Day 55- FOUNDATION STONE IN THE A YEAR

Some critics, as well as most liberal theologians, maintain that the doctrine of the trinity was not part of the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, but merely invented by the church centuries later. 

Emanuel Swedenborg, founder of the Church of the New Jerusalem claimed that the apostolic church knew nothing of the Trinity and that the Trinity was really fabricated by the Council of Nicea in the fourth century as a belief in three Gods, not the one true God, which he believed was unipersonal: “A Trinity of Persons was unknown in the Apostolic church, but was hatched by the Nicean Council,” and “No other trinity than a trinity of Gods was understood by the members of the Nicean Council…[and] so understood by the whole Christian world as well.”[1] 

Likewise, in a sermon given in August, 1964, at New York City, liberal theologian James A. Pike declared, “The Trinity is not necessary. Our Lord never heard of it. The apostles knew nothing of it.” Victor Paul Wierwille, founder of “The Way International,” claims in his book, Jesus Christ Is Not God, that the early church (to 330 A.D.) never believed in the Trinity or in Christ’s deity.

But is this really what we find when we carefully examine the writings of the earliest Christian leaders, or is this merely an invention by those who, for whatever reason, choose not to believe in the Trinity? 

We’re going to end our studies in the Deity of Christ this month with a brief look at some testimonies from the early Church fathers.