The question of whether God is one Person revealing Himself in various “modes” or a tri-personal Being existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit strikes at the core of how believers understand the identity, character, and work of God. Both the Old and New Testaments repeatedly affirm that “the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet the biblical narrative also presents multiple individuals; each described as divine; who interact with one another and claim the same essential deity.
Proponents of a “Oneness” or unipersonal view hold that there is no explicit scriptural support for a triune God, pointing instead to Old Testament manifestations such as the burning bush (Exodus 3) or a donkey speaking (Numbers 22) as illustrations of God “appearing” differently while retaining a singular personal identity. They argue that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply roles or manifestations of the same one Person, functioning as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
On the other side, Trinitarians read those very same Scriptures, along with the New Testament, and observe evidence of God speaking and acting from multiple “centers of consciousness,” so to speak, all while insisting on God’s indivisible oneness. They appeal to passages like Genesis 18–19 (where one “Lord” on Earth calls down fire from “the Lord” in heaven) or John 1:1 (where “the Word was with God and was God”) to show that the Bible itself portrays a multi-personal Godhead.
Critics sometimes focus on 1 John 5:7, claiming the Trinity stands or falls with that disputed reading; yet Trinitarians generally maintain that their case emerges from the entire counsel of Scripture; from the earliest pages of Genesis through Revelation, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all identified as fully God. Meanwhile, some cite historical Jewish perspectives, such as the “two powers in heaven” tradition, to argue that ancient Hebrew beliefs were not always strictly unipersonal.
This article takes these discussions head-on, analyzing the major points debated and demonstrating that a careful, contextual reading of both Old and New Testaments supports the view of one God who is, in fact, tri-personal. We will look at “manifestations” like the pillar of cloud and fire, compare them to the New Testament’s depiction of the Son and Spirit, examine historical data from pre-Christian Judaism, and highlight why getting God’s identity right is essential.
Our goal is straightforward: to offer an exploration of why Scripture, taken as a whole, points to the Trinity, one divine essence, eternally and lovingly shared by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Significance of Knowing Who God Is
Before we delve into the specific scriptural and historical points, we grasp why our view of God’s identity is so essential. In John 8:24, Jesus proclaims, “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins,” indicating that our understanding of who He truly is has eternal consequences. When people in the current debate emphasize, “We absolutely MUST get it right,” they reflect that same urgency: If we misunderstand God, especially the nature of Christ, we potentially misunderstand salvation itself.
From the earliest chapters of Genesis to the last pages of Revelation, God’s self-revelation shapes everything about our faith. How we perceive Him influences our worship (do we honor the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit equally?), our understanding of salvation (is Christ fully God who can redeem us?), and our day-to-day discipleship (are we empowered by a personal Holy Spirit or just an impersonal force?). Far from being an “academic quarrel,” the question of whether God is strictly one Person or tri-personal touches the heartbeat of Christian doctrine and devotion.
Addressing the Role of 1 John 5:7
One commonly raised argument is that 1 John 5:7 (the verse mentioning “three that bear record in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost”) is either textually suspect or a later addition. Some suggest that if this line is removed from Scripture, then the entire doctrine of the Trinity collapses. However, such a claim misunderstands how Trinitarians approach the broader biblical witness.
Even if one omits 1 John 5:7 altogether, acknowledging scholarly debate over its textual pedigree, the scriptural basis for the Trinity stands firm. References like Genesis 19:24 (where one “LORD” on earth calls down fire from “the LORD” out of heaven) already point to a plurality within God’s unity in the Old Testament. Moving into the New Testament, Matthew 28:19 commands baptism “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” which is difficult to reconcile with a strict unipersonal view.
Trinitarians thus anchor their position in the full scope of biblical teaching, not hinging on a single, potentially interpolated verse. From “Let us make man in our image” in Genesis to the final depiction of worship around God’s throne in Revelation, they see a consistent revelation of one God manifesting in three coeternal, coequal Persons. So while 1 John 5:7 may occasionally feature in discussions, it is by no means the only, or even the chief, foundation for believing in the Trinity.
Manifestations vs. Persons
Some suggest that just as God spoke through a donkey (Numbers 22), ignited a bush in holy fire (Exodus 3), or led Israel by a pillar of fire and cloud (Exodus 13–14), so also the Father, Son, and Spirit might simply be additional, temporary “modes” of the one God. In other words, they propose that whenever Scripture speaks of God acting in different ways, He manifests Himself rather than presenting distinct Persons.
It is indeed true that biblical history records God using inanimate objects (a bush, a pillar) or even living creatures (a donkey) to convey aspects of His presence and message. These occurrences, however, were instrumental events, limited in time, directed for a specific purpose, and not signifying co-eternal beings. Neither the bush nor the donkey claimed or exhibited a divine will. They appeared briefly, served God’s immediate plan, and disappeared from the narrative without any hint of perpetual, personal existence.
