Trinity

TRINITY & OTHER DOCTRINES OF GOD:
PROF. M. M. NINAN
BASIC HERESIES ACCORDING TO THE NICAEA
Tritheism - the belief that there are three gods or three separate beings in the
Godhead.
Modalism — holds that God is only one person who appears in different modes or
roles at different times in the divine economy. (Also called saballianism after its
founder Sabellius [c. 217- c. 220].) This is the view of the United Pentecostal Church
Arianism - Fomided by Arius (c. 250 — 336) denies that Jesus is fully God, allowing
Him a created status below God. This is the view of Jehovah Witnesses.
Docetism — affirms the deity of Christ but denies His humanity, claiming He only
“seemed” to be real human.
Nestorianism — proposed that Jesus had two natures and two persons. While
orthodox Christianity would affirm two natures, it would disavow the claim that He
was two persons.
Monophysitism - confuses the two natures of Christ, so that divine and human
natures intermingle in an eternal an uncreated blending of human and divine.
Patripassianism — literally means the “Father suffered,” it holds that God the Father
suffered on the cross as well as Christ. However, the divine nature of Christ did not
die or suffer because God is impassible.
Monotholism — held that Jesus has only one will, not both a human and a divine will.
It confuses His two natures.
Apollinarianism - diminished the humanity of Christ while affirming His full deity,
claiming that logos replaced the human spirit in Christ.
Subordinationism - asserts that the Son is subordinate in nature to the Father. In
orthodox belief, Jesus is functionally subordinate to the Father, but in essence Jesus
is equal with the Father
Monarchainism — stressed the unity (monarchy) of God to the neglect of Christ’s
deity, viewing Jesus as only a power or influence from God. There were two types:
modalists and adoptionists.
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