Theological Term of the Week: Essence

essence 
The being of God; what he is; also called substance, or nature. God is one essence.

• From scripture:
  

  Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV)

• From the Athanasian Creed:
  

   What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has.
          The Father is uncreated,
          the Son is uncreated,
          the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

          The Father is immeasurable,
          the Son is immeasurable,
          the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

          The Father is eternal,
          the Son is eternal,
          the Holy Spirit is eternal.

              And yet there are not three eternal beings;
              there is but one eternal being.
              So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
              there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

      Similarly, the Father is almighty,
          the Son is almighty,
          the Holy Spirit is almighty.
              Yet there are not three almighty beings;
              there is but one almighty being.

          Thus the Father is God,
          the Son is God,
          the Holy Spirit is God.
              Yet there are not three gods;
              there is but one God.

          Thus the Father is Lord,
          the Son is Lord,
          the Holy Spirit is Lord.
              Yet there are not three lords;
              there is but one Lord.

• From the Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 3:
  

  God Is One. We believe and teach that God is one in essence or nature, subsisting in himself, all sufficient in himself, invisible, incorporeal, immense, eternal, Creator of all things both visible and invisible, the greatest good, living, quickening and preserving all things, omnipotent and supremely wise, kind and merciful, just and true….

Learn more:

1. Sinclair Ferguson: What does it mean that the Trinity is three in person but one in essence?
2. R. C. Sproul: One in Essence, Three in Person (video)

Related terms:

• person
• Trinity

Filed under Trinity

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Theological Term of the Week: Arianism

Arianism
A heresy which holds that the Son is a created being through whom the world was made, but who is not co-eternal or of the same being as the Father.

• Scripture (and Jesus) refuting Arianism:
  

  I and the Father are one. (John 10:30 ESV)

• From the Nicene Creed, refuting Arianism:
  

  We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
  the only son of God,
  eternally begotten of the Father,
  God from God, Light from Light,
  true God from true God,
  begotten, not made,
  of one being with the Father.

• From T. C. Hammond in In Understanding Be Men, pages 55-56::
  

  Although holding that God was one, [Arius] placed so much emphasis on his teaching concerning the Persons of the Trinity that in effect he divided the Substance of the Godhead. This resulted chiefly from his definition of the Son and the Holy Spirit as being lesser, subordinate Beings whom the Father willed into existence for the Purpose of acting as His Agents in His dealings with the world and man. In effect, Arius reduced our Lord (and the Spirit) below the level of strict deity. He would admit his deity in a secondary sense, but denied His eternal Sonship, allowing that His being preceded the foundation of the world, but was not co-eternal with the Father. The disciples of Arius, by teaching that the Spirit was brought into existence by the Son, reduced Him to a relative form of deity (in a tertiary sense).
  
  In recent centuries there have been movements such as Unitarianism…and certain modern cults which, although varying in other respects, possess one opinion which is common to them all, that the Godhead consists in one single person, which necessitates assigning to our Lord and the Holy Spirit some nature and position less than that of true deity. This is one of the most important battle-grounds in the history of the church, and no true Christian should for one moment tolerate any description of our Master other than that which assigns to Hm the fullest deity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. While, at first sight, it may not seem so obvious, the Christian must equally contend for the full deity of the Holy Spirit.

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions: What is Arianism?
2. Justin Holcomb: Arianism: It’s Teaching and Rebuttal
3. Ligonier Ministries: Arianism
4. Banner of Truth: Arianism
5. Rev. Ronald Hanko: The Arian Controversy, Part 1, The Arian Controversy, Part 2

Related terms:

• adoptionism
• docetism 
• modalism

Filed under Defective Theology and Trinity

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Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.

Theological Term of the Week: Adoptionism

adoptionism
A heresy “which held that although Jesus was essentially nondivine, he was adopted by the Father—perhaps at his baptism or even at his birth.”1 Also called dynamic monarchianism.

• Scripture refuting adoptionism:
  

  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1: 1-3)
  

• From the Nicene Creed, refuting adoptionism:
  

  I believe in … one Lord Jesus Christ,
  …very God of very God,
  …who for us men and for our salvation
  came down from heaven,
  and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost
  of the Virgin Mary,
  and was made man….

• From Christological Controversies in the Early Church by Coleman Ford:
  

  Theodotus of Byzantium (fl. late 2nd cent.)—called “the Tanner” or “Shoemaker”—taught that the Father and Son were distinct but Jesus, being an exceptionally virtuous man, became God’s son through adoption at his baptism. The descriptor “dynamic” [as in dynamic monarchianism] comes from the Greek dynamis (power) to describe the means by which Jesus became God’s son. Theodotus brought his views to the church in Rome and was soon excommunicated, though his teaching continued through others into the third centuries. Paul of Samosata (fl. mid-to-late 3rdcent.) was the most prevalent of the adoptionists.

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions: What is adoptionism?
2. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: Adoptionism
3. Ligonier Ministries: Early Christian Heresies
4. Coleman Ford: Christological Controversies in the Early Church
5. Tony Costa: Was Adoptionism the Earliest Christology?

Related terms:

• Arianism
• docetism 
• modalism

Filed under Defective Theology and Trinity

1The Christian Faith by Michael Horton, page 471.

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Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.