The Atonement and the Trinity

I have made it no secret that I believe the doctrine of the Trinity is a central tenet of the the Christian faith. Far from being a "secondary issue," I believe how we understand the Bible's teaching on the Godhead will also have huge implications on other areas of our theology.

I recently began reading through the newly released book Pierced For Our Transgressions. Last night I came across a few paragraphs that I believe illustrate how the Atonement (as seen in the Penal Substitution view) was clearly the work of One God who exists in a Trinity of Divine Persons. When seen from this perspective, I think it becomes obvious why the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to Christianity:

"The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin. This summary can be expanded to give some sense of how the doctrine connects with other important biblical themes.

God the Father gave his Son to save rebellious, God-hating people, knowing that he would be despised and rejected by those he had made, that he would be a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. He spared sinful people from condemnation, death and punishment, but he did not spare his own beloved Son, with whom he was well pleased.

God the Son gave himself, willingly undertaking the task appointed for him by his Father. He veiled his glory in a human body, experienced every temptation we face without succumbing to any, and lived a perfect human life. Yet he took our sin and guilt upon himself and died a cursed death, suffering in his human nature the infinite torment of the wrath and fury of his Father. After three days he was vindicated in his resurrection before being exalted to his heavenly throne. From there he rules his kingdom, awaiting the day of his glorious appearing when every eye shall see him, every knew shall bow before him, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God the Holy Spirit, having been sent by the Father and the Son, now works in our hearts through the proclamation of the gospel to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment, to draw us to Christ in repentance and faith, and so to unite us to Christ that we may share in every blessing he has won for us.

God the Holy Trinity thus turned aside his own righteous wrath against sinful humanity; endured and exhausted the curse of the law that stood against us; cleansed us of our sin and clothed us in Christ's righteousness; ransomed us from our slavery to sin, the world and the devil by paying our debt, cancelling the devil's power of accusation against us, and liberating us to live new lives empowered by the Spirit; triumphed over all evil powers by punishing evil in the person of the Son; and reconciled us with himself by removing the barrier of sin and enmity between us; in order that we may stand blameless and forgiven in his glorious presence, credited with the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, as adopted children of God, gazing upon his face for all eternity.

God vindicated his truthfulness by remaining faithful to his promise that sin will be punished; he manifested his justice by punishing sin and acquitting the righteous; he glorified his name by exalting his Son and placing all things under his feet; and he demonstrated his love by dying for sinners and reconciling to himself those who were once his enemies." (Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution.pp 104 & 105. bold emphasis added)

Soli Deo Gloria!

Modalism: The Last Volley of 2007

Before we get out of 2007, I want to fire my last volley into the ghastly beast which is the Modalist heresy.

I doubt it will be enough to put the monster out of it's misery, but I hope that my posts on the topic will have alerted some of my readers to the fact that this heresy is dangerous and not in keeping with the orthodox understanding of the Godhead.

For the uninitiated, Modalism or "Oneness" theology is that theology concerning the Godhead that denies the historical orthodox teaching that there is one true God who exists in three distinct Persons revealed in Scripture as the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit.

Modalists believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be "manifestations" of the one true God whom they understand to be Jesus Christ alone. They see God as one in person, but manifesting himself in three forms. Their view can be illustrated with water, which can be in the form of a solid, liquid, or gas at different times. You may be familiar with this illustration as it is often used in ignorance by Trinitarians to explain the Trinity. Ironically, the water, ice, steam, illustration actually explains the Modalistic view of God -not the Trinitarian view!

To the Modalist, Jesus Christ isn't the Eternally begotten Son of the Father. Instead, they teach that Jesus is the Father, Jesus is the Son, and Jesus is the Holy Spirit: just in different modes or manifestations and appearing as each at different times. While they do not deny Jesus is God, what they do teach is just as bad because they actually deny the existence of the persons of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Forms of this heresy can be traced all the way back to the middle of the third century A.D.

Modalists focus on the "oneness" of God. They see Trinitarian theology as teaching that there are three Gods, but this not the case. Trinitarians are not Tri-theists. We fully affirm that God is one God. Dr James P. Boyce explains:

"The doctrine of the Trinity is not opposed to the unity of God, but only enables us to form just conceptions as to that unity. It presents to us three Persons who are not three gods, but one God, and, as will hereafter be seen, shows us that the unity of God is to be found in his nature or essence and not in the personal relations in that essence, so that there is but one divine nature or essence, one being, one god, although there are three persons subsisting therein, who, by virtue of that subsistence, are each God.

