Which passage would be used to support the doctrine that God exists in three persons?

• A. Genesis 1:26
• B. Deuteronomy 6:4
• C. Luke 2:11
• D. John 3:16

Answer: (B)

Recognizing passages that reveal God as Father, Son, and Spirit is what this item tests. A clear scriptural basis for the doctrine of the Trinity comes from passages that present all three Persons together in the divine relationship and action. Matthew 28:19 is the key example, where Jesus instructs his followers to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, showing three distinct Persons sharing one divine authority and identity. Deuteronomy 6:4, by contrast, proclaims that the Lord is one, affirming the oneness of God rather than a triune God, so it does not support the three-person understanding. Genesis 1:26 uses plural language—“Let us make man in our image”—which some cite as a hint of plurality, but it is not a decisive statement of a three-person Godhead. Luke 2:11 centers on the birth of Jesus, and John 3:16 emphasizes God’s love and the gift of His Son for salvation rather than laying out the Trinity. In sum, statements that explicitly show Father, Son, and Spirit together provide the strongest support for the doctrine of three Persons in one God.