Historical Development of the Trinity Doctrine – Available articles

Origin of the Trinity Doctrine

These articles trace the development of the Trinity doctrine through the first about 800 years of the Church’s history, with an emphasis on the fourth century.

The Apologists

The Apologists were the theologians of the first 3 centuries who had to defend Christianity at a time when the Empire attempted to exterminate Christianity.

  • Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35-107) described the Son as our God but the Father as the only true God.
  • Polycarp (c. 69–155), a personal disciple of the Apostle John, made a clear distinction between the Almighty God and His subordinate Son.
  • Justin Martyr (c. 100–165) used Greek philosophy to explain the Son of God as a rational power that was begotten from the substance of God.
  • Irenaeus (c. 115-190) identified the Father as the only true God, alone Almighty, and the Head of Christ.
  • Theos – Did they describe Jesus as “god” or as “God?” 1Ignatius describes the Son as “our God” but the Father as “the only true God.”
    This confusion is caused by the translations. The ancient writers
    did not have a word (such as “God”) that refers only to the Almighty.
    They used the word theos which means “god” and describes the Son
    as “our god” (small “g”) and the Father as “the only true god”
    (small “g”).
  • Sabellius (fl. c. 217-220) – Was he the first Trinitarian? 2Sabellius taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three portions
    of the single divine essence. This represents a significant move away
    from the Logos-Christology of his day. He was declared to be a heretic
    but it is difficult to see the difference between what he taught and
    the Trinity Doctrine.
  • External resources:

Arius

The Arian Controversy was named after Arius.

  • Orthodoxy – When the Arian Controversy began, what was the ‘orthodox’ view of Christ? 3RPC Hanson states that no ‘orthodoxy’ existed when the controversy
    began but that is not entirely true.
  • Importance – Why is Arius important? 4The Arian Controversy was named after Arius because Athanasius referred
    to his opponents – the anti-Nicenes – as ‘Arians’. But the anti-Nicenes
    were not ‘followers’ of Arius. Athanasius called his opponents ‘Arians’
    simply to insult them by implying that they are followers of a person
    whose theology was already formally rejected by the church.
  • The name Arian – There is no such thing as an Arian. 5Little of Arius’ writings remained – not because Constantine
    destroyed his writings – but because Arius had very few followers.

Arius’ Teachings

  • Philosophy – Did Arius mix theology with pagan philosophy? 6Over the centuries, Arius was always accused of mixing philosophy
    with theology. This article shows that that is not true.
  • Origen – Was Origen the ultimate source of Arius’ heresy? 7There are significant differences between Origen and Arius. Where they
    agree, they agree because both followed the traditional Logos theology.
  • Created Being – Did Arius describe Jesus Christ as a created being? 8That is a distortion of the ‘Arian’ view. Arius described Christ as not part of
    this universe, as the only being ever to be brought forth directly by the
    Father, and as the only being able to endure direct contact with God.
  • Eternal – Did Arius teach that time existed before the Son? 9Arius wrote that the Son was begotten timelessly by the Father before
    everything. But Arius also said that the Son did not always exist.
    Did Arius contradict himself?
  • Immutable – Did Arius describe the Son as immutable? 10Arius himself wrote that the Son of God is unchangeable but Athanasius
    claimed that Arius taught the exact opposite, namely that the Son is
    “like all others … subject to change.”

The Nicene Creed (AD 325)

The most famous and influential creed in the history of the church

  • Core Issue – What was the core issue of the dispute? 11It is often said that the Council was called to determine whether Jesus is God.
    But that does not accurately describe the dispute prior to Nicaea.
  • The Emperor’s InfluenceThe emperor was the head of the church. 12Constantine called and presided over the meeting. He proposed and
    insisted on the key word Homoousios. At the end, he exiled all bishops
    who did not sign the creed.
  • The Creed – What is the core message of the Creed? 13The creed implies that the Son is equal to the Father in terms of substance, but subordinate to the Father in other respects.
  • Eusebius of Caesarea – Eusebius’ explanation of the Creed 14Eusebius of Caesarea, regarded as the most respected theologian at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, immediately afterward wrote to his church in Caesarea to explain why he accepted the Creed and how he understood the controversial phrases. Due to the pressure exerted by the emperor, the formulation of the Creed was really the work of a minority.
  • Protestants – Should Protestants accept the Nicene Creed? 15The Creed not only uses non-Biblical words; the concept of homoousios (that the Son is of the same substance as the Father) is not in the Bible.
  • Homoousios – origin – The word came from Egyptian Paganism. 16This word homoousios is not found in the Bible or in the orthodox Christian confession before Nicaea.
  • Ousia and Hypostasis – Why the Creed uses these words as synonyms 17By implication, the Creed says that the Father and the Son are one and the same hypostasis (Person). This is Sabellianism.
  • Of the Father’s substance – What does this mean? 18The Creed says that the Son is not “of another substance or essence.” Does this mean
    (1) that He has the same substance as the Father or
    (2) that He has been begotten out of the substance of the Father?

