Godhead as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Eternal or Convenient?
Is the nature of God, revealed as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 8:6, 2 Cor. 3:17, Col. 2:9, John 1:14) an eternal arrangement or merely a convenient one? This question is significant because it highlights the a key difference of significance between the Trinitarian and Unitarian positions on the nature of God. The Trinitarian view holds that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united as three persons in one Godhead. In contast, Unitarianism view the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as manifestations of the single supreme creator God. Thus, it is easy to see why some might be led to view this framework as a purer version of monotheism relative to Trinitarianism. Unitarianism, as well as related frameworks such as Sabellianism and Monarchianism are also attractive, in an apologetic setting in that it is easier to counter when pressed by the interrogations of monotheistic sceptics, who deny that trinitarianism teaches the oneness of God. In contrast, Trinitarians ...