Doctrinal Alert: Finis Dake’s teachings about the Trinity fundamentally contradict orthodox Christian doctrine. Rather than affirming one God in three persons, Dake teaches three separate Gods, each with their own physical body, effectively promoting tritheism—a heresy condemned throughout church history.
Dake’s Denial of the Trinity: Teaching Three Gods
The doctrine of the Trinity stands at the heart of Christian theology, affirming that God exists eternally as one divine essence in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This foundational truth distinguishes biblical Christianity from all other religions and cults. Finis Dake, however, systematically dismantles this essential doctrine, replacing it with a polytheistic system that more closely resembles ancient paganism than biblical Christianity.
Three Separate Beings, Not Three Persons in One God
Dake explicitly states in his writings:
“God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct persons, each with a personal body, soul, and spirit… If there are three separate persons, then all three would have to have a separate body, soul and spirit, as is true of any three persons we could use as an example.”
This statement reveals Dake’s fundamental misunderstanding of the Trinity. Orthodox Christianity teaches one God in three persons sharing one divine essence. Dake teaches three separate beings, each with their own body, soul, and spirit—essentially three Gods.
Dake goes even further, arguing that it’s “ridiculous” to believe in one God existing as three persons. He writes: “The old idea that God exists as three persons in one person is not only unscriptural, but it is ridiculous to say the least.” In making this claim, Dake dismisses nearly 2,000 years of Christian orthodoxy, from the Apostles’ Creed to the Council of Nicaea, from Augustine to the Reformers. You will also note that Dake either does not understand what the theological term Trinity means or he is purposefully misinterpreting it. Christians do not say “Three persons in one person!”
Physical Bodies for Each “God”
Perhaps most shocking is Dake’s insistence that each member of what he calls the “Godhead” possesses a separate physical body. He argues that “No person can exist without a body or a shape” and applies this human limitation to God Himself. This teaching reduces the infinite, spiritual God to the level of created beings, bound by physical limitations and spatial restrictions. According to Dake, the Father has one body, the Son has another, and the Holy Spirit has a third—three separate physical beings meeting together like a divine committee.
This polytheistic view becomes even clearer when Dake states that Daniel and Stephen saw “two of them with separate bodies at the same time,” referring to visions of God. He interprets biblical theophanies and visions as proof of multiple Gods with physical bodies, rather than understanding them as accommodations to human perception of the one infinite God.
The Consequences of Dake’s Teaching
Dake’s trinity doctrine isn’t merely an alternative interpretation—it’s a different religion altogether. By teaching three separate beings with distinct bodies, souls, and spirits, Dake promotes tritheism, a heresy that denies the fundamental monotheism revealed in Scripture: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This error places Dake’s teachings outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy, aligning more closely with Mormonism’s polytheistic theology than with biblical Christianity.
The articles linked below provide detailed biblical and theological analysis of Dake’s errors regarding the Trinity. They demonstrate how his teachings contradict Scripture, violate the historic Christian faith, and ultimately lead to the worship of false gods rather than the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Dake Denied the Trinity and Taught Three Gods
- A Theological Analysis of Finis J. Dake’s Unorthodox Doctrines of God’s Nature, Presence, and Knowledge
- Dake’s Dubious Doctrine
- Finis Dake and the dangers of the Dake Bible
- Finis Dake: Does He Accept or Reject The Trinity?
- Finis Dake’s Dangerous Errors on Jesus’ Atonement and Salvation: A Biblical Analysis
- Finis Dake’s Rejection of the Trinity
- Finis Dake’s Theological Error on Jesus’ Eternal Sonship
- Finis Dake’s Theological Error on the Trinity: A Comprehensive Analysis
- Finis Dake’s Tri-theistic Doctrine: A Comprehensive Examination
- Finis Dake’s View of God: Striking Parallels with Mormon Theology
- Finis Dakes Unbiblical Teaching on the Doctrine of the Trinity
- Finis Jennings Dake and The Dake Bible
- Understanding the Trinity: A Biblical Portrait
- Understanding the Trinity: How Finis Dake Contradicts 2,000 Years of Christian Faith
