Chapter 23: Appendix D: Early Church Creeds on the Nature of God

Understanding Why the Creeds Matter Against Dake’s Errors

When we look at what Christians have believed for nearly 2,000 years, we find something amazing. From the very beginning, true believers have agreed on the most important truths about who God is. These truths were written down in statements called creeds. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word “credo,” which simply means “I believe.” These creeds are like guardrails on a mountain road – they keep us from driving off the cliff into dangerous false teachings.

Source Citation: Pelikan, Jaroslav, and Valerie Hotchkiss, eds. Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition. 4 vols. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Finis Dake, unfortunately, drove right through these guardrails. He ignored what Christians have always believed and created his own ideas about God. This is why understanding these historic creeds is so important. They show us that Dake’s teachings aren’t just a little bit different – they’re completely opposed to what the church has always taught. When someone like Dake comes along and says things like “God has a physical body” or “there are really three separate Gods, not one God in three persons,” we can look at these creeds and see that Christians have already dealt with these false ideas and rejected them.

Think of it this way: if you were trying to learn what a real dollar bill looks like, you wouldn’t study counterfeit money. You would study the real thing. Once you know what the real thing looks like, you can spot a fake right away. That’s what these creeds do for us. They show us the real truth about God, so when someone like Dake comes along with counterfeit teachings, we can spot the fake immediately.

The creeds we’re going to look at weren’t written by just one person or one church. They were written by hundreds of church leaders from all over the known world at that time. These leaders came together in big meetings called councils. They prayed, they studied Scripture, and they carefully wrote down what the Bible teaches about God. These weren’t new ideas they were making up – they were simply putting into clear words what Christians had always believed based on God’s Word.

As we go through each creed, we’ll see how they protect us from the exact errors that Dake taught. We’ll also see why these truths matter so much for our daily Christian lives. After all, if we don’t know who God really is, how can we worship Him properly? How can we pray to Him? How can we trust Him? These creeds help us know the true God of the Bible, not the false god that Dake invented in his notes.

1. THE APOSTLES’ CREED (2nd-4th Century)

Understanding the Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed is probably the most famous Christian creed in the world. Even though it’s called the “Apostles'” Creed, the twelve apostles didn’t write it down word for word. Instead, it contains the teachings that the apostles passed down to the early church. Different versions of this creed were being used by churches as early as the year 100 AD, just a few years after the apostle John died. By the year 390 AD, it had taken the form we know today.

Let’s look at what this creed teaches us about God and how it contradicts Dake’s false teachings:

God the Father Almighty

The very first line tells us something crucial: God is Almighty. This word in Greek is “Pantokrator,” which means “ruler of all” or “having all power.” There is nothing that is too hard for God. He has unlimited power. But Dake taught that God’s power is limited. He said there were things God couldn’t do, places God couldn’t go, and things God didn’t know. This directly contradicts the most basic Christian confession that goes back to the earliest days of the church.

When we say God is “Almighty,” we’re saying what Revelation 19:6 declares: “The Lord God omnipotent reigns!” The word “omnipotent” means “all-powerful.” There is no power in the universe that doesn’t come from God. Every bit of strength, every bit of energy, every bit of force that exists anywhere comes from Him and is under His control. This is why Matthew 19:26 tells us, “With God all things are possible.”

But Dake’s god is not almighty. Dake wrote that God has to travel from place to place because He can’t be everywhere at once. Think about that for a moment. If God has to travel, that means He’s limited by distance. If He’s limited by distance, He’s limited by time (because travel takes time). If He’s limited by time and distance, He’s not almighty. The god Dake describes is more like a super-powerful alien from another planet, not the Almighty God of the Bible.

Maker of Heaven and Earth

The creed tells us that God made everything – heaven and earth, which is a way of saying “absolutely everything that exists.” Colossians 1:16 explains, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.” This means God created every atom, every star, every galaxy, every angel, every dimension of reality. There is nothing that exists that God didn’t create.

But here’s where Dake gets really confused. He taught that God has a physical body with hands, feet, eyes, a nose, and a mouth. But think about this: if God created all physical matter, how could He Himself be made of physical matter? That would mean part of God (His body) was created. But God cannot be created – He’s eternal! He has always existed. This is a logical impossibility that Dake never seemed to understand.

Furthermore, if God has a physical body, He would be limited to one location at a time. A physical body can only be in one place. It takes up space. It has boundaries. But the Bible tells us in 1 Kings 8:27, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.” Solomon understood that God is bigger than all of creation. He can’t be contained in any space because He created space itself!

The Trinity Pattern

Notice how the Apostles’ Creed is organized. It talks about God the Father, then Jesus Christ the Son, then the Holy Spirit. This threefold pattern shows us the Trinity – one God in three persons. Even though the word “Trinity” isn’t used in this creed, the structure teaches it clearly. We’re not believing in three different gods; we’re believing in one God who exists eternally as three distinct persons.

Dake completely destroyed this truth. He taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings, three separate gods who just work together really well. He wrote, “The word ‘one’ is used in the same sense that Jesus used it in John 17:11, 21-22, where He prayed for His disciples to be one, even as He and the Father are one.” But this is terrible logic! When Jesus prayed for His disciples to be “one,” He wasn’t praying for them to become a single person. He was praying for unity. But when the Bible says God is one, it means numerically one. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” The Hebrew word for “one” here (echad) means the number one, not just unity of purpose.

The Incarnation and Resurrection

The creed tells us that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the Virgin Mary.” This is the miracle of the incarnation – God becoming man. Notice it doesn’t say God turned into a man or that God stopped being God. It means that the eternal Son of God took on human nature while remaining fully God.