We are not led by this doctrine of the unity of God, therefore, to adopt the Arian notion that the Father is Supreme God and the Son only a divine being in a subordinate sense. Nor is it proper to accept the Sabellian notion, that God is one person, manifesting himself sometimes as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Holy Ghost. 'Neither does it at all teach tritheistic unity by which these are really three gods, but considered one because they have the same nature, just as three men may be said to be one because of the same human nature.' See Gill, vol. 1, pp. 183, 184 from which this is condensed." (J. P. Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, pp. 60-61)

Modalists also reject the words "Trinity" or "Person" as being unbiblical. They bolster their disdain for these words by pointing out that thee terms are not found in Scripture. To that point, I concede that these theological terms do not appear in the Bible. However, we must ask the question: Does the absence of these words in the Bible make them invalid for use in formulating theology? I shall allow John Calvin to answer the charges:

"Now, although the heretics rail at the word "person," or certain squeamish men cry out against admitting a term fashioned by the human mind, they cannot shake our conviction that three are spoken of, each of which is entirely God, yet that there is not more than one God. What wickedness, then, it is to disapprove of words that explain nothing else than what is attested and sealed by Scripture!" (Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1:13:3)

In our day, the Modalist heresy is taught primarily by the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) or other so-called "Apostolic" churches". Though forms of Modalism have been around for centuries, the UPCI doesn't trace their teaching back quite so far. The following quote has been cited as coming from the Forward of a statement of faith that was published by the United Pentecostal Church International:

"In the year 1914 came the revelation on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The pivotal doctrines of the absolute deity of Jesus Christ and baptism in his name became tenets of faith. God marvelously confirmed our message as the Gospel was preached in its fullness. The power which was hidden in the name of Jesus began to be revealed."

The quote is a clear declaration that what the UPCI teaches is actually a new "revelation", and not what the Bible or the Church throughout history has taught. Christians who don't affirm the closure of the Canon may not have a problem with such "new revelations", but as someone who is serious about affirming the closure of the Canon and the sufficiency of Scripture, I find this quote and their supposed afflatus to be about as authoritative as last week's grocery list.


When it comes to the "new revelations" proclaimed by cults and heretics, I fully agree with Charles Spurgeon who once preached:

"Do not think that the Spirit of God has come or ever will come among us to teach to us a new gospel or something other than is written in the Scriptures. Men come to me with their fudges and fancies, and tell me that they were revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. I abhor their blasphemous impertinence, and refuse to listen to them for a minute." (C. H. Spurgeon, The Indwelling and Outflowing of The Holy Spirit, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. 28, No. 1662)

Mr. Spurgeon hits the nail on the head here. These "revelations" in which the UPCI and other cults look to in order to justify their aberrant and/or heretical teachings were never inspired by the Holy Spirit. God didn't inspire them, nor did He confirm them. Somebody is lying and I promise you it isn't God! One must beg the question, if the UPCI revelations are so important, and indeed vital to salvation as some of them claim, why did God wait until 1914 to reveal it?

The current UPCI website states something rather interesting:

"The UPCI holds a fundamental view of the Bible: 'The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses; therefore all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instructions for the church must be based upon and harmonize with the Bible' (Manual of the United Pentecostal Church, 19). The Bible is the Word of God, and therefore inerrant and infallible. The UPCI rejects all extra biblical revelations and writings, and views church creeds and articles of faith only as the thinking of men."

How ironic..! Here we have a group that embraces a heretical doctrine that was "revealed" to them in 1914, over and against the dominate Christian understanding of the Godhead for the last 2000 years, and now they want us to believe that the Bible is their sole authority?! Even if they do hold to that position now, they are still interpreting the Bible through the lens of the 1914 revelation!

