Do you know that the trinity is a late 4th-century invention?

Question

that's what the New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967) admits:
“The Trinitarian dogma is in the last analysis a late 4th-century invention. . . . The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century.”

Answer 1

First it is well documented that the bible doesn’t teach a trinity. Even the Catholic Church is honest enough to say it.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.”—(1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299.

Notice: ‘Among the Apostolic Fathers, (this would include John) there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.’

What about ‘Ignatius’? Are his letters authentic? What is the total understanding Ignatius had of Jesus and God the Father?

Ignatius did not say that the Son was equal to God the Father in such ways or in any other. Instead, he showed that the Son is in subjection to the One who is superior, Almighty God.

Ignatius calls Almighty God “the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son,” showing the distinction between God and His Son.9 He speaks of “God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”10 And he declares: “There is one God, the Almighty, who has manifested Himself by Jesus Christ His Son.”11

Ignatius shows that the Son was not eternal as a person but was created, for he has the Son saying: “The Lord [Almighty God] created Me, the beginning of His ways.”12 Similarly, Ignatius said: “There is one God of the universe, the Father of Christ, ‘of whom are all things;’ and one Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord, ‘by whom are all things.’”

“There is one God who manifested himself through Jesus Christ his Son, who is his Word which proceeded from silence and in every respect pleased him [God] who sent him. . . . Jesus Christ was subject to the Father.”15


However, are the 15 letters attributed to Ignatius accepted as authentic? In The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume I, editors Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson state:
“It is now the universal opinion of critics, that the first eight of these professedly Ignatian letters are spurious. They bear in themselves indubitable proofs of being the production of a later age . . . and they are now by common consent set aside as forgeries.”

“Of the seven Epistles which are acknowledged by Eusebius . . . , we possess two Greek recensions, a shorter and a longer. . . . Although the shorter form . . . had been generally accepted in preference to the longer, there was still a pretty prevalent opinion among scholars, that even it could not be regarded as absolutely free from interpolations, or as of undoubted authenticity.”

Though we can not fully trust the writings of Ignatius, we can trust what John wrote.

What was happening even during John’s life time?

1 John 2: 18 Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as YOU have heard that antichrist is coming, EVEN NOW (caps / italics added) there have come to be many antichrists;

26 These things I write YOU about those who are trying to mislead YOU.

John tells us that even in his day, there were those teaching wrong things about Jesus. This is in agreement with Paul at: Acts 20:29.

This means we cannot fully trust what 1st and 2nd century ‘Christian’ writers said or didn’t say.


That is why true christians trust only the bible for the truth.

Answer 2

The gospels of John and Matthew explain the trinity. These are first century writings, but since we read the writings of the 66 books line upon line, precept upon precept and here a little and there a little it is easy to understand why it took 4 years to bring out the Trinity doctrine. For years, people thought that in the beginning God was talking to angels instead of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as He was speaking the earth into existence.

The Bible has stood the test of time. The Bible has been challenged more than any other book and it is still here. These 66 writings have been studied, copied, and read to the point of exhaustion by many. The prophesies of the Bible are tried and true. These predictions are the most accurate fulfilled prophesies which even today are still being fulfilled.

The Holy Bible is TRULY the Word of the Living God and His Son Christ Jesus.

Answer 3

It's true that the exact trinitarian formula wasn't developed until the fourth century, but it's entirely based on scripture. The bible teaches that there is one God who exists in three co-eternal and co-equal Persons.

Answer 4

The Trinity was known in the first century and taught by the apostles. BTW. The NT was written in Greek and not in Aramaic.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 5

the trinity has always been. You are correct--in the fourth century it became a doctrine. Church Fathers wrote down what they had been taught for years. Isn't it great they recognize the truth as manifest in the word of God. Thank you for bring this to the surface

Answer 6

If I'm not mistaken Valentinus of the Christian Apocrypha deletions was the first to propose the Threefold Deity, to me that just means he was the first to state the truth.

Answer 7

The truth of the Trinity has been in the Bible since the first century. To deny the deity of Jesus Christ is to shut one out of the Kingdom of God.

John 8:24 (New American Standard Bible)

24"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

Answer 8

I knew your true colors will come out sooner or later. God is God but Jesus is His Son and the Spirit is the Spirit of God. They are all 3 different but also all 3 part of each other. You see that Jesus only says what His Father told Him to say and the Holy Spirit can only speak what is from God. Start opening your heart to Jesus the Son of God he is the only way to Heaven. Love in Jesus Christ. God Bless

Answer 9

I'll scope it out. I know Muslims have a thing about the Trinity.

Answer 10

No. Read the Gospel of John. A first century inspired narrative of the ministry of Jesus. My goodness...