This is important because Dake’s teaching that God already has a physical body makes the incarnation meaningless. If God the Son already had a body in heaven, why would He need to be born as a baby? Why would it be special that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) if the Word already had flesh? Dake’s theology completely undermines the miracle and meaning of Christmas.

The creed also emphasizes the physical resurrection: “The third day He rose again from the dead.” This wasn’t just Jesus’ spirit floating around – it was a real, bodily resurrection. But again, if we follow Dake’s logic that spirits already have physical bodies, the resurrection loses its unique power and meaning.

The Holy Catholic Church

Don’t let the word “catholic” confuse you here. With a small “c,” catholic simply means “universal.” It’s saying there is one church made up of all true believers everywhere. This universal church believes one truth about God, not dozens of different ideas. The church has always stood together on the basics of who God is.

This is why Dake’s teachings are so dangerous. He wasn’t just offering a slightly different opinion – he was teaching things that the universal church has always recognized as heresy. When someone steps outside what the whole church has believed for all of history, that’s a huge red flag.

2. THE NICENE CREED (325 AD, Revised 381 AD)

Understanding the Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed is probably the most important creed in Christian history. It was written at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD when 318 bishops (church leaders) from all over the Roman Empire came together. They met because a false teacher named Arius was spreading the lie that Jesus was a created being, not eternal God. The council carefully studied Scripture and wrote this creed to make clear what the Bible teaches.

Then in 381 AD, at the Council of Constantinople, church leaders expanded the creed to make it even clearer, especially about the Holy Spirit. This creed has been accepted by every major branch of Christianity – Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. When Christians couldn’t agree on other things, they still agreed on this. That’s how important and foundational these truths are.

One God – Not Three Gods

The creed begins with the emphatic statement: “We believe in one God.” The Greek word used is “hena,” which means the number one. Not “unified,” not “in agreement,” but numerically one. This was written specifically to combat the idea that there could be multiple gods or multiple divine beings.

Dake tried to get around this by redefining what “one” means. He claimed that just as humans can be “one” in purpose while being separate beings, so the three persons of the Trinity are separate beings who are “one” in purpose. But this completely misses the point. The Council of Nicaea knew Greek perfectly – it was their language! If they meant “unified in purpose,” they would have used different words. They chose “hena” (one) specifically to mean numerical oneness.

Think about it this way: If I have three apples and I say they are “one” because they’re all in the same basket and they’re all red, does that make them numerically one apple? Of course not! They’re still three apples. Similarly, if the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three separate beings (as Dake taught), saying they’re “one in purpose” doesn’t make them one God – they would still be three gods. And that’s polytheism, not Christianity.

Of All Things Visible and Invisible

This phrase is crucial for understanding God’s nature. God created everything that exists, whether we can see it or not. This includes the physical universe (visible) and the spiritual realm (invisible). This means God Himself cannot be part of creation – He’s the Creator, separate from and above all created things.

But Dake taught that God has a physical body with parts and passions. He wrote that God has “a personal spirit body, shape, form, image and likeness of a man.” But if God has a physical body, then He’s part of the physical creation. Physical things are made of matter, and matter was created by God. So God cannot be physical, or else part of God (His body) would be created, which is impossible.

The Bible makes this clear in John 4:24: “God is Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Notice it doesn’t say God HAS a spirit (like we do), but God IS Spirit. His very essence, His fundamental nature, is spiritual, not physical. This is why He can be omnipresent (everywhere at once) – because He’s not limited by a physical body.

God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God

This repetitive language about Jesus might seem strange to us, but it was carefully chosen to make an incredibly important point. Jesus is not a lesser god or a created being – He is fully and completely God, just as much as the Father is God. The phrase “God of God” means that the Son comes from the Father eternally, but He is the same kind of being as the Father – truly and fully God.

Think of it like a flame lighting another flame. If you have a burning candle and use it to light another candle, the second flame is just as much fire as the first one. It comes from the first flame, but it’s not a lesser kind of fire. That’s what “Light of Light” means – the Son is just as divine as the Father.

Dake’s teaching of three separate beings destroys this relationship. In his system, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three independent gods who happen to work together. But the creed is describing something much deeper – an eternal relationship within the one Being of God. The Son is eternally generated from the Father (that’s what “begotten” means), yet He has always existed. This is a mystery, but it’s what Scripture teaches.

Being of One Substance with the Father

This is perhaps the most important phrase in the entire creed. The Greek word is “homoousios,” which means “same essence” or “same substance.” The Father and the Son share the exact same divine nature. They’re not similar (that would be “homoiousios” – notice the extra “i”); they’re the same in their essential being.

Imagine you have a gold ring and a gold necklace. They have different forms, but they’re made of the exact same substance – gold. Similarly (though all analogies fail when talking about God), the Father and Son are distinct persons but share the exact same divine essence. They’re both fully and equally God.

Dake completely rejected this fundamental Christian teaching. He taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate substances, three separate beings, three separate gods. This puts him completely outside of Christian orthodoxy. He’s not teaching Christianity at this point; he’s teaching a form of polytheism dressed up in Christian language.

By Whom All Things Were Made

The creed emphasizes that the Son (Jesus) was involved in creating everything. This echoes John 1:3: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” This is crucial because it proves the Son is not a created being – He’s the Creator!

This creates another huge problem for Dake’s theology. If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings (as Dake taught), and if they all have physical bodies (as Dake taught), then who created their bodies? Physical bodies are made of matter, and matter is part of creation. But the creed says the Son created ALL things. Did He create His own body? That’s logically impossible. Did someone else create it? Then that someone else would be greater than God. Do you see how Dake’s theology falls apart when we think it through?