Fourth-Century ‘Arianism’

After Nicaea, for 50 years, ‘Arianism’ dominated the church.

  • Emperor Influence – on the Christology of the church 19This article re-iterates the decisive influence
    that emperors had on the beliefs of the church.
  • Arianism – What did fourth-century ‘Arianism’ believe? 20The Father is the only true God,
    the Son is our god,
    but the Father is His god and
    the Holy Spirit is not a Person, but a power; subject to the Son.
  • Long Lines Creed – An Arian Creed 21An example of the many creeds that were developed
    during the fourth century ‘Arian’ period

The End of Roman ‘Arianism’

In AD 380, Emperor Theodosius made the Trinity Doctrine Law and outlawed and brutally exterminated all forms of ‘Arianism’.

  • Edict of Thessalonica – The Trinity Doctrine became the official religion of the Roman Empire. 22Theodosius exiled Arian bishops, expropriated ‘Arian’ church buildings,
    forbid meetings of ‘Arian’ churches, and appointed a government official to
    chair the Council of 381, forcing that council to accept Nicene Christology.
  • The Creed of 381 – How does it differ from the 325-Creed? 23The creed formulated at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381 is
    often called the Nicene Creed. The wording of that creed is similar to
    that of the creed of 325, but the meaning is very different.

Later Developments

  • The fall of the Roman Empire – It did not fall; it transformed. 24Massive in-migration
    and top positions for barbarians in the Roman Army allowed them
    to progressively assume control of the Empire.
  • Why it fell
  • Arian Rule – After the Empire fell, Arians again ruled Europe. 25This article also provides an overview of the events
    of the fourth preceding century.
  • Justinian – He crushed the Arians and set up the Byzantine Papacy 26It was not the church but the Roman Empire that adopted the Trinity Doctrine.
    By subduing the ‘Arian’ nations, the religion of the Roman Empire
    became the church of the Middle Ages, symbolized by Daniel’s evil horn.
  • High Middle Ages 27The last horn to grow out of the Roman Empire became the church of the Middle Ages
    and dominated all other parts into which the Roman Empire fragmented.
  • Waldensians – The church of the Middle Ages had the spirit of Satan. 28The Waldensians were critical of Catholic beliefs. In return, the church
    called all to destroy them, causing centuries of massacres.

Authors on the Arian Controversy

Extracts from the writings of scholars who have studied the ancient documents for themselves:

  • RPC Hanson:
    • Lecture – A lecture on the Arian Controversy 29This is a copy of a very informative lecture by RPC Hanson, a famous
      fourth-century scholar, which I found on the Internet.
       
    • A Complete Travesty – The conventional account of the Arian Controversy is a complete travesty.
  • Fortman – Edmund J. Fortman, The Triune God – Nicene Creed
  • Erickson  -Millard J. Erickson, God in Three Persons
  • Boyd – William Boyd, The Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodosian Code

Trinity Doctrine – General

  • Modalism – How does it differ from the Trinity doctrine? 30In the Trinity Doctrine, the Father, Son, and Spirit ‘share’ one and the same
    substance, mind, and will. Does that mean they are one and the same Person,
    as in Modalism?

  • Monarchy of the Father – How does it differ from the Trinity Doctrine? 31In the Athanasian Creed, the “one God” is the Trinity.
    In Eastern Orthodoxy, the “one God” is the Father.
  • Eastern Orthodoxy – The Eastern Orthodox view of the Trinity 32A summary of a well-known talk on the Trinity by
    a respected Eastern Orthodox theologian, Father Thomas Hopko.
  • Elohim – Does this word mean that God is more than one? 33Elohim (often translated as God) is plural in form. Some argue that this means
    that
    the Old Testament writers thought of God as a multi-personal Being.
  • External Resources

