THE HALL OF HERESIES: MODALISM

 It has always been a challenge—both in the past and even today—to understand the concept of the Trinity: how there is only one God, and at the same time, three Divine Persons. Because of this, many explanations and theories have been offered by theologians throughout history in order to somehow resolve the difficulty. The problem, however, is that in their attempt to simplify it too much, some ended up falling into heresy. With the good intention of trying to explain what was revealed to us, they misinterpreted and misrepresented the doctrine instead. Today, we will talk about Sabellianism (also known as Modalism). This is one of the many forms of Monarchianism.

The History

In the third century AD, the old heresies of previous centuries resurfaced but took on slightly different forms. These false teachings overemphasized the truth that God is one—mainly to avoid confusing the doctrine of the Trinity with polytheism (belief in multiple gods). Collectively, these teachings were called Monarchianism. It was Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) who first used the term. According to him, the Greek and Latin meaning of monarchia is “single and individual rule,” which was exactly the point these teachings were stressing in his time. Monarchianism came in different versions such as Subordinationism, Dynamic Monarchianism, and Sabellianism (Modalism). Out of the desire to present Christ as God while still affirming that there is only one God, some ended up compromising Christ’s humanity. This led toward Docetism—the belief that denied Jesus’ humanity. But instead of going fully in that direction, they explained it this way: Jesus and the Father were simply “modes” or “manifestations” of the one God. Thus, Modalism was born.

Noetus of Smyrna first elaborated this idea, and later it was developed by Praxeas, who included the Holy Spirit as another “mode.” Tertullian sarcastically remarked that Praxeas had “driven out the Paraclete (the Holy Spirit) and nailed the Father to the cross!” For this reason, Modalism was also called Patripassianism (meaning “the Father suffered”), because it seemed to teach that not only Christ but also the Father was crucified. Later, Sabellius (in Rome, c. 198–220 AD) became its most well-known supporter, and so his name became permanently attached to the heresy. He taught that the Son and the Holy Spirit were temporary expressions or roles of the one God.

The Heresy

For Sabellianism/Modalism, there is only one God, and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are merely roles or modes that God plays at different times—like one actor playing different parts in different scenes. The problems with this teaching are many. For one, Modalism fails to explain the real interaction among the Three Divine Persons in Scripture. For example, at Christ’s baptism (Matt. 3:13–17), the Son was baptized, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father spoke from heaven. All three were present at once! Clearly, they are not one Person simply switching roles in the same scene.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often prayed to the Father and revealed Him to the people—never in a way that suggested He was merely talking to Himself or describing Himself differently. When Jesus said that He and the Father are one (John 10:30), He was not teaching Modalism; rather, He was affirming that they share the same divine essence and nature. When He spoke of the Holy Spirit whom the Father would send (John 14), He did not say that He Himself or the Father would simply transform into the Spirit. Another major issue is this: if God merely wears different “masks” at different times, then who is He really?

Because of such errors, the early church formulated creeds to refute them and to reaffirm biblical truth. The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (325 AD, revised 381 AD), originally written to combat Arianism, clearly affirmed that there are three distinct Persons in the one God. Likewise, the Athanasian Creed (5th–6th century AD) states: “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence.” This directly opposes Modalism, which confuses the Three Persons into one.

The Hoax

Even though the early church fathers labored to reject Modalism, it still persists today. Some groups, like the Oneness Pentecostals or “Jesus Only” movement, believe that Christ is also the Father and the Holy Spirit, simply changing forms or manifestations. Well-known preachers like Steven Furtick have been accused of promoting Modalist views in their sermons. T.D. Jakes was also accused of being a Modalist—something he later denied, though he admitted to once being part of Oneness theology. Some denominations under the Oneness Pentecostal movement, such as the United Pentecostal Church, continue to grow and are very active even here in the Philippines. Their clear sign is the insistence that converts must be baptized only in Jesus’ name, and not in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Even within some churches that profess belief in the Trinity, traces of Modalism show up in practice. For example, some place an excessive focus on speaking in tongues, miracles, prophecy, and the works of the Spirit—believing that the present age is the “era of the Holy Spirit,” just as the Old Testament was the Father’s era and the New Testament was the Son’s. This view is comparable to Modalism’s teaching of different divine roles at different times. But the Bible shows that the Trinity has always been working together from the beginning and throughout all time, even though the Son and the Spirit were revealed more clearly later.

They say, “History repeats itself.” And if we look at church history, even heresies repeat themselves—they only change in form. Modalism is exactly what its name suggests: it changes modes, but never really goes away. This challenges us as believers to be more discerning and always return to the foundational truths of God’s Word. Stay Curious.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀:

Davie, M. (Gen. Ed). (2016).“Monarchianism” . 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺: 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤. Intervarsity Press.
Shelley, B. (2013). “Rejected Trinitarian Scheme” . 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 (4𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘥). Thomas Nelson.
Ferguson, E. (2005). “Patripassianism”. 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦: 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘦-𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Zondervan