Diagram #1 TRINITARIAN ONENESS Dialectic Distinction Tension and balance Oneness Multiplicity, plurality, complexity Singularity, simplicity, unity Single integer Father, Son, and Holy Spirit One God - Deut. 6:4; Mk. 12:29; I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; Mathematical oneness co-equal, co-essential, co-eternal I Tim. 2:5 Polytheism - many gods Jesus declared: Monotheism Tritheism - three gods “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:30). Trinitarian Monotheism Monad Monotheism “I AM way, truth, life” (Jn. 14:6; cf. Jn. 4:26; 6:35,48; (singular, unextended unit of one) 8:12,48; 11:25) Triunity - Trinity - three-in-one Judaism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses Jewish leaders rejected as blasphemy against monad God. Subordinationism Early Christians forced to consider how such a oneness Monistic Monotheism Son and Spirit subordinated to Father could be explained. (singular, comprehensive extension as second-class deities Ontological Trinity in all things) “Only one Person in the universe” Theophilus of Antioch (175) What is the one? “God is all in all” “God only” Arianism (Arius-250-336) Referred to Father, Son, Holy Spirit as trias - triad or Substance, nature, essence, being? threesomeness. Not co-equal, co-essential persons. Son made by the Father. Tertullian of Carthage (160-230) Athanasius (296-373) explained that the three Spirit proceeded from the Father. First to use Latin trinitas - triunity or trinity Persons were essentially and consubstantially the “same Monarchianism Thus Son and Spirit are being” - homoousion. Impersonal primacy of God the ontologically inferior to the Father, Council of Nicea (325) accepted homoousion as orthodox What are the three? Father as demi-gods. statement of God’s oneness. Distinctions, realities, natures, particulars, persons? anomoousion - “not same being” Council of Nicea (325) identified as “three personae” Essential Oneness heteroousion - “different being” Modalism - Sabellianism Semi-Arians - Son and Spirit are One God without distinction, homoiousion - “like or similar Operational Trinity revealed in 3 modes, manifestatins, being” forms or roles. Administrative and Functional Gregory of Nazianzus (330-389) Distinction Used Greek perichoresis to explain the interpenetration Unitarianism Social Trinity and coinherence of the persons of Trinity. Paternity, filiation, procession Mutual indwelling - “I am in the Father, and the Father is Divine committee The Father sent the Son. the Son emptied Himself, in Me” (Jn. 14:10,11) the Spirit is joined with the spirit of man. Relational Oneness ©2002 by James A. Fowler.