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Mark 1 of the True Church
The True Church Believes in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost
The principle: The true Church of Jesus Christ must believe in God the Eternal Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost: three distinct, divine persons who are perfectly united in purpose.
The Bible teaches that the true Church worships God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. At Jesus’ baptism all three were present at once: the Son in the water, the Spirit descending like a dove, and the Father’s voice from heaven. Jesus prayed to His Father, promised that the Father would send the Holy Ghost, and asked that His disciples be one just as He and the Father are one.
What does the Bible say?
16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
At Jesus’ baptism the Son stands in the water, the Spirit of God descends like a dove, and the Father speaks from heaven. All three are present, each in a distinct way.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Eternal life is to know the Father, ‘the only true God,’ and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Jesus speaks of His Father and Himself as two who can each be known.
20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Jesus prays that all believers ‘may be one’ as He and the Father are one. Their oneness is a unity of love, purpose, and will that disciples are invited to share.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Father sends the Holy Ghost in the Son’s name to teach and remind us. Each member of the Godhead has His own role in our salvation.
55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, looks into heaven and sees Jesus standing on the right hand of God.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
The risen Lord commands His apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Who is God the Father?
Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). God is not a distant force. He is our Father, the One to whom Jesus Himself prayed, and the One whose voice declared at the river Jordan, “This is my beloved Son.” After His resurrection Jesus spoke of “my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17). The true Church teaches people to know and worship Him.
Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is the Son of God, sent by the Father to be the Savior of the world (John 3:16). He is “the express image” of the Father’s person (Hebrews 1:3), so to know Jesus is to learn what the Father is like. After He rose from the dead, Stephen saw Him standing at the Father’s right hand.
Who is the Holy Ghost?
The Holy Ghost is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, sent by the Father in the name of the Son. He teaches, testifies of Christ, and brings the words of Jesus to our remembrance (John 15:26).
How are they “one”?
The Bible shows three distinct persons who are perfectly united. Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one with each other in the very same way He and His Father are one. That is a beautiful promise: the oneness of the Godhead is a oneness of love and purpose, and we are invited into it.
Why this matters
If we want to find the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ, a good first question is simple: does it teach about God the way Jesus did? The true Church will pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and will invite everyone to come to know them.
These scriptures at a glance
| Scripture (KJV) | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Matthew 3:16–17 | At Jesus’ baptism the Son stands in the water, the Spirit of God descends like a dove, and the Father speaks from heaven. All three are present, each in a distinct way. |
| John 17:3 | Eternal life is to know the Father, ‘the only true God,’ and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Jesus speaks of His Father and Himself as two who can each be known. |
| John 17:20–21 | Jesus prays that all believers ‘may be one’ as He and the Father are one. Their oneness is a unity of love, purpose, and will that disciples are invited to share. |
| John 14:26 | The Father sends the Holy Ghost in the Son’s name to teach and remind us. Each member of the Godhead has His own role in our salvation. |
| Acts 7:55–56 | Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, looks into heaven and sees Jesus standing on the right hand of God. |
| Matthew 28:19 | The risen Lord commands His apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. |
Common questions
Does the Bible teach that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are distinct?
Yes. The Bible shows them acting in distinct ways at the same moment, as at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16–17) and in Stephen’s vision (Acts 7:55–56). Jesus prayed to His Father and said the Father would send the Comforter. The scriptures also teach that they are perfectly one in purpose, love, and glory.
What did Jesus mean when He said, “I and my Father are one”?
In John 10:30 Jesus declared His oneness with the Father. In John 17:21–22 He prayed that His disciples would be one ‘even as we are one.’ Because disciples can share that oneness, it points to a perfect unity of heart, will, and purpose.
Why is this the first mark of the true Church?
Jesus taught that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom He sent (John 17:3). A church cannot lead people to God without teaching truly who He is.
Read it for yourself
The best way to know these things is to read the verses in context and ask God about them (James 1:5). Open any reference above in our free King James Bible reader, then see how this principle fits with the other marks of the true Church.