Came Down from Heaven

This phrase tells us that the Son existed in heaven before He was born on earth. He didn’t begin to exist when Mary gave birth; He came down from where He already was. The incarnation was not the creation of the Son but the Son taking on human nature in addition to His divine nature.

But if Dake is right and God already has a physical body in heaven, the incarnation makes no sense. Why would Jesus need to be born as a baby if He already had a body? Why would it be special that He took on flesh if He already had flesh? The wonder of Christmas is that the infinite, spiritual God became a finite, physical human while remaining God. If God is already physical (as Dake taught), there’s no miracle here.

The Holy Spirit – Lord and Giver of Life

Notice that the creed calls the Holy Spirit “Lord.” This is the same title given to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is not a force or an energy – He is a person, and He is God. He gives life, both physical life (in creation) and spiritual life (in regeneration).

The creed says the Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” This doesn’t mean the Spirit was created by them or that He’s less than them. It’s describing an eternal relationship within the Trinity. Just as the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and Son. These are three distinct persons, but one God.

Dake turned this beautiful truth into crude polytheism. Instead of three persons sharing one divine essence, he taught three separate spirit beings with three separate bodies. This isn’t the Trinity; it’s tritheism (belief in three gods). It’s exactly the error this creed was written to prevent.

Worshiped and Glorified Together

This is crucial: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are worshiped together. We don’t worship three gods; we worship one God who exists as three persons. In Isaiah 42:8, God says, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another.” If the Son and Spirit were separate gods (as Dake taught), then the Father would be sinning by sharing His glory with them. But because they are one God, it’s right and proper to worship all three persons.

This is why we baptize in the name (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Not “names” (plural), but “name” (singular). Three persons, one name, one God. Dake’s theology would require us to say “in the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” acknowledging three different gods. But that’s not what Jesus commanded.

3. THE DEFINITION OF CHALCEDON (451 AD)

Understanding the Definition of Chalcedon

The Council of Chalcedon met in 451 AD to deal with confusion about Jesus. Some people were saying Jesus was God but not really human. Others said He was human but not really God. Still others said He was a mixture, like putting chocolate and vanilla in a blender. The council studied Scripture carefully and wrote this definition to explain what the Bible teaches: Jesus is fully God AND fully man, two complete natures in one person.

This might be the most precise theological statement ever written. Every single word was carefully chosen. The council fathers knew that getting this wrong would affect everything else we believe about salvation. If Jesus isn’t fully God, He can’t save us. If He isn’t fully human, He can’t represent us. Both natures are essential.

Perfect in Godhead and Perfect in Manhood

Jesus is not half-God and half-man, like some mythological demigod. He is 100% God and 100% human. I know that doesn’t make mathematical sense to us (how can something be 200%?), but remember, we’re talking about God here. He’s not limited by our mathematics or logic.

Think of it this way: when you record your voice, the recording doesn’t take your voice away from you. You still have your voice, and now the recording has it too. Similarly (though no analogy is perfect), when the Son of God took on human nature, He didn’t lose His divine nature. He remained fully God while becoming fully human.

Dake’s theology completely undermines this truth. If God already has a body (as Dake taught), then the incarnation wasn’t God becoming man – it was just God switching from one body to another. That’s not what Scripture teaches. Philippians 2:6-7 says Christ “being in the form of God… took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” This was a radical change – the infinite becoming finite, the spiritual taking on flesh.

Consubstantial with the Father and with Us

“Consubstantial” is a big word that simply means “same substance” or “same essence.” Jesus shares the same divine essence as the Father (He’s truly God) and the same human essence as us (He’s truly human). This is mind-blowing when you think about it. The infinite, eternal, all-powerful God became a baby who needed His mother to feed Him and change His diapers. Yet He never stopped being God.

This is one of the reasons we know Dake’s teaching about God having a body is wrong. If God essentially has a body, then Jesus taking on a body isn’t special. But the Bible presents the incarnation as the most amazing event in history. “Great is the mystery of godliness,” Paul writes, “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). If God already had flesh, where’s the mystery? Where’s the amazement?

In All Things Like Unto Us, Without Sin

Jesus experienced everything we experience as humans – hunger, thirst, tiredness, sadness, joy, pain. He had to learn to walk and talk as a baby. He went through puberty. He worked with His hands as a carpenter. He got splinters and calluses. He was completely human in every way, except He never sinned.

This is crucial for our salvation. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses because He experienced them. He can be our perfect representative because He lived a perfect human life.

But if Dake is right and the Father and Holy Spirit also have bodies, why was it necessary for Jesus to become human to understand us? Wouldn’t they already understand physical limitations if they had bodies? Once again, Dake’s theology makes nonsense of biblical truth.

Two Natures – Inconfusedly, Unchangeably, Indivisibly, Inseparably

These four words (often called the “four fences” of Chalcedon) are incredibly important. They tell us how Christ’s two natures relate to each other:

Inconfusedly – The two natures don’t mix together like ingredients in a soup. Jesus’ divinity doesn’t get weakened by His humanity, and His humanity doesn’t get supercharged into something non-human by His divinity. They remain distinct.

Unchangeably – The natures don’t change. His divine nature doesn’t turn into human nature or vice versa. He’s not a shape-shifter who sometimes is God and sometimes is man. He’s always both.

Indivisibly – The two natures can’t be divided. You can’t say “this part of Jesus is divine and that part is human.” Every action He does involves both natures. When He walked on water, it was the God-man doing it. When He died on the cross, it was the God-man dying.

Inseparably – The two natures will never be separated. Jesus didn’t stop being human when He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. Right now, at the Father’s right hand, there is a man – a glorified, resurrected human being who is also God. Forever and ever, Jesus will be both God and man.

