Church Fathers
History
Theophilus of Antioch (169–181) Ad Autolycum
Theophilus of Antioch's Ad Autolycum is the oldest extant work that uses the actual word "Trinity" to refer to God, his Word and his Wisdom. The context is a discussion of the first three days of creation in Genesis 1–3:
...the three days before the luminaries were created are types of the Trinity, God, his Word, and his Wisdom. — To Autolycus 2:15[[31]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism_in_the_Church_Fathers#cite_note-33)
Theophilus of Antioch did not view the Son as an eternally self existing person. Theophilus wrote that God "begat Him, emitting Him along with His own wisdom before all things."[[33]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism_in_the_Church_Fathers#cite_note-logoslibrary.org-35) Instead of speaking of the Word as the Creator, Theophilus speaks of the "Word as a helper in the things that were created by Him",[[33]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism_in_the_Church_Fathers#cite_note-logoslibrary.org-35) thus he assigns the role of Creator to God alone, while assigning the lesser position of "helper" to the "begat" Son.
Didache
Scholars such as Clayton N. Jefford have noted that Jesus is not "ever specifically given a designation of divinity within the text. He is simply called "servant, child" (παῖς) in the prayers and referenced as "the Lord" (ὁ κύριος) elsewhere."[[23]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism_in_the_Church_Fathers#cite_note-25)[[24]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism_in_the_Church_Fathers#cite_note-26) Jefford argues that this may have been for reasons of cultural sensitivity. Specifically towards Jews, as their beliefs on deity (found in the Torah at Deuteronomy 6:4)[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism_in_the_Church_Fathers#cite_note-27) stand in opposition to belief in a triune God. This allows for a reading of Didache that harmonises fully with the Jewish perspective on God. This allows the reader to come away unoffended, and thus the text can be correctly read without invocation of a triune God.