What is the Scriptural basis for Modalism?
Upvote:0
The umbrella term for the doctrines that include Modalism is Unitarianism.
The scriptural support for Modalism is the same as that for the Trinity, except they interpret the scripture as speaking of God as one person manifest in our dimensions in differing modes. I would argue that the Unitarian interpretation involves ignoring multiple key scriptures that evince three separate persons, such as at Jesus' baptism where the Holy Spirit comes down and the Father speaks:
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
In Unitarian thinking, therefore there is one person who, in the OT, is revealed as the Father God, and in the New Testament is revealed first as the incarnate Christ, and then, after the ascension, as the Holy Spirit.
They contest the orthodox claim that there are three persons in the Godhead, and claim instead there is one person who, at different times, wears a different "mask", if you will.
Closely related is Patripassionism, which takes Modalism further and says that the Father suffered at the cross (and, presumably so did the Holy Spirit) since each is merely the same person in different guise.
The Trinitarian doctrine, is that God is one in nature and three in persons. Conversely, the Unitarian doctrine is that God is one in nature and in person.
Upvote:1
The United Pentecostal Church International, who are a denomination of Oneness Pentecostalism, and adopt the doctrine of Oneness, which is essentially the same as Modalistic Monarchianism, offer the following in support of their Doctrinal Foundation:
The Oneness of God
God is absolutely and indivisibly one (Deuteronomy 6:4; Galatians 3:20). In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). He is the self-revelation of the one God, the incarnation of the full, undivided Godhead (John 20:28; I Timothy 3:16).
God has revealed Himself as Father (in parental relationship to humanity), in the Son (in human flesh), and as the Holy Spirit (in spiritual action). (See Deuteronomy 32:6 and Isaiah 63:16; Luke 1:35 and Galatians 4:4; Genesis 1:2 and Acts 1:8.) The one God existed as Father, Word, and Spirit before His incarnation as Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and while Jesus walked on earth as God Himself incarnate, the Spirit of God continued to be omnipresent. However, the Bible does not teach that there are three distinct centers of consciousness in the Godhead or that Jesus is one of three divine persons.
Jesus is true God and true man as one divine-human person. We can distinguish these two aspects of Christ’s identity, but we cannot separate them. The Incarnation joined the fullness of deity to complete humanity.
Jesus possessed all elements of authentic humanity as originally created by God, without sin. Thus we can speak of Jesus as human in body, soul, spirit, mind, and will. (See Matthew 26:38; Luke 2:40; 22:42; 23:46; Philippians 2:5.) According to the flesh, Jesus was the biological descendant of Adam and Eve, Abraham, David, and Mary. (See Genesis 3:15; Romans 1:3; Galatians 3:16; Hebrews 2:14-17; 5:7-8.) We should not speak of two spirits in Jesus, however, but of one Spirit in which deity and humanity are joined.
Christ’s humanity means that everything we humans can say of ourselves, we can say of Jesus in His earthly life, except for sin. In every way that we relate to God, Jesus related to God, except that He did not need to repent or be born again. Thus, when Jesus prayed, submitted His will to the Father, and spoke about God, He simply acted in accordance with His genuine humanity.
As Jehovah manifested in the flesh, Jesus is the only Savior (Isaiah 45:21-23; Matthew 1:21-23). Thus, Jesus is the only name given for our salvation (Acts 4:12). The Father was revealed to the world in the name of Jesus, the Son was given the name of Jesus at birth, and the Holy Spirit comes to believers in the name of Jesus. (See Matthew 1:21; John 5:43; 14:26; 17:6.) Thus, the apostles correctly fulfilled Christ’s command in Matthew 28:19 to baptize “in the name [singular] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” by baptizing all converts with the invocation of the name of Jesus.
Source: Our Doctrinal Foundation; United Pentecostal Church International
More post
- 📝 How does the Catholic Church explain passages that seem to use culturally specific logic?
- 📝 What happens to people who have never heard about Jesus?
- 📝 What proofs that the Jerusalem church held the same belief of St. Paul with regard to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus?
- 📝 According to Reformed Theology, why do unbelievers deserve punishment?
- 📝 In the NPP, if Paul's "works of the law" are only circumcision and diet, how is Galatians 3:10 interpreted?
- 📝 Catholic baptized in another church
- 📝 Who is Immanuel?
- 📝 Is the phrase, "Heaven is the presence of God, but Hell is the absence of God" an orthodox viewpoint?
- 📝 Why are there fourteen stations of the cross?
- 📝 Can a Catholic be denied communion for the way they want to receive Communion?
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from people who had experiences with the Christian God of which they had no prior knowledge?
- 📝 Is there any Biblical Basis for 400 years of silence between Old and New Testament?
- 📝 Why, in the Gospel of Mark, is Jesus referred to as the son of Mary but, in the Gospel of Luke, he is referred to as the son of Joseph?
- 📝 What is the distinction between Justification and Salvation? (Roman Catholic view)
- 📝 Why does the Fifth Ode (Prayer of Isaiah) begin at verse 9 and end at verse 20?
- 📝 What is the fulfillment Of Deuteronomy 28:12?
- 📝 What is the "veil" that covers the heart when the Old Testament is read?
- 📝 When was it claimed for the first time in Church history that the offices of apostle and prophet have ceased?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for a Flat Earth?
- 📝 What percentage of Christendom takes early Genesis in a literal sense?
- 📝 Can Catholics eat food offered to idols?
- 📝 Who is Mammon whom Jesus warned of in Sermon of the Mount?
- 📝 Are Christians monotheists and what is the nature of Jesus? (i.e. Give me the basics of Christianity please)
- 📝 What did St. Thomas Aquinas write about Christ's passion?
- 📝 Religious Clothing
- 📝 How do Trinitarians explain the Father granting life to the Son (John 5:26)?
- 📝 What's the moral of John 12:3-8? (Mary anointing Jesus's feet)
- 📝 Under what circumstances may female Jehovah's Witnesses teach doctrine to men in an evangelistic setting?
- 📝 Does the Bible support Pedophilia?
- 📝 Who is an "enemy" in the context of this video?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for clerical celibacy?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for "Love God and do whatever you please"?
- 📝 What is the doctrinal or Scriptural basis for a central Church authority?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for the idea that salvation can still be obtained after death?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for a monarchical episcopate?
- 📝 What is the Scriptural basis for Catholics praying to Mary and the various saints?
- 📝 What is the Scriptural basis for Modalism?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for the Holy Spirit speaking to you through other people's words?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for gluttony being a sin?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for liberation theology?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for the belief that a man is not capable of being the Saviour?
- 📝 (Catholic view) What was the scriptural basis for the existence of limbo?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for believing that God wants us to know an action is morally, objectively right or wrong?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the claim that abortion is immoral?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the concept that Jesus spent time in Hell?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Jesus being God incarnate?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for Total Depravity?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for believing in the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for saying Lucifer is an angel?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for Universal salvation?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 What is the basis for not believing sola scriptura?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the Immaculate Conception?
- 📝 What is the Biblical Basis for a Good person going to hell simply for not believing?
- 📝 What is the basis that some Protestants teach the non-necessity of baptism for salvation?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for Unconditional Election?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for Limited Atonement?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for unitarianism?