HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE NATURE OF GOD
IN THE EARLY CENTURIES OF CHRISTIANITY
Part 3
MONARCHIANISM
Modalistic Monarchianism made its way to Rome <at the end of the first
century> and in the first quarter of the second century Monarchianism
identified the father, son and holy spirit so completely that they were thought
of only as different aspects of or different moments in the life of
one divine person, called now father, now son, now spirit, as his several
activities came successively into view. This doctrine in the second, and third
centuries almost succeeded in establishing itself as the doctrine of the church
at large. [4]
(The term "Modalistic Monarchianism" refers to the "ism" {belief} of "mono" {one} "arch" {ruler} in various modes or manifestations.)
This was a fairly widespread popular trend of thought; and the driving force behind it was the two-fold conviction, passionately held, of the oneness of God and the full deity of Christ. <what forced it into the open> was the mounting suspicion that the <former truths> were being endangered by the new logos doctrine and by the efforts of theologians to represent the godhead as having revealed itself in the economy as <tri-personal>. As early as Justin's time, we read of objections to his teaching that the logos was something numerically other than the Father. [21]
Modalism was exceedingly difficult to overcome. It was
shared by the majority of the common people and was in harmony with the
dominant peity of the age. Modalism, in fact, was offensive only to the
theologians, particularly to those who felt the influence of the platonic
philosophy. [12] Nor is it surprising that these Monarchians should have had a
strong following. God is one. For this monotheism the prophets had fought and prevailed.
[16]
Of those who took up the Monarchian defense, the more noted were HERACLITUS of
the early second century; NOETUS, PRAXEUS, a follower of Noetus who
transplanted these views to Rome about 190; Epigonus and Cleomenes, two other
disciples of Noetus; and Sabellius, who was excommunicated for his views in
217. [5].