In addition to Modalism, the UPCI teaches that in order for a person to be justified and saved, repentance and faith are not enough. They also teach that a person must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (alone) and that speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation. Nowhere does the Bible teach that speaking in tongues is necessary for Salvation: orthodox Pentecostals disagree with the UCPI on this as well. This is faith + works theology pure and simple. It's what the Apostle Paul calls "another gospel." Therefore, even if we remove the Modalist heresy from the picture entirely, we still have more than enough Scriptural justification to "let them be accursed" because of their position on baptism and tongues! (See Gal 1:9)

Heresies such as Modalism and works salvation are bound to find a fertile ground in the evangelical world today. We live in a generation that has largely cast off the historic creeds and confessions of orthodox faith. Mention the words "creed," "confession," or "catechism" in some churches and you'll be tossed out on your head! Instead of trying to glean from the history of Christianity, many have cast aside the wisdom of the past generations thinking they have no need of it.

Our generation can be likened unto a young man who inherits the family business and decides to cast off everything his ancestors learned in order to run the business his own way. Within a short time the business is in utter bankruptcy. By ignoring the wisdom and learning of his fathers and setting out to do everything his own way, the young man reaps the fruit of his obstinacy. The UPCI and it's heretical doctrines are the tragic legacy of an era where many people cast off all historic creeds, confessions, and traditions thinking they were ridding themselves of past errors, and ironically, some ended up heaping onto themselves the worst kinds of heresies through new "revelations" and poor scholarship.

In conclusion, please do not think I am out here trying to anathematize people over theologically insignificant issues. Quite the contrary! The denial of the Trinity is about as serious as it gets and I'm trying to sound the alarm! I'm calling upon all who believe in justification by faith and the Doctrine of the Trinity to rise up! Pray up! Get in the Scriptures! Put away Your Best Life Now and break out some dusty old theological volumes and try to understand why these doctrines have been so important for so many centuries!

For more information on this subject, Matt Slick has a lots of of information and refutations at Carm.org.

The Athanasian Creed

In my continuing quest to expose the errors of Modalism, I thought it might be profitable to post the Athanasian Creed.

Unfortunately, creeds, confessions, and catechisms have fallen on hard times in our day, but I believe there is much we can learn from these historic writings as well as from men whom God raised up in centuries past.

The Athanasian Creed was written sometime in the 4th or 5th Centuries. Though the creed is named after Athanasius (a great defender of the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ), it's very probable that he wasn't the author. This creed is a wonderful definition of the orthodox Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead as well as the Divinity of Christ.

Please note: The word "catholic" in the creed should be understood as meaning "universal" and not a reference to Roman Catholicism.

The Athanasian Creed

1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;

2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.

5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.

12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.

13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.

14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;

16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;

18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.

19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.

21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.

22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.

23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.

26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.

27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.

31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.

32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.

34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.

35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.

36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;

38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;

39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;

40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;

42. and shall give account of their own works.

43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.


(photo: Athanasius, from Wikipedia.)

Against Modalism...

In this latest installment on the popular heresy known as Modalism, I am linking to a some resources and articles, as well as quoting a few theologians who have written against the heresy. It is my hope that more people will be alerted about this growing threat to Christian orthodoxy.

(Now, I realize some readers will see this as a heresy hunt or a witch trial. If that's the case, I can only reply that it's sort of a family tradition. Ironically, my 10th great-grandfather was the Rev. John Jones, a Puritan minister born in England who migrated to the American Colonies and was later involved in the 1654 witch trial of Goody Knapp in Connecticut!)

Below are a links and quotes that I hope will be helpful to understanding why the Doctrine of the Trinity is so important to a correct understanding of Theology Proper -as well as redemption:

• First off, I want to recommend a book by Dr. James R. White. It's called The Forgotten Trinity. I have not read it yet, but I understand that it's an excellent treatment of the subject. It's definitely on my short list of books to be read in the near future.


• In this article by Dr. Michael J. Svigel of Dallas Seminary, we learn that all too often, even those who claim to be Trinitarians pray, sing, and illustrate the Godhead in ways that are more Modalistic than Trinitarian.


• Reclaiming the Mind Ministries has some great theological video sessions concerning the Trinity and early heresies concerning the Triune nature of God. I encourage everyone to watch Part 1 & Part 2 of a session that deals with early heresies in the church concerning the Godhead. (See especially part 2 as it deals with the Modalistic heresy from the beginning)


• In this lengthy article, James R. White explains why he "loves the Trinity." He also deals with the theological fall-out and issues surrounding the denial of the Trinity. Christians in our day may not fully realize it, but Dr. White is correct when he writes, "without the Trinity, you have no gospel." If you don't read anything else I've posted, please read this!

