Trinity Heresies & The Christian Creeds, Senior - I, Lesson -3

SENIOR

AGE GROUP: 14 - 15 YEARS

STANDARD (GRADE): IX & X

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LESSON – 3

TRINITY HERESIES & THE CHRISTIAN CREEDS

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Trinity Heresies:

A “heresy” is a belief or opinion contrary to strictly held orthodox religious doctrine. There are many heresies on the doctrine of Trinity which is contrary to what is taught in the word of God. (Click here to learn more about the Holy Trinity)

Modalism (i.e. Sabellianism, Noetianism and Patripassianism) – According to this teaching the same God reveals himself through three different modes. God was the Father in creation, he became son and came to the earth as Jesus, then he turned into the Holy Spirit and sanctifies us. According to modelists, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit never exist together and they exist independently in different eras. This is the belief of Oneness Pentecostals. 

Tritheism ...Tri - theism means three distinct and separate gods. Trinity is confused with Tri-theism mainly because of inadequate understanding of Trinity. Trinity is explained as three persons -Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in one Godhead (Refer to previous lesson). People confuse “Holy Trinity” with Tritheism because of the misunderstanding of the word “persons”. In speaking of the Trinity, the term “person” is not used in the same way it is normally used in human beings. Normally in humans, it means different individuals with separate body, soul and spirit. But in the Godhead, the three Persons are inseparable, and they eternally co-exist as one Divine Being. Some have opted for the term "subsistence". But the term “persons” is used for want of a better term). Muslims usually fault Christians of being tritheistic because of their lack of understanding of Trinity.

Arianism ...taught that Christ was a creation of God and He was not God. Arianism was rejected and the controversy was addressed in the Nicene Creed.

Ebionitism ...taught that while Jesus was completely a human being, he was different from other humans because he was gifted with special charismatic skills and abilities. 

Macedonianism ...taught that the Holy Spirit was a being created by God. 

Adoptionism ...taught that Jesus was a normal human being, but later he was “adopted” by Father God in a special divine way. This might have occurred during any of the special instances of Jesus’ life such as his baptism or resurrection.

Partialism ...taught that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are components of one Godhead. Each of the persons is not fully divine or fully God. (1)

Subordinationism.... it is primarily the teaching that the Son doesn’t exist eternally and he is also not divine and is, therefore, not equal to the Father in his nature or divine attributes and is inferior to Father God.

(Click this link to learn about the counterfeit of the Holy Trinity called the "Satanic Trinity"

The First Council of Nicaea:

The First Council of Nicaea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea (present day Iznik, Turkey in Bithynia) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. It was the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. The word ecumenical is derived from the Greek word “oikoumenē "meaning “the inhabited earth". Thus ecumenical means "worldwide". Constantine had invited all 1,800 bishops of the Christian church (about 1,000 in the east and 800 in the west). The participating bishops were given free travel to and from their episcopal sees to the council, as well as lodging.

Council of Nicaea (325 AD), depicted in a Byzantine fresco in the basilica of St. Nicholas in Demre, Turkey

Historians including Jerome and Dionysius have recorded that more than 300 bishops including Bishop John, who was the bishop of India and Persia also attended the first council of Nicaea. It was presided by Hosius of Corduba, who was the bishop of Rome.

This first ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. One of its main accomplishments was settlement of the Christological issue of the nature of the Son of God and his relationship to God the Father. Most significantly, it resulted in the first uniform Christian doctrine, called the Nicene Creed. (2)

Memory Verse: For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. (I John 5:4-6 NKJV)

NICENE CREED

The Creed is a profession of faith, a declaration and summary of the Christian faith widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene Creed because it was originally adopted in the city of Nicaea during the first Christian council.

WE BELIEVE in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets. 

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. 

Amen. (3)                                              

(Note: Catholic means universal) 

The oldest manuscript of the Nicene creed, dated to the 6th century, 

Picture credit: Public Domain

APOSTLES’ CREED

This is the oldest creed; it was used by Christians in the First century Church. 

I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, 

And in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. (4) 

Reference:

(1)            HaNaviy A. B. (2019 December 7).  Exploring the Shema (Paper Two): YHVH and Yeshua. (Retrieved 9th August 2020 from http://www.tetzetorah.com/exploring-the-shema)

(2)           First council of Nicaea (Retrieved 9th August 2020 from  https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/First_Council_of_Nicaea)

(3)           Nicene Creed (Retrieved 9th August 2020 from http://www.tsm.edu/the_three_creeds/)

(4)           Apostles’ Creed (Retrieved 9th August 2020 from http://www.tsm.edu/the_three_creeds/)

 ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

I.      Fill in the Blanks:

1. The ……………….. controversy was addressed in the Nicene Creed.

2. …………………….taught that while Jesus was a human being, he was gifted with particular charismatic skills and abilities.

3. Bishop ………………….., was the bishop of India and Persia also attended the first council of Nicaea.

4. One of the main accomplishments of the First Council was the settlement of the ……………………… issue of the nature of the Son of God.

II.     Give short answers:

1. What is a heresy?

 

 

2. What is the modalist teaching?

 

 

3. What is tritheism ?

 

 

4. What is macedonianism?

 

 

III. Give brief answers:

1. Write briefly about the “First Council of Nicaea.”