The New Testament reveals that our God is triune. During the centuries three main schools of teaching concerning the Trinity have emerged: modalism, tritheism, and the pure revelation according to the Bible. Modalism teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are not all eternal and do not all exist at the same time, but are merely three temporary manifestations of the one God. Tritheism teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three Gods. We should have nothing to do with modalism, for that extreme view concerning the Trinity is a heresy. It is also a great heresy to teach that there are three Gods.
According to the natural law in God’s creation, there is the law of balance. Nothing can exist without having two sides. For example, the earth exists because of two forces: centrifugal force thrusts the earth away, and centripetal force holds it back. This is the balance of power. All the truths in the Bible also have two sides. In order to hold a biblical truth properly, we must hold both sides of it. The pure revelation of the Triune God in the Bible occupies a central position between the extremes of modalism and tritheism.
Because the truths in the Bible have two sides, there are two aspects to the Trinity: the aspect of the one-in-three and the aspect of the three-in-one. Modalism is an extreme on the side of the three-in-one. There is, of course, ground in the Scriptures for the side of the three-in-one, but modalism, going to an extreme, far beyond the confines of the Bible, neglects and even annuls the side of the one-in-three. Because modalism goes beyond the confines of the Scriptures concerning the aspect of the one, it is a heresy on the extreme of the one. Tritheism is the opposite extreme, the extreme of the three. Tritheism emphasizes the side of the three, going beyond the confines of the Scriptures concerning the aspect of the three, and neglects the side of the one. It also has scriptural ground because the Father, the Son, and the Spirit certainly are three. But tritheism, like modalism, also goes beyond the confines of the Bible and becomes a heresy. Therefore, both modalism and tritheism, being extremes, are heresies.
The Bible is not at either of these extremes; it stands in the center, testifying the twofoldness of the truth of the Trinity. In this matter, the Scriptures are balanced. The Bible, true to the principle of balance in God’s creation, is balanced and in the center; it does not go to an extreme. Regarding the truth of the Triune God, we also should be balanced and avoid the heretical extremes of both modalism and tritheism.
Throughout the years I have given many messages on the Triune God. If certain sentences in those messages are taken out of context, it may appear that I teach modalism. However, if certain other sentences are taken out of context, it may appear that I also teach tritheism. Of course, I teach neither modalism nor tritheism.
Augustine, a leader in teaching the divine Trinity, was sometimes accused of being modalistic and at other times was accused of being tritheistic. Because he taught that the Father, Son, and the Spirit are one God, not three separate Gods, he was accused of teaching modalism. But because he strongly emphasized that God is three-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-he was also accused of teaching tritheism. Likewise, when we point out the Scriptures that reveal that our God is absolutely one, that the Son is even called the Father (Isa. 9:6), and that the Son is the Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17), we have been falsely accused of teaching modalism. But when our writings are considered fairly and completely, it will become evident that we teach neither modalism nor tritheism but the pure revelation of the Triune God according to the Scriptures.
What is the error in modalism? Modalism teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are not all eternal and do not all exist at the same time. Rather, modalism claims that the Father ended with the Son’s coming and that the Son ceased with the Spirit’s coming. The modalists say that the Three of the Godhead exist respectively in three consecutive stages. They do not believe in the coexistence and coinherence of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Unlike them, we believe in the coexistence and coinherence of the Three of the Godhead; that is, we believe that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all exist essentially at the same time and under the same conditions. However, in the divine economy, the Three work and are manifested respectively in three consecutive stages. Yet even in Their economical works and manifestations the Three still remain essentially in Their coexistence and coinherence. The Father chose us in the Son and by the Spirit (Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2a). The Son accomplished redemption for us with the Father and by the Spirit (John 8:29; Heb. 9:14). The Spirit works in us as the Son (John 14:26; 2 Cor. 3:17) with the Father (John 15:26). Their works and manifestations are economical, but their coexistence and coinherence are eternal. All the Three are eternal essentially. Isaiah 9:6 says that the Father is eternal, Hebrews 1:12 and 7:3 indicate that the Son is eternal, and Hebrews 9:14 speaks of the eternal Spirit. Therefore, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are not consecutive but eternal in Their existence, in Their being.
God is uniquely one but triune-the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18; 3:14-16; Rev. 1:4-5). The Godhead is distinctively three, but the Father, Son, and Spirit certainly are not three Gods separately. The New Testament tells us definitely that God is one (1 Cor. 8:4; 1 Tim. 2:5).
Some Christians have believed that the Father is one Person and that the Son is another Person, but the Spirit is merely a power. Others believe that the Three of the Godhead-the Father, the Son, and the Spirit-are three separate Gods. These concepts are heretical. According to the divine revelation of the holy Word, we believe that our God is uniquely one. We have only one God, who is triune.
Because our mentality is limited, we are not able to explain the Triune God thoroughly. Actually we cannot even define ourselves very well. How, then, could we define the Triune God adequately and thoroughly? This is impossible. We can only believe what is clearly revealed in the New Testament: God is one but triune.
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