The trinity 2

Subsistences.

This is the technical term for each person of the Godhead.

Out of one Godhead arises three subsistences.

A person on the Godhead is not the same as a human person.

Why? Humans have different natures, while the godhead shares a common nature.

God the father does not have 1/3 of the nature. Rather each subsistence shares fully the undivided nature.

All analogies fall short.

1. Three leaf clover

A clover is made up of three parts but is one clover.

This fall shorts because each leaf is only part of the clover.

2. A tree

A tree has roots, trunk, and branches. However, once again each of these are only a part of thee tree and not the full tree by themselves.

3. Water

Water has three states. Liquid, ice, and steam.

However, each of these can only exist at separate times. One molecule can not be in all three states simultaneously.

4. Man

A man may be a farmer, mayor, and a deacon.

However, this is just one man doing different jobs/roles at different times. This fails because it does not explain the interaction between the Godhead.

This is Modalism which we will discuss in a minute.

5. Humanity

Intellect, emotions and will.

This fails because they are not all operating in perfect harmony.

6. Egg

Yoke, white, and shell.

This fails because each is only a part of the whole, and thus deny that the Godhead of all three parts/subsistences.

Although scriptures use analogies for different lessons, there are no analogies provided for the trinity.

God is like a rock in his faithfulness, shepherd in his care, a father, in his love, shelter in his compassion, etc...

The closest analogy given is of a father and son. These titles speak of distinct persons, and their close relationship. Yet, on the human level they are still distinct individuals.

Thus, it is best not to attempt to use them because all analogies fall short, and are misleading in many ways.

False doctrines of God.

1. Modalism

Modalism teaches that there is one God who presents himself in three different forms/modes.

In this thought God the Father was in the O.T., God the Son (Jesus) was in the N.T., and the Holy Spirit is present in the church.

This belief must either deny the relationship between the divine in Scripture, or brush it off as analogy.

One example of this is the Baptism of Jesus, where all subsistences are present.

One current denomination that believes Modalism is the United Pentecostal Church.

John 14:9 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

2. Arianism

Arianism that God created Jesus, and that before that moment the son did not exist.

John 3:16 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This is one of the primary text for Arianism.

Colossians 1:15 NKJV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

However, this verse is teaching that Jesus had the rights of the first-born, and not that He was created by God.

3. Subordinationism

This teaches that Jesus was not created but that He is not equal with God. Thus, Jesus was subordinate to the Father. This was presented by Origen in A.D. 185-254. The rest of the church did not follow him and was formally rejected at the council of Nicea.

Interestingly, one of the leading minds to our current understanding of the trinity was Athanisius. He attended the Council of Nicea at the age of 29 as a secretary to Alexander the Bishop of Alexandria.

4. Adoptionism

This teaches that Jesus was just a man but was adopted as God’s son at his baptism.

5. The Filioque clause

This was a clause added to the Nicene creed which added and the Son, to a section which read that the holy Spirit proceeds from the father. This addition changed it to say that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. This would not have been an issue accept that the passage was dealing with the trinity and made it seems as if the Spirit was not equal with the Father and Son. This addition led to the separation of the western church (Catholicism) and eastern church (Greek and Russian orthodox churches). Added in A.D. 325, the churches split in A.D. 1054

6. Tritheism

This teaches that there are three God’s However, although often accepted in Paganism, the Christian church has almost universally rejected this teaching.