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All About Sabellianism

By TylerR on Wed, 05/18/16
Bible, Theology & Philosophy
Modalism
Sabellianism

Banner of Truth: Sabellianism teaches that a unipersonal God reveals himself in three ‘modes’ or manifestations, so that he is successively Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Where orthodox Trinitarians have spoken of ‘one Substance and three Persons’, Modalists speak of ‘One Substance and three modes.’ The difference is a vital one.

Discussion

Profile picture for user Bert Perry
Bert Perry

NewVery important article

Wed, 05/18/16

I would love to see more on this, and one thing that I would add is that the interesting interplay of singular and plural noun and verb forms in Genesis 1 makes all the sense in the world in a Trinitarian view—yes, it is they, and yet there is an incontrovertible oneness, and so on—but comes across as a mere series of grammatical errors in the modalist or unitarian view. So you really cannot even understand the beginning of creation absent the Trinity.

There are a number of teachers I’ve decided to ignore because of either preaching, or tolerating, the Sabellian heresy. It’s that big of a deal, really, and I would dare say that if we had more real teaching on the doctrine of the Trinity, we might find ourselves purified and unified, and would suffer far fewer catfights in our midst. The reason would not be an all too typical slippery slope fallacy, but rather would simply rest on the premiss that if we have our minds on what is important and why, we will simply not have the time to concentrate on that which is not important.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Related . . .

Topics: Trinity, Series - Divine Personhood, Modalism
  • Modalism Redux? The Idea of “Person” in Classical Trinitarianism

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: But the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

(KJV, Proverbs 10:32)

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