Heresy of Modalism: The example of water
Posted: 30 September, 2011
By Fikayo Adeyemo
Administrator
Administrator
In spiritual matters, such as the nature of God, it is more
dangerous to use an inappropriate analogy for illustration than not
to use an analogy at all.
The Modes of Water
For example, using the three phases (i.e. modes) of existence of
water (ice, water, steam) to illustrate the Trinity is very misleading
because the three states of water exist sequentially, and are
therefore modes of the same H2O substance) whereas the
persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit exist
concurrently, and therefore, they are not modes of the divine nature.
Ice can melt to become water and water can boil to become steam,
just as these processes can also be reversed. On the contrary, the
Father does not change to become the Son or the Son change to
become the Holy Spirit. Each Person of the divine substance is a
unique Person perpetually, never confounded with any of the other
two.
The Critical Error
Thus, even though there is a similarity of the divine nature with
water in the sense that the substance (i.e. H2O) is the same in ice,
water and steam just as the divine nature is the same in the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there is a critical difference
when compared with the Godhead which is that the individual
members are concurrently distinct and do not flow into one another
or become continuous with one another as we have in water.
This error is commonly being taught by many Christian leaders,
some of whom are quite prominent and influential (e.g. Bishop T.
D. Jakes who I respect very much), and should be repented of and
corrected for the sake of the Kingdom. This heresy has its origins
in the 2nd and 3rd centuries where some influential leaders then
taught for example that the Father had come to earth and suffered
and died under the appearance of the Son. It is because of
erroneous teachings like this that non-Christians, especially
Muslims often ask us questions like, "Who was in charge of
heaven when God (i.e. Jesus) was on earth - especially when He
was crucified?" Brethren, let us proclaim only the truth. God will not
back up our word, however zealous it may be, if we preach heresy.
A Proper Analogy
For the states of water to be a proper analogy of the Trinity, the
situation will have to be something like having three different
vessels containing ice, water and steam respectively of, say, 1kg
each. If the exact (actual) molecules of H2O in each vessel is also
the same molecules in the other two vessels such that it is only
one sample of 1kg water that is somehow present in them yet
without being divided among them, then we begin to have an idea
of the mystery of the Trinity. It will be like saying the water sample is
omnipresent in three different vessels so that the totality of the
water remains just 1kg and yet, each vessel still contains 1kg. This
is how there is one God yet three persons.
We call such a phenomenon a mystery because it does not make
logical sense. We know it is not an absurdity because it is real,
and it represents a real Being, who is God and who actually
manifests as a Trinity.
Trinity is the true revelation
Many of the people who reject the Trinity are neither sincere nor
consistent. For instance, those among them who claim to believe
in God also believe that God is omnipresent. The question is this,
"Is omnipresence logical?" Is it consistent to accept omnipresence
(and other mysteries of God) and yet reject the Trinity which is a
form of omnipresence, albeit of divine substance, mainly on the
ground of illogicality? Is faith about logic or about the revelation of
God?
For those who are atheists but well grounded about science, my
question is, "Which of the many illogicalities of quantum physics
have they rejected on the ground of illogicality?" Have they not
continued to teach these things which they do not understand and
give people PhDs and even Nobel prizes on them? Why? Is it not
because they are able to confirm the truth of the matter in their
laboratory work even though that "truth" does not make sense?
God is waiting for you
So it is with us Christians. The truth of the Trinity we proclaim is
not premised on logic but on the revelation of God which is "sure
knowledge" and the experiential confirmation of this truth in our
individual lives as we live before our trinitarian God. I invite all who
are yet to come to the personal knowledge of this God, whose
name is Jehovah (YHWH) to join us by accepting Jesus as Lord
and Saviour. God is waiting for you.
dangerous to use an inappropriate analogy for illustration than not
to use an analogy at all.
The Modes of Water
For example, using the three phases (i.e. modes) of existence of
water (ice, water, steam) to illustrate the Trinity is very misleading
because the three states of water exist sequentially, and are
therefore modes of the same H2O substance) whereas the
persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit exist
concurrently, and therefore, they are not modes of the divine nature.
Ice can melt to become water and water can boil to become steam,
just as these processes can also be reversed. On the contrary, the
Father does not change to become the Son or the Son change to
become the Holy Spirit. Each Person of the divine substance is a
unique Person perpetually, never confounded with any of the other
two.
The Critical Error
Thus, even though there is a similarity of the divine nature with
water in the sense that the substance (i.e. H2O) is the same in ice,
water and steam just as the divine nature is the same in the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, there is a critical difference
when compared with the Godhead which is that the individual
members are concurrently distinct and do not flow into one another
or become continuous with one another as we have in water.
This error is commonly being taught by many Christian leaders,
some of whom are quite prominent and influential (e.g. Bishop T.
D. Jakes who I respect very much), and should be repented of and
corrected for the sake of the Kingdom. This heresy has its origins
in the 2nd and 3rd centuries where some influential leaders then
taught for example that the Father had come to earth and suffered
and died under the appearance of the Son. It is because of
erroneous teachings like this that non-Christians, especially
Muslims often ask us questions like, "Who was in charge of
heaven when God (i.e. Jesus) was on earth - especially when He
was crucified?" Brethren, let us proclaim only the truth. God will not
back up our word, however zealous it may be, if we preach heresy.
A Proper Analogy
For the states of water to be a proper analogy of the Trinity, the
situation will have to be something like having three different
vessels containing ice, water and steam respectively of, say, 1kg
each. If the exact (actual) molecules of H2O in each vessel is also
the same molecules in the other two vessels such that it is only
one sample of 1kg water that is somehow present in them yet
without being divided among them, then we begin to have an idea
of the mystery of the Trinity. It will be like saying the water sample is
omnipresent in three different vessels so that the totality of the
water remains just 1kg and yet, each vessel still contains 1kg. This
is how there is one God yet three persons.
We call such a phenomenon a mystery because it does not make
logical sense. We know it is not an absurdity because it is real,
and it represents a real Being, who is God and who actually
manifests as a Trinity.
Trinity is the true revelation
Many of the people who reject the Trinity are neither sincere nor
consistent. For instance, those among them who claim to believe
in God also believe that God is omnipresent. The question is this,
"Is omnipresence logical?" Is it consistent to accept omnipresence
(and other mysteries of God) and yet reject the Trinity which is a
form of omnipresence, albeit of divine substance, mainly on the
ground of illogicality? Is faith about logic or about the revelation of
God?
For those who are atheists but well grounded about science, my
question is, "Which of the many illogicalities of quantum physics
have they rejected on the ground of illogicality?" Have they not
continued to teach these things which they do not understand and
give people PhDs and even Nobel prizes on them? Why? Is it not
because they are able to confirm the truth of the matter in their
laboratory work even though that "truth" does not make sense?
God is waiting for you
So it is with us Christians. The truth of the Trinity we proclaim is
not premised on logic but on the revelation of God which is "sure
knowledge" and the experiential confirmation of this truth in our
individual lives as we live before our trinitarian God. I invite all who
are yet to come to the personal knowledge of this God, whose
name is Jehovah (YHWH) to join us by accepting Jesus as Lord
and Saviour. God is waiting for you.
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