Much said here about Platonic influence on the development of the Trinity, much said about the familial understanding of the Godhead, yet I fail to see what all the fuss is supposed to be about. Except for the Holy Spirit, I don’t see that much difference between Binitarians and Trinitarians.
Oneness Pentecostals, on the other hand, while agreeing about Platonic influence on the development of the Trinity, and the familial, they, however, differ at the most basic level the Biniarian view of Father and Son. They see it vertically.
They see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as familial. In this way, God the Father from the beginning predestinated the Son, the firstoborn Son of His family. He predtinated the Sonship, in other words.
The Son the firstborn of many brethren, Rom. 8:29. The “brethren” becoming sons by means of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As the Son was born of the Spirit, Matt. 1:18, likewise God the Father’s extended family...also born of the Spirit. God the Father IS Spirit, John 4:23,24, not an old grey bearded man.
The Son is the visible image of the invisible God the Father, Col. 1:15. Having no human father, the Son is the only begotten Son, John 1:16, whereas the extended sonship, the extended family, born of the same Spirit and Father, yet, due to the fact that they have human fathers, are adopted sons.
Oneness Pentecostals have a vertical view, the one God (the Father) in the Son, the head of His family, the same one God in his extended family:
“One God and Father, who is above all, through all, and IN YOU ALL,” Eph. 4:6.
The way Trinitarians and Binitarians see it is very different. (Though the latter claim a familial view). They both see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit horizontally, not vertically. Separate and distinct collateral and coequal divine “Persons” alongside each other (horizontal).
Though the Binitarians differ from the Trinitarians on the Holy Spirit, their horizontal view of Father and Son is the same as the Trinitarians.
Thanks for this clear introduction.
We Nicene types often use “Greater than” and “less than” language. “In such-and-such a respect the Father is greater than the Son, but in so-and-so aa respect the Son is equal to the Father.”
If you were to adopt that sort of usage, how would what you said play out?