TERTULLIAN: THE AFRICAN WHO COINED THE TERM “TRINITY”

By Akin Ojumu

Would you believe it if I told you that the man who coined some of the most important terminologies in Christendom was an African? That’s right. A dark skinned African played a prominent role in shaping the vocabulary of Christianity. 

Tertullian (born c. 155/160, Carthage [now in Tunisia] – died after 220, Carthage) was a prolific early Christian theologian, apologist, polemicist, and moralist who, as the first major Christian writer to write in Latin rather than Greek, shaped the vocabulary and thought of Western Christianity. 

Background & Conversion

Born to pagan parents (his father was a Roman centurion), Tertullian was highly educated in law and rhetoric, likely practicing in Rome before converting to Christianity around 185–190 AD.

The “Father of Latin Theology”

Known as the “Father of Latin theology,” Tertullian established the theological language of Western Christianity, setting the tone for later Latin Church fathers.

Defense of Orthodoxy

Much of Tertullian’s work was directed at defending Christianity against pagan persecution and defining orthodox doctrine against heresy. He is one of the Latin Apologists of the 2nd century, a group which include Tertullian, Marcus Minucius Felix, and Lactantius. These men adapted classical rhetoric to argue for the rationality of Christianity.

Theological Contributions

Tertullian was the person who coined the term Trinitas, i.e., Trinity. It was he who first used the phrase “Three Persons, One Substance” to describe God. 

Now, while it’s true that Tertullian gave us the word Trinity, he certainly did not give us the teaching, or the concept. That, we can chalk up to Scripture. From the very beginnings of Scripture, the first pages of the Old Testament, we get a sense of the oneness of God, but also of a complexity within that oneness. We see it in the creation account as the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. 

God reveals Himself, and His way of salvation over time. Theologians call this “progressive revelation.” Over the course of progressive revelation, from the Old to the New Testament, we see that unity and complexity of God come to full expression. God is One in essence, yet three distinct persons. The Father is God; Jesus is God; the Holy Spirit is God. And at the same time, the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. 

Tertullian’s definition: God is one substance, or essence, and God is three persons. God is one substance in three persons. The word “Essence” comes right from the Greek word, Ousia. The word “Substance” comes directly from the Latin, Substantia. Even the word “Person” is Latin, it is Persona.

Another significant contribution that Tertullian made to the Christian vocabulary was the coinage of the terms Old and New Testaments in reference to the 39 books comprising the Old Testament, and the 27 books comprising the New. 

In the Gospels, we see a reference to the Law, Prophets, and Writings, what we shorthand refer to as the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible. Paul and the other New Testament Epistle writers often speak of the Old and New Covenant, which refers to the Mosaic covenant in Old Testament times, and the New Covenant from Jeremiah and referring to the new epoch brought about by the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. But it was Tertullian who gave us the designations of Old and New Testaments. 

What Tertullian did for us when he gave us this theological term, is what theologians do for the Church. At their best, theologians summarize the broad and vast, and sometimes even complex teaching of Scripture for us. Many times, we take the work of these theologians for granted. We take the work of these folks from Church history for granted. Reminds me of the Scripture text that informs us that we are “drinking from wells” we did not dig. We should realize that there were those who went before us who did work we should appreciate, and the work that helps us understand what it means to be a Christian.

Style and Approach to Apologetics

Despite deep intellect, Tertullian was sort of a curmudgeon of the 2nd century Christian apologetics. While he had so much to contribute theologically and intellectually to Christianity, his tone was nasty and bitter. Tertullian took a more acerbic tone whenever he confronted his pagan opponents.

Tertullian’s grumpy, harsh, and cutting approach to combating the pagan critics of Christianity was an ancient tactic in rhetoric which was not uncommon in his day. This style involved the use of witty mockery and biting ridicule to defeat the opponents in a debate. 

And it’s actually telling that historians have pointed out that there are not many other Patrician scholars, or any of his contemporaries, who actually cite Tertullian as a person of repute that they actually want to model themselves after. He was kind of a troublemaker. It actually took Augustine of Hippo, a fellow African theologian, two centuries later, to sort of rehab and to really cite Tertullian as an authoritative voice from whose writings a lot can be learned. 

Beyond his feistiness, the cold attitude towards Tertullian’s legacy is attributable to his embrace of Montanism, a heretic sect, in his later years.

Tertullian and Montanism

Sometime before c. 210 AD, Tertullian left the mainstream orthodox Church to join a new fringe prophetic sectarian movement known as Montanism which had spread from Asia Minor to Africa. 

Founded by the 2nd-century Phrygian prophet Montanus and “prophetesses” Priscilla and Maximilla in Phrygia (modern Turkey), Montanism was a 2nd-century charismatic Christian movement that emphasized ongoing revelation from the Holy Spirit (known as the “New Prophecy”), strict asceticism, and imminent apocalyptic expectations, ultimately being deemed heretical by the early Church. 

There were, however, numerous allegations of a sexual impropriety between Montanus and his two chief prophetesses, Priscilla and Maximilla. Early church opponents, such as the anonymous author cited by Eusebius, accused the trio of sexual immorality, claiming they left their husbands to follow Montanus and “seduce honest Christians” with their heresy.

Modern-day Pentecostal/Charismatic/New Apostolic Reformation movements trace their origin to Montanism. Many of the practices of these movements were pioneered by Montanus and his mistresses Priscilla and Maximilla of Phrygia who often spoke in a frenzied or ecstatic manner (i.e., speaking gibberish aka speaking in tongues), which was interpreted as demonic possession rather than divine inspiration.

As the fastest-growing religious movement in the world, the pentecostal and charismatic movements constitute approximately 26%–27% of all Christians globally, totaling over 644 million people. Of course, it’s a sad thing that such a vast number of Christians actually trace their origin and theological roots to a 2nd century fringe group considered and banished by the early Church as heretics.

Tertullian’s dissatisfaction with the laxity of contemporary Christians was congenial with the Montanist message of the imminent end of the world combined with a stringent and demanding moralism.

Montanism stood in judgment on any compromise with the ways of the world, and Tertullian gave himself fully to the defense of the new movement as its most articulate spokesperson. Even the Montanists, however, were not rigorous enough for Tertullian. He eventually broke with them to found his own sect, a group that existed until the 5th century in Africa. According to tradition, he lived to be an old man. His last writings date from approximately 220, but the date of his death is unknown.

In antiquity most Christians never forgave Tertullian for his apostasy (rejection of his earlier faith) to Montanism. Later Christian writers mention him only infrequently and then mostly unfavorably. Somewhat grudgingly, however, they acknowledged his literary gifts and acute intelligence. Modern scholars, however, do not share this earlier view. Since the 19th century Tertullian has been widely read and studied and is considered one of the formative figures in the development of Christian life and thought in the West.

Tertullian’s Legacy

Tertullian is usually considered the outstanding exponent of the outlook that Christianity must stand uncompromisingly against its surrounding culture.

Famous Quote

“Plures efficimur, quoties metimur a vobis; semen est sanguis Christianorum. The blood of Christians is seed. The more you kill us, the more we grow. The more you persecute us, the more we multiply. Your violence is our propaganda.” 

---Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) from his Apologeticus.

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Disclaimer: This commentary borrowed heavily and almost verbatim from several sources including, Ligonier Ministries, Encyclopedia Britannica, Google AI, and Ryan M. Reeves, PhD.