In sharp contrast, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Scripture are consistently portrayed as everlasting, interacting, and personal. They speak to one another, express love for one another, and coexist eternally. Throughout the New Testament, one finds Jesus praying to the Father (John 17), highlighting a genuine relational dynamic, not a mere shift in “roles.” Further, the Spirit is said to proceed from both the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26), testifying that He stands as a distinct Personal Agent rather than a fleeting mode of God’s self-revelation. Taken as a whole, these relational distinctions reveal something far beyond a donkey speaking for one scene or a burst of flame guiding Israel for a season.
The Old Testament: Plurality Within One God
It is often assumed that the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) depict an entirely unipersonal God with no hint of plurality. Yet a closer reading demonstrates that the oneness of God does not exclude the presence of multiple divine Persons.
A compelling example emerges from Genesis 18–19. Abraham sees three “men,” but the text clarifies, “the LORD appeared to him” (Genesis 18:1–2). As the account progresses, one of these men, identified as Jehovah, remains behind to converse with Abraham, while the other two “men,” later identified as angels, continue on to Sodom (Genesis 19:1). Then in Genesis 19:24, the Jehovah who stayed with Abraham calls down fire from Jehovah “out of heaven,” highlighting two distinct “locations” or “persons” of the same LORD. The biblical narrative never suggests two separate gods; instead, it underscores a unified God who can nonetheless act and appear from more than one vantage point at the same time.
Such a reading of Genesis 18–19 reinforces that the Old Testament already allows for the idea of plurality within a single divine being. God’s oneness is not in doubt, but that oneness appears more nuanced, revealing a Lord who can appear on earth as Jehovah while still being Jehovah enthroned in heaven. This theme of a multi-personal unity that appears through the Hebrew Scriptures, lays vital groundwork for the clearer expressions of divine plurality seen in the New Testament.
The Angel (Messenger) of the Lord
Another striking Old Testament motif is the Angel (Messenger) of the Lord. The Hebrew word translated “angel” is mal’ (and in Greek, angelos), which simply means “messenger” and does not necessarily denote a created spirit being with wings. In Scripture, this messenger not only delivers God’s message but does, and says, what only God can do.
Consider the account in Genesis 16:7–13. In this passage, as Hagar flees from her mistress Sarai while pregnant with Ishmael, the Angel of the Lord meets her. He declares that He will multiply her descendants, promising an innumerable future for her offspring. Remarkably, in verse 13, Hagar herself recognizes the divine nature of this messenger when she calls Him “the LORD who spoke to her.” This recognition is significant because it shows that Hagar understood this messenger to be none other than God Himself, not merely an intermediary.
A similar encounter is recorded in Genesis 31:10–13. Here, in a dream, Jacob encounters the same Angel who declares, “I am the God of Bethel.” Bethel, meaning “house of God,” is the very place where Jacob had once encountered God and made a covenant. By proclaiming, “I am the God of Bethel,” the Angel of the Lord explicitly claims the divine identity that Jacob had already experienced. These passages together reveal that the Angel is not a lesser or separate deity; rather, He is Yahweh Himself, distinct in His manifestations yet fully God, exercising divine prerogatives that belong to no ordinary messenger.
God’s Spirit
From the earliest pages of Scripture, we also read of God’s Spirit, an active, creative force with personal agency rather than a mere impersonal power. In Genesis 1:2, we learn that “the spirit of God (Elohim) was hovering over the surface of the water” during creation. This image of the Spirit moving over the deep establishes His intimate involvement in the formation of the world.
This role is further affirmed in the Book of Job. In Job 33:4, it states, “The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life.” Here, the Spirit is credited with not only the creation of life but also with sustaining it, a role that goes far beyond that of an abstract force. Additionally, Job 26:13 declares, “By His ruach (רוּחַ)—by His Spirit—He has made fair the heavens.” The term ruach (which means “spirit”) is the same word used in Genesis 1:2, underscoring that God uses His Spirit in both the creation of the cosmos and the shaping of humanity.
When we combine these Old Testament testimonies, we see a single God (as declared in Deuteronomy 6:4) expressed through distinct yet unified manifestations: Yahweh’s direct presence, the Angel of Yahweh, and the Spirit of Yahweh. Each is treated as divine, sharing the same names or titles, but they exercise unique roles that contribute to the overall work of creation and revelation.
The New Testament Witness
The plural nature of God’s self-revelation in the Old Testament finds even clearer expression in the New Testament. John 1:1 states, “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This passage articulates both distinction—“with God”—and unity—“was God”—pointing to the complex relationship between the Persons within the Godhead.
At Jesus’ baptism, recorded in Matthew 3:16–17, we see a vivid display of this tri-personal reality. The Son is seen in the water as the Father speaks from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. All three are present simultaneously, interacting in a manner that underscores their distinct roles while affirming their unity in one divine essence.
