Noetus

Noetus of Smyrna was a 2nd-century Christian figure from Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey) known from later church writings as an early proponent of modalistic monarchianism, sometimes called Noetianism. Details of his life are sparse and come mainly from anti-heretical sources written decades after his preaching.

Teachings and ideas: Noetus is described as teaching that there is only one God and that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not three distinct persons but manifestations or modes of the same divine reality. In this view, Jesus is understood as the one God appearing in human form, and worship and baptism were directed to the single God rather than to three separate hypostases. This interpretation is categorized by later orthodox writers as a form of Sabellianism or monarchianism, and it was criticized for erasing a real distinction among Father, Son, and Spirit.

Relationship and influence: Noetus was said to have had a disciple, Epigonus of Smyrna, who spread similar ideas, contributing to the early development of modalist currents. The Noetians are often cited in early Christian polemics as exemplars of what church authorities deemed erroneous views about the nature of God.

Reception and legacy: The primary sources that discuss Noetus are later anti-heretical works, notably Hippolytus of Rome in the early 3rd century. Because much of the information rests on polemical summaries, precise details of Noetus’s teachings and their extent remain uncertain. Nevertheless, Noetus is recognized as part of the broader early Christian debates over the relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the boundaries of orthodoxy.