Binitarianism is a Christian theology that believes God exists as two persons, the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. This differs from trinitarianism, the mainstream Christian belief that God exists as three co-equal and co-eternal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Binitarians believe that only the Father and Son are God, rejecting the doctrine of the Trinity. They view the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force or power from God, not a distinct person.
The key aspects of binitarian theology are:
- There are two persons in the Godhead: the Father and the Son.
- Jesus Christ is eternally subordinate to God the Father.
- The Holy Spirit is not a distinct person but rather the power or force of God.
- The Father and Son are both uncreated and co-exist eternally.
- Jesus Christ preexisted as the Word before His incarnation on earth.
History of Binitarianism
The roots of binitarian theology reach back to early Jewish Christianity, which affirmed belief in “the Father and Son”. Some scholars see early traces in the New Testament, such as in John’s writings which refer to the Father and Son but not the Holy Spirit explicitly. However, the doctrine was not formalized until later.
SeveralChurch Fathersin the 2nd and 3rd centuries held binitarian views, such as Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, and Novatian. They emphasized the distinction between the Father and Son, regarding the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force.
In later centuries, binitarian groups emerged such as:
- The Paulicians, who thrived in Armenia and the Balkans from the 7th-10th century.
- The Bogomils, an offshoot from Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire during the 10th-15th centuries.
- Certain Unitarian and Socinian groups during the Protestant Reformation period.
Today, a few modern Christian groups identify as binitarian, such as the Living Church of God. The theology has also influenced some Christadelphians and some in the Seventh Day Adventist reform movement. However, it remains a minority view among Christians.
Key Binitarian Beliefs
Let’s explore some of the distinct beliefs in binitarian theology:
1. There are only two co-eternal persons in the Godhead – the Father and Son
Binitarians emphatically reject the doctrine of the Trinity, believing God only exists as two distinct persons. They affirm the co-existence and co-eternality of the Father and the Son before creation.
This sets them apart from modalists, who believe that God merely manifests Himself in different “modes” or roles rather than three eternal persons. It also differs from Arianism, which regards the Son as a created being.
Binitarians use many of the same proof-texts cited for the deity of Christ and Jesus as the divine Son of God. These include:
- John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
- John 17:5 – “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
- Philippians 2:6 – “[Christ] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.”
From these verses, binitarians contend that the Son shared glory, supremacy and deity with the Father before time.
2. Jesus Christ is subordinate to the Father
While binitarians believe the Son is divine, they still maintain that the Father has supreme authority. The Son is in eternal submission to the will of the Father.
Scriptures used to support Christ’s subordination include:
- John 14:28 – “The Father is greater than I.”
- John 5:30 – “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:28 – “When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.”
This hierarchy within the Godhead of the Father being supreme over the Son is crucial in binitarian theology. It contrasts with trinitarians who emphasize the co-equality of the three persons of the Trinity.
3. The Holy Spirit is not a distinct person
Binitarians contend that the Holy Spirit is not a person equal with the Father and Son. Rather, the Spirit is portrayed as the power and influence of God.
They make several arguments from Scripture:
- The Holy Spirit is often described impersonally as a gift, power or presence of God (Luke 1:35, Acts 1:8, Romans 15:13)
- Jesus spoke of the Spirit as “it” not “he” (John 14:17)
- The Spirit is said to be “poured out”, not spoken of as a separate person (Acts 2:17, 10:45)
Binitarians claim that personifying the Holy Spirit as equal with the Father and Son is reading trinitarian assumptions into the text. They believe the Bible does not explicitly teach the Spirit is a distinct person.
4. The Father and Son are uncreated beings
Binitarians assert both the Father and Son are uncreated eternal beings. There was no point when they “came into existence”.
This differentiates binitarianism from Arianism, which claimed the Son was the first created being. It also contrasts with trinitarianism which teaches the Son was “begotten” or generated by the Father yet still eternally co-existent.
Proof-texts used by binitarians for the Son’s eternal uncreated nature include:
- Micah 5:2 – Jesus’ “origin is from of old, from ancient days”
- John 8:58 – “Before Abraham was, I am”
- Hebrews 7:3 – The Son is “without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life”
These suggest the Son did not come into existence at a point in time, but has always existed.
