Exposing the False Doctrine of the Trinity: A Historical and Theological Critique

“The God and Father, who holds the universe together, is superior to every being that exists… the Son, being less than the Father… the Holy Spirit is still less…”
— Origen, First Principles

1. Subordinationism: The Original Christian Theology

Long before the doctrine of the Trinity became orthodox, early Christian thought was marked by a clear hierarchy among the divine figures. As early theologians like Origen taught, the Father alone is the supreme God, with the Son and Spirit as subordinate beings. The Son is second to the Father, superior only to rational creatures. The Holy Spirit ranks even lower, dwelling only within the saints. This theological tradition—later labeled subordinationism—clearly positioned the Father as the one true God.

In this original Christian framework, the Son and Spirit were not co-equal with the Father. Scholars often describe such views as unitarian, meaning that God is a single person—the Father alone—not a triune being. While worship of Jesus did emerge early (Hurtado 2003), this was originally grounded in God’s exaltation of Jesus after the resurrection, not in the idea that Jesus was inherently divine.

2. The Rise of a New Theology: From Logos to Trinity

By the second and third centuries, theologians began reinterpreting Jesus’ status. Jesus was now being described as having a “divine nature,” though still not as the one true God (see Justin First Apology ch. 13; Novatian On the Trinity ch. 31). This divine status came not from being eternal or equal to the Father, but from being generated by God, either before creation or in timeless eternity (as in Origen).

2.1 Tertullian: Father of the Latin “Trinity”—But Not of Co-Equality

Tertullian (c. 160–225), often celebrated for coining the term Trinitas (Trinity), presents a starkly different vision from later orthodoxy. Drawing on Stoic materialism, he argued that God is a spirit—but even spirit is material. The Son was brought forth from a portion of God’s spiritual matter. Likewise, the Spirit proceeded from the Son.

In Tertullian’s schema:

• The Father alone is the ultimate God.

• The Son and Spirit are materially derived, subordinate entities—not co-equal persons of a divine triad.

• There is no tripersonal God, but rather a divine triad sharing spiritual substance.

For Tertullian, this does not violate monotheism. Just as a king can delegate authority without creating other kings, God can share his substance without multiplying gods. Thus, monotheism is preserved, but not through equality—rather, through hierarchy.

Despite major differences from later doctrine, Tertullian is often appropriated by trinitarians for his terminology, though his theology sharply contrasts with Nicene orthodoxy.

3. The Arian Controversy (318–381 CE): Struggle for Theological Power

The turning point came with Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria who maintained the ancient subordinationist tradition: the Son was a creature, made by God from nothing. When he was excommunicated by his bishop Alexander, the controversy exploded, dividing bishops, councils, and emperors.

In 325 CE, Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, where it was declared that the Son is homoousios (“of the same substance”) with the Father. This ambiguous term—never defined by the council—was likely chosen precisely because it alienated Arius’ supporters. Interpretations varied, and the theological battle raged on for decades.

By 381 CE, at the Council of Constantinople, a non-subordinationist reading of homoousios prevailed, promoted fiercely by Athanasius of Alexandria. The new orthodoxy now proclaimed that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share a single divine essence, though distinct as persons. The Spirit was not yet formally declared homoousios, but was described as equally worthy of worship and as sharing in one Godhead.

This shift was often justified by the claim that only a being fully divine could bring about salvation. Arguments for Christ’s full divinity increasingly relied on controversial ideas, such as:

• The necessity of divinization (humans becoming divine).

• The demand for an infinitely valuable sacrifice to satisfy divine justice.

These arguments have continued to influence trinitarian apologetics into the modern era.

4. The Pro-Nicene Consensus: Triumph of a New Creed

As imperial and ecclesiastical power crushed subordinationist groups, a pro-Nicene consensus emerged, formalized by figures such as Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine of Hippo.

4.1 Gregory of Nyssa: One Essence, Three Hypostases

Gregory, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, helped solidify trinitarian terminology:

• One ousia (essence) shared by

• Three hypostases (persons)

Though he controversially compared the Trinity to three human beings (suggesting a form of proto-social trinitarianism), this was not his dominant analogy. The consensus interpretation was that these three divine persons were not merely like human individuals sharing a nature, but somehow one being in a metaphysical sense alien to the subordinationist tradition.

Conclusion: A Theology Transformed

The idea of the Trinity—as co-equal, co-eternal persons of a single divine being—was not the original Christian teaching. Rather, it emerged from centuries of philosophical debate, political intrigue, and theological innovation. The early church’s understanding of God was unipersonal: the Father alone was the one true God, with Jesus and the Spirit subordinate.

The eventual doctrine of the Trinity, hailed as orthodoxy, rejected the very subordinationist foundations on which early Christian theology was built. In doing so, it not only redefined the identity of God but also silenced alternative views through ecclesiastical power and imperial enforcement.

Today, revisiting these forgotten voices—Origen, Tertullian, Arius—reveals a suppressed history: one in which belief in the Father as the one true God was not heresy, but the heart of Christian faith.