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Other
Articles on the Trinity Controversy
Beware
of Polytheism
The Doctrine of Christ
The Lord Our God Is One
Trinity Doctrinal Chart
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The
Doctrine of Christ
Chapter 7.
Views of the
Early Church Fathers
"To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are
all things, and for whom we live; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by
whom are all things, and through whom we live." (1 Cor. 8:6,
KJV and NIV)
If Jesus taught and revealed himself to be an uncreated "God
the Son" rather than the Son of God, it should have been
universally accepted by our early Church brethren. Their writings
should show the Trinity to be understood and developed from the very
start of the Apostolic Era. The fundamental doctrines of the Church
were not to be originated by those following the Apostles. God did
not give further revelations after their passing. (See Rom. 15:4; 1
Cor. 4:6; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 John 9, NAS.)
The doctrine of the Trinity, defined over a 264-year period from
The Council of Nice in A.D. 325 to The Third Synod at Toledo in A.D.
589, states that there are three distinct persons of the same
spiritual nature—The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. It is
claimed that all three persons are uncreated and share in
omnipotence, making them one. Therefore, the Trinity fails once it
can be established that (1) There was a time when the uncreated
Father was alone, (2) The Son, Jesus, was produced from the first
creative act of God, and (3) The holy Spirit is not a person, but
the power, the energy or force used by God (and in this sense is
also uncreated).
Let’s examine what the students of the Apostles, their friends,
peers and subsequent students had to say between A.D. 96–A.D. 320.
We present these historical readings, not as a foundation for Truth,
but simply to show that these early Christians had not come to
believe in the Trinity. To those who feel comfortable going to the
fourth and fifth centuries to establish this doctrine, we wish them
well, but we cannot leave the Apostolic Era to come over to them.
Biblically and historically, this early period is just too important
to abandon. We submit the following:
Clement of Rome:
according to many Christian
writers before the Nicene Council, he is the Clement of Philippians
4:3. He was an elder in the Rome congregation from about A.D.
92-101. His Corinthian Epistle, written about A.D. 96, was held in
high esteem, considered by many to be equal to the writings of the
Apostles and was frequently used in their Sunday meetings. He was
born about A.D. 30 and died about A.D. 100.
"We know you alone are ‘highest among highest’ . . .
You have chosen those who love you through Jesus Christ, your
beloved son, through whom you have instructed, sanctified and
honored us. . . . Let all nations know that you are the only God,
that Jesus Christ is your son and that we are your people."
To
The Corinthians, Chap. 59, vs. 3, 4.
Ignatius of Antioch: was surnamed "Theophorus,"
meaning "God-bearer," because of his gentle, kindly
nature. He was an elder at the Antioch, Syria, congregation and was
a student of the Apostle John. His authentic writings, being the
short version of his seven epistles, were written about A.D. 110. He
was born about A.D. 50 and was martyred A.D. 116.
"There is one God, who manifested Himself through Jesus
Christ, His son, who being His Word, came forth out of the silence
into the world and won full approval of Him whose ambassador he
was." To the Magnesians, Chap. 8, vs. 2.
". . . who also really rose from the dead, since his
Father raised him up,—his Father who will likewise raise us also
who believe in Him through Jesus Christ, apart from whom we have
no real life." To The Trallians, Chap. 9, vs. 2.
"You are well established in love through the Blood of
Christ and firmly believe in our Lord. He is really ‘of the line
of David according to the flesh’ and the son of God by the will
and power of God." To The Smyrnaeans, Chap. 1, vs. 1.
Polycarp: born about A.D. 69, was also a student of
the Apostle John, as well as a close friend of Ignatius of Antioch.
He was an elder at the congregation in Smyrna, Asia Minor, and wrote
his Philippian epistle before A.D. 140. He was burned at the stake
February 23, 155.
"Now, may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the Eternal Priest himself, Jesus Christ, the son of God, build
you up in faith and truth." To The Philippians,
Chap.12, vs. 2.
". . . to Him who is able to bring us all in His grace and
bounty, to His Heavenly Kingdom, by His only-begotten child, Jesus
Christ, be glory, honor, might and majesty forever." Martyrdom,
Chap. 20, vs. 2.
Justin:
called "Martyr" because of his
martyrdom in A.D. 166, was born about A.D. 107 in Rome. He was a
heathen philosopher converted to Christianity about A.D. 130. His
first work, Dialogue with Trypho, was written in A.D. 135 as Trypho,
a Jew, was fleeing Jerusalem after the Bar Kochba revolt. He wrote
between A.D. 135 until just before his beheading.
"God begat before all creatures a Beginning who was a
certain rational power proceeding from Himself, who is called by
the holy spirit now ‘The Glory of the Lord,’ now ‘The Son,’
again ‘Wisdom,’ again ‘an Angel,’ then ‘God,’ then ‘Lord’
and ‘Logos;’ and on another occasion he calls himself ‘Captain.’"
