SABELLIANISM

MEDENILLA, ZEMINETH PEARL M.

BSBA-BM-2
What is Sabellianism?
 Sabellianism is the belief
that God the Father, God the
Son and God the Holy Spirit
are three modes or aspects of
God.
 Sabellianism and similar theologies developed out of the
earlier teaching know as Modalistic Monarchianism, refers to
a heretical body of Christian beliefs that emphasize the
indivisibility of God (the Father) at the expense of the other
persons of the Trinity.

 Sabellianism differed from classical trinitarianism by insisting

that the three persons of the Godhead did not constitute
permanent distinctions but functioned instead as modes of
God's being and activity.
God the Father was God the Son in the act God the Holy Spirit in
active in the principle of of redemption process of sanctification
creation
 Sabellianism's most outspoken critic was Hippolytus of
Rome, who accused Pope Zephyrinus for not taking a
stand against the "heresy" and later became an antipope
rather than submit to Zephyrinius' protege and successor
Callixtus I. Tertullian indicates that Sabellian concepts
were prevalent among the rank and file of Christian
believers of the time.
 Who is the proponent of Sabellianism?
 Sabellius, a Christian priest, theologian, and teacher, was active
during the first decades of the third century, propounding a
Christological doctrine that was later deemed heretical. He
advocated a modalistic view of divinity that described God
possessing a single unified substance, albeit one that took particular
forms in relation to human beings. As this doctrine denied full,
discrete reality of each "Person" of the Trinity, it was
anathematized, leading to Sabellius' excommunication from the
church in 220 C.E. Little else is known of either his life or his
teachings.
 According to Epiphanius of Salamis, Sabellius used the sun’s
characteristics as an analogy of God’s nature. Just as the sun has
"three powers“, the warmth, light, and circular form, so God has
three aspects: The warming power answers to the Holy Spirit; the
illuminating power, to the Son; and the form or figure, to the Father.
 Von Mosheim described Sabellius' views thusly: "But while
Sabellius maintained that there was but one divine person, he still
believed the distinction of Father, Son and holy Spirit, described in
the Scriptures, to be a real distinction, and not a mere appellative or
nominal one. That is, he believed the one divine person whom he
recognized, to have three distinct forms, which are really different,
and which should not be confounded."
 Origin of Sabellianism
 The doctrine of Sabellianianism did not actually begin with Sabellius, but
with the earlier Monarchianism which emphasized the oneness of God over
the the threeness of the Trinity.
 A certain Noetus of Smyrna was one of the first known to have taught this
doctrine. Because of his insistence on denying permanent distinctions within
the Godhead, he was accused by the elders of his church of teaching that "the
Father suffered" (and died on the cross). Noetus denied that this was his
teaching, and it is likely that his opponents were putting words in his mouth
which they believed were the logical consequences of his notion of the
Trinity. However, after gaining disciples, he was later interrogated again and
expelled from the Church. Noetus died soon after, and did not receive
Christian burial.
 Sabellius soon became the leader of the Monarchians in Rome, perhaps
even before the death of Pope Zephyrinus who's was accused by
Hippolytus of Rome for tolerating Sabellian-type views.
 Sabellius or his followers may have considerably amplified the original
Noetianism. He is accused by Epiphanius of having founded his views
on the Gospel of the Egyptians. Hippolytus indicates that he hoped to
convert Sabellius to his own views, and attributed his failure in this to
the influence of Callixtus. Later, around 220, Callixtus excommunicated
Sabellius. However, Hippolytus accuses Callixtus of inventing a new
heresy by combining the views of Theodotus and those of Sabellius, a
view which is unlikely a sin, Callixtus actually excommunicated them
both.
 Tertullian labeled the Sabellian heresy "Patripassianism," from
the Latin words pater for "father," and passus from the verb "to
suffer." This goes back to the accusation that its doctrine led to
the conclusion that God the Father suffered on the Cross. The
term was coined by Tertullian in his work Adversus Praxeas, in
which he accused a certain Praxeas of the dual sins of
persecuting Montanism and preaching Sabellianism: "Praxeas
did a twofold service for the Devil at Rome: he drove away
prophecy and he brought in heresy; he put to flight the Paraclete
and he crucified the Father."
 It is important to note that the only sources for our
understanding of Sabellianism are its detractors. These
sometimes contradict each other on what precisely
Sabellius' doctrine was, beyond what has been outlined
already, and scholars today are not in agreement as to what
exactly Sabellius himself taught.
 Sabellianism also became an issue during the debates over
heretical baptism. On this issue the Roman Catholic
Church came to teach that baptism by ordained priests in
the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was valid,
even if the priest himself was a heretic. However, in the
case of certain Sabellians who were baptized in one name
only, the baptism would have to be repeated.
Later Sabellianism
 Sabellianism by no means disappeared as a result of these
decisions, however, and was still much in evidence in the
fourth century. During the Arian controversy, supporters of
Arian theology often accused those who insisted that Christ
and the Father were of the "same substance" of
Sabellianism. Bishop Marcellus of Ancyra, in opposition to
Arius, indeed developed a Monarchianism of his own,
which was carried further by his disciple, Photinus.
 Although the Arians accused their opponents of Sabellianism, the
Nicaea Creed which was adopted in opposition to Arianism may
also be seen as a rejection of Sabellianism, in that it emphasizes the
distinct "persons" in the Godhead. An even more direct refutation of
Sabellianism may be seen in the Athanasian Creed.
 The doctrine was still alive in the late fourth century at Neocaesarea,
where it was attacked by Basil the Great. Epiphanius about
375 C.E. notes that the adherents of Sabellius were still to be found
in great numbers, both in Mesopotamia and at Rome. 
 The Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 533 C.E.
declared the baptism of Sabellius to be invalid, which indicates
that Sabellianism was still extant at that time as well.
 Both Michael Servetus and Emanuel Swedenborg have been
interpreted as being proponents of Sabellian modalism.
 Oneness Pentecostalism is also sometimes accused of
Sabellianism. However, although Oneness Pentecostalism admits
to being Nontrinitarian, it rejects the accusation of Sabellianism.
Sources:
 https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sabellianism
 https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sabellius
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