One God in three co-equal persons; classical Trinitarian orthodoxy affirmed
The Assemblies of God affirms the classical doctrine of the Trinity in its Statement of Fundamental Truths (SFT). The triune God is one God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — three distinct divine persons of one substance, coequal and coeternal. This Trinitarian affirmation is foundational to AG identity and distinguishes it from Oneness Pentecostalism, which rejects the Trinity.
The AG's Trinitarian commitment was forged in part through its early 20th-century controversies. The 'Oneness' movement arose within early Pentecostalism around 1914–1916, teaching that the Father, Son, and Spirit are not three persons but three modes or manifestations of one God. The AG explicitly rejected this teaching, aligning itself with Nicene Trinitarianism and requiring Trinitarian baptismal formulas.
The SFT affirms that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons who together constitute the one God. This Trinitarian framework undergirds all AG theology, including its doctrine of Spirit baptism: it is the third person of the Trinity who fills and empowers believers, not merely a divine force or mode.
Key Distinctions
- Persons ontology:
- three coequal persons, one divine substance
- Spirit procession:
- from Father and Son (filioque)
- Creed stance:
- classical Trinity affirmed; experience of Spirit emphasized over creedal formulas
Scripture References
Sources
- Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, §2: The One True God