Dialogue with Trypho, Chap. 61.
"We follow the only unbegotten God through His Son."
First
Apology, Chap. 14.
"We assert that the Word of God was born of God in a
peculiar manner, different from ordinary generation, let this, as
said above, be no extraordinary thing to you who say that Mercury
is the angelic word of God." First Apology, Chap. 22.
"The Father of all is unbegotten . . . And His Son, who
alone is properly called Son, the Word . . . was with Him and was
begotten before the world. . . ." Second Apology,
Chap. 6.
Tatian:
born in Assyria about A.D. 110, was a
student of Justin Martyr. He wrote the earliest Bible commentary of
the four Gospels known to exist. Sometime he became the leader of
the Encratite sect of the Gnostics. Despite this, his writings give
a semi-fair view of Christian doctrines. He wrote between A.D.
161-170 and died about A.D. 172.
"The Lord of the Universe, who is Himself the necessary
ground of all being, inasmuch as no creature was yet in existence,
was alone. . . . And by His simple will the Logos springs forth;
and the Logos, not coming forth in vain becomes the first-begotten
work of the Father and was the beginning of the world." To
The Greeks, Chap. 5.
Melito:
born about A.D. 110, was an elder at Sardis, Asia
Minor, from about A.D. 160-170 and a friend of Ignatius of Antioch
as a young child. He wrote between A.D. 165-70 and was martyred A.D.
177. Only small fragments exist.
"There is that which really exists and it is called God .
. . This being is in no sense made, nor did He come into being,
but has existed from eternity." Apology 1: To Antonius
Caesar.
"Jesus Christ . . . is perfect Reason, the Word of God, he
who was begotten before the light, he who is creator together with
the Father." Apology 4: On Faith.
Theophilus of Antioch:
was born about A.D. 130 and was an
elder at Antioch, Syria, around A.D. 170-180. He wrote before A.D.
175 and died A.D. 181.
"God, then, having His own Word internal within His own
womb begat him, emitting him along with His own Wisdom before all
things. He had this Word as a helper in the things that were
created by Him, and by him He created all things." To
Autolychus, Chap. 10.
Athenagoras: born in Athens of heathen parents in A.D. 134
wrote his work "Defense for the Christians" in A.D. 176
and presented it to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a fierce
persecutor of Christians, in A.D. 177. He died A.D. 190.
"We acknowledge one God uncreated, eternal, invisible,
impassable, incomprehensible, illimitable . . . by whom the
universe has been created through His Logos and set in order . . .
I say ‘His Logos’ for we acknowledge also a Son of God . . .
He is the first product of the Father, not as having been brought
into existence, for from the beginning, God, who is the eternal
mind, had the Logos in Himself, being from eternity endowed with
spiritual reason, coming forth as the idea and energy of all
material things." Defense for the Christians, Chap.
10.
Irenaeus: one of the most recognized early
Christians, was born A.D. 140 and was a student of Polycarp. He was
an elder at the Lyons, France, congregation from A.D. 178. He was
well known throughout the Western world of the time. He died in
France A.D. 202. His writings can be dated from about A.D. 180.
"If anyone, therefore, says to us, ‘How, then, was the
Son produced by the Father?’ we reply to him, that no one
understands that production, or generation . . . no powers possess
this knowledge but the Father only who begat and the Son who was
begotten." Against Heresies, Book 2, Chap. 28, vs. 6.
Clement of Alexandria:
born Titus Flavius Clemens
A.D. 150, was born, raised and became an elder at Alexandria, Egypt.
He wrote between A.D. 190-195 and died about A.D. 220. His writings
are valuable because once he was converted to Christianity, he
traveled throughout the Roman Empire to learn pure Christianity from
the oldest and most respected Christians alive.
"The best thing on earth is the most pious: perfect man;
and the best thing in heaven, the next and purer in place, is an
angel, the partaker of the eternal and blessed life. But the
nature of the Son, which is next to Him who is alone the Almighty
One, is the most perfect." Miscellanies, Book 7, Chap.
2.
"He [Jesus] commences his teaching with this: turning the
pupil to God, the good, and first and only dispenser of eternal
life, which the Son, who received it of Him, gives to us." Salvation
Of The Rich Man, Chap. 6.
Tertullian: was born in Carthage, Tunisia A.D. 160,
of Libyan descent and a distant relative of Arius. His writings
began about A.D. 190, about 10 years before he joined the Montanist
sect of Christianity, who believed in continuing revelation
[speaking in tongues, healing , etc.] and a life of asceticism. He
continued writing until about A.D. 210 and died A.D. 230 in
Carthage, where he was also an elder.
"Before all things God was alone—being in Himself and
for Himself . . . the Word was in the beginning with God although
it would be more suitable to regard Reason as the more ancient . .
