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    Carmelics

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    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
    Made withinDC&Austin
    Statements
    321,452
    Perspectives
    108,905
    Topics
    42
    Home/Original/inverse
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    Inverse View

    It is not the case that Modalists like Sabellius historically accepted that Father, Son, and Spirit are numerically identical with God while denying tritheism, showing a coherent trinitarian-adjacent position exists.

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    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Numerical identity doctrine faces the logical problem: if Father and Son are numerically identical to God, they must share all properties—yet differ in suffering, knowledge, or location.
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    • 2.Biblical texts describe simultaneous Father-Son distinctions (baptism scene, 'not my will but yours') that modalism struggles to preserve without collapsing identity.
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    • 3.Modalism requires treating 'Father,' 'Son,' 'Spirit' as mere masks or phases rather than real distinctions, straining the coherence of biblical relational language.
      ?

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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.Numerical identity allows multiple distinct roles/modes without multiplying divine substances, avoiding polytheism while preserving biblical personhood language.
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    • 2.Modalism's coherence demonstrates that non-Nicene trinitarian positions need not collapse into either strict unitarianism or illogical tritheism.
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    • 3.Historical modalists maintained orthodox monotheism while accommodating New Testament passages depicting Father, Son, and Spirit as distinct agents.
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