Dake’s physical God doctrine destroys these careful distinctions. If divinity inherently includes having a body, then there’s no real distinction between Christ’s divine and human natures. They would both be physical. The incarnation becomes meaningless, and these four crucial boundaries become nonsense.

4. THE ATHANASIAN CREED (5th-6th Century)

Understanding the Athanasian Creed

The Athanasian Creed (named after Athanasius, though he probably didn’t write it) is the longest and most detailed of the early creeds. It was written to be absolutely, crystal clear about the Trinity. By the time this was written, the church had dealt with every possible wrong way to think about God, and this creed addresses them all. It’s like a theological fortress with walls built to keep out every heresy.

Some people think this creed is too harsh when it says those who don’t believe it will “perish everlastingly.” But remember, this isn’t talking about every tiny detail of theology. It’s talking about the most basic truth: who God is. If we get God wrong, we get everything wrong. If we’re worshiping a false god, we’re not really Christians at all.

One God in Trinity, Trinity in Unity

This phrase is the heart of orthodox Christian faith. We worship ONE God who exists as THREE persons. Not three gods working as a team (that’s tritheism). Not one God wearing three different masks (that’s modalism). Not one God with Jesus and the Spirit as lesser beings (that’s Arianism). One God, three persons – mystery though it is, this is what the Bible teaches.

Dake completely rejected this central Christian teaching. He wrote, “The doctrine of the Trinity is that there are three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead, each one having His own personal spirit body.” No! That’s not the doctrine of the Trinity at all! That’s the heresy of tritheism – belief in three gods. The actual doctrine of the Trinity is that there is ONE God in three persons, not three separate beings with three separate bodies.

Think about how serious this error is. For 2,000 years, Christians have recited creeds, sung hymns, and prayed prayers affirming one God in three persons. Every major Christian denomination – Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant – agrees on this. But Dake comes along and says, “No, everyone’s been wrong. There are really three Gods.” This isn’t a minor disagreement; it’s a complete rejection of Christianity itself.

Neither Confounding the Persons nor Dividing the Substance

This line gives us two crucial boundaries. We must not “confound” (mix up) the persons – the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Father. They are distinct persons with distinct relationships. But we also must not “divide the substance” – they share one divine essence, one divine nature, one divine being.

Think of it like this (though all analogies fail): Imagine you could be in three places at once, fully present in each place, fully aware in each place, able to act independently in each place, yet still be one person. That’s impossible for us, but it gives us a tiny glimpse of how God can be three persons yet one being.

Dake divided the substance completely. He taught three separate substances, three separate beings, three separate bodies. This isn’t Christianity; it’s polytheism with Christian vocabulary. He kept the Christian words but filled them with pagan meanings.

The Father Uncreate, the Son Uncreate, the Holy Spirit Uncreate

All three persons of the Trinity are uncreated – they have always existed. None of them had a beginning. This is important because anything that is created is, by definition, not God. God is the Creator; everything else is creation.

But here’s where Dake’s theology hits another wall. If God has a physical body (as Dake taught), then part of God is created. Why? Because all physical matter was created. Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Before creation, there was no matter, no space, no time – just God. So if God has a body made of matter, where did that matter come from? Did God create His own body? That’s impossible – He would have to exist before He existed! Did someone else create it? Then that someone would be greater than God.

Do you see the problem? Dake’s teaching that God has a body forces us into impossible contradictions. The only solution is what orthodox Christianity has always taught: God is spirit, not physical. He created all physical reality but is not Himself physical.

Not Three Eternals but One Eternal

This repetitive pattern drives home the point: we’re not talking about three separate beings who happen to share similar qualities. We’re talking about ONE being who exists as three persons. The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Spirit is eternal, but there are not three eternal beings – there is one eternal being who is tri-personal.

This is why mathematics doesn’t work with the Trinity. It’s not 1+1+1=3 (that would be three gods). It’s more like 1x1x1=1 (though even this analogy is imperfect). The three persons don’t add up to make God; each person IS fully God, and together they are one God.

Dake turned this into simple math: three beings equals three gods. He couldn’t accept the mystery of the Trinity, so he reduced it to something our human minds can fully understand. But that’s exactly the problem! If our finite minds could fully understand God, He wouldn’t be God. Isaiah 55:9 reminds us, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Not Three Gods but One God

The creed could not be clearer: “They are not three Gods, but one God.” This isn’t complicated language or mysterious terminology. It’s a simple, direct statement. Christianity is monotheistic – we believe in one God. Not three, not two, ONE.

Yet Dake explicitly taught three Gods. Oh, he tried to hide it by saying they’re “one in purpose” or “one in agreement,” but that doesn’t change the fact that he taught three separate divine beings. Three beings with three bodies, three minds, three wills. That’s three gods, no matter how much unity they might have.

Let me illustrate why this matters. In Isaiah 43:10, God says, “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” In Isaiah 44:6, He says, “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” These statements make no sense if there are three Gods. Is the Father lying when He says there’s no God beside Him if the Son and Spirit are separate Gods? No! These statements make perfect sense when we understand that the Father, Son, and Spirit are one God.

None Is Greater or Less Than Another

The three persons of the Trinity are completely equal in power, glory, majesty, and every divine attribute. The Father is not more God than the Son. The Son is not more God than the Spirit. They are coequal and coeternal. This doesn’t mean they don’t have different roles (they do), but in their essential being, they are equal.

This is important because many heresies try to make Jesus or the Spirit into lesser beings. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, teach that Jesus is a created being, lower than the Father. But the Bible and the creeds are clear: all three persons are fully and equally God.

