What is Oneness doctrine?

Answer

The Oneness doctrine rejects the Trinity and is present in certain branches of Pentecostalism. It teaches that the one God manifests Himself in different forms: at times as the Father, at times as Jesus, and at times as the Holy Spirit. Oneness Pentecostalism, also known as Jesus-only teaching, is a contemporary revival of the ancient Sabellianism and modalism.

The traditional Trinitarian doctrine states that there is One God who exists eternally in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God individually, but the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit. Similarly, the Son is distinct from the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son. While the term “Trinity” is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the concept is a summary of the New Testament’s teachings about God.

Oneness proponents share similarities with Unitarians in their rejection of the Trinity. Unitarians believe in one God who exists as a single person, God the Father. They view the Son as a man rather than God, possibly a man uniquely connected to God but still a man. The Holy Spirit is not considered a distinct person but rather as God’s power.

Despite the apparent similarity in the terms “Oneness” and “Unitarian,” there is a significant theological distinction. Followers of the Oneness doctrine affirm that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God. Instead of the traditional view of one God existing in three Persons, they believe in One God (a singular Divine Spirit) who reveals Himself in three Persons or, more accurately, three personalities. The One God interacts with humanity as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit at different times. This perspective aligns with the ancient heresy of modalism, which suggests that God appears in various modes.

Including Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

For many who adhere to the “Oneness doctrine,” Jesus is the primary revelation of God. Jesus represents both the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Scripture clearly mentions one God but also distinct Persons. These Persons engage with one another. Jesus prays to the Father (John 17 is just one instance). If the Father and the Son are not distinct individuals, then this prayer becomes merely a soliloquy. To whom did Jesus submit Himself on the cross “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”, (Luke 23:46)? And what did John intend when he wrote, “Whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”, (2 John 1:9)?

While the Oneness doctrine may appear to be an advancement from Unitarian doctrine, it still does not align with the New Testament’s teachings on the tri-unity of God.