From the standpoint of later catholic orthodoxy, a key episode in this series occurred in 325, when a council of bishops convened by the Emperor Constantine (ca. 280–337) decreed that the Father and Son were homoousios (same substance or essence).
By the time of the council of Constantinople (381 CE), an anti-subordinationist reading, vigorously championed by Alexandrian bishop Athanasius (d. 373) had the upper hand; homoousios was understood as asserting the Father and Son to not merely be similar beings, but in some sense one being. While it stopped short of saying that the Holy Spirit was homoousios with the Father and Son, the council did say that the Holy Spirit “is worshiped and glorified together with the Father and the Son”, and added in a letter accompanying their creed that the three share “a single Godhead and power and substance”
So we see that early church understanding of the Creator is that the Father and Son are essentialy one being. As noted in the above, they did not give the Holy Spirit identity with the Father, hence relegating Him to something less than the Father. This was a major error. On what basis can I say that?
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  |
In the above verses we see clearly that the Holy Spirit fathered our Lord Jesus. So, the Holy Spirit is the Father.
Since the Father and Son are one, and the Father and the Holy Spirit are one, there is only one person in the `GodHead`.
I suspect the reason the church fathers relegated the Holy Spirit to third class status is that they had forsaken His baptism for doctrinal, religious reasons. The idea that the Father would take His abode in human beings was somehow distasteful to their concept of God as Holy. They did not realize that, by this kind of thinking, they were blaspheming the finished work of Christ Jesus. They denigrated Him by not believing and receiving the fact that we are accepted in the beloved and that we have the righteousness of Christ Jesus imputed to us.
This wrong thinking had several terrible aspects:
→ it denied that the Holy Spirit is Creator
→ it denied that the Holy Spirit is Father
→ it denied the perfection of Christ Jesus` sacrifice
→ it denied the Father from His desired place in us and we in Him
→ it denied the power of God which is necessary for us to manifest as Sons Of God
Jesus whole purpose in coming was so that we could be filled with the Holy Spirit (Father).
We hear John`s message validated in our Lord`s command to His disciples:
This verse implies that Jesus considered the disciples incompetent to represent Him without the Holy Spirit baptism.
What is the Holy Spirit baptism? It is the Father taking His abode in our minds and physical bodies to empower us to manifest Himself and to do the work He intended for us to do.
So, trinitarianism represents a departure from the Truth. Jesus is the Truth. He is the body and soul of the Holy Spirit who is our Heavenly Father.
Had these early church leaders understood Spirit Soul And Body they would have never described God as three persons in one.
Ignorance always begets error.
I heard a well-known Christian television minister say that Jesus is a part of God and the Holy Spirit is a part of God.
This understanding that Christ and the Holy Spirit are like appendages of a greater being (whom no one knows) is ludicrous.
It ignores what the scriptures say about the Messiah - Mighty God, Everlasting Father, express image of God, God with us.
It ignores what the scriptures say about the Holy Spirit who is both the Father of Christ Jesus and His Spirit.