The lectionary readings in this Year C for Trinity Sunday are John 16.12–15 and Romans 5.1–5, both quite short readings.
Western eyes often read Romans 5 in individual terms, but the honour/shame/glory motif needs to be understood corporately. The surprising combination of hope and suffering shows that Paul’s eschatology stands behