| The Book of Acts Church began upon the Old | | | | continued to believe in only One God. Also, at this time, |
| Testament belief of the absolute oneness of God | | | | we see the first change of the baptismal formula and |
| along with the New Testament revelation of Jesus | | | | the beginnings of the Trinity. |
| Christ, as being the one God Incarnate. The New | | | | The Greek Apologists, especially Justin, brought forth |
| Testament was completed and the last of the | | | | several main views that gave birth to Trinitarianism. He |
| apostles had died toward the end of the first century. | | | | presented the following beliefs to promote the doctrine |
| However, two hundred years later, at the beginning of | | | | of the Trinity: The Logos was a second divine Person |
| the fourth century, the primary doctrine of God in | | | | or God, the begotten of the Logos before creation, the |
| Christendom had gone from biblical Oneness to an | | | | Logos as being the same as the Son, a trinitarian |
| apparent belief of Trinitarianism. | | | | baptismal formula, and an unclear understanding as to |
| Now, the writers of the Post-Apostolic Age (c. A.D. | | | | the relationship of the Spirit with the Father and the |
| 90-140) were loyal to biblical language, usage, and | | | | Son. One century after the New Testament was |
| thought. They completely believed in Monotheism, the | | | | written, everything was in place for Trinitarianism to be |
| absolute deity of Jesus Christ, and the Incarnation of | | | | born. |
| God in the Flesh. They connected great importance to | | | | Now the New Catholic Encyclopedia states this about |
| the name of God and believed in baptism in the name | | | | the doctrine of the second century in regards to |
| of Jesus. They did not support the idea of there being | | | | Trinitarianism: "Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had |
| a Trinity, nor did they use any type of trinitarian | | | | been nothing even remotely approaching such a |
| language. Some of their propositions do not agree with | | | | mentality or perspective; among the second century |
| Trinitarianism, and many lean toward the belief of | | | | Apologists, little more than a focusing of the problem |
| Monotheism of today. | | | | as that of plurality within the Godhead...In the last |
| Trinitarian scholars acknowledge, that certain writings | | | | analysis, the second century theological achievement |
| about Trinitarianism address no real proof of a Trinity. | | | | was limited...A trinitarian solution was still in the future." |
| Evangelical author Calvin Beisner himself admitted, "In | | | | In the Old Catholic Age (c. A.D. 170-325), Christendom |
| the earliest times of the Church there is little explicit or | | | | switched from Oneness toward a belief in Three |
| precise statement, and even less definition of the | | | | Gods. This change had already taken place when the |
| doctrine of the Trinity. In the first two centuries the | | | | indistinct binitarian and triadic formulations was |
| primary thought was of monotheism." | | | | introduced by the Greek Apologists in the middle to |
| With the Greek Apologists (c. A.D. 130-180), we see a | | | | last part of the second century. This resulted in the |
| gradual shifting from Monotheism and the beliefs of the | | | | proclaiming of orthodox Trinitarianism in the latter part |
| Post-Apostolic Age. The concept now was the | | | | of the fourth century. |
| doctrine of the Word (Logos) as a second divine | | | | The evidence clearly reveals that modalism was the |
| Person Who was subordinate to the Father. | | | | primary belief of Christianity in the first part of this age. |
| In 130 to 150, such writers as, Aristides and the Epistle | | | | Being that history is always written by those who are |
| to Diognetus still believed in Oneness, although the | | | | victorious, the existing evidence most likely only shows |
| latter began to separate God from the Word. By 150 | | | | only a small part of the total picture. Nevertheless, it |
| Justin and Tatian supported the idea that the Father | | | | expresses that modalism was believed by many |
| and the Word were two different Persons. By 170 to | | | | during this time period. However, since existing historical |
| 180 Theophilus and Athenagoras began to teach that | | | | evidence is scarce, it is clear that in the Old Catholic |
| there was a Trinity, Three in the Godhead, but with no | | | | Age many people still believed in Oneness, and many |
| explanation or understanding as to why they believe | | | | people baptized in the name of Jesus. |
| this doctrine. However, at this time, Bishop Melito | | | | |