“Three in One?” – What Does the Bible Actually Say About God’s Nature?
Many today are taught to believe that God exists as a sort of “threefold being”—distinct persons yet somehow one God. But is this explanation found in Scripture, or is it something added later? Let’s explore carefully what the Bible teaches about God’s nature, what Jesus said about Himself, and how early followers understood it.
📜 What Does the Bible Really Say?
The foundation of all understanding about God should begin with what God said about Himself:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” – Deuteronomy 6:4
There is no verse in the Old or New Testament that says God is “three in one.” On the contrary, Scripture is consistent in declaring God is one, not in parts or shared roles, but in identity and being.
💬 What Did Jesus Say About Himself?
Jesus never said, “I am a second person of a divine team.” Instead, He made statements that shocked the religious leaders because He claimed the very identity of God:
“Before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” – John 14:9
These are not cryptic sayings. Jesus wasn’t pointing to another divine being beside Himself. He was revealing God had come in visible form, walking among us. The One who had always been invisible now made Himself known.
He didn’t point to a divine companion when asked about authority or origin—He spoke as God Himself come to save.
🧠 Why This Matters for How We See God
The idea of splitting God into three roles or identities—even with good intentions—leads to confusion. Imagine a child growing up believing that “the Father loves me, but Jesus died for me, and the other one helps me.” The love and salvation of God start to feel divided or departmentalized.
But when we see God as One, who loved, came, and gave Himself for us, there is no distance between the Creator and the Savior.
It’s not about multiple beings in harmony. It’s about One God in full expression.
📖 Examples to Help Understand
- The Author and the Story
A writer doesn’t become many people when telling a story. The author may narrate, enter the story as a character, and direct its ending, but it’s still one person expressing different roles.
In the same way, God wrote the plan of salvation, entered time through Jesus, and now guides us by His Spirit. All Him. All One.
- The Sun in the Sky
The sun gives us light, heat, and energy, yet we don’t say there are three suns. It’s one sun, manifesting in different ways.
Likewise, God reveals Himself in ways we can experience—as Creator, Savior, and Helper—but it’s all the same Divine Presence.
- The Father and the Name
Jesus taught baptism in His Name (Matthew 28:19) and His apostles baptized in the Name of Jesus (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:48). Why? Because the name expresses the fullness of who God is.
Not multiple names for multiple roles. But One Name that reveals the fullness of God’s identity.
🕊️ What Did the Early Believers Understand?
The early church never separated God into categories. They preached:
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” – 2 Corinthians 5:19
They baptized in the name of Jesus, prayed in His name, and died declaring that Jesus is Lord—not one Lord among others, but the One Lord of all.
✅ So, Is God Three in One?
Not according to Scripture.
God is One, undivided, revealed fully in Christ, and still with us today. Not a group, not a partnership, not a mystery of layers — but a revelation of love and power in a single, living God.
And that truth doesn’t divide us. It draws us closer to the One who made us, saved us, and still lives in us today.