5. The pre-existence of Christ as the Word
Binitarians teach that the Son existed with the Father before creation as the Word. This is based on verses like:
- John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
- 1 John 1:1 – “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”
Binitarians contend Jesus Christ pre-existed in eternity past distinctly from the Father, before taking on flesh through the virgin birth. This opposes views that Christ only came into being at His earthly conception.
Differences from Trinitarianism and Other Views
It’s important to understand how binitarianism differs from trinitarianism, which is the mainstream Christian view of God’s tri-personhood.
Trinitarian Distinctives
Trinitarians believe:
- There are three co-equal divine persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- All three persons are co-eternal and uncreated
- The persons are distinct yet one in substance/essence
- Each person of the Trinity relates in close communion with the others
This is contrasted with binitarians who reject the personhood of the Spirit and the co-equality of the Son.
Binitarianism also differs from other perspectives:
- Unitarianism – Believes only the Father is God, Jesus is not divine
- Modalism – Believes God manifests in modes or roles, not distinct persons
- Arianism – Views Jesus as the first created being, not truly divine
So while sharing some common ground, binitarian theology remains distinctly non-trinitarian. The two main persons of Father and Son reflect its core teachings.
Objections and Responses
Binitarian theology has been criticized over the centuries on biblical and philosophical grounds. Here are some common objections and how binitarians respond:
Objection 1: The Bible doesn’t teach the Trinity
Binitarians argue that the specific doctrine of the Trinity with its philosophical language cannot explicitly be found in Scripture. It took centuries to formulate.
They claim texts only focus on Father and Son, not presenting the Holy Spirit as a distinct divine person. The Trinity relies on putting texts together in a way that goes beyond biblical evidence.
Response
Trinitarians counter that while the terminology developed over time, the three persons are present in the biblical text and Christian practice.
Verses like the baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 reflect early triadic language and worship. And the deity and personhood of the Spirit are strongly implied in the New Testament.
Objection 2: The Trinity is illogical and contradictory
Binitarians argue that the Trinity claims there is one God yet three co-equal persons, which is logically incoherent. It confuses the nature and persons of God.
The Trinity tries to have it both ways – maintaining God’s oneness while affirming threeness. This ends up diminishing the distinctions.
Response
Trinitarians respond that God’s triune nature is above human logic which struggles with apparent paradoxes.
Analogies like the three forms of H20 (ice/water/vapor) demonstrate it is possible for distinct expressions of the same essence. Scripture suggests mystery in the Godhead.
Objection 3: The Trinity came from pagan sources
Some binitarians propose the Trinity was an appropriation of pagan triadic deities, like Egyptian or Hindu triads of gods. Early Catholicism absorbed influences from paganism.
The Trinity arose long after the time of the apostles and does not reflect the earliest Jewish Christian beliefs.
Response
However, there is little evidence triadic pagan deities directly birthed the Trinity. Triads in other religions are not true equivalents to the Christian Trinity anyway.
While early church fathers used extra-biblical language to articulate the doctrine, it was still rooted in and bounded by Scripture verses on Father, Son and Spirit.
Objection 4: The Son cannot be co-equal if He submits to the Father
Binitarians say that if the Son submits to the Father in hierarchy, he cannot be considered a co-equal person. There can be no hierarchy within the Godhead if all three persons are eternal and divine.
On the other hand, binitarian theology consistently upholds the Son’s dependence on the Father.
Response
Trinitarians explain the submission of the Son within the Trinity as a voluntary relationship reflecting different roles, not inequality of divinity.
The Son’s submission to Father was true at the incarnation as well but did not nullify His essential divinity. Hierarchy does not negate equality.
Conclusion
Binitarian theology offers an understanding of God’s nature that differs from mainstream trinitarianism. By affirming only two persons in the Godhead, binitarians preserve monotheism while still allowing for Christ’s divinity.
This view has existed alongside trinitarianism for centuries but remains a theological minority today. It continues to appeal to some Christian groups as a simpler biblical perspective.
Yet trinitarians respond that binitarianism falls short of the full picture of God in scripture. While the debates persist, both views share a commitment to the eternal love, power and salvation of the Father and Son.