gentle blast)
- 5a) of the wind, hence the wind itself
- 5b) breath of nostrils or mouth For Synonyms see entry 5923
- 1) the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
- 1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us to peace.
- 1 Corinthians 7:17 ¶ But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
- Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
- Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace [be] with you all. Amen.
- Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ¶ Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord [be] with you all.
- Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
- James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
- 1 Corinthians 4:17 ¶ For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
- 1 Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
- ↑ Theophilus was Patriarch of Antioch from 169 until 182. He succeeded Eros c. 169, and was succeeded by Maximus I c. 183, according to Henry Fynes Clinton, but these dates are only approximations. His death probably occurred between 183 and 185.
- ↑ "Tertullian, Originator of the Trinity", From Logos to Trinity, Cambridge University Press, pp. 190–220,
- ↑ On the Prescription of Heretics Book by Tertullian.
- ↑ Arianism: Arianism is named after the heretic Arius (c. 250-336), a priest in Alexandria. Arians view Our Lord Jesus Christ as a special creation by God for man’s salvation. Arians do not believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ is equal to the Father. Some Arians were willing to say Jesus was “divine” but held He was less than the Father. The basic Arian position was that “there was a time when he [the Son] was not.” Thus, they believe that the Son is not eternal and not of the same substance as the Father.[2] They cling to monotheism but place their reason above Catholic Faith.
- Arianism was the form of Christianity that the Goths adhered to, and it was popular in all the areas they conquered, including Italy, Spain, and North Africa. It is still very alive in the world today by people who say that Jesus is the “son of God,” as if the title meant that He is inferior to God the Father. Some would also say that Islam borrowed this false error as well.
- Apollinarianism: Named after Apollinaris of Laodicea (+390), a bishop in Asia Minor who opposed Arius. This heresy implicitly claims that Jesus Christ is neither fully man nor fully divine. Apollinarians suggested that Our Lord had a human soul with a human mind that was taken over by God. This again denies the full divinity of Our Lord as the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Although Apollinaris was initially respected by many orthodox Church leaders, including St. Athanasius, his heresy was condemned at the First Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.). This error is contrary to the clear teaching of the Church that Our Lord had two complete natures: human and divine, which was dogmatically defined by Pope Leo the Great at the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.).
- Nestorianism: Named after Nestorius, a Patriarch of Constantinople who believed that Jesus Christ had two natures — man and God — which remained separate throughout His time on earth. As a result, they believed that Christ was not identical to the divine Son of God. This denies the true nature of Christ, Who is one complete, fully divine Person Who has two natures, one divine and one human. This heresy was authoritatively condemned at the First Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. and at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D.
- Some Nestorian places of worship can still be found in Iran. Interestingly, Nestorius’ heresy was first identified because he refused to honor Our Blessed Mother as the Mother of God (in Greek, Theotokos, or “the God-bearer”). Nestorians would argue that the Virgin Mary was the Mother of “Jesus the Man” but not of “God the Son.” This heresy is still vigorously promoted by Protestant heretics.
- Adoptionism: Adoptionism is a heresy which says that Jesus was a human being Who was “adopted” by God at His conception or at His baptism, at which point God induced Him with a divine nature. This heresy has progressed in the modern world and is present when some falsely believe that Jesus did not always know of His divinity, even as a young child. These heretics claim that Our Lord was not divine until later in life when He was given the mission of becoming the Christ.[3]
- This heresy contradicts the truth that Our Lord was always a divine Person Who “became man of the Virgin Mary.” Note how this creedal statement denies He existed beforehand. Many Adoptionists further believe that just as Jesus was “adopted” when the Divine Spirit ‘descended’ upon Him, so too the Divine Spirit left Him when He suffered and died. They too place reason above Faith and refuse to believe that God can suffer and die for man’s sins.
- Monophysitism: Monophysite comes from the Greek words for “one nature.” This heresy says that Jesus Christ was a joining of the Godhead with the human person Jesus, which occurred at the Incarnation. Monophysitism was a reaction against Nestorianism, which emphasized Jesus’ two natures to the point where He was basically two Persons. Monophysitism held that the divinity of Christ essentially dominated His human nature so that Jesus was one Person who effectively only had one nature – the divine nature.
- Eutyches, a monk from Constantinople, advanced this heresy and was excommunicated in 448 A.D. Monophysitism was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Nevertheless, it received much imperial support over the following centuries, led to several eastern schisms with Rome, and caused many political, social and ecclesial problems. Various monophysite groups were in schism when the Muslims overran the Middle East and North Africa in the 7th century. Thus, these groups never reunited with Rome and this heresy lingered. In fact, it is still very much alive in several present-day Egyptian and Middle Eastern sects of Christianity.
- Sabellianism: Sabellianism is sometimes called ‘modalism’ or ‘monarchianism’ or even ‘modalistic monarchianism’. In this heresy, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three modes, roles, or faces of a single Person: God. This heresy is strictly monotheistic, rejecting the truth that there are three divine Persons. They often conceive of God ‘acting’ as the Creative Father in the Old Testament, then ‘acting’ as the Redeeming Son in the New Testament, and subsequently ‘acting’ as the Sanctifying Spirit in this latter age following Christ’s Ascension.
- This heresy implies that Jesus Christ was purely divine and did not have a human nature. What does this mean? It would mean that Our Lord could not truly have suffered or died. This heresy denies the Redemption of Man and the Incarnation. Sabellius was condemned by Pope Callistus.
- Conclusion: Trinitarian Theology requires precise terminology which safeguard the Church’s dogmatic definitions regarding the saving truths which God has revealed concerning Himself. In humility, man should always acknowledge that his reason can never exhaust or comprehend the full mystery of the Blessed Trinity, yet willingly render the obedience of divine faith to the Church’s teachings. It is best not to attempt to write or speak (instruct) on the Trinity without careful study and prayer beforehand. When in doubt, study the Baltimore Catechism or the Catholic Catechism available here from The Fatima Center.
- As we profess in the Athanasian Creed: “[T]he Unity is to be worshiped in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. He, therefore, who wishes to be saved, must believe thus about the Trinity.”
- ↑ Against Heresies (Books I-III) By: Irenaeus of LyonsNarrated.