Unmasking the Deception: How Leon Bible Misrepresents Dake’s Heretical Trinity Doctrine

“The doctrine of the trinity is one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith.” – Wayne Grudem, quoted by Leon Bible¹

Yet what happens when a respected Bible teacher systematically distorts this fundamental doctrine while claiming to defend it? This article exposes how Leon Bible, in his book about Finis Jennings Dake, engages in theological sleight of hand—presenting Dake as orthodox on the Trinity while concealing Dake’s actual tritheistic teachings that fundamentally contradict biblical Christianity.

What Leon Bible Says:

“The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most widely-debated of all Christian doctrines. Throughout church history—from the time of Christ until today—men have struggled to gain a biblical understanding of God, who is indeed one and yet three persons—all at the same time.”²

Dake’s Definition (as quoted by Leon Bible):

“TRINITY. This means the union of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one (unified) Godhead or divinity—so that all three persons are one in unity and eternal substance, but three separate and distinct persons as to individuality (1 Jn. 5:7-8; Dan. 7:9-14; Mt. 3:16-17; 28:19; Acts 7:56-59).”³

What Dake Actually Teaches:

“God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each has His own personal spirit body, personal soul, and personal spirit in the same sense that each human being, angel, or any other being has his own body, soul, and spirit which are separate and distinct from all others”⁵

Source: Finis Dake, God’s Plan for Man, Chapter 9: “The Trinity of God,” page 51

Additional Documentation from Dake:

Dake makes his position even clearer elsewhere when he states: “What we mean by Divine Trinity is that there are three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead, each one having His own personal spirit body, personal soul, and personal spirit in the same sense each human being, angel, or any other being has his own body, soul, and spirit.”²⁶ The key phrase here—”in the same sense”—reveals that Dake is making a direct comparison, not an analogy. Just as three human beings are three completely separate individuals, so the three persons of the Godhead are three completely separate divine individuals.

Dake on God’s Body:

“God has a personal spirit body, shape, form, image, and likeness; bodily parts such as back parts, heart, hands and fingers, mouth, lips and tongue, feet, eyes, ears, hair, head, face, and arms…He wears clothes, sits on a throne, and dwells in a mansion and in a city located on a planet called ‘Heaven’ where millions of other beings live.”⁹

Source: Dake Annotated Reference Bible, Old Testament, page 96, note on Exodus 33:18-23

Three Separate Physical Beings:

“The doctrine of the Trinity is that there are three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead, each having His own personal spirit body, personal soul, and personal spirit in the same sense that each human being, angel, or any other being has his own body, soul, and spirit.”¹⁰

Source: Dake Annotated Reference Bible, New Testament, page 313, note on Matthew 3:16-17

Dake’s Consistent Teaching on Separate Bodies:

Dake reinforces this throughout his writings. He declares: “The Bible declares that God has a body, shape, image, likeness, bodily parts, a personal soul and spirit, and all other things that constitute a being or a person with a body, soul, and spirit.”²⁷ He then extends this to all three persons, insisting that “If all other spirit beings have spirit bodies, could not the members of the Trinity also have spirit bodies?”²⁸ By comparing the members of the Trinity to “all other spirit beings” who have separate bodies, Dake makes clear he views them as three distinct beings, not as three persons sharing one divine essence.

Dake’s Explicit Teaching on Bodies as Real and Material:

Dake leaves no room for misunderstanding his physicalist theology of God when he writes: “A spirit being can and does have real, material, and tangible spirit form, shape, and size, with bodily parts, soul passions, and spirit faculties. Their material bodies are of a spiritual substance and are just as real as human bodies.”³⁶ He further clarifies his materialism: “God is a Spirit Being with a body…shape…form…and an image and likeness of a man. He has back parts; so must have front parts. He has a heart; hands and fingers; nostrils; mouth; lips and tongue; feet; eyes, eyelids, sight; voice; breath; ears; countenance; hair, head, face, arms; loins; bodily presence; and many other bodily parts as is required of Him to be a person with a body.”³⁷

Dake’s Nine-Part “Trinity”

Dake’s Teaching on the Three-Part Nature of Each Person:

Dake explicitly states: “That 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? They are three persons (1 John 5:7-8; Matt. 28:19). Two and three of these have been seen with separate bodies with the same eyes at the same time…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.”²⁹ This teaching inevitably leads to the “nine persons” heresy that even Word of Faith teachers found embarrassing.