. For although God had not yet delivered His Word, He still had
him within Himself . . . Now, while He was actually thus planning
and arranging with His own reason, He was actually bringing forth
the Word." Against Praxeas, Chap. 5.
"The Word, no doubt, was before all things. ‘In the
beginning was the Word’; and in that beginning he was sent forth
by the Father. The father, however, has no beginning, as
proceeding from none; nor can He be seen since He was not
begotten. He who has always been alone could never have order or
rank." Against Praxeas, Chap. 5.
Hippolytus: born about A.D. 160, was a student of
Irenaeus. He wrote about A.D. 220, dying August 13, 235, after being
banished to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
"If therefore, all things are put under him [Jesus] with
the exception of Him [God] who put them under him, he is the Lord
of all and the Father is Lord of him . . . And this indeed is said
by Christ himself, as when in the Gospel he confessed Him to be
his Father and his God. . . . He [Jesus] did not say, ‘I and the
Father am one,’ but ‘are one.’ For the word ‘are’ is not
said of one person, but refers to two persons and one power. He
has himself made this clear when he spoke to his Father concerning
his disciples [in John 17:22-3] . . . For Christ had spoken of
himself and showed himself among all to be as the Son . . . And as
the author and fellow-counsellor and framer of the things that are
in formation He begat the Word . . . He sent him forth to the
world as Lord . . . And thus, there appeared another beside
himself . . . For there is but one power, which is from the All;
and the Father is the All, from whom comes this power, the Word .
. . and was manifested as the Son of God. All things, then, are by
Him and He alone is the Father." Against The Heresy Of One
Noetus, Chaps. 6, 7, 10, 11.
Origen: born of Christian parents A.D. 185 in
Alexandria, Egypt, Origen was the most prolific of all early
Christian writers. Trained by Clement of Alexandria, he was elected
elder at the age of 18 when Clement had to flee for his life. He was
a friend of Hippolytus and is distinguished for the first complete
Bible commentary. In A.D. 253, at age 70, he was captured, tortured
and one week later died for his faith.
"We next notice John’s usage of the article in these
sentences. He does not write without care in this respect, nor is
he unfamiliar with the niceties of the Greek tongue . . . He uses
the article when the name of ‘God’ refers to the uncreated of
all things, and omits it when the Logos is named ‘God’ . . .
The God who is over all is God with the article . . . all beyond
the Only God is made god by participation in His divinity, and is
not to be called simply ‘The God’ but rather ‘god’ . . .
The true God, then, is ‘The God,’ and those who are formed
after Him are gods, images as it were, of Him, the
prototype." Commentary on John’s Gospel, Book 2,
Chap. 2.
Novatian:
who was born about A.D. 200 is known for
his work that was posthumously titled Commentary on the Trinity. It
was written about A.D. 240, 18 years before his death in 258.
"God the Father and Creator of all things, who only knows
no beginning . . . when He willed it, the Son, the Word, was born
. . . But now, whatever he is, he is not of himself because he is
not unborn, but he is of the Father, because he is begotten . . .
he owes his existence to the Father . . . He therefore is god, but
begotten for this special result, that he should be god. He is
also the Lord, but born for this very purpose of the Father, that
he might be Lord. He is also an Angel, but he was destined of the
Father as an Angel to announce the great counsel of God . . . God
the Father is God of all, and the source also of His son himself
whom He begot." Commentary on the Trinity, Chap 31.
Arnobius: born A.D. 253 in Sicca, Algeria, was
first an enemy of Christianity. When converted, he became a teacher
to many new Christians in the West. He wrote Against the Heathen
about A.D. 300 and died about A.D. 327.
"We Christians are nothing else than worshippers of the
Supreme King and Head, under our master, Christ . . . O greatest,
O Supreme Creator of all things invisible . . . You are
illimitable, unbegotten, immortal, enduring for age, God yourself
alone, whom no bodily shape may represent, no outline delineate .
. . ‘Is that Christ of yours a god, then?’ some raving,
wrathful and excited man will say. A god, we will reply, and a god
of the powers of heaven, and—what may still further torture
unbelievers with the most bitter pains—he was sent to us by the
King Supreme for a purpose of the very highest order." Against
The Heathen, Book 1, Chaps. 27, 31, 42.
Lactantius: Lucius Coelius Firmianus Lactantius,
born in Rome A.D. 260, was a student of Arnobius. He was the teacher
of Emperor Constantine’s oldest son, Crispus. His work entitled
The Divine Institutes was written about A.D. 320. Eventually moving
to France, he died about A.D. 330.
"God, therefore, the contriver and founder of all things,
as we have said in the second book, before He commenced this
excellent work of the world, begat a pure and incorruptible Spirit
whom He called His Son. And although He had afterwards created by
Himself innumerable other beings, whom we call angels, this
first-begotten, however, was the only one whom He considered
worthy of being called by the divine name." The Divine
Institutes, Book 4, Chap. 6
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