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Finding the Trinity in the Bible

2 Corinthians 12.11-13
God is never referred to as ‘The Trinity’ anywhere in the Bible. But the idea of God as Trinity is there, and this passage is one example.
Paul is rounding off his letter, one of three that he sent to the Church in Corinth. ‘Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell,’ he says. They are to try to live in the love, peace and harmony which the Trinity exemplifies. To do this they will have to stop squabbling, ‘put things in order’ and ‘listen to [Paul’s] appeal.’
As a young man, I found my attempts to persuade young female acquaintances that it would be good to ‘greet one another with a holy kiss’ were treated with some scepticism. This was one verse they weren’t always keen to put into practice. It’s certainly not an option just now!
But then comes the famous prayer of blessing which we now call ‘The Grace’, because of its opening words. Paul prays that ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit’ might be with all his readers.
Here are the three’persons’ of the Trinity, all doing different things. Jesus is bestowing ‘grace’ - free and unmerited forgiveness through his death on the Cross. God bestows ‘love’- kindness, tenderness and warm affection. And the Spirit facilitates ‘communion’ between believers - an intimate sense of spiritual sharing and togetherness, both with one another and with the three persons of God.
Of course, all of these things could be regarded as gifts of any one of the persons of the Trinity. They could all flow from God, or from Jesus, and be mediated by the Spirit. 
As someone has said, ‘The Trinity did not begin as a theological doctrine, but as a spiritual outlook.’ And this way of looking at how God works can be traced back to Jesus. He thought of himself ‘as finding and doing God’s will through the indwelling Spirit’ which made him one with the Father.

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