Other Articles

FOOTNOTES

  • 1
    Ignatius describes the Son as “our God” but the Father as “the only true God.”
    This confusion is caused by the translations. The ancient writers
    did not have a word (such as “God”) that refers only to the Almighty.
    They used the word theos which means “god” and describes the Son
    as “our god” (small “g”) and the Father as “the only true god”
    (small “g”).
  • 2
    Sabellius taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three portions
    of the single divine essence. This represents a significant move away
    from the Logos-Christology of his day. He was declared to be a heretic
    but it is difficult to see the difference between what he taught and
    the Trinity Doctrine.
  • 3
    RPC Hanson states that no ‘orthodoxy’ existed when the controversy
    began but that is not entirely true.
  • 4
    The Arian Controversy was named after Arius because Athanasius referred
    to his opponents – the anti-Nicenes – as ‘Arians’. But the anti-Nicenes
    were not ‘followers’ of Arius. Athanasius called his opponents ‘Arians’
    simply to insult them by implying that they are followers of a person
    whose theology was already formally rejected by the church.
  • 5
    Little of Arius’ writings remained – not because Constantine
    destroyed his writings – but because Arius had very few followers.
  • 6
    Over the centuries, Arius was always accused of mixing philosophy
    with theology. This article shows that that is not true.
  • 7
    There are significant differences between Origen and Arius. Where they
    agree, they agree because both followed the traditional Logos theology.
  • 8
    That is a distortion of the ‘Arian’ view. Arius described Christ as not part of
    this universe, as the only being ever to be brought forth directly by the
    Father, and as the only being able to endure direct contact with God.
  • 9
    Arius wrote that the Son was begotten timelessly by the Father before
    everything. But Arius also said that the Son did not always exist.
    Did Arius contradict himself?
  • 10
    Arius himself wrote that the Son of God is unchangeable but Athanasius
    claimed that Arius taught the exact opposite, namely that the Son is
    “like all others … subject to change.”
  • 11
    It is often said that the Council was called to determine whether Jesus is God.
    But that does not accurately describe the dispute prior to Nicaea.
  • 12
    Constantine called and presided over the meeting. He proposed and
    insisted on the key word Homoousios. At the end, he exiled all bishops
    who did not sign the creed.
  • 13
    The creed implies that the Son is equal to the Father in terms of substance, but subordinate to the Father in other respects.
  • 14
    Eusebius of Caesarea, regarded as the most respected theologian at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, immediately afterward wrote to his church in Caesarea to explain why he accepted the Creed and how he understood the controversial phrases. Due to the pressure exerted by the emperor, the formulation of the Creed was really the work of a minority.
  • 15
    The Creed not only uses non-Biblical words; the concept of homoousios (that the Son is of the same substance as the Father) is not in the Bible.
  • 16
    This word homoousios is not found in the Bible or in the orthodox Christian confession before Nicaea.
  • 17
    By implication, the Creed says that the Father and the Son are one and the same hypostasis (Person). This is Sabellianism.
  • 18
    The Creed says that the Son is not “of another substance or essence.” Does this mean
    (1) that He has the same substance as the Father or
    (2) that He has been begotten out of the substance of the Father?
  • 19
    This article re-iterates the decisive influence
    that emperors had on the beliefs of the church.
  • 20
    The Father is the only true God,
    the Son is our god,
    but the Father is His god and
    the Holy Spirit is not a Person, but a power; subject to the Son.
  • 21
    An example of the many creeds that were developed
    during the fourth century ‘Arian’ period
  • 22
    Theodosius exiled Arian bishops, expropriated ‘Arian’ church buildings,
    forbid meetings of ‘Arian’ churches, and appointed a government official to
    chair the Council of 381, forcing that council to accept Nicene Christology.
  • 23
    The creed formulated at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381 is
    often called the Nicene Creed. The wording of that creed is similar to
    that of the creed of 325, but the meaning is very different.
  • 24
    Massive in-migration
    and top positions for barbarians in the Roman Army allowed them
    to progressively assume control of the Empire.
  • 25
    This article also provides an overview of the events
    of the fourth preceding century.
  • 26
    It was not the church but the Roman Empire that adopted the Trinity Doctrine.
    By subduing the ‘Arian’ nations, the religion of the Roman Empire
    became the church of the Middle Ages, symbolized by Daniel’s evil horn.
  • 27
    The last horn to grow out of the Roman Empire became the church of the Middle Ages
    and dominated all other parts into which the Roman Empire fragmented.
  • 28
    The Waldensians were critical of Catholic beliefs. In return, the church
    called all to destroy them, causing centuries of massacres.
  • 29
    This is a copy of a very informative lecture by RPC Hanson, a famous
    fourth-century scholar, which I found on the Internet.
  • 30
    In the Trinity Doctrine, the Father, Son, and Spirit ‘share’ one and the same
    substance, mind, and will. Does that mean they are one and the same Person,
    as in Modalism?
  • 31
    In the Athanasian Creed, the “one God” is the Trinity.
    In Eastern Orthodoxy, the “one God” is the Father.
  • 32
    A summary of a well-known talk on the Trinity by
    a respected Eastern Orthodox theologian, Father Thomas Hopko.
  • 33
    Elohim (often translated as God) is plural in form. Some argue that this means
    that
    the Old Testament writers thought of God as a multi-personal Being.

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