1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

‘Three are one’ the only sense three can be one is in unity, as is clear in John 17:11, 17:21-23. See other scriptural uses of the word one (Gen. 2:24; 11:6; 1Cor. 3:6-8; 12:13; Eph. 2:14; Heb. 2:11). Three persons cannot be one person in number in any sense, but the three can be one in unity.

There are over 500 plain scriptures that refer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as being Three Separate and Distinct Persons, each with His own personal body, soul, and spirit in the sense that all other persons have them. Plural pronouns are used of God (Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Ps. 2:3; Isa. 6:8). Elohim, the Hebrew word for God in 2,700 places, is a uni-plural noun, meaning Gods and is so translated 239 times.

Two persons called God are referred to in the Old Testament in: the Pentateuch (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; 19:24; Exodus 14:19; 23:20-23; 32:34; 33:1-3; Numbers 20:16; Deuteronomy 18:15-19). The historical books (Joshua 5:13-15; Judges 2:1-5). The term, “the angel of the Lord” means “the angel from the Lord.” The Lord is one person and the angel that comes from Him is another person. Both persons are divine, for the angel proves to be God in many of these passages, and certainly, the Lord who sends the angel is another divine person. Also, “the Spirit of the Lord” means “the Spirit from the Lord.” The Lord is one divine person and the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, from the Lord is another divine person (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 10:6; 16:13-14; 2 Samuel 23:2; etc.). The same is true of the “Spirit of God” which is the Holy Spirit who was the agent of God and spoke by the mouths of the prophets since the world began (Acts. 3:21; Heb. 1:1-2; 2 Pet. 1:21). The poetical books (Psalms 2:1-12; 8:3-6 with 2:5-8; 16:8-11; 22:1-31; 34:20; 45:6-7; 68:18; 69:8-9; 89:27; 110:1-5; 118:26; 119:97-104; 132:11, 17; Proverbs 30:4). The prophetical books (Isaiah 7:14; 8:18 with 2:12-13; 9:6-7; 11:1-5; 42:1-7; 49:1-12; 50:4-11; 52:13-15; 53:1-12; 55:4-5; 63:1-10; Jeremiah 23:5-8; Ezekiel 33:15-18; 34:29; Daniel 7:9-14; Hosea 11:1; Micah 5:1-6; Habakkuk 2:7; Zechariah 6:12-13; 12:10; 13:6, 7; Malachi 3:1-3).

Two persons called God are referred to in the New Testament in: The Gospels (Matthew 1:18-20; 2:6, 15, 22; 5:44-48; 6:1-18; 7:21; 9:38; 10:32-33, 40; 11:10, 25-27; 12:18, 28, 31-32, 50; 14:33; 15:13; 16:27; 17:5; 18:10, 19, 35; 19:17; 20:23; 21:9, 16; 22:21, 42; 23:8-10, 39; 26:29, 39, 42, 44, 53, 63-64; 27:43, 46; Mark 1:2, 8, 12, 24; 2:7; 3:11; 5:7; 8:38; 9:7; 11:25-26; 12:27; 14:36, 62, 15:34, 39; 16:19; Luke 1:32-33; 2:11-14, 22, 38, 40, 49-52; 3:16; 4:1-14, 18, 41; 7:27; 10:21-22; 11:13; 12:5-10, 32; 13:55; 16:13; 19:38; 20:35, 38, 39-44; 22:29; John 1:1-3, 5, 14, 18, 29, 36; 2:16-17; 3:2, 16-17; 4:10; 5:17-45; 6:27-65; 7:16-18, 28-29, 33-39; 8:14-56; 9:3-5, 33; 10:15-18, 25-38; 11:4, 22, 27, 41-42; 12:26-28, 44-50; 13:1-3, 20, 31-32; 4:1-31; 15:1-25; 16:3-32; 17:1-26; 18:11; 20:17-23, 31). The book of Acts (1:16; 2:22-39; 3:7-26; 7:59-60; 9:3; 13:17-41; 16:6-34; 17:18-31; 18:5, 24-28; 19:1-7; 22:14; 26:8-9, 18-23; 28:23-31). The Pauline Epistles (Romans 1:7-10, 16; 2:16; 3:22-26; 4:24; 5:1-21; 6:3-23; 7:25; 8:29-34; 14:10-12; 15:5-7; 16:20-27; 1Corinthians 1:1-9, 14-30; 3:9-15; 4:1-21; 5:1-13; 8:4-6; 10:4-31; 11:3; 14:2-33; 15:15, 24-28, 57; 2Corinthians 1:1-23; 2:17; 4:2-15, 5:18-21, 8:1-19; 9:7-15; 10:1-14; 11:1-11, 31; 12:1-12, 19-21; 13:4-7; Gal. 1:1-12, 15-24; 2:16-21; 3:13-29; 5:1-6; 6:14-18; Ephesians 1:1-2; Philippians 1:26-30; 2:12-16; 3:3, 14; 4:5-23; Colossians 1:1-2, 12-28; 2:2-3:17; 4:3-12; 1Thessalonians 2:1-18; 3:8-13; 4:13-18; 2Thessalonians 1:1-12; 2:1-12; 3:1-18; 1Timothy 1:1-2, 11-17; 2:3-7; 5:21; 6:1-17; 2Timothy 1:1-2; 2:1-26; 3:12-17; 4:1-2, 8-22; Titus 1:1-4, 7-16; 2:1-13; Philemon 1-25; Hebrews 1:1-14, 2:5-18; 4:4-16; 5:1-14; 6:7-20; 7:1-26; 8:1-13; 9:24; 10:5-9, 19-23; 10:5-9, 19-23; 11:25-26; 12:2-3, 22-24; 13:4-21). The General Epistles (James 1:1; 2:1-5; 1Peter 1:5-9; 2:3-25; 4:1-11; 5:1-14; 2Peter 1:1-2, 2:1-4; 1John 1:1-7; 2:1-2, 22-25; 3:1-3, 8-10; 4:9-10; 5:1, 20-21; 2John 2; Jude 1, 4). Revelation (1:1-2; 2:7, 10-11, 16-18, 28-29; 3:14-16; 4:5-8; 5:1-11; 6:16-17; 7:9-17; 11:15; 12:10, 14-19; 15:1-4; 17:14-17; 19:1-21; 20:4-6; 21:2-14, 22-23; 22:1-21).

