The Oneness-Trinitarian Pentecostal Dialogue: Exploring the Diversity of Apostolic Faith

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The Nicene Creed and the subsequent development of Trinitarian orthodoxy have been regarded by many as essential to the apostolic faith of the churches. For example, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed without the filioque clause was made the starting point of the World Council of Churches' Commission on Faith and Order study program entitled, "Towards the Common Expression of the Apostolic Faith Today." Not so well known, however, is the existence of a growing movement of Pentecostal Christians globally that seeks to preserve the apostolic faith of the churches in significant measure by rejecting the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed along with the Trinitarian dogma that historically it had supported. Commonly called Oneness or Apostolic Pentecostals, they are estimated to have from 14 to over 17 million followers globally and growing rapidly in Mexico, China, and the United States. ¹

The irony involved in a movement that calls itself apostolic by rejecting Trinitarian dogma should not be lost among those active in the ecumenical movement among the churches, and should provoke further consideration of the breadth and diversity of apostolic faith. Worthy of consideration is the recent Final Report of a six-year study sponsored by the Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) written by leading theologians from the Oneness and Trinitarian Pentecostal churches. ² This Report culminates an informal conversation that has occurred between these Pentecostal factions over the years during meetings of the SPS. My purpose here is to introduce and explore this dialogue with a focus on baptism and the Godhead, which are the major issues involved in the Oneness/Trinitarian Pentecostal divide as well as in the Final Report. I also intend to raise questions through an analysis of this segment of the Report about the diversity possible in defining apostolic faith among the churches. We will begin with a discussion of the apostolic faith as understood among the early Pentecostals and how the Oneness Pentecostals both adhered to and altered that understanding significantly.

Apostolic Faith: The Current Pentecostal Discussion

Pentecostalism began with the attempt to rediscover lost elements of the apostolic witness among the churches. Of course, preserving the apostolicity of the church is an ancient concern. As early as Eph 2:20, one finds a reference to the church as founded...