Origen (185-254), wrote: “If anyone would say that the Word of God or the Wisdom of God had a beginning, let him beware lest he direct his impiety rather against the unbegotten Father, since he denies that he was always Father, and that he has always begotten the Word, and that he always had wisdom in all previous times or ages or whatever can be imagined in priority… There can be no more ancient title of almighty God than that of Father, and it is through the Son that he is Father” (De Princ. 1.2.; PG 11.132).
Put simply, if you call God FATHER and believe God eternally to be so – than Jesus must be the ETERNAL SON of the Father – else God is not the Eternal Father.
Going further, he also writes: “For if [the Holy Spirit were not eternally as He is, and had received knowledge at some time and then became the Holy Spirit] this were the case, the Holy Spirit would never be reckoned in the unity of the Trinity, i.e., along with the unchangeable Father and His Son, unless He had always been the Holy Spirit.” (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975 rpt., Vol. 4, p. 253, de Principiis, 1.111.4)
And finally, he writes: “Moreover, nothing in the Trinity can be called greater or less, since the fountain of divinity alone contains all things by His word and reason, and by the Spirit of His mouth sanctifies all things which are worthy of sanctification…” (Roberts and Donaldson, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, p. 255, de Principii., I. iii. 7).
Note that all these quotes are PRIOR to the Council of Nicea in 325. This is proof that the anti-Trinitarians are wrong when they say that the doctrine of the Trinity was non-existent prior to Nicea.
Finally, it was at the council that the theological parameters were established that gave the church guidance in the selection of which books would be consider canonical scripture. So the doctrine of the Trinity was a part of the doctrine of the apostolic doctrine, central to the teaching of the scripture, both giving rise to the canon and confirming it.
It is impossible to handle the scripture with academic and historical integrity while rejecting the doctrine of the Trinity.
Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 – Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers)by: Philip Schaff
publisher: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, published: 2009-06-08
ASIN: B002CMLDTQ
sales rank: 31733This edition of the Early Church Fathers series has been optimized for use on the Kindle with a hierarchical Table of Contents that minimizes the number of page turns required to locate a section of the volume. This edition is among the most accurate electronic editions available, but Hebrew characters do not display on the Kindle.This volume includes the writings of Clement of Rome, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus.
This edition features an artistic cover, a new promotional introduction, and a hierarchical table of contents which makes it possible to navigate to any part of the book with a minimum of page turns.