Ironically, while Dake made them too separate (three gods instead of one), he at least recognized their equality. But his error is just as serious. Making them three equal gods is not better than making them unequal persons of one God. Both errors destroy the biblical doctrine of the Trinity.

5. THE SECOND COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE (553 AD)

The Second Council of Constantinople was called by Emperor Justinian I to address ongoing controversies about the nature of Christ and to further clarify the decisions made at Chalcedon. While this council didn’t produce a new creed, it made important declarations that help us understand God’s nature and expose Dake’s errors even more clearly.

Key Declarations Against Heresy

The council issued fourteen anathemas (formal condemnations) against various false teachings. Several of these directly contradict Dake’s theology. Let me explain the most important ones:

Anathema 1: The Trinity is One God

The council declared: “If anyone does not confess that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one nature or essence, one power and authority, worshipped as a Trinity of the same essence, one God in three persons, let him be anathema.”

Notice the careful language here. One NATURE or ESSENCE. Not three natures, not three essences, ONE. This is the opposite of what Dake taught with his three separate beings with three separate bodies. The council is saying that if you don’t believe in one God in three persons (but instead believe in three gods like Dake taught), you’re outside the Christian faith.

The phrase “one power and authority” is also important. The three persons don’t have three separate power sources. They share the same infinite divine power. When Jesus calmed the storm, He wasn’t using a different power than the Father has. It was the same divine power. When the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, it was the same power the Father has. One power, because one God.

Anathema 2: The Word Became Flesh

The council stated: “If anyone does not confess that God the Word… came down from heaven and was made flesh of the holy and glorious virgin mother of God… let him be anathema.”

The key phrase is “was made flesh.” This implies that the Word (Jesus in His divine nature) was NOT flesh before the incarnation. He BECAME flesh. This completely contradicts Dake’s teaching that God always had a body. If God already had a physical form, the incarnation wouldn’t be the Word becoming flesh – it would just be the Word switching bodies or taking on an additional body. But that’s not what Scripture or the councils teach.

Anathema 12: One Person, Two Natures

This is a bit technical but really important: “If anyone defends the heretical Theodore of Mopsuestia who said that God the Word is one person and Christ another… let him be anathema.”

Some false teachers tried to split Jesus into two persons – one divine and one human. They said the divine person lived in the human person like someone living in a house. But the council rejected this completely. Jesus is ONE person with TWO natures.

Why does this matter for Dake’s errors? Because if God already has a body (as Dake taught), then the distinction between Christ’s divine and human natures collapses. Both would be physical. Both would have bodies. There would be no real incarnation, no real taking on of human nature, because divine nature would already include having a body.

6. THE THIRD COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE (680-681 AD)

The Third Council of Constantinople dealt with whether Jesus had one will or two wills (divine and human). This might seem like a tiny detail, but it has huge implications for understanding God’s nature and exposes more problems with Dake’s theology.

The Two Wills of Christ

The council declared that Jesus has two wills – a divine will and a human will – corresponding to His two natures. These two wills never conflict because His human will is always perfectly submitted to His divine will. This is what we see in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prays, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

This helps us understand something crucial: having a divine nature means having a divine will, which is spiritual, not physical. The divine will doesn’t need a brain to think or neurons to process. It’s the infinite, eternal will of God that spoke the universe into existence.

But if God has a physical body with a physical brain (as Dake taught), how does divine will differ from human will? They would both be physical processes in physical brains. The incarnation would lose its meaning because Christ wouldn’t be joining the spiritual to the physical – He would just be adding one physical nature to another physical nature.

The Energy of God

The council also affirmed that Christ has two “energies” or “operations” – divine and human. The divine energy is what allows Him to perform miracles, know all things, and be present everywhere. The human energy is what allows Him to walk, eat, sleep, and experience human life.

Think about what this means: Divine energy is unlimited, uncreated, and spiritual. It doesn’t come from food or rest or any physical source. It’s the very power of God that sustains the universe every second. Colossians 1:17 says, “By him all things consist” – right now, Jesus is holding every atom in the universe together by His divine power.

But Dake’s physical God would have physical energy from a physical body. He would need some kind of fuel or food source. He would get tired and need rest (even though Isaiah 40:28 says God “fainteth not, neither is weary”). A physical body has physical limitations, but divine energy has no limitations.

7. THE SECOND COUNCIL OF NICAEA (787 AD)

The Second Council of Nicaea was primarily about whether it’s okay to have icons (religious images) in churches, but it also made important statements about God’s nature that contradict Dake’s teachings.

The Invisible God Made Visible

The council made a crucial distinction: We can make images of Jesus because He became incarnate – He took on visible, physical form. But we cannot make images of God the Father or the Holy Spirit in their divine nature because they are invisible and incorporeal (without bodies).

The council stated: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.” Before the incarnation, the Word could not be seen or depicted. After the incarnation, because He took on human nature, He could be.

This completely contradicts Dake’s teaching that God the Father has a body. If the Father has always had a physical form (as Dake taught), why would it be wrong to make images of Him? Why would He be called invisible? 1 Timothy 1:17 calls God “invisible,” and Colossians 1:15 calls Christ “the image of the invisible God.” If God has a visible body, these verses make no sense.

The Importance of the Incarnation

The council emphasized that the incarnation was a unique, history-changing event. It was the first and only time that God took on physical form. This is why we divide history into BC and AD – before Christ and Anno Domini (the year of our Lord). The incarnation was the hinge point of all history.

But if God always had a body (as Dake taught), the incarnation wasn’t unique. It would just be God taking on a different body or an additional body. The wonder, the mystery, the miracle of Christmas would be lost. The angels’ announcement to the shepherds – “Unto you is born this day a Savior” – wouldn’t be special if God had always had a body.

8. THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE IN ACTS

While not a formal creed, the teaching of the apostles in the book of Acts shows us what the very first Christians believed about God. This is Christianity in its purest, earliest form, before any councils or creeds were written. And guess what? It completely contradicts Dake’s teachings.

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2)

In the very first Christian sermon, Peter quotes Joel 2:28: “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” Notice that the Spirit is poured out – language that describes something non-physical. You can’t pour out a being with a body. This language only makes sense if the Spirit is incorporeal (without a body).

Peter also says in Acts 2:33 that Jesus “having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Again, the Spirit is “shed forth” – language appropriate for a spiritual, not physical, being.

Paul’s Sermon in Athens (Acts 17)

When Paul preached to the Greek philosophers in Athens, he said something crucial about God’s nature. In Acts 17:24-25, he declared: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.”

Paul is saying God doesn’t live in physical temples and doesn’t need anything from humans. Why? Because He’s not physical! He’s not limited to one location. He doesn’t need food or shelter or any physical thing. But Dake’s god with a physical body would need physical space to exist in. He would be located somewhere. He would have physical needs.

Paul continues in Acts 17:28: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” How can we exist “in” God if God has a physical body? We’re not inside God’s body. This only makes sense if God is spiritual and omnipresent – everywhere at once, sustaining all things.

Stephen’s Vision (Acts 7)

Before his martyrdom, Stephen had a vision of heaven. Acts 7:55-56 says he “saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” Notice that Stephen saw God’s glory, not God’s body. He saw Jesus (who has a glorified human body) but only saw the Father’s glory.

This is consistent throughout Scripture. Whenever people see visions of God, they see His glory, His throne, His surroundings, but not a physical body. Why? Because God doesn’t have a physical body, despite what Dake taught. What people see are theophanies – temporary visible manifestations that God creates to reveal Himself, not His actual essence.

9. THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE (1689, revised 1742, 2000)

Moving forward in history, the Baptist confessions show that Protestant churches have always affirmed the same truths about God’s nature. The Baptist Faith and Message is particularly important because many of Dake’s followers come from Baptist and Pentecostal backgrounds.

Chapter 2: Of God and the Holy Trinity

The confession states: “The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions.”

Let’s break this down because it directly refutes everything Dake taught:

“One only living and true God” – Not three Gods (as Dake taught), but ONE God.

“A most pure spirit” – God’s essential nature is spiritual, not physical.

“Invisible” – You can’t see a spirit. If God had a body (as Dake claimed), He wouldn’t be invisible.

“Without body, parts, or passions” – This is as clear as it gets. God does NOT have a body. He doesn’t have parts (hands, feet, eyes) except in metaphorical, anthropomorphic language. Dake explicitly contradicted this, claiming God has literal body parts.

The Importance of Divine Simplicity

When the confession says God is “without parts,” it’s teaching what theologians call divine simplicity. God is not composed of parts that could be separated. He’s not built from components. He’s absolutely simple in His being – uncomposed, indivisible, without pieces.

Think about why this matters: Anything that has parts can be taken apart. Anything that can be taken apart can be destroyed. Anything that can be destroyed is not eternal. But God is eternal and indestructible, therefore He cannot have parts.

Dake’s god with a body would have parts – head, arms, legs, organs. Even if Dake claimed this body was indestructible, having parts means it’s composite, not simple. It’s made of pieces, even if those pieces can’t be separated. This is not the God of the Bible or historic Christianity.

10. THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH (1646)

The Westminster Confession is one of the most influential Protestant confessions ever written. It was created by 151 theologians over 5 years of careful work. They examined every verse of Scripture related to each doctrine. Their statement on God’s nature is masterful.

Chapter II: Of God and the Holy Trinity

The confession states: “There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute.”

Notice how similar this is to the Baptist confession. That’s not because one copied the other, but because both are accurately summarizing what Scripture teaches. All orthodox Christian confessions say the same basic things about God because the Bible is clear on these fundamental truths.

Let’s focus on some attributes that Dake’s theology destroys:

“Immense” – This means God is measureless, boundless, without size. A body has size. It can be measured. Even if it’s huge, it has dimensions. But God is beyond all measurement.

“Incomprehensible” – We cannot fully understand God. Our minds are too small. But Dake reduced God to something we can understand – a being with a body like ours, just bigger and more powerful. That’s not incomprehensible; that’s just a superhero.

“Immutable” – God doesn’t change. Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the LORD, I change not.” But a being with a body would change location as he moves. His body would be in different positions. Dake’s god changes constantly as he moves from place to place.

The Trinity in Westminster

The confession continues: “In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.”

Notice: “three persons, of ONE substance.” Not three substances (as Dake taught), but ONE. This one substance is spiritual, not physical. It’s infinite, not limited. It’s simple, not composite.

The confession is so careful here. It doesn’t say “three Gods” or “three beings.” It says three persons in the unity of the Godhead. The Godhead is one; the persons are three. This is the mystery of the Trinity that Dake completely abandoned in favor of crude tritheism.

11. THE LONDON BAPTIST CONFESSION (1689)

The London Baptist Confession of 1689 is especially relevant because many of Dake’s followers come from Baptist backgrounds. This confession has been the standard for Reformed Baptists for over 300 years.

Clear Statements Against Dake’s Errors

Chapter 2, Paragraph 1 states: “The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions.”

Every phrase here contradicts Dake:

• “one only living and true God” – not three gods
• “infinite in being” – not limited to a body
• “most pure spirit” – not physical
• “invisible” – not able to be seen in His essence
• “without body” – explicitly denying what Dake affirmed

The confession writers weren’t being poetic or metaphorical. They meant exactly what they said. They had dealt with every heresy about God’s nature and were being precise. When they say “without body,” they mean God does not have a body. Period.

