How do Modalists interpret passages where the Father appears to address the Son (e.g., Hebrews 1:8)?
2
votes
0
answers
15
views
In Epistle to the Hebrews 1:8, the text says:
>“But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever…’”
This appears to depict the Father speaking to the Son in a way that suggests a distinction between them.
Modalism (often associated with Oneness theology) teaches that the Father and the Son are not distinct persons, but rather different manifestations or modes of the one God.
Given this, how do Modalists understand passages like Hebrews 1:8 where:
- One speaker (identified as God) addresses another (the Son), and
- The Son is explicitly called “God” while still being spoken to?
Additionally, how do they reconcile this with other similar passages where the Father and Son appear to interact (e.g., prayers of Jesus or statements like “the Father is greater than I”)?
Asked by So Few Against So Many
(6167 rep)
Apr 8, 2026, 09:57 AM