B.H. Roberts on the problems facing Trinitarian Conceptions of the Godhead

The Nature and Relations of the Christ

Adopting absolute "being" as the postulate of their conception of God, absolute oneness, and therefore absolute singleness, their difficulties arose in trying to reconcile the existence of three persons in the Godhead to the postulate of unity. The disputations were carried on chiefly concerning the Christ, the "Word" in his relationship to the Godhead; and the disputants concerned themselves with such questions as these: "Is Jesus the Word?" "If he be the 'Word,' did he emanate from God in time, or before time?" "If he emanated from God, is he co-eternal and of the same, that is, identical substance with Him, or merely of a similar substance?" "Is he distinct from the Father, that is, separate from Him, or is he not?" "Is he made or begotten?" "Can he beget in his turn?" "Has he paternity, or productive virtue without paternity?" (The Truth, the Way, the Life, p. 215)