This research paper by William T. Wingate, submitted to Dr. Robert J. Cara for NT520 – Pauline Epistles at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, explores Paul’s triad of faith, hope, and love as mutually sustaining graces that define the Christian life. Wingate argues that while Paul often emphasizes one element depending on context, the three are interdependent expressions of God’s transforming work in believers.
Through detailed exegesis of 1 Corinthians 13:13, Colossians 1:3–5, and Galatians 5:5–6, Wingate demonstrates that faith is the root of Christian experience, hope is its forward-looking assurance, and love is its divine perfection. Faith produces hope by trusting in God’s promises, hope strengthens perseverance, and both culminate in love—the grace that reflects God’s very nature. Paul’s theology, Wingate contends, portrays these virtues not as isolated qualities but as perichoretic realities that mirror the unity of the Triune God.
The paper concludes that faith, hope, and love are distinct yet inseparable: faith grounds the believer’s union with Christ, hope sustains endurance amid trial, and love crowns them both as participation in God’s own life. For Paul, love surpasses the others because it embodies the eternal character of God and the ultimate goal of redemption—believers reflecting the self-giving love of the Triune God in all things.
Course and semester: NT520 Pauline Epistles — Spring 2016