Dake’s Logic of Tritheism Made Explicit:

Dake develops his reasoning in stark terms that leave no doubt about his tritheism: “Could not God exist as three separate persons with three separate bodies, souls, and spirits, and still be one in unity? Why, then, would we have to claim that such could not be comprehended, since we have concrete examples of the unity of the Godhead in this world?”³⁸ He continues this explicit argument: “All separate persons in the Godhead are the same in essence. They were the same in body, soul, and spirit until Christ became a man. If one has a personal body, they all have bodies; if one has a personal soul, they all have souls; and if one has a personal spirit, they all have spirits.”³⁹

Dake’s Redefinition of “One”:

“The Hebrew word for ‘one’ is echad, and is used in Scripture as a compound unity, a collective sense…It is used of two or more becoming one…It can refer to many grapes making one cluster (Num. 13:23), or many men becoming one group (Num. 14:15; Josh 9:2; 10:42). The word ‘one’ in reference to God means one in unity, purpose, and work—not one in number, person, or body.”¹¹

Source: Dake Annotated Reference Bible, Old Testament, page 7, note on Genesis 1:26

Dake’s Explicit Teaching on “One” Meaning Unity, Not Numerical Oneness:

Dake makes his position unmistakably clear when he writes: “The word one means one in unity as well as one in number. It means unity in 1 Jn. 5:7, as it does in Jn. 17:11, 21-23, and yet these three persons, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, are spoken of as one each in number and individuality in Scripture…Thus there are three separate persons in divine individuality and divine plurality.”³⁰ He further clarifies: “These three (individuals—the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Ghost) are o. (1 Jn. 5:7). The only sense in which three can be done is in unity—never in number of persons.”³¹ This redefinition destroys biblical monotheism by making “one God” mean “three Gods in agreement.”

Dake’s Logical Argumentation for Three Separate Gods:

Dake spells out the implications clearly: “There are three persons in the divine unity and three separate persons in the divine individuality. It is not proper to say ‘one person’ in speaking of the whole Godhead any more than it would be proper to speak of the whole body of Christ as one person when we know it is made up of millions of individuals.”⁴⁰ This comparison directly contradicts orthodox Trinitarian theology by making the three divine persons analogous to millions of separate human individuals in the church.

Dake on God’s Location:

“God’s throne is in the north part of the universe…God the Father is not omnipresent in body. His body is in one place at one time, on the throne in Heaven…He fills Heaven and earth by His Spirit and by His knowledge of what happens everywhere, not by His physical presence.”¹²

Source: Dake Annotated Reference Bible, Old Testament, page 492, note on Psalm 139:7-12

Additional Documentation on Dake’s Denial of True Omnipresence:

Dake explicitly redefines omnipresence to accommodate his physical, localized deities: “Omnipresent, everywhere present. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all present where there are beings with whom they have dealings; but they are not omnibody, that is, their bodies are not omnipresent. All three go from place to place bodily as other beings in the universe do.”³² He continues: “Omnipresence then, is different from omnibody, and is governed by relationship and knowledge of God. Like the presence of someone being felt by another who is thousands of miles away, so it is with the presence of God among men.”³³ This strips God of true omnipresence, reducing it to merely having knowledge or influence—not actual presence everywhere.

Dake on Heaven as a Physical Planet:

Consistent with his materialistic theology, Dake teaches that God lives on a physical planet: “Heaven is a created planet like earth…Location: in the north part of the universe, in relationship to the earth…God’s dwelling place.”³⁴ He further describes: “Heaven itself is a material planet (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:10-16), having cities, mansions, furniture, inhabitants, living conditions, etc.”³⁵ This science-fiction theology reduces God to a creature bound by space and time, dwelling on a planet in the cosmos—a far cry from the transcendent God of Scripture who created all things and exists beyond His creation.

