Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 7/24/2004

Question
From the early church,can you explain this theory.          Thanks

Answer
Hi Scott,
    The Monarchian theory is a false teaching that started some time in the second century. Monarchians, believed that Christ was only a man “until” He was anointed at His baptism. This view was later called "Dynamic Monarchianism.  The erroneous teaching is also called Sabellianism.   Those that held this view were heretics in the second and third centuries and it died out after this time.  The word, Monarchiani, was first used by Tertullian as a niickname the group.   Basically they deny the Trinity.    They taught that  Jesus was a man born of a virgin as the Bible states,  that He lived like other men, and was most righteous and  that it was at His baptism in the Jordan the Holy Spirit came down upon Him in the likeness of a dove.  He was not the Christ until  Spirit  came down and was manifested in Him.   They taught that even after his baptism Christ as not God, but that God's spirit came upon Him and left Him at his death.  It seems to be a perversion of the Bible doctrine of the Oneness of God.   Not accepting that God can be three persons in one as the Trinity explains, they denied the Trinity and came up with a way that in their minds that Jesus could be the Savior and the Son of God without being God.
  For your further study I have an article that explains the Trinity in a biblical and practical way.  If can be found at http://bible-truth.org/Trinity.html  and is titled UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINE  OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.”
     Although this false teaching fell by the way side after the third century, today there are forms of it in some Pentecostal church which teach the "Jesus only" view. These churches teach that God, who is Jesus Christ,  progressively revealed Himself as the creator and lawgiver through the “office” of Father, as the redeemer through the office of Son, and as the source of grace through the office of Spirit.      To them there is only one God, . . . Jesus.  They do not baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and deny the Trinity.

    Thank you for your question and I hope I have shed some light on the matter.  If you have further comments or question please feel free to write.  God bless you as you study God's word.  Romans 12:1-2
Cooper Abrams - Bible-truth.org