Is God One Person?

by Matt Jensen

Monotheism–the belief that there is only one God–has always been essential to the Christian faith. The early church steadfastly defended monotheism but ran into a difficulty–Jesus is equated with God in the New Testament. In fact, the deity of Jesus was a major reason that people wanted to kill Him (John 5:18; 8:58-59; 10:30-31). Desiring to hold to monotheism, some denied the full deity of Jesus. However, others desired to hold to monotheism and the full deity of Jesus. One solution proposed by men like Sabellius, Noetus, and Praxeas, was to say that the Father and the Son are actually not distinct persons. Like an actor playing different characters, God plays Father and then Son. This became known as the heresy of Sabellianism. Many strains of this error have surfaced over time, but its distinctive feature is that God is unipersonal. In other words, God is one God existing as one person, sometimes acting as different persons. Against this, orthodoxy confesses one God eternally existing in three persons. Here is what orthodoxy confesses. God is one divine nature. • The divine nature is not shared by anything in creation. • The divine nature is not divided among the persons (like three pieces of the same pie). • The divine nature is not cloned three times (like three copies of the same picture). God eternally exists in three persons. • The person of the Father: ◦ Is unbegotten – He has His person from none ◦ Is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit ◦ Therefore, He is truly the Father • The person of the Son: ◦ Is eternally begotten – He has His person from the Father alone ◦ Is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit ◦ Therefore, He is truly the Son • The person of the Holy Spirit: ◦ Is eternally proceeding – He has His person from the Father and the Son ◦ Is neither the Father nor the Son ◦ Therefore, He is truly the Holy Spirit

It’s terribly important to confess that God is one God, but it’s vitally important to confess that this one God eternally exists in three persons, too. Here are a few reasons why:

It’s biblical – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Sabellianism and orthodoxy agree that the Word was God (i.e. the one divine nature). However, Sabellianism can’t explain how the Word was with God. They must say something like “The Word appeared to be with God.” Orthodoxy can say that the Word was God (divine nature) and with God (person). Sabellianism also can’t account for passages such as Matthew 3:16-17. Orthodoxy can say that Jesus was baptized, the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke. Sabellianism turns the events of this passage into a charade. God’s worship – This is the greatest reason. God has revealed Himself as one God eternally existing in three persons. Therefore, we must worship Him as one God eternally existing in three persons. The most serious theological errors we can possibly make concern God. He is not the unipersonal God of Islam, but the blessed Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity. Our salvation and communion with God – Was it really the Son who came to save us? Was it really the Father who gave a people to His Son? Is it really the Holy Spirit who applies Christ’s redemptive work? Sabellianism must say, “No.” Can we really believe in Jesus (John 6:29)? Can we really pray to our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:9)? Can we really walk by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16)? Sabellianism must again say, “No.” If Sabellianism is true, our salvation and communion with God cannot be Trinitarian. We would be saved and commune with a God who is one person having multiple personalities. Thankfully, that is not the God who reveals Himself to us in the Bible. The one true God

About The Author Matt Jensen is a missionary from Reformation Baptist Church in Dalton, Georgia. He and his wife, Danielle, are preparing to move to Thailand soon with their son, Judah. They are also anticipating the birth of another son, Gabriel.