Modalism

Overview

Modalism is a view concerning the doctrine of the Trinity that arose in the early church. In seeking to safeguard the oneness of God, it denies any real distinction among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The term "mode" refers to an outward form or manner of appearance. As a branch of Monarchianism, which emphasizes that God is one, it is also called "modalistic Monarchianism." It is likewise known as Sabellianism, after its leading figure, Sabellius. In the Western church it was also called Patripassianism, meaning that the Father himself suffered, since on this view the one who suffered on the cross would be the Father himself. The term "modalism" is reported to have gained wide currency through its use by the nineteenth-century German theologian Adolf von Harnack.

History

In the late second and early third centuries, Noetus of Smyrna, Praxeas, and others are known to have taught this idea. Hippolytus of Rome wrote Against Noetus to refute Noetus. In Against Praxeas, Tertullian charged that Praxeas had "crucified the Father." Sabellius, who was active in Rome in the early third century, systematized the view. He is reported to have been excommunicated by Callixtus I, bishop of Rome, around 220. Later, in the East, Dionysius of Alexandria and others opposed Sabellianism. The confession of the Trinity that took shape after the Council of Nicaea in the fourth century likewise developed in a way that excluded modalism. None of Sabellius's writings survive, and his ideas are known chiefly through the accounts of his opponents.

Principal Claims

• God is one in essence and also only one person.
• The one God revealed himself successively: as the Father in creation and the giving of the law, as the Son in the Incarnation, and as the Holy Spirit in regeneration and sanctification.
• Accordingly, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" are not distinct persons (personal subjects) but three names or roles of the one God.
• Sabellius is said to have compared God to a single sun that has light, heat, and a round shape.

Orthodox Criticism

The major Korean denominations, including the Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches, all confess "one essence, three persons" in keeping with the tradition of the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. In light of this confession, modalism is judged to be an error that confounds the persons into one. Critics point to scenes in Scripture in which the three persons appear simultaneously and interact personally with one another. They argue that modalism cannot readily account for passages such as the baptism of Jesus, when the Spirit descended and the Father's voice was heard from heaven (Matthew 3:16–17), or the Son's prayer to the Father (John 17).

Assessment and Counterarguments

Because none of Sabellius's writings survive, some hold that it is uncertain whether he actually went so far as to teach Patripassianism. Today, the critique of modalism also serves as a standard for evaluating other groups. In response, some object that it is hasty to label a group modalist on the basis of a single expression such as "Jesus is the Spirit," noting that passages such as 2 Corinthians 3:17 exist and that orthodox theologians have also used similar language.

Modern Movements and the Korean Church

• Views similar to modalism are considered to survive today in the Oneness Pentecostal movement. This movement is distinct from mainstream Pentecostal denominations, such as the Assemblies of God, that confess the Trinity.
• Korean anti-heresy counseling materials include writings that criticize the understanding of the Trinity held by the Local Church, linking it with modalism. The Local Church maintains that it believes in the Trinity.
• Analogies commonly used to explain the Trinity in Korean Sunday schools and sermons, such as "water, ice, and steam" or "one man who is a father, a husband, and a son," have been criticized as modalistic, contrary to their intent.