Let us now consider a verse of Scripture written by the prophet Isaiah and the comments of the Baptist theologian John Gill concerning it:

"Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD and his Spirit, hath sent me." -Isaiah 48:16 KJV

"Here is a glorious testimony of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; Christ the Son of God is sent in human nature, and as Mediator. Jehovah the Father and the Spirit are the senders of him; and so is a proof of the mission, commission, and authority of Christ, who came not of himself, but was sent of God, (John 8:42), it may be rendered, "and now the Lord God hath sent me and his Spirit"; both were sent of God, and in this order; first, Christ, to be the Redeemer and Saviour; and then the Spirit, to be the Convincer and Comforter; (see John 14:26). " (from John Gill's Commentary on the whole Bible)

Wayne Grudem also has some valuable incite that goes to the very heart of why I believe this heresy is so dangerous:

"The fatal shortcoming of modalism is the fact that it must deny the personal relationships within the Trinity that appear in so many places in Scripture (or it must affirm that these were simply an illusion and not real). Thus, it must deny three separate persons at the baptism of Jesus, where the Father speaks from heaven and the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. And it must say that all those instances where Jesus is praying to the Father are an illusion or a charade. The idea of the Son or the Spirit interceding for us before God the Father is lost. Finally, modalism ultimately loses the heart of the doctrine of the atonement - that is, the idea that God sent his Son in our place, and that the Son bore the wrath of the Father in our place, and that the Father, representing the interest of the Trinity, saw the suffering of Christ and was satisfied (Isa 53:11)." (from Grudem's Systematic Theology ch. 14)

John MacArthur has this to say concerning the Modalist heresy:

"...I think it’s very important for us today to be aware of the fact that we need to uphold the doctrine of the Trinity. I am amazed at how much the Unity Movement has moved into Christianity. It’s really shocking. For example, the largest Pentecostal organization in the world is called the United Pentecostal Church and they deny the Trinity. ...Now beloved to deny the existence of the Trinity is a very serious cardinal error in theology. You are either denying the existence of God the Father, denying the unique existence of the Son, or you are denying the unique existence of the Holy Spirit. And to deny any of those, in my mind, is the ultimate in heresy." (From Q&A session) SOURCE

Indeed in addition to being horrible theology, Modalism makes a mockery of the Bible. Robert Lewis Dabney summed it up well in this statement from his Systematic Theology:

"...if these personal names, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, meant no more than three influences or energies, or three phases of action of the same person, or three forms of one substance, is it not incredible that all these properties of personality, choosing, loving, hating, sending and being sent, understanding, acting, should be asserted of them? It would be the wildest abuse of language ever dreamed of." (from ch. 16 of Dabney's Systematic Theology)

Once again, I wish to express that my intention in putting the spot light on the Modalist heresy is to alert my fellow Christians to the fact that it's a growing problem. The Doctrine of the Trinity is a central tenet of the Christian faith and must be taught and defended.

When I was a child, sometimes I would tell my (late) father that I needed a new bike (or something else) because the one I had was "old". His reply to me was always, "son, if you don't take care of what you have already, how can I believe you'll take care of a newer one if I get it for you?"

Likewise in our day, lots of Christians seem to be constantly seeking new light or new revelation from God. The sad reality is that the majority of modern evangelicals haven't tried to understand the revelation God has given them already; nor those truths in which our Christian forefathers contended for -often with their very lives.

Like greedy children, many Christians want something new from the Father, all the while neglecting (and in some cases despising) that in which He has entrusted to them already.

May God raise up a generation of Christians in our day who will contend for and teach the historic and orthodox understanding of the Godhead.

Post Tenebras, Lux!

(All pictures from and linked back to wikipedia)

Modalist Music Video

Finally, a few Modalists who don't mask their heretical views like T. D. Jakes or Tommy Tenney. For all you who think Oneness Pentecostals are just Christians with a differing opinion on a difficult topic, pay careful attention to this video and then read this book!

Modalism: Time to Take a Stand!

Sometimes Christians who are zealous for Biblical truth and sound theology, will "draw a line in the sand" and declare that a certain teacher or ministry is "heretical". When that happens, you can be sure that some well meaning Christians will get their dander up and scold that brother for taking such a firm doctrinal stance. You can do many things in Christendom today, but using the word "heretic" to describe a popular minister is not one of them!

