Only Two Divine Beings in the Godhead
Firstly, what is the Godhead?
The word "Godhead" appears three times in the King James Version (KJV), each with a different Greek word.
1. Acts 17:29 (KJV)
"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone..."
Greek word: θεῖον (theion)
Meaning: “The divine nature” or “that which is divine.”
Root: from theos (God)
Used in context: Paul is telling the Greeks not to think of God as something man-made.
✅ Modern translations (e.g., ESV, NASB) usually say: “Divine Being” or “Divine Nature.”
2. Romans 1:20 (KJV)
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen... even his eternal power and Godhead..."
Greek word: θειότης (theiotēs)
Meaning: "Divine nature" — the qualities that make God God.
Root: from theios, meaning “divine.”
✅ Many modern translations render this as “divine nature.”
3. Colossians 2:9 (KJV)
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
Greek word: θεότης (theotēs)
Meaning: “Deity” or “Godhood” — the state of being God.
Root: from theos (God).
This is the strongest word of the three.
Refers to Jesus: Paul is affirming that Jesus has the full essence of God in bodily form.
✅ Modern translations (e.g., ESV) say:
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
So the term "Godhead" appears only three times in the Bible (Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:9) and simply refers to the divine nature or divinity itself. However, over time, it has been popularly used to describe the family of divine beings or those who possess this divine nature.
While some Christian groups teach that the Godhead comprises three co-equal, co-eternal persons, others argue for a one-being Godhead expressed in different forms (modalism). But what do the Scriptures and early Adventist pioneers actually teach?
1. The Bible Consistently Identifies Only Two Divine Beings
• 1 Corinthians 8:6:
"But to us there is but one God, the Father ... and one Lord Jesus Christ..."
Here, the Apostle Paul defines the Godhead from a Christian perspective: One God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ. Two beings. Not three.
• John 17:3:
"This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Jesus clearly separates Himself from "the only true God," identifying the Father as such. He then refers to Himself as the One who was sent.
• Zechariah 6:13:
"The counsel of peace shall be between them both."
The plan of salvation was between two divine persons: the Father and the Son. No mention is made of a third.
2. The Apostolic Church and Greetings: Always Two
Nearly all apostolic greetings follow this consistent pattern:
• Ephesians 1:2:
"Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
• 2 John 1:3:
"Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father."
Repeatedly, blessings and authority come from two beings: God the Father and His Son. The Holy Spirit is never mentioned as a third source of blessing or fellowship.
3. The Holy Spirit: Spirit of God and of Christ
The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as:
The Spirit of God (Romans 8:9)
The Spirit of Christ (Galatians 4:6)
This shows that the Holy Spirit is not a separate divine being but the shared personal presence and power of the Father and the Son.
4. Ellen White and the Term "Third Person"
Ellen White does use the phrase "third person of the Godhead" (e.g., Desire of Ages, p. 671). However, it is critical to recognize:
The term "person" is a flexible and ambiguous term, historically meaning "manifestation" or "form of existence," not necessarily a separate being.
Ellen White never describes the Holy Spirit as a third being, nor does she ever use the phrase "three beings in the Godhead."
If she truly believed in three co-eternal, co-equal persons as in the modern Trinity doctrine, she would have been in direct contradiction with her husband, James White, and fellow pioneers like J.N. Loughborough, J.N. Andrews, and Uriah Smith — all of whom strongly rejected the Trinitarian concept.
Yet, Ellen White never corrected her husband or the pioneers. Why? Because she did not teach a Trinity as defined by mainstream Christianity.
Furthermore, some statements attributed to Ellen White using phrases like "third person of the Godhead" may have carried broader, less specific meanings in her context—or may have been subject to editorial alterations. As with any inspired writings, especially those compiled posthumously, care must be taken to discern original intent and avoid theological conclusions based on isolated phrases.
Supporting Statement:
"The Father and the Son alone are to be exalted." — Youth's Instructor, July 7, 1898
This cannot be harmonized with belief in a third, co-equal divine being.
5. Early SDA Pioneers Were United in Anti-Trinitarian Belief
James White (husband of Ellen White): "The Trinity ... is contrary to common sense, is contrary to scripture."
J.N. Loughborough: "The Trinity... is not a Bible doctrine."
Stephen N. Haskell: Declared the Trinity to be a pagan invention foreign to biblical truth.
If Ellen White truly believed in a triune Godhead of three literal persons or beings, she would have rebuked or corrected them. But she did not — because her views were in harmony with theirs.
6. Why Does This Matter?
If God the Father really gave His only-begotten Son, it was the most profound act of divine love in the universe. But if Jesus was merely one of three co-equal, co-eternal beings in a shared essence, then the language of Scripture becomes symbolic, and the literal love and sacrifice of the Father lose their meaning.
Understanding the literal Sonship of Christ — that He was truly "begotten" of the Father before all creation — helps us comprehend the depth of the gift given at Calvary.
✅ Conclusion: Only Two Divine Beings
The Bible, early Adventist pioneers, and the clearest statements from Ellen White all confirm:
The Godhead (divine family) consists of two beings: the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of both, not a third separate being.
The word "person" used by Ellen White is not strong enough evidence to prove a shift toward Trinitarianism.
Some expressions in her writings may reflect the era's terminology or editorial influence, and should be read in harmony with her clearest declarations.
Let us hold to the truth revealed in Scripture and affirmed by the early movement:
"There is but one God, the Father ... and one Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 8:6)