Trinitarian Heresies

[Carbon]

Modalism

Modalism arose in the late second and early third centuries when theologians promoted the doctrine of monarchianism. Monarchianism (from the Greek mono, "one," and arche, "ruler") is the heretical doctrine that teaches that one God is only one person who manifests Himself in different ways at different times. A third-century theologian by the name of Sabellius (c. AD 215) could not reconcile the idea of one God and the three persons of the Godhead mentioned in the Christ-given baptismal formula: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28:19). Instead of believing that there is one God in three persons, he insistead maintaned that there is one God in three modes. That is, God sequentially reveals Himself as different persons.
Imagine an actor donning different masks during a drama to portray different characters. This illustration approximates Sabellius' view, namely that God donned the mask of the Father, and then later the Son, and ultimately the Holy Spirit. God operated according to different modes.
This view has thus been called Modalistic monarchianism. The church father Tertullian (c. AD 155-240) wrote his famous treatise On the Trinity to demonstrate that the Bible teaches that we worship one God in three distinct persons. Other church fathers, such as Athanasius (c. AD 296-373), taught the coeternity and coequality of all three persons of the Godhead.

Dr. J.V. Fesko

 

[Carbon]

Arianism

Another third-century theologian who taught errors about the doctrine of Christ and his relationship to the Godhead was Arius (c. AD 250-336). The heresy associated with Arius is Arianism, which is the false idea that Christ is not fully divine, but that there was a time when the Son of God (or Logos) did not exist. Arius supported his ideas by appealing to passages of Scripture such as Proverbs 8:22: "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old."
Arius believed that the Son of God is not equally God and that He is a creature made by God the Father before the creation of the world. The Son is ofcourse the greatest of creatures whom God made. He became divine and participated in both the creation and redemption of humans. Arian theologians appealed to select passages from the Gospels to argue that the Son's deity is lesser than the Father's, including John 14:28:
"The Father is greater than I."
A related heresy to Arianism is semi-Arianism. Semi-Arian theologians modified the teaching of Arius, who believed that the Son is a creature and therefore not truly divine. Instead, semi-Arians believed that the Son is of like substance with the Father; that is, He is homoiousios (Greek for "of like substance"). Orthodox theologians instead maintained the biblical teaching that the Father andthe Son are coequal in their being and power. Thus, the Son is not merely of like substance (homoiousios) but of the same substance (homoousios).

Dr. J.V. Fesko

 

[Carbon]

In modern times, modalism and Arianism have reappeared in the teachings of Oneness Pentecostals and JW"s. Neither of these cults believes in the Trinity.

 

[makesends]

I don't know how to express it, but there's something in the plan of the ages (God's Decree), from election to justification to regeneration (both spiritual principle and historical fact/act), and in the covenant between them, and in the Economy of God that is Heaven, that demands there be three persons and that they be equally God. I'm hoping it isn't just instinctive to me —that is, I'm hoping someone else can or has expressed it better than to simply assert it like I do here— but none of those things make sense to me without trinitarian equality with its accompanying hierarchy. I think it is related to a good definition/description on what life is, or how there can be life. Aaargh.

 

[Hazelelponi]

In modern times, modalism and Arianism have reappeared in the teachings of Oneness Pentecostals and JW"s. Neither of these cults believes in the Trinity.

I have noticed that; heresy in quite popular in some corners. Scripture says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).

 

[Papa Smurf]

Hi @Carbon, here are several more Trinitarian heresies: Trinitarian Heresies (though there are not defined as well or as extensively as the ones that you posited for us above are).

Also, does anyone know if there are any Trinitarian analogies that actually work, ones that don't eventually lead us and the people we are trying to help down the road toward one of the Trinity's many heresies (I like the one about the three lit candles sitting on a fireplace mantel together, 3 candles/1 light, but I'm sure that it ends up teaching heresy too ).

Thanks!

--Papa Smurf
p.s. - I'm sure everyone has seen this already, but it always tickles me, so I'll post it again (I posted the video in HD, but it didn't remain that way, so you may want to move it back to HD)

St. Patrick's Bad Analogies​

 

[JesusFan]

Modalism

Modalism arose in the late second and early third centuries when theologians promoted the doctrine of monarchianism. Monarchianism (from the Greek mono, "one," and arche, "ruler") is the heretical doctrine that teaches that one God is only one person who manifests Himself in different ways at different times. A third-century theologian by the name of Sabellius (c. AD 215) could not reconcile the idea of one God and the three persons of the Godhead mentioned in the Christ-given baptismal formula: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28:19). Instead of believing that there is one God in three persons, he insistead maintaned that there is one God in three modes. That is, God sequentially reveals Himself as different persons.
Imagine an actor donning different masks during a drama to portray different characters. This illustration approximates Sabellius' view, namely that God donned the mask of the Father, and then later the Son, and ultimately the Holy Spirit. God operated according to different modes.
This view has thus been called Modalistic monarchianism. The church father Tertullian (c. AD 155-240) wrote his famous treatise On the Trinity to demonstrate that the Bible teaches that we worship one God in three distinct persons. Other church fathers, such as Athanasius (c. AD 296-373), taught the coeternity and coequality of all three persons of the Godhead.

Dr. J.V. Fesko

TD Jakes most well known holder to that view today

 

[JesusFan]

In modern times, modalism and Arianism have reappeared in the teachings of Oneness Pentecostals and JW"s. Neither of these cults believes in the Trinity.

main difference of those 2 views seem to be Oneness gets the Deity of Jesus right, while Arianism does not, but both err on the very nature of God

 

[Papa Smurf]

TD Jakes most well known holder to that view today

Hello JesusFan, I've read that Jakes now chooses to embrace the orthodox/historic Christian understanding of the Trinity, but some think he still has a foot in both camps (because of some of the terminology that he uses).

Here's a short article from Jakes from 2008 about his Trinitarian beliefs. I can see why some still question his theology in regard to the Godhead. Perhaps he's come further since then. I'll see if I can find any additional articles from him about the Trinity.

~My Views on the Godhead – Jakes – Preaching Points​

God bless you!!

--Papa Smurf

 

[JesusFan]

Hello JesusFan, I've read that Jakes now chooses to embrace the orthodox/historic Christian understanding of the Trinity, but some think he still has a foot in both camps (because of some of the terminology that he uses).

Here's a short article from Jakes from 2008 about his Trinitarian beliefs. I can see why some still question his theology in regard to the Godhead. Perhaps he's come further since then. I'll see if I can find any additional articles from him about the Trinity.

~My Views on the Godhead – Jakes – Preaching Points​

God bless you!!

--Papa Smurf

Hopefully he has reconsidered, as his known views were heretical