And, yet, they are clearly and consistently shown as distinct persons throughout Scripture. The Holy Spirit is mentioned in Gen 1:2 and then in various places in the OT. So, according to your position, was made manifest prior to the Son. One the Son arrives, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are never conflated and never said to be one person; they are always kept distinct. The best explanation is that it is because they are distinct and always have been. Hence, the best explanation of Matt 28:19 is that it points to the distinct persons of the Trinity.
And yet, the Scriptures consistently affirm the oneness of God and never present Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct “persons” in the sense of separate individual beings. The term “person” is not found in biblical descriptions of God’s nature but is a later, theologically developed term—man-made Philosophy, not God-inspired. If this concept of distinct “persons” were essential to understanding God, it would have been explicitly included in the inspired written Word.
Genesis 1:2 does mention the Spirit of God, but this is described as God’s own Spirit—His presence and power actively involved in creation. It does not imply a separate personal identity distinct from God. When Jesus arrives, we see the full revelation of God in human form. As the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14), Jesus embodies the fullness of God’s nature (Colossians 2:9). This is not one part of God acting in isolation but God Himself manifesting in the flesh to accomplish redemption.
The Scriptures emphasize the mystery and unity of God’s manifestation rather than distinguishing “persons.” Isaiah 9:6 calls the Messiah the “Mighty God” and the “Everlasting Father,” titles that clearly align the Son with the Father’s identity, not as distinct persons but as expressions of the same indivisible God. When Jesus prayed, it was from His humanity—His authentic human experience, having “emptied Himself” to take on full humanity (Philippians 2:7-8). This reflects the dual nature of Christ, both fully divine and fully human, rather than implying a separation of persons within the Godhead.
Matthew 28:19 points to the “name” (singular) in which God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This name, as fully revealed in the New Testament, is Jesus. Rather than indicating separate “persons,” these titles highlight God’s multifaceted relationship with humanity: as Father (Creator), Son (Redeemer), and Holy Spirit (indwelling presence). Thus, the best explanation of Matthew 28:19 is that it directs us to the singular divine identity, revealed and accessible to us in Jesus Christ.
But, Jesus is the name of the Son, so how can that become the name of God?
If we consider that Jesus is the name given to the Son in His incarnation, we must ask,
How can this name belong only to the Son and not to God as a whole? Jesus said in John 5:43,
“I am come in my Father’s name.” This statement strongly suggests that Jesus bears the name of the Father as well, indicating that the name “Jesus” is more than just the designation of the Son’s humanity. Instead, it signifies the very identity and presence of God with us (Matthew 1:23).
In Philippians 2:9-11, we see that God has given Jesus a name that is above every name, so that at His name every knee should bow and every tongue confess. This means that Jesus’ name holds the highest divine authority, a position that belongs to God alone. Therefore, Jesus as the name of the Son does not limit it to a singular role. Rather, it reveals God in the fullness of His character—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as one unified identity manifested in Jesus, “for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
You simply repeated your position which, as I stated, is fallaciously begging the question. Again, there is not a single verse in the entire Bible that states that God is absolutely one person, and the door is even left open for such a reality. And, again, to state that those verses prove that God is an absolute unity is to conflate monotheism with the nature of God.
I appreciate the opportunity to clarify further. The assertion that a “single verse” must explicitly state God is “absolutely one person” may misunderstand the comprehensive nature of scriptural revelation about God’s singularity. While the Bible may not use the precise phrase “one person,” it also obviously doesn't use the phrase "three persons" but it consistently describes God in terms that denote a unified, indivisible identity—terms that convey an absolute oneness rather than any form of internal plurality or multiplicity.
The oneness is affirmed with language emphasizing exclusivity and indivisibility. In Hebrew, the term used here,
echad, commonly implies an indivisible unity. The Shema, which this verse is part of, was central to Israel’s understanding of God and was not a statement about monotheism in general, but specifically about the nature of Israel’s God: that He is one and without internal division. This singularity is further underscored by passages like Isaiah 44:6 and 45:5–6, where God declares, “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me, there is no God,” and “There is no God beside me.” These verses emphasize God’s uniqueness as an indivisible, singular being.
Additionally, the Hebrew Scriptures consistently use singular pronouns for God (“I,” “Me,” “He,” “Myself”), as seen in Exodus 3:14, where God identifies Himself to Moses as “I AM.” These grammatical choices are critical—they reflect not only God’s exclusive divinity but also His unified, undivided identity. The Bible makes no allowance for internal distinctions or separate centers of consciousness within God, which would imply a division not only of identity but of being.
The New Testament continues this affirmation of God’s singularity without introducing a new concept of a “multi-personal” being. Instead, it reveals Jesus as the embodiment of God Himself, not a separate person but “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Passages like 2 Corinthians 5:19 affirm that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself,” indicating that the fullness of God’s identity was manifest in Jesus, rather than introducing any new division within God. John 14:9-10 further supports this when Jesus says, “He who has seen me has seen the Father,” emphasizing that God’s nature is entirely visible in Jesus, not alongside Him.
To summarize, the singular language and imagery used for God in both the Old and New Testaments describe Him as an indivisible, unified being. This absolute oneness remains the biblical position on God’s nature, revealed in Jesus Christ, who is the full and complete manifestation of God Himself, not a distinct person within a multi-personal deity. This view harmonizes with Scripture’s emphasis on God’s unity, uniqueness, and indivisibility without needing to impose multi-personal language where the Bible consistently affirms His absolute oneness.