Dake on God Going From Place to Place:

Dake’s limitation of God’s omnipresence is further emphasized when he writes: “God goes from place to place in a body just like anyone else…He is omni-present, but not omni-body, that is, His presence can be felt everywhere but His body cannot…He wears clothes; eats; rests, not because he gets tired, but because he ceases activity or completes a work; dwells in a mansion and in a city located on a material planet called Heaven; sits on a throne; walks; rides upon cherubs, the wind, clouds, and chariots drawn by cherubims; and does do and can do anything that any other person can do bodily that is right and good.”⁴¹

Dake’s Materialistic Theology of Spirit Bodies:

Dake elaborates his view that all spirit beings, including the three members of the Trinity, have localized physical bodies: “Spirit beings, including God, Himself, cannot be omnipresent in body, for their bodies are of ordinary size and must be at one place at a time, in the same way that bodies of men are always localized, being in one place at a time.”⁴² He reinforces this: “Each member of the Divine Trinity has His own personal spirit body, His own soul with all the soul feelings of other beings, and His own personal spirit with all the spirit attributes and powers that other spirits of persons have.”⁴³

What the Bible Says:

Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”

The Hebrew construction here (YHWH Elohenu YHWH echad) emphasizes absolute unity. This is the Shema, the central confession of Jewish monotheism. It doesn’t mean “The LORD our Gods work together as one team” but “The LORD our God is uniquely one.”

Isaiah 44:6: “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

This verse makes tritheism impossible. God declares there is no God beside Him. Not “no God opposed to me” but “no God beside me.” If the Father is God and the Son is a separate God beside Him, this verse is false.

1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Paul doesn’t say “there are three Gods working as one” but “there is one God.” The Greek (heis theos) is absolutely singular. This is numerical oneness, not mere unity of purpose.

John 4:24: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Jesus doesn’t say God “has” a spirit or God “lives in” a spirit body. He says God IS spirit. This defines God’s essential nature as spiritual, not physical.

Luke 24:39: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

Jesus explicitly states that a spirit does NOT have flesh and bones. If God is spirit (John 4:24), then God does not have a physical body with flesh and bones.

Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Notice it’s “name” (singular) not “names” (plural). The Father, Son, and Spirit share one name because they share one essence. They are not three Gods with three names but one God in three persons.

John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.”

Jesus doesn’t say “I and my Father work as one team” but “I and my Father are one.” The Greek (hen) indicates essential unity, not mere cooperation.

Irenaeus (130-202 AD):

“God is simple, uncompounded, without diverse members, and altogether like, and equal to himself, since He is wholly understanding, and wholly spirit, and wholly thought, and wholly intelligence, and wholly reason…He is neither divided nor changed.”¹³

Source: Against Heresies, Book II, Chapter 13

Athanasius (296-373 AD):

“We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.”¹⁴

Source: Athanasian Creed

John Calvin:

“When we profess to believe in one God, under the name of God is understood a single, simple essence, in which we comprehend three persons…Therefore, whenever the name of God is mentioned without particularization, there are designated no less the Son and the Spirit than the Father.”¹⁵

Source: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book I, Chapter 13

Martin Luther:

“The sublime mystery of the Trinity is this: The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God…These three persons are one essence.”¹⁶

Source: Luther’s Small Catechism

The Tritheists (6th Century):

John Philoponus and others taught that the three persons of the Trinity were three distinct beings or gods united only in purpose. The Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD) condemned this teaching as heretical. Dake’s doctrine is virtually identical to what Philoponus taught.

The Mormons (19th Century to Present):

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate Gods who are “one” only in purpose. Joseph Smith declared: “I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods.”¹⁷

The First Commandment Violated

Exodus 20:3: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

If the Son and Spirit are separate Gods from the Father, then worshiping them violates this commandment. Either they are the same God (orthodox Trinity) or worshiping them is idolatry.

The Problem:

John 1:14 says “the Word was made flesh.” John 1:1 says “the Word was God.” If the Word (Son) is a separate God from the Father, then only one of the three Gods became incarnate. The Father and Spirit remain unconnected to human redemption in any essential way.

Attributes Lost in Dake’s System

1. Prayer Becomes Complicated

To which God do we pray? If they’re three separate beings, do we need to pray to all three? Can one hear prayers if the others don’t? Jesus said to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9), but if the Father is a separate God, what about relationship with the Son and Spirit?

2. Worship Becomes Polytheistic

Are we worshiping one God or three? If three, how is this different from paganism? The worship scenes in Revelation show worship directed to “him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Revelation 5:13), but if these are two separate Gods, this is polytheistic worship.

3. Salvation Becomes Uncertain

If the Father, Son, and Spirit are three separate Gods, which one saves us? Do all three need to agree? Could one decide to save while another condemns? The unity of God ensures the unity of salvation, but three Gods could potentially have three different salvific wills.

