God the Father, Mentor's Guide, MG06

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G O D T H E F A T H E R

3. This view never became popular in the Church.

C. Modalistic Monarchianism: One God manifesting himself in three forms

1. There is one Godhead, which may be designated as Father, Son, or Spirit.

2. These terms do not stand for real distinctions of different members or personalities within the Godhead.

3. These terms refer to the one God working at different times in different modes.

4. Father, Son, and Spirit are the same person acting in three different modes (one person with three different names, activities, or roles).

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5. This view cannot explain fully what the Bible actually teaches about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

D. The Orthodox Formulation (The Council of Constantinople [381] and the view of Athanasius [293-373] and the “Cappadocian fathers” [Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa])

1. God has one essence or substance ( ousia ) which exists in three persons ( hypostases ).

2. God has a common essence , but exists in three separate persons .