Post by Redeemed on Jun 17, 2023 11:32:16 GMT -8
Nontrinitarianism is a form of Christianity that rejects the mainstream Christian theology of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct hypostases or persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence (from the Ancient Greek ousia). Certain religious groups that emerged during the Protestant Reformation have historically been known as antitrinitarian. This classifies them as a cult.
According to churches that consider the decisions of ecumenical councils final, trinitarianism was definitively declared to be Christian doctrine at the 4th-century ecumenical councils, that of the First Council of Nicaea (325), which declared the full divinity of the Son, and the First Council of Constantinople, which declared the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
In terms of number of adherents, nontrinitarian denominations comprise a small minority of modern Christians. After the denominations in the Oneness Pentecostal movement, the largest nontrinitarian Christian denominations are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, La Luz del Mundo, and Iglesia ni Cristo. There are a number of other smaller groups, including Christadelphians, Church of the Blessed Hope, Christian Scientists, Dawn Bible Students, Living Church of God, Assemblies of Yahweh, Members Church of God International, Unitarian Christians, Unitarian Universalist Christians, The Way International, The Church of God International, the United Church of God, Church of God General Conference, Restored Church of God, Christian Disciples Church, and Church of God of the Faith of Abraham.
Nontrinitarian views differ widely on the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Various nontrinitarian philosophies, such as adoptionism and monarchianism existed prior to the codification of the Trinity doctrine in AD 325, 381, and 431, at the Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus. Nontrinitarianism was later renewed by Cathars in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the Unitarian movement during the Protestant Reformation, in the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, and in some groups arising during the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century.
A cult can be defined as a perversion of biblical Christianity. Most cults claim some affiliation with Christianity and even accept the Bible (with their own reinterpretations and modifications) as one of their holy books. However, all of the cults reject many of the central beliefs of the Christian faith, including the Trinity. Consequently, and without exception, all of the cults reject Jesus as the eternal Son of God, as one in essence, power, and authority with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The assorted views of God found in the cults run the gamut from nontrinitarian monotheism (Jehovah’s Witnesses) to polytheism (belief in many gods, such as Mormonism) to pantheism (Christian Science). None of these views square with orthodox Christianity, and their various gods are far different from the God revealed in the Bible.
Because the nature of God differs fundamentally in the cults and the world’s many religions, it is impossible to harmonize them and conclude they all mirror the same God. A religion’s view of God will influence all of its subsequent doctrines. Consequently, the doctrines of sin, salvation, man, and other beliefs taught in these religions all conflict with Christianity. Either Christianity is true or some other religion, but only ignorance and irrationality could maintain they’re all basically the same or all point to the same God. The Christian God—and Him alone—deserves and demands our worship. When people turn to other gods and worship them, the only true God declares that totally unacceptable, worthy of judgment (Exod. 20:3–6; Rom. 1:18–32).
Dan Story, Defending Your Faith
According to churches that consider the decisions of ecumenical councils final, trinitarianism was definitively declared to be Christian doctrine at the 4th-century ecumenical councils, that of the First Council of Nicaea (325), which declared the full divinity of the Son, and the First Council of Constantinople, which declared the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
In terms of number of adherents, nontrinitarian denominations comprise a small minority of modern Christians. After the denominations in the Oneness Pentecostal movement, the largest nontrinitarian Christian denominations are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, La Luz del Mundo, and Iglesia ni Cristo. There are a number of other smaller groups, including Christadelphians, Church of the Blessed Hope, Christian Scientists, Dawn Bible Students, Living Church of God, Assemblies of Yahweh, Members Church of God International, Unitarian Christians, Unitarian Universalist Christians, The Way International, The Church of God International, the United Church of God, Church of God General Conference, Restored Church of God, Christian Disciples Church, and Church of God of the Faith of Abraham.
Nontrinitarian views differ widely on the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Various nontrinitarian philosophies, such as adoptionism and monarchianism existed prior to the codification of the Trinity doctrine in AD 325, 381, and 431, at the Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus. Nontrinitarianism was later renewed by Cathars in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the Unitarian movement during the Protestant Reformation, in the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, and in some groups arising during the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century.
A cult can be defined as a perversion of biblical Christianity. Most cults claim some affiliation with Christianity and even accept the Bible (with their own reinterpretations and modifications) as one of their holy books. However, all of the cults reject many of the central beliefs of the Christian faith, including the Trinity. Consequently, and without exception, all of the cults reject Jesus as the eternal Son of God, as one in essence, power, and authority with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The assorted views of God found in the cults run the gamut from nontrinitarian monotheism (Jehovah’s Witnesses) to polytheism (belief in many gods, such as Mormonism) to pantheism (Christian Science). None of these views square with orthodox Christianity, and their various gods are far different from the God revealed in the Bible.
Because the nature of God differs fundamentally in the cults and the world’s many religions, it is impossible to harmonize them and conclude they all mirror the same God. A religion’s view of God will influence all of its subsequent doctrines. Consequently, the doctrines of sin, salvation, man, and other beliefs taught in these religions all conflict with Christianity. Either Christianity is true or some other religion, but only ignorance and irrationality could maintain they’re all basically the same or all point to the same God. The Christian God—and Him alone—deserves and demands our worship. When people turn to other gods and worship them, the only true God declares that totally unacceptable, worthy of judgment (Exod. 20:3–6; Rom. 1:18–32).
Dan Story, Defending Your Faith
