2Timothy2:19 *"Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness*”.
ANTI TRINITY HERESIES
One reason the doctrine of trinity is fundamental to our faith is because it reveals the true nature of God. It reveals God as one but existing in three distinct co-equal persons. This is what the bible teaches.
Opposing this is a rebellion against scripture. That is why those in anti trinity camp cannot be regarded as our brother or sister in Christ simply because they deny the biblical revelation of God revealed in His word- a fundamental teaching that runs through scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.
*The first heresy against trinitarian teaching is known as Modalism or Sabellianism. It was propounded by Bishop Sabellius. Modalism says God is one person who changes forms or "modes" depending on the situation*.
In this view, God was the Father in the Old Testament, the Son during Christ's earthly ministry, and the Holy Spirit after Pentecost. He is never all three at the same time. The bible never teaches this.
*Patripassianism* is another type of Modalism which argues that the Father and Son are identical, the Father also suffered and died on the cross. Hey! It is not the father that died on the cross.
The Bible says our God is one God. Deuteronomy 6:4: *"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD IS ONE!*"
Then, the bible also speaks of three distinct Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Matthew 28:19: *"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT*".
Since the scriptures cannot contradict itself, these truths about one God and three distinct divine personalities must be harmonized. So, what we have is One God existing in three persons not three gods.
How these two truths harmonize is inconceivable to the human mind. That is why trinitarian doctrine is not to be mentally accepted but spiritually discerned and imbibed because it is a mystery revealed in scriptures.
God exists in three co-eternal, co-equal Persons. Jesus prayed to His Father (Luke 22:42NLT): *“FATHER, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine*”.
To show Jesus is not the same as the father, the bible says Jesus now sits at the right hand of the father he prayed to: *"The Son radiates God’s own glory...When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven*"( Heb 1:3 NLT).
The Father and the Son sent the Spirit into the world. Let's check two scriptures.
John 14:26 says, *"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you*"( NLT)
John 15:26 says, *“But I will send you the Advocate —the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me*".
@all
All these scriptures clearly shows three distinct personalities existing as one. Modalism is not biblical. So, we say, we have one God in three persons. That is the holy trinity.