Sabellianism
Sabellianism
Sabellians, so called after Sabellius, a theologian of the early 3rd century, were heretics belonging to the school known as the Monarchians because they held only one Divine principle in the Trinity. The Sabellians first taught that the Father became Man in Christ and gave His life for the redemption of the world. They favored an essential and numerical identity between the Father and the Son. Later they appear to have modified their doctrines. According to Epiphanius they maintained that just as three realities go to constitute man-body, soul, and spirit, so in God three realities constitute One Person; but these realities are so explained as to mean three modes of acting or manifestations. Sabellianism was the popular name for this heresy in the East; in the West it was more familiarly known as Patripassianism (Latin: pater, father; passus [pati], having suffered). Repeatedly condemned, it did not die out until the 5th century.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Sabellianism
SEE SABELLIUS.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Sabellianism
The view of Sabellius who taught in the first half of the third century the doctrine that there is one God but three (successive) modes or manifestations of Godas creator and governor God is Father, as redeemer God is the Son, as regenerator and sanctifier God is the Holy Spirit — one and the same God. The view approximated the later orthodox Trinitarian conception (see Trinitarianism) but was too harsh to be maintained. Further clarification was needed Sabellianism has been called by several names, Modalism, Modalistic Monarchianism and Patripassianism (Father suffering). — V.F.