Three persons are clearly referred to in Psalm 45:6-17; Isaiah 10:20 – 12:6; 42:1-7; 48:16; 59:15-21; 61:1-3 with Luke 4:18-21; 63:9-10; Zechariah 3:8-9, 12:10 – 13:1. Three persons called God are referred to in the New Testament in: The Gospels (Matthew 1:20-25; 3:9-17; 4:1-11; 12:18-21; 22:42-46; 28:19-20; Mark 1:10-11; 12:35-37; Luke 1:32-35, 67-80; 2:25-35, 38; 3:22; 11:9-13; 24:49; John 1:31-34; 3:34-36; 14:16-21, 23-26; 15:26; 16:7-17; 20:21-23). The book of Acts (1:1-8; 2:17-21, 33-39; 4:8-12, 24-31; 5:30-32; 6:1-15; 7:1-53; 7:54-56; 8:5-23, 29-39; 9:5-20; 10:2-48; 11:15-25; 13:2-12, 46-52; 15:7-29; 18:24-28; 20:21-35). The Pauline Epistles (Romans 4:1-4; 5:1-5; 8:1-27; 9:1-5; 14:17-18; 15:8-30; 1Corinthians 2:1-15; 3:16-23; 6:9-19; 7:22-24, 40; 12:1-29; 2Corinthians 1:18-23; 3:3-18; 5: 1-10; 6:1-18; 13:14; Galatians 3:1-11; 4:7; 5:16-26; 6:2-8; Eph. 1:3-21; 4:3-32; 5:1-21, 6:6-24; Philippians 1:1-19; 2:1-11; Colossians 1:3-8; 1Thessalonians 1:1-10; 4:1-18; 5:9-28; 2Thessalonians 2:13-17; 1Timothy 3:15-16; 4:1-10; 2Timothy 1:6-14; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 2:1-14; 3:1-12; 6:1-6; 9:6-14; 10:10-18, 26-31). The General Epistles (1Peter 1:1-4, 10-25; 3:15-22; 4:13-19; 2Peter 1:16-21; 1John 3:23-24; 4:2-3, 12-16; 5:5-11; Jude 20-21). Revelation (1:4-6, 9-10; 3:1-13, 21-22; 4:1-3; 5:1-10; 11:3-13; 14:12-13; 19:1-10; 22:16-21).

Thus the whole Bible abundantly proves that there are three separate persons in the Godhead, or in the “one Lord” and “one God” or Deity; that these three are in absolute unity and “are one” as believers are supposed to be (John 17:11, 21-23); and that all three persons have their proper place in the creation and redemption of all things, and to each, we owe honour and respect in all our worship and service to the Godhead.