The Godhead Explained - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Understanding the Godhead is central to knowing who God is and how He relates to humanity. Oneness Pentecostals affirm the absolute oneness of God—not as three separate persons, but as one indivisible Spirit who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. These are not distinct persons in a Trinity, but distinct roles or manifestations of the one true God.
One God
The Bible is crystal clear on the foundational truth of monotheism:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” — Deuteronomy 6:4
“I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…” — Isaiah 45:5
There are not three gods, nor is God split into three coequal persons. The God of the Bible is one, and this one God has manifested Himself in various ways, primarily as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The Father: God in Creation
The title Father refers to God in His transcendence—as Creator and Ruler of all. He is called Father because He is the source of all life, and especially of spiritual rebirth:
- Malachi 2:10 – “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?”
- John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit…”
As Father, God is eternal, invisible, and omnipresent. He spoke the world into existence and upholds all things by His power.
The Son: God in Redemption
The Son is not an eternal second person, but God manifested in flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). The Sonship began at the incarnation, when God took on human form in the person of Jesus Christ.
- Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman…”
- John 1:14 – “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
The Son is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). He is God with us (Matthew 1:23), fully divine and fully human. The Son did not exist as a separate person before Bethlehem, but existed in the mind and plan of God until the fullness of time.
The Holy Ghost: God in the Church
The Holy Ghost is the same God working among and within His people. It is God in action, particularly in regeneration, empowerment, and sanctification.
- Romans 8:11 – “The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you…”
- John 14:26 – “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost… he shall teach you all things…”
The Holy Ghost is not a separate being from the Father or the Son. It is simply the Spirit of God—Jesus Himself—living in the believer (Romans 8:9-10).
One God, Three Manifestations
The titles Father, Son, and Holy Ghost refer to different ways God has revealed Himself to accomplish His plan:
- As Father: Creator and sustainer of all things.
- As Son: God manifest in flesh to redeem us.
- As Holy Ghost: God working in and through believers today.
This is not a contradiction or confusion, but a beautiful revelation of how the one true God relates to us in every stage of redemption.
“Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” — 1 Timothy 3:16
What About Matthew 28:19?
Some point to Matthew 28:19 to support a Trinitarian view, where Jesus instructed to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Oneness believers affirm this verse but understand it in light of the name:
- The verse says “name” (singular), not “names.”
- What is the name of the Father? Jesus (John 5:43).
- What is the name of the Son? Jesus (Matthew 1:21).
- What is the name of the Holy Ghost? Jesus (John 14:26).
Thus, the one name that fulfills all three titles is Jesus. That’s why every baptism in the Book of Acts was done in Jesus’ name—because the apostles understood who Jesus truly is.
Conclusion
The Godhead is not a mystery of three persons but a revelation of one God in three distinct roles or manifestations. This understanding doesn’t diminish the greatness of God—it magnifies His love, plan, and personal involvement in our salvation. Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9), and in Him, we have everything we need.
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” — Colossians 2:9
To know Jesus is to know the Father, to receive the Holy Ghost is to receive Jesus, and to believe in One God is to embrace the truth of Scripture. The Godhead is revealed in the name of Jesus.