Why Baptists Have Always Believed This

Baptists have always been people of the Book. They pride themselves on following Scripture alone. So why have Baptists always confessed that God is spirit without a body? Because that’s what the Bible teaches!

When Jesus said “God is Spirit” (John 4:24), Baptists take that seriously. When Paul says God is “invisible” (1 Timothy 1:17), Baptists believe it. When the Bible says no man has seen God at any time (John 1:18), Baptists accept it.

Dake claimed to be following the Bible literally, but he was actually imposing his own ideas on the text. When the Bible uses anthropomorphic language (describing God in human terms), it’s using metaphor to help us understand. Dake took the metaphors literally and missed the spiritual reality they point to.

12. THE CHICAGO STATEMENT ON BIBLICAL INERRANCY (1978)

While not a creed about God’s nature specifically, the Chicago Statement helps us understand how to properly interpret the Bible – something Dake failed to do. This statement was signed by nearly 300 evangelical scholars and has become the standard evangelical position on how to understand Scripture.

Proper Biblical Interpretation

Article XVIII states: “We affirm that the text of Scripture is to be interpreted by grammatico-historical exegesis, taking account of its literary forms and devices, and that Scripture is to interpret Scripture.”

This is crucial. The Bible uses many literary devices – metaphor, anthropomorphism, hyperbole, phenomenological language. We must recognize these to properly understand what God is revealing. Dake ignored literary devices and tried to take everything in a woodenly literal way, even when it created contradictions.

For example, when the Bible says God has “eyes” (Proverbs 15:3) and also says God is “invisible” (1 Timothy 1:17), we have to ask: Is this a contradiction? No! The “eyes” are metaphorical, teaching us that God sees everything. The “invisible” is literal, teaching us that God is spirit. Scripture interprets Scripture.

The Danger of Hyper-Literalism

Article VIII states: “We affirm that God in His Work of inspiration utilized the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers whom He had chosen and prepared.”

God didn’t dictate the Bible like a boss to a secretary. He worked through human authors who used normal human language, including figures of speech. When David says God will cover us with His feathers (Psalm 91:4), he’s not saying God is a giant bird! It’s a metaphor for protection.

Dake’s hyper-literal approach would require God to have feathers, wings, hands, feet, eyes, nostrils, and every other body part mentioned in Scripture. But then God would be a bizarre chimera – part human, part bird, part who-knows-what. This isn’t honoring Scripture; it’s misunderstanding it.

13. THE PHILIPPINE CONFESSION (Early Church Baptismal Formula)

One of the earliest Christian confessions comes from the baptismal formula used by the early church. When someone wanted to be baptized, they had to confess certain truths about God. This shows us what the very first Christians believed was essential.

The Baptismal Questions

The candidate would be asked:

“Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?”

“Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God?”

“Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?”

After each question, the person would answer “I believe” and be immersed. Notice that it’s three questions about one God, not questions about three different gods. The baptism was into one name (the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), not three names.

If Dake were right about three separate beings, the formula should be: “Do you believe in the first God, the Father? Do you believe in the second God, the Son? Do you believe in the third God, the Spirit?” But that’s not what we find. From the very beginning, Christians understood that we worship one God in three persons.

14. THE TOME OF LEO (449 AD)

Pope Leo I wrote a famous letter (called a “tome”) to the Council of Chalcedon that became one of the most important documents in Christian history for understanding the incarnation. It shows how God becoming man proves God doesn’t have a body in His divine nature.

The Wonder of the Incarnation

Leo wrote: “Without detriment therefore to the properties of either nature and substance which then came together in one person, majesty took on humility, strength weakness, eternity mortality.”

Notice the contrasts: The eternal became mortal. The infinite became finite. The spiritual became physical. These contrasts only make sense if God’s divine nature is NOT physical. If God already had a body (as Dake taught), there would be no contrast. It would just be one physical being taking on another physical nature.

Leo continues: “For He who is true God is also true man, and there is no deception in this unity, wherein the lowliness of man and the loftiness of Godhead are mutually united.”

The “lowliness of man” refers to our physical, limited nature. The “loftiness of Godhead” refers to the spiritual, unlimited divine nature. The miracle is that these two completely different natures were united in one person. Dake’s theology makes this miracle disappear.

15. THE BELGIC CONFESSION (1561)

The Belgic Confession was written during the Protestant Reformation and is still used by Reformed churches today. It’s particularly clear about God’s spiritual nature.

Article 1: There Is Only One God

“We all believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God; and that He is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good.”

Look at those first descriptors: “simple and spiritual Being.” Simple means uncomposed, without parts. Spiritual means not physical. These are the very first things the confession says about God because they’re so fundamental.

Dake rejected both of these truths. His god is not simple (he has parts – a body with limbs and organs). His god is not spiritual (he’s physical with a material body). Dake’s god is the opposite of what this confession describes.

Article 8: The Trinity

“According to this truth and this Word of God, we believe in one only God, who is one single essence, in which are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties; namely, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Notice: “one single essence.” Not three essences, ONE. The three persons share this one divine essence. They are distinct as persons but one in essence. Dake taught three essences, three beings, three gods. This is exactly what the confession denies.

The Pattern Is Clear

As we’ve looked at creed after creed, confession after confession, council after council, the pattern is absolutely clear. For 2,000 years, Christians have unanimously agreed on these fundamental truths:

Do you see how completely opposite these are? Dake didn’t just have a different interpretation on some minor point. He rejected the most basic, fundamental truths that all Christians have always believed. He created a different religion and called it Christianity.

Why These Creeds Matter for Your Faith

You might be thinking, “Why should I care about all these old creeds? I just want to follow Jesus.” That’s a good desire! But here’s the thing: Which Jesus are you following? The Jesus who is eternally one with the Father in the Trinity? Or a separate god named Jesus who works alongside two other gods?

These creeds matter because:

1. They Protect the Gospel

If Jesus isn’t truly God, His death can’t save us. One human dying can’t pay for the sins of all humanity. But if Jesus is truly God (sharing the one divine essence with the Father and Spirit), then His death has infinite value. It can cover all sins for all people for all time.

If there are three Gods instead of one, which one do we worship? Which one saves us? Do they take turns? Do they compete? The gospel only makes sense with one God in three persons.

2. They Guide Our Worship

Jesus said true worshipers worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). We can’t truly worship God if we don’t know who He is. If we think He has a body, we might try to worship Him through physical idols. If we think He’s three gods, we might play them against each other like pagans did with their gods.

The creeds help us worship the true God truly. They keep us from making God in our own image and instead help us understand Him as He has revealed Himself.

3. They Unite All True Christians

Christians disagree on many things – baptism methods, church government, end times, spiritual gifts. But on these fundamental truths about God, true Christians have always agreed. These creeds unite Catholics and Protestants, Baptists and Presbyterians, Pentecostals and Lutherans.

When someone like Dake rejects these basic truths, they’re not just disagreeing with one denomination – they’re rejecting what all Christians everywhere have always believed. They’re putting themselves outside the faith.

4. They Protect Us from Deception

False teachers like Dake often use Christian words but give them different meanings. They talk about the Trinity but mean three gods. They talk about God but mean a physical being. The creeds help us spot these deceptions.

When you know what Christians have always believed, you can quickly identify false teaching. It’s like having a counterfeit detector for theology. The creeds aren’t adding to Scripture; they’re summarizing Scripture to protect us from those who twist it.

How to Respond If You’ve Been Influenced by Dake

If you’ve been using a Dake Bible or following his teachings, don’t panic, but do take this seriously. You’ve been exposed to serious heresy that contradicts basic Christianity. Here’s what you should do:

1. Get a Reliable Study Bible

Replace your Dake Bible with a trustworthy study Bible. Good options include:

• The ESV Study Bible
• The NIV Study Bible
• The MacArthur Study Bible
• The Reformation Study Bible
• The CSB Study Bible

These Bibles have notes written by teams of scholars who affirm historic Christian orthodoxy. They won’t lead you into heresy.

2. Study the Real Doctrine of the Trinity

Take time to understand what Christians actually believe about the Trinity. It’s not three gods; it’s one God in three persons. Some helpful resources:

• “The Forgotten Trinity” by James White
• “Delighting in the Trinity” by Michael Reeves
• “The Trinity” by R.C. Sproul

3. Talk to Your Pastor

If your church uses Dake Bibles or teaches Dake’s theology, talk to your pastor. Show them what Dake actually taught versus what Christians have always believed. If they defend Dake’s tritheism (three gods), you may need to find a church that believes orthodox Christianity.

4. Repent and Return

If you’ve been believing and teaching Dake’s errors, repent. This doesn’t mean you’ve lost your salvation (if you’re truly trusting in Jesus), but you do need to turn from false teaching. God is gracious and forgiving. He wants you to know Him as He truly is, not as Dake imagined Him.

5. Help Others

If you know others using Dake Bibles or following his teachings, lovingly warn them. Don’t be harsh or judgmental – many people simply don’t know what Dake really taught. Share this information gently but clearly. Help them see the danger and point them to the truth.

Conclusion: Standing on the Foundation

The creeds we’ve examined aren’t the product of one person’s opinion or one church’s preference. They represent the united testimony of the entire Christian church throughout history. They were written by hundreds of leaders from different cultures, languages, and backgrounds, all studying the same Scriptures and coming to the same conclusions about who God is.

These truths about God’s nature aren’t negotiable. They’re not matters where we can “agree to disagree.” They’re the very foundation of Christian faith. If we get God wrong, we get everything wrong. If we worship three gods instead of one, we’re not Christians but polytheists. If we think God has a body, we’ve reduced Him from the infinite Creator to a finite creature.

Finis Dake may have been sincere in his beliefs, but sincerity doesn’t make error into truth. He led people away from the God of the Bible to a god of his own imagination. His study Bible notes have confused and deceived many genuine believers who trusted his scholarship.

But we don’t have to be deceived. We have 2,000 years of Christian teaching to guide us. We have the creeds and confessions that clearly state what the Bible teaches. Most importantly, we have the Scriptures themselves, which, when properly interpreted, clearly reveal one God in three persons – spiritual, infinite, eternal, and without body.

May you know the true God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one God in three persons, blessed forever. May you worship Him in spirit and in truth. May you reject every false teaching that would lead you away from Him. And may you stand firm on the foundation that the apostles and church fathers laid, the foundation that has held firm for two millennia and will hold firm until Christ returns.

Remember the words of Jude 3: “Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” That faith – delivered once, not repeatedly revised – is what the creeds preserve. That faith is what Dake abandoned. That faith is what you must hold onto.

Stand firm. Test everything. Hold fast to what is good. And reject every teaching, no matter how popular or persuasive, that contradicts the clear testimony of Scripture and the unanimous witness of the church throughout history.

The true God – infinite, spiritual, triune – is worthy of all worship, all honor, all glory. Don’t settle for Dake’s diminished deity. Know and worship the God who is actually there, the God revealed in Scripture, the God confessed in the creeds. He alone is God, and there is no other.

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