How many persons comprise the Godhead according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism?

The correct answer is that the Godhead comprises three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This teaching is foundational to the Christian understanding of the Trinity, which emphasizes that there is one God who exists in three distinct persons. Each person of the Godhead is fully and equally God, sharing the same divine essence, yet they are distinct from one another in their roles and relationships.

This concept is rooted in Scripture and has been a central tenet of Christian belief throughout history. The Westminster Shorter Catechism reflects this understanding in its catechetical instruction, affirming both the unity and the distinctiveness of the three persons in the Godhead.

The other choices fail to reflect the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity. One person would imply a Unitarian view, which does not capture the relational aspect of God as understood in most Christian theology. Two persons would suggest an incomplete understanding of the Godhead, excluding one of the essential persons of the Trinity. Four persons would contradict the established doctrine entirely, as it would introduce an additional person not recognized in the traditional formulation of the Trinity.