Oneness Pentecostalism

By James Rochford

Oneness Pentecostalism (sometimes called the “Jesus Only” movement) is different from Orthodox Pentecostalism. Oneness Pentecostals are a cult group which denies historic and biblical Christianity as we shall see. This movement was birthed out of the Assemblies of God in the early 20^th century (1913-1916).[1] Oneness Pentecostalism consists of multiple denominations including the General Assembly of Apostolic Assemblies, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ, and United Pentecostal Church International. Hindson estimates four million adherents. He writes, “They have a publishing company (Word of Flame Press), several social ministries, eight colleges, and many media outlets.”[2]

T.D. Jakes (mega church pastor of the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas) held to a Oneness Pentecostal view, until recently. Jakes states in a recent interview with Mark Driscoll that he believes in the Trinity (see the video here). Others doubt whether Jakes has really changed his modalistic view. Oneness Pentecostalism deviates from biblical Christianity in a number of ways:

Denial of the Trinity: Modalism

Modalism is a Unitarian view of God. It holds that there is one God and one person in the Godhead. Oneness Pentecostals affirm the deity of Christ. Oneness Pentecostal theologian David Bernard writes, “Jesus Christ is all the fullness of the Godhead incarnate (John 20:28; Colossians 2:9).”[3] However, he denies that there are three persons within the Godhead. He writes elsewhere,

The Oneness Pentecostal movement teaches that the biblical, apostolic, Christian doctrine of God, which it commonly calls Oneness, excludes the modern doctrine of the Trinity.[4]

There is a real distinction between God and the Son—not a distinction of two divine persons, but a distinction between the eternal Spirit of God and the authentic human being in whom God was fully incarnate.[5]

Likewise, Bernard and Stegall write, “There is one, indivisible God with no distinction of persons. Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead incarnate. (Thus, all names and titles of the Deity properly apply to Him.)”[6] We have already given a full case for the doctrine of the Trinity (see “Defending the Trinity”). However, additionally, we will consider anti-Trinitarian objections that are unique to Oneness Pentecostal theology:

OBJECTION #1: Is the Trinity tritheism?

Oneness theologians believe that the Trinity is a pagan conception of tritheism or “three gods.” Regarding the communication between the persons of the Trinity, Bernard and Stegall write, “This argument leads to three centers of consciousness in the Godhead, which is tritheism.”[7] Kenneth Reeves writes, “If there existed three distinct and separate Omnisciences, Omnipresences and Omnipotences for each of the three alleged persons in the Deity, there would, of course, be three Gods without argument.”^{^[8]} However, as we have argued elsewhere, this is a deliberate misrepresentation of the Trinity.

OBJECTION #2: The Bible doesn’t contain the word Trinity

Bernard and Stegall write, “It uses nonbiblical terms and concepts. The Bible never uses the word trinity… The Bible never uses the word persons to describe God.”[9] However, Greg Boyd notes that the terms roles, manifestations, and modes are all Oneness Pentecostal terms that do not exist in the Bible either.[10] Hindson notes, “The important question is not where the terms are found, but whether the concept is in Scripture. Terms such as theology, incarnation, and theocracy are not found in Scripture, but all of these concepts are clearly present.”[11]

OBJECTION #3: The members of the Trinity perform the same actions

All three members of the Trinity are seen doing the same actions throughout the Bible. From this, Oneness theologians argue that this demonstrates that each manifestation of God is really just the same person.

However, while the different persons of the Trinity are sometimes seen doing the same actions, this doesn’t mean that they are the same person. For instance, Lebron James can shoot a three point shot, and so can Kobe Bryant. This wouldn’t imply that these two people are the same person, simply because they perform the same action. Calvin Beisner argues, “Since the Bible does not say that only the Father or only Jesus can do or be these things, it does not follow logically that Jesus must be the Father.”[12]

Tongues are a Necessary Sign for salvation

The UPCI doctrinal paper writes, “The doctrine of salvation: We enter into the New Testament church through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, repentance from sin, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of tongues.”[13] However, this directly violates Scripture, where Paul writes, “All do not speak with tongues, do they?” (1 Cor. 12:30)

The Necessity of Water Baptism

The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) holds to “the necessity of being baptized.”[14] They also believe that we should baptize in Jesus name, rather than in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Jesus taught (Mt. 28:19). Of course, Oneness theologians would not believe that speaking in tongues brings us, but they contend that it is a necessary sign of salvation. For a refutation of this view, see our earlier articles “Baptismal Regeneration” and “Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit Biblical?”

Evidence Unseen