How can Christians say that God is “One”? Christians claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is God – that is three!

   It is often stated by some religions (such as Islam) that Christians believe in three Gods and not "One".  Some cults will say this (Jehovah Witnesses) also. The problem comes from the misunderstanding of the definition and usage of the word "One" in the Old Testament (Hebrew) and the New Testament (Greek).  Much misunderstanding comes from theological phraseology.

    God is always revealed in the Bible as a tri-unity yet always referred to in scripture as "One".  Any stream of scriptures used to show that God is three can result in the heresy of tri-theism, or worship of three separate Gods.  Any stream of scriptures used to show that God is "One" can result in a numerical and singular or number one God.  So what is the balance or solution?

    The God of the Bible is revealed as ONE GOD. "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Hebrew word for "One" here is Echad and it speaks of compound or collective unity.  It is a "One" which comprise more than one person (one crowd, one people, one nation). Here are some other examples used in the Bible of this compound "One". "These two shall be One (Echad) flesh" (Genesis 2:24). "People gathered together as One (Echad)." (Ezra 3:1, see also 1 Chronicles. 12:38, Zechariah 14:9).  This Hebrew word is used hundreds of times in the O.T. as a collective unity.  Whenever it is used referring to God it is always the compound "One".  The other Hebrew word for "One" is Yachead and this speaks of absolute unity or a mathematical or numerical number one.  It is used about 12 times in the O.T. but never to describe the unity of GOD!

    In the New Testament we must refer to the Greek words for "One" and see if we have this same consistency.  The two N.T. Greek words which carry the same thought as the two Hebrew words preciously studied are the words (1) Heis- which means unity or concord.  "As the body is "One" (Hies) and hath many members , so also is Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12).  "The Lord our God is One (Heis) God" (Mark 12:29).  The same Greek word (Heis ) is used in these verses concerning the collective unity of this "One" God (1 Corinthians 8:4, Mark 12:32, Galatians 3;20, Ephesians 4:6, James 2:19, 1 Timothy 2:5). (2) monos - os the other Greek word which means alone, solitary, or a numerical number one.  It is used in Matthew 4:10, 17:8. Hebrews 11:17, and is never referred to in being used in describing God as a solitary "One".  The unity in Deity is defined by the word "Godhead" in the Bible (Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:9, Acts 17:29).  We as Christians believe in "One God" which is a compound unity as defined in the Holy Scriptures.  We will never totally understand this as the scriptures speak of the "Mystery of God" (Colossians 2:2, 1 Timothy 3:16).