The Gospels and the Epistles reinforce this concept again and again. In John 17:5, the Son prays, “Father, glorify Me with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.” This intimate dialogue implies an eternal relationship that is personal and relational, far beyond a mere functional manifestation. In Acts 5:3–4, lying to the Holy Spirit is equated with lying to God, clearly affirming the Holy Spirit’s divine personhood. Over and over, the New Testament portrays the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as each possessing divine attributes, yet coexisting as one God.
Baptism in “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”
A recurring objection in this debate is the claim that there is “no scripture” where anyone was baptized using the explicit formula “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” However, Matthew 28:19 stands as a clear command from Jesus: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Notice the use of the singular “name,” indicating that while the baptismal formula names three distinct Persons, they together constitute one divine name.
In the Book of Acts, we often find references to baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” (e.g., Acts 2:38), which some argue might contradict the triune formula. However, historical evidence and early Christian practice show that these references are complementary. Baptizing in Jesus’ name underscores His divine authority—a power that is not separate from the Father and the Holy Spirit. The early Church recognized that Jesus’ authority inherently included the full scope of the Trinity, even if the explicit formula of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” was not always verbalized in every baptism.
Thus, from the earliest days of the Church, the Triune name and Jesus’ name have been recognized in unity, because the Son is fully one with the Father and the Spirit. This unified divine authority, as demonstrated in baptism and throughout Scripture, further solidifies the tri-personal nature of our one true God.
Jewish Historical Insights
Another common assumption is that Jews have always maintained a strict, unipersonal view of God. While many Jews today remain staunchly Unitarian, ancient sources reveal a more nuanced picture. In fact, historical evidence suggests that some segments of pre-Christian Judaism entertained the notion of more than one Divine Power. For example, Alan F. Segal’s influential work, Two Powers in Heaven, documents that certain Jewish texts from the Second Temple period describe a duality or even plurality within the divine realm, often distinguishing between God Most High and another figure sometimes referred to as the Son of Man, or between Yahweh and the Messenger of Yahweh. These distinctions indicate that early Jewish thought was not entirely rigid in its monotheism but allowed for a complex divine ontology.
Furthermore, some of the Dead Sea Scrolls point to this same complexity, portraying divine figures in a way that suggests a multi-personal nature to God. It wasn’t until later, after the rise of Christianity and the influence of Gnostic ideas, that rabbinic orthodoxy began systematically condemning such “two powers” beliefs. In other words, the idea of plurality within God was not alien to the Jewish mind during the Second Temple period; rather, it reflects a diversity of thought about the nature of the divine that was later narrowed as unitarian views became dominant among mainstream Judaism.
Common Objections and Clarifications
Skeptics often ask, “If God is truly tri-personal, how do we reconcile verses like Deuteronomy 6:4, which emphatically state that God is one?” Trinitarians answer by emphasizing that there is indeed one God, a single divine essence, but within that essence reside three co-equal, co-eternal Persons. This is not to be confused with the idea of three gods or one Person simply appearing in different forms. Instead, it is a unity of being that is eternally expressed through distinct, relational identities. Each Person of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, possesses personal attributes, engages in inter-relational communication, and performs distinct divine functions, while all share the same divine nature.
Another objection arises from the “Modalist” or “Oneness” perspective, which holds that the references to Father, Son, and Spirit are merely different modes in which the one God reveals Himself. Church history makes it clear that such a perspective is problematic. Early Christian councils rejected Modalism because it failed to account for clear biblical passages where the Father, Son, and Spirit act, speak, and relate to one another simultaneously. For instance, if God were simply one Person wearing different “masks,” how could the Son pray to the Father or the Spirit be sent by both the Father and the Son? A single, unipersonal deity cannot logically intercede for Himself or send Himself—hence, the relational distinctions evident in Scripture necessitate a tri-personal understanding of God.
Unity in One God, Distinction of Persons
From the burning bush and donkey to the pillars of cloud and fire, Scripture shows that God uses various manifestations to reveal His presence. However, the recurring theme in both the Old and New Testaments is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are far more than passing forms or momentary illusions. The Old Testament itself hints at a plurality within God (as seen in Genesis 18–19, in the accounts of the Angel of the Lord, and in the creative work of the Spirit), while the New Testament crystallizes this truth in the form of a tri-personal God, emphatically portrayed in passages such as Matthew 28:19, John 1:1, John 17:5, and Acts 5:3–4.
Far from being an invention of later church councils or hinging solely on a debated verse like 1 John 5:7, the doctrine of the Trinity emerges naturally from the totality of Scripture. Historical evidence further supports this view, as ancient Jewish sources reveal that many early Jews were open to understanding God as multi-personal. The earliest Christians, too, recognized the Son as fully God yet distinct from the Father, and the Holy Spirit as equally divine.
Ultimately, Scripture portrays a God who is “one” in essence yet “three” in person, a truth that is both profound and relational. Embracing this Triune identity helps us appreciate the eternal fellowship of love within God and enriches every aspect of our worship, salvation, and discipleship. As we seek to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, let us embrace the fullness of His revelation: one God, tri-personal, worthy of all glory and honor forever.
