A Biblical and Logical Examination of Divine Nature, Godliness, and the Claim That “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” Are Merely Attributes
In modern theological discussions, a subtle but serious shift has taken place. Some theologians now argue that God is not a living divine being but an attribute, that “divine” refers only to moral character, and that even the biblical terms Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not realities but symbolic roles, expressions, or attributes of godliness.
According to this teaching:
God = godliness
Divine nature = moral character
Father, Son, Holy Spirit = attributes, titles, or modes
This view claims biblical support, yet when examined carefully, it collapses under Scripture itself. The Bible does not reduce God—or the names He reveals—to abstract qualities. It presents God as the self-existent, acting, revealing divine reality, and the names He uses are not metaphors for character but revelations of how He exists and works.
- God Is Not an Attribute in Scripture
The Bible never defines God as an attribute.
From the opening declaration:
Genesis 1:1 – God creates.
Exodus 3:14 – “I AM THAT I AM.”
Isaiah 46:9–10 – God declares the end from the beginning.
Attributes do not initiate creation, declare history, or command existence. Scripture presents God as the source from which attributes flow, not the product of them.
Holiness describes God.
Love describes God.
Power describes God.
But none of these is God.
To say “God is godliness” is equivalent to saying:
Light is brightness
Fire is heat
Brightness and heat proceed from a source; they are not the source itself. - The Misuse of “Divine Nature”
Romans 1:20 — Divine as Godhood
“His invisible things… His eternal power and divinity are clearly seen…”
Paul uses θειότης (theiotēs), referring to divine reality itself, revealed through creation. Mountains, stars, order, and life do not reveal moral character alone; they reveal:
Eternal existence
Absolute power
Self-sustaining authority
These are realities of being, not ethics.
2 Peter 1:4 — Divine as Shared Life
“That you may be partakers of the divine nature…”
Here θεία φύσις (theia physis) refers to participation, not identity:
Escaping corruption
Growth in holiness
Transformation of life
Scripture itself distinguishes:
God’s unshared divine reality (Romans 1:20)
Believers’ shared divine life (2 Peter 1:4)
To erase this distinction is to confuse source with effect. - Godliness Is Not God
Scripture never equates godliness with God Himself.
1 Timothy 6:6 – “Godliness with contentment is great gain”
2 Peter 1:6 – “Add to your faith… godliness”
If godliness were God Himself, believers would be adding God to themselves—an idea foreign to Scripture.
Godliness is likeness produced by God, not God reduced to a quality. - Are “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” Merely Attributes?
Some theologians extend the same logic further and claim:
Father = authority attribute
Son = relational attribute
Holy Spirit = power or influence attribute
This claim is deeply problematic.
A. Attributes do not speak to one another
Yet Scripture records:
The Father speaking to the Son (Psalm 2:7)
The Son praying to the Father (John 17)
The Spirit speaking, teaching, and sending (Acts 13:2)
Attributes do not communicate. They do not testify. They do not send.
B. Attributes are not sent
The Son is sent (John 3:17)
The Spirit is sent (John 14:26)
Sending requires distinction of operation and origin. A quality cannot be sent; only a living divine reality can act in this way.
C. Attributes do not bear witness
The Spirit bears witness (Romans 8:16)
The Son bears witness to the Father (John 8:18)
Witness is not a function of abstract traits. - Titles Reveal Reality, Not Symbolism
In Scripture, names are revelatory:
“Father” reveals source and origin
“Son” reveals expression and manifestation
“Spirit” reveals active divine presence
These are not poetic labels for character traits. They describe how the one God exists, reveals Himself, and acts, without dividing His divine reality or reducing it to metaphors.
If “Father” were merely an attribute, God would only be “fatherly,” not Father. If “Son” were merely a role, incarnation would be symbolic, not real. If “Spirit” were merely influence, divine action would be impersonal.
Scripture does not permit such reductions. - The Category Error Behind the Teaching
The core mistake is a repeated confusion:
Confusing identity with expression
Confusing source with effect
Confusing divine reality with divine qualities
God is not assembled from attributes. Attributes flow from God.
Father, Son, and Spirit are not qualities God temporarily adopts; they are how the one God reveals and operates eternally. - Biblical Coherence Preserved
The biblical framework preserves all truths without contradiction:
God is one, eternal, and unshared in divine reality
God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit
Believers participate in divine life, not divine identity
God’s attributes transform us, but do not redefine Him
Any teaching that reduces God—or His revealed names—to attributes ultimately weakens worship, empties revelation, and dissolves biblical meaning.
Final Reflection
God is not an abstract quality. God is not a moral concept. God is not a collection of attributes.
He is the self-existent, eternal divine reality from whom life, holiness, love, and power flow.
We may reflect His holiness.
We may walk in His life.
We may share His divine qualities.
But God Himself—revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—remains the uncreated source, not a symbolic description.
That distinction is not academic.
It is essential to Scripture, faith, and truth.