Sabellianism and Marcellus

The doctrine of Sabellius (c. 215) was a form of Modalism or Patripassianism. (Athanasius, De Synodis 26.) It is difficult to reconstruct the views of Sabellius himself for we have none of his complete writings. What fragments of his writings we do have survive in the quotations of his critics, so I will concern myself with the views of those later labeled his followers. The Sabellians would proudly profess with the orthodox that Christ was "God from God," but they meant something entirely different. The Sabellian doctrine is that God himself is a single πρόσωπον, person, who reveals himself in these three modes of operation or activity. When God acts as Creator and Ruler of the cosmos he is called 'the Father'; when God acts as Redeemer and Forgiver he is called 'the Son'; and when God acts as Sanctifier and bringer of truth he is called 'Holy Spirit.' The Father, Son and Spirit are essentially three 'names' given to different kinds of Divine activities. Most difficult for the Sabellians were Biblical passages where the Father and Son converse with one another before the incarnation. (Gen. 1:26; 3:22; Psa. 2:7; 110:1 [109:1], et al.) On several occasions God speaks to another when making decisions, "Let us make man in our image," (Gen. 1:26) "he has become like us," (Gen. 3:22) "who shall go for us?" (Isa. 6:8) From the earliest centuries, Christians understood such passages to be conversations between God the Father and the pre-existent Son. In the second century epistle of Barnabas 5:5,

"The Lord endured to suffer for our souls, though he was Lord of the whole world, to whom God said from the foundation of the world, "Let us make man after our image and likeness.""

In the second century epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus, the ancient apologist describes the savior as the "holy and incomprehensible Logos," and says that it was 'by him that God made the heavens.' (7:2) Indeed, even in the New Testament, the Messiah is often said to have been the mediator of creation, the one 'through whom God created the worlds.' (Heb. 1:2, 10-12; Col. 1:16, et al) Or the notable Triadic passages where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned alongside one another. (St. Matt. 28:19; St. Lk. 11:13; St. Joh. 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2, et al.) Notably the exhortation of St. Paul at Rom. 15:30,

 "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me."

The Lord Jesus, the Spirit and God himself are distinguished in this passage. Such distinctions make little sense if they are all names of the same person. This exhortation makes little sense if St. Paul thinks that they are the same person. Sabellianism was simply not tenable and was quickly condemned by numerous local councils. Therefore, it was revised. A more sophisticated modalism survived in the theological successor of Sabellius, a bishop named Marcellus. Marcellus of Ancyra (c. 285-374) was a fourth century bishop who opposed Arianism fiercely and was present at the first Nicene Council. Suprisingly, Hosius was a friend of Athanasius, though Hosius seems to have regarded God as an undivided unity, a single supreme individual who existed from eternity with the Logos immanent within him. The Logos of Marcellus was not a "Son" until it became incarnate in the man Jesus. The Logos "went forth" from God to create the Universe, but did not, in going forth, become a distinct person instead it is a sort of personal manifestation of the one God. (Fragment 121.) The Spirit likewise was sent forth or proceeded from God as another manifestation which was immanent in the lives of Christians in order to lead Christians into all truth. (Fragment 67.) But after the day of Judgment both Spirit and Logos will return that they 'may be in God just as they previously were before the worlds existed.' (Ibid.) This view differs from the views of the earlier Sabellians, in that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not merely names given to three sorts of Divine activities; rather, the Son is the incarnate Logos, and the Logos is a manifestation of the one God, and the Spirit is a manifestation of the sanctifying work of God. The Logos and the Spirit were not persons as such, but emanations or manifestations of a single God. 

The greatest obstacle faced by Marcellus, which Eusebius gleefully points out in Contra Marcellum, is that the Logos was already the Son of God before the incarnation. The Logos is called "the only-begotten from the Father," and the phrase "from the Father," designates departure from heaven. (St. Joh. 1:14, 18; 15:26; 16:28) Indeed, every single passage speaks of a personal and conscious preexistence of the son of God, stand as strong evidence against Marcellus. (St. Joh. 8:56-59; 17:5; Phil. 2:6-8; Col. 1:15-18, et al) A conscious person, the Son, was actively involved in the creation of the cosmos. Eusebius cited the opening of the epistle to the Hebrews, "his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he also created the worlds." The apostle states that God created the worlds through his Son, therefore the Logos was already a Son during the creation of the universe. The Son is not a mere manifestation or emanation of the Father but a person with his own will, feelings, and mental states. In other words, the Son was already a son before he left heaven and his leaving heaven was a deliberate and voluntary act, “I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” (St. Joh. 6:38) Christ says "My soul was deeply grieved." (St. Matt. 26:38) It does not say that the Father was grieved, but Christ himself in his own soul. His sufferings and passion would not be genuine if the doctrines of Marcellus are to be believed. To the Sabellian and the Marcellian, the highly exalted Son of God is nothing more than a human body without a distinct personality or experiences.