“Hear, 0 Israel: the Lord our God is ONE LORD.” Deuteronomy 6:4

This commandment given to Israel is confirmed in the New Testament (Mark 12:29) and must be obeyed by all Christians today.
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
James 2:19. “God is a Spirit…”
John 4:24. “No man hath seen God at anytime…”
John 1:18. God, the invisible Spirit, has only revealed Himself to man by manifestations.
Although there were various “theophanies” (manifestations) of God before the Incarnation (as the burning bush, pillar of fire and cloud, etc.), the Scriptures teach that there are three offices in which God has manifested Himself to mankind. God manifested Himself as the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Spirit (Comforter) living in the hearts of believers as the “earnest” (part) of our inheritance for the entire duration of the New Testament Church Dispensation until that which is perfect is come …. which, according to John 7:39,
Acts 1:4-5 and Acts 2:1-4,
began on the Day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2 … following the departure (ascension) of the resurrected body of Jesus Christ.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. No one else but God performed the miracle of creation. “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb,
I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;”
Isaiah 44:24. And God said, “Let us make man in our image…”
Genesis 1:26.
To use the word “us” and try to form other Gods … or other “persons” … as if there was “more” than ONE involved in the creation, clashes not only with the Scriptures, but with common sense. The word God means Supreme Being, the eternal and infinite Spirit, Creator and Sovereign of the universe. There cannot be more than one Supreme Being.
By no means was God talking or counseling with other “persons” or other Gods. It should be obvious that God was NOT talking to any assistants or co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent PERSONS who were about to help Him make man. God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).
The Incarnation did not take place until centuries later when the virgin conceived and gave birth to the Christ child (Galatians 4:4).
God is an invisible Spirit without flesh and bones (Colossians 1:15; John 4:24; and Luke 24:39).
God speaks of things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17). And He counsels with Himself … His own will (Ephesians 1:11).
We know that God did not have any assistants in the creation of man because of what the very next verse says … So God created man in HIS (singular) own image, in the image of God created HE (singular) him (NOT “created ‘they’ him”); male and female created HE (singular)them (NOT “created ‘they’ them”). Genesis 1:27.
We know that angels are in the presence of God, but they weren’t involved in the actual creation process either.
So the explanation of Genesis 1:26 has to be found in the foreknowledge of God who knows the beginning from the end and the end form the beginning … and speaks of those things which are not as though they are … because man was created in the image and likeness of God, but was created flesh and bones … NOT an invisible spirit as God is.
At the time Adam was created, and in the mind of God (the eternal Spirit), He foresaw and precisely knew everything about the image (body) of the Son (as He would be known), and in which He would one day reveal Himself to man. Furthermore, God knows everything from beginning to end and vice versa.
He already knew about temporary tabernacle that He would have Moses to construct, and the temporary tabernacle of flesh that He would prepare of a virgin and one day reveal Himself to mankind in. He already knew about Gethsemane, Golgotha and the Day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2.

The Son (the tabernacle of flesh) did not exist at the creation as a separate Spirit, being or “person” … but only in the mind, foreknowledge and plan of God.

The Bible is correct is saying the Word “was with” God, and the Word “was” God, because God cannot be separated from His Thought, Plan or Word any more than you and I can.

Otherwise, (regardless if it is held that the Word “was” God, but no longer is, or if it is held that the Word “was” God and still is), those who believe John 1:1 describes two separate and distinct “persons” (God and the Word) would be clashing with Monotheism by putting forth a TWO God theory … because John 1:1 specifically states,
and the “Word WAS God.”
Our thought, plan or word is NOT a separate “person” from us …
IT IS US!
“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son (the tabernacle of flesh), made of a woman, made under the law.” Galatians 4:4.
The Son, who is the image of God, was begotten thousands of years after the creation.
Also God spoke of things which be not as though they were.
Romans 4:17. “So God created man in HIS OWN IMAGE,”
Genesis 1:27. “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. Romans 5:14. God made Adam in the figure of Him that was to come … JESUS!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. The Word cannot be separated from God. The term “Word” is derived from the Greek term “logos” which means “thought or plan”. God’s thoughts are with Him, but they cannot be separated from Him any more than we can be separated from our word, thought or plan. “The Word was with God, and the WORD WAS GOD.” “All things were made by Him (Word); and without Him (Word) was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3. “…The worlds were framed by the Word of God…” Hebrews 11:3. “And God said” is found throughout the story of Creation in Genesis Chapter One. So by His “Word” God created all things by speaking them into existence … except Adam, and later on Eve … who was made from Adam.
Some try to make a play on words here as if the Word and God are two separate “persons.” “Was” was used three times in John 1:1 because the Creation was being discussed in the “past” tense. “Is” is used when discussing something in the “present” tense. It would NOT have been proper to have written John 1:1 like this … “In the beginning “is” the Word, and the Word “is” with God, and the Word “is” God. Therefore, for anyone to take the words of John 1:1 and try to build a case for two different “persons” is grossly in error.
“Thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it…I am the LORD; and there is NONE ELSE.” Isaiah 45:18. “…I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens ALONE; that spreadeth abroad the earth BY MYSELF.” Isaiah 44:24. “.. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” Isaiah 44:8. “See now that I, even I, am He, and there is NO GOD WITH ME…” Deuteronomy 32:39. “Have we not all ONE Father? Hath not ONE God created us” Malachi 2:10. Do you see three “persons” in any of the above? I sure don’t!