4. Scripture Becomes Contradictory

Hundreds of verses declaring God is one must be reinterpreted or ignored. The clear statements of Scripture are forced into an unnatural reading to accommodate the idea of three Gods. This undermines biblical authority and opens the door to any interpretation.

Leon Bible’s Defense:

“Dake’s definition of the Trinity speaks both to the ‘threeness’ and the ‘oneness’ of God. In fact, since Dake declares that the Godhead is one in ‘unity and eternal substance,’ no claim of Tri-theism could possibly be made.”¹⁸

What Dake Really Means:

“Each person of the Godhead has His own divine nature, distinct from the others…They are one in unity of purpose, plan, agreement, and working together, but three separate persons with three separate bodies, souls, and spirits.”¹⁹

Source: God’s Plan for Man, Chapter 9, expanded discussion

Leon Bible’s Argument:

“Throughout church history—from the time of Christ until today—men have struggled to gain a biblical understanding of God, who is indeed one and yet three persons—all at the same time. It is not difficult to see why the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most ‘asked about’ topics.”²⁰

Leon Bible Claims:

“In an examination of over 75 theological texts that sit on my shelves, written by many well-known historic and modern theologians, I could easily find differences in doctrine between most on this subject, while at the same time most of them would still fall within the bounds of the classical view of the Trinity, just as Dake does.”²¹

James 3:1 warns: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

Teachers bear greater responsibility because their errors affect not just themselves but all who follow their teaching. Leon Bible’s misrepresentation of Dake’s doctrine potentially leads thousands into polytheistic worship.

Dake’s Science Fiction Theology:

“Heaven is a planet…It is the planet where God’s city is located, where His mansion is, where His throne is…The Father dwells in a mansion in the New Jerusalem on the planet Heaven in the sides of the north of the universe.”²²

Source: Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on John 14:2

Dake on Divine Transportation:

“God rides upon the heaven, in a chariot, on the wings of the wind, upon a cherub, and upon a swift cloud when He travels from place to place.”²³

Source: Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Psalm 68:4

1. Gap Theory

Dake teaches a gap of millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, complete with a pre-Adamic race. This requires God to have failed in His first creation attempt—easier to accept if God is limited and physical rather than omnipotent and omniscient.

2. Racial Segregation

Dake taught that races should remain segregated even in heaven. If there are three Gods who remain separate, why not perpetual racial separation? Bad theology of God produces bad theology of humanity.

3. Humans Becoming Gods

Dake taught humans are “in the God class” and can become divine. If the three Gods are physical beings with bodies like ours, the distance between God and man shrinks, making deification seem possible.

Kenneth Copeland:

“God is a being that stands somewhere around six feet tall, weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple hundred pounds.”²⁴

This comes directly from Dake’s teaching about God having a physical body.

Benny Hinn’s “Nine Persons” Heresy:

“God the Father is a person with a body, soul, and spirit. God the Son is a person with a body, soul, and spirit. God the Holy Spirit is a person with a body, soul, and spirit. There’s nine of them!”²⁵

This bizarre teaching is the logical conclusion of Dake’s doctrine.

1. Physicalization of God: Any teaching that gives God a physical body with parts should be immediately suspect.
2. Localization of God: Claims that God lives in a specific place or needs transportation contradict omnipresence.
3. Redefinition of “One”: Attempts to make “one God” mean “multiple Gods working together” are classic tri-theism.
4. Separation Language: Repeated emphasis on “separate and distinct” persons suggests multiple beings, not one.
5. Body, Soul, Spirit Division: Teaching that each person of the Trinity has separate body, soul, and spirit multiplies entities beyond Trinity.

1. Is God presented as one being or multiple beings?
2. Does the teaching maintain that God is spirit, or give Him a physical body?
3. Are the persons of the Trinity distinguished without being separated?
4. Is the unity of God essential (one being) or merely functional (working together)?
5. Does the teaching align with historic Christian creeds and confessions?

The Nicene Creed (325 AD):

“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty…And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God…true God from true God…of one substance with the Father.”

1. Worship Becomes Idolatry

If Father, Son, and Spirit are three separate Gods, then Christianity is polytheistic. The first commandment is violated, and worship becomes idolatrous.

2. Prayer Becomes Confused

Not knowing whether to pray to one God or three, believers lose the simplicity and confidence of biblical prayer.

3. Assurance Is Undermined

If there are three separate Gods, they might disagree. The Father might accept someone the Son rejects. Security in salvation is lost.