Take for example Tommy Tenney and T.D. Jakes. These men are very popular within Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. Jakes is especially popular among African-Americans. Several years ago, when I was a minister in the Church of God of Prophecy, I actually read two of Tenney's books. However, what I didn't know then (and what most people don't know now) is that both Tenney and T.D. Jakes knowingly embrace a damnable heresy known as "Modalism" -sometimes refered to as "Sabellianism". Both of these men are "Oneness Pentecostals". That's right! These men deny the Trinity!

Instead of exposing and condemning these men and their heresies, many modern Trinitarians -who are for the most part ignorant of the implications of the Modalist heresy and the fact that has been condemned by the church for around 1800 years- don't see any problem with listening to these men preach, or attend their conferences, or reading their books.

After all, some might say, "T.D. Jakes preaches with such fervor" or "Tommy Tenney's God Chasers book was such a blessing to me". Sadly, in our day, discernment is at such a low that any heretic will be received with open arms just as long as he has a television ministry or was able to secure a big book deal.

T.D. Jakes' own website exposes his Modalism:

"God -There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

(emphasis mine)

In Christian orthodoxy, God is understood as described in the Athanasian Creed -that God is One and yet three Persons. The use of the term "three manifestations" is clearly Modalistic and also espoused by the United Pentecostal Church.

Tenney is harder to pin down. I can find no doctrinal statement on his website, however, his Modalism and other aberrant teachings have been documented by the Christian Research Institute.

How serious is this heresy?

Let me put it like this: Until I see that these men have openly repented of, and forsaken, their Modalistic beliefs, I will forever consider them heretics and outside of the Body of Christ. Sadly, many a modern Christian would be terribly offended for me making a statement such as this...

Christians who would never invite an unrepentant pornographer, a thief, a drunk, or a pedophile to teach in their church, will blindly embrace and sit under the preaching of people who believe and teach the Modalist heresy! Why don't Christians see that this heresy is just as serious -if not more serious- that the sins I have just mentioned?

Some may think I'm being too dogmatic over this issue... "After all", someone might say, "the Trinity is one of those mysterious things we may never fully grasp in this life". And I agree. However, there's a big difference in not understanding everything about a difficult theological concept, and conscientiously embracing doctrines that are opposed to the historic and orthodox understanding of the Trinity. Though Jakes and Tenney may sound somewhat orthodox and be commonly accepted in today's Christian world, these men are every bit as poisonous as Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons.

A more important question to consider is where exactly did the Apostle Paul draw the line while writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

To the Galatians, Paul took a stand against those who taught that a person must circumcised in order to be saved -a seemingly insignificant doctrinal issue when one considers all the heresies that are prevalent (and totally acceptable) in our day!

Dr. James R. White recently composed a satirical letter that reflects the attitude of Christians in our day, especially those who will baulk over my refusal to accept Jakes and Tenney as brothers in Christ:

Dear Paul:

In reviewing your letter to the churches of Galatia, we, the modern men of the 21st century, have come to the conclusion that you truly missed the point in your very pointed and, may we say, unloving comments regarding the faithful brothers with whom you had but a minor theological difference. We are in particular offended that you would identify men who clearly confess faith in Christ and who have risked their lives for their faith "false brethren."

Who are you to make such a harsh judgment, in light of their many evidences of faith? These men are Christians, and to call them false brethren is a serious sin! You are bearing false witness against them! And to dare to read the intentions of their hearts so as to say they were "sneaking" into the fellowship is simply beyond the pale. You should be ashamed of yourself! All you disagree on is a minor point of theology! They believe in Christ! They believe in His resurrection! They simply believe one should be circumcised so as to be a part of the covenant people of God!

How narrow of you to exclude them from the fellowship of faith simply on the basis of such a minor thing as this! Why won't you focus upon the areas of agreement you have? Why focus only upon differences, the negatives? Don't you realize you will never win people to your views if you continue to act in this fashion? We seriously request that you apologize to the faithful brothers you anathematized in your ill-advised letter to the churches of Galatia. By this, true peace and unity might be achieved!

Paul took a stand against legalism. If we won't take a stand on something as essential as the doctrine of the Trinity, we should be ashamed of ourselves.

Unity at the expense of truth is no virtue -nor is it Christian!

Soli Deo Gloria!