Are Oneness Pentecostals modalists? What does that term even mean? Dr. David K. Bernard looks back at church history to explore what a modalist is and whether modalism aligns with modern Oneness Pentecostalism.

Welcome to Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, a podcast dedicated to helping modern

day believers live out the teachings of the first century church.

This podcast is part of the teaching ministry of Dr. David K. Bernard.

Dr. Bernard has dedicated his life to studying the Bible and helping believers apply its message to their daily lives.

In apostolic life in the 21st century, Dr. Bernard answers your questions about what the Bible teaches

and how those teachings apply to everyday life.

When this Pentecostal sometimes get labeled as modalists. And critics usually

they'll also add that they believe that's heresy. And you dedicate a portion of your book,

the Oneness of God, to exploring modalism in the early church. And you write about it elsewhere.

Can you begin today's episode by explaining what modalism is?

All right. Modalism is a theological term that's invented by contemporary theologians, say,

of the 19th and 20th centuries. And they apply it back to people who lived in the second, third, and fourth centuries to describe

their doctrine.

So it's not a term that those people use.

And in fact, with few minor exceptions, we don't have any of the writings of those people

are called Molas.

So we don't really know for sure exactly what they believe.

We only know from the description of their opponents, which let's imagine that all you had were the writing of Trinitarians as to what one-ness theology is.

How accurate would you understand?

Great point.

Okay.

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