From around 100 AD onwards, the Pharisees, facing the influence of Roman polytheism, sought to minimize the recognition of any significant beings besides the Most High God, labeling such beliefs as heresy. Consequently, any belief in subordinate or secondary divine beings was deemed heretical. To align with this stance, some writers altered the gospel. They understood that the Pharisees would condemn as heretical any claim that Jesus is both Lord and the Son of God, a powerful being now immortal. To avoid this, they modified the gospel to propose a single divine essence with multiple modes or personas, thereby denying the distinct existence of the Son of God. This gave rise to the doctrines of Oneness and Trinitarianism.
