Theme: The Christ-centered Trinity

Exegetical note
The formula that closes the hortatory conclusion to this letter is the only time that Paul explicitly refers to the three entities that later became the doctrine of the Trinity for orthodox Christianity. The order that Paul employs here is important (and hardly accidental): Christians experience the grace of the Christ first, and because of that, they experience God's love and the fellowship of the Spirit.

Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 33)
Leader: By God's word were th…