4. Scripture Becomes Unintelligible

Hundreds of verses must be reinterpreted or ignored. The clear teaching of Scripture is obscured by theological gymnastics.

1. Doctrinal Confusion

When the fundamental doctrine of God is compromised, all other doctrines suffer. Error compounds as false premises lead to false conclusions.

2. Vulnerability to Deception

If obvious tri-theism can be accepted as orthodoxy, the church loses discernment and becomes vulnerable to any error cleverly presented.

3. Loss of Gospel Power

The gospel’s power rests on the truth about God. A false god cannot save. Churches preaching Dake’s tri-theism preach a powerless gospel.

4. Ecumenical Isolation

Churches embracing tri-theism separate themselves from historic Christianity. They cannot have genuine fellowship with orthodox believers.

1. Credibility Is Lost

When Christians can’t agree on whether there’s one God or three, outsiders rightly question our credibility on any theological matter.

2. Cults Are Validated

Groups like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses point to teachers like Dake to argue that even Christians don’t really believe in the Trinity.

3. Islam Is Vindicated

Muslims charge Christians with polytheism. Dake’s teaching confirms their accusation, undermining Christian apologetics.

4. Atheism Is Strengthened

Atheists argue Christianity is internally contradictory. The contrast between biblical monotheism and Dake’s tri-theism seems to prove their point.

Possible Explanations:

1. Genuine Confusion: Perhaps Bible himself doesn’t understand the distinction between orthodoxy and tri-theism.
2. Loyalty to Dake: Personal loyalty might blind Bible to Dake’s errors or motivate him to defend them.
3. Financial Interest: There may be financial incentives to perpetuate Dake’s influence.
4. Theological Agenda: Bible might secretly agree with Dake’s tri-theism and be deliberately promoting it.
5. Fear of Division: He might think exposing Dake’s errors would harm the church more than concealing them.

James 3:1: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

Teachers will be judged more strictly because their errors affect not just themselves but all who learn from them. Leon Bible’s misrepresentation of Dake’s doctrine carries serious eternal consequences.

Acts 17:11: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

We must not accept any teaching—whether from Dake, Bible, or anyone else—without carefully examining it against Scripture.

1. Stop Using It Immediately: The annotations contain serious heresy mixed with truth, making it dangerous even for mature believers.
2. Examine What You’ve Absorbed: Review your beliefs about God, checking them against Scripture and orthodox creeds.
3. Repent of Any False Worship: If you’ve been thinking of God as three separate beings, repent and return to biblical monotheism.
4. Get Sound Resources: Replace Dake’s Bible with sound study resources that honor the biblical doctrine of God.
5. Warn Others: Share what you’ve learned with others who might be using Dake’s Bible.

1. Teach the Trinity Clearly: Don’t assume people understand this fundamental doctrine. Teach it regularly and carefully.
2. Address Dake’s Errors Specifically: If Dake’s Bible has influenced your congregation, address its errors directly.
3. Provide Good Alternatives: Recommend sound study Bibles and resources to replace Dake’s.
4. Guard the Flock: Protect your congregation from teachers who distort fundamental doctrine.
5. Model Discernment: Show how to evaluate teaching against Scripture and historical orthodoxy.

1. Maintain Standards: Don’t compromise fundamental doctrine for the sake of false unity.
2. Practice Church Discipline: Churches and organizations promoting tri-theism should be confronted and, if unrepentant, separated from.
3. Educate Believers: Systematic teaching on basic doctrine would prevent many from falling into these errors.
4. Value Historical Theology: The wisdom of centuries of Christian reflection protects against novel heresies.
5. Prioritize Truth Over Peace: Sometimes division over truth is better than unity in error.

What We’ve Established:

1. Dake teaches tri-theism—three separate Gods—not the biblical Trinity
2. Leon Bible deliberately conceals this by selective quotation
3. Bible makes Dake appear orthodox while hiding his heretical teachings
4. This deception has serious consequences for individuals, churches, and Christian witness
5. The pattern of error in Dake extends far beyond the Trinity doctrine
6. Historical Christianity has always rejected what Dake teaches
7. Scripture clearly contradicts Dake’s tri-theistic system

The Final Word

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Not three Lords working together.
Not three Gods in unity of purpose.
One LORD.
This is the God of the Bible.
This is the God Christians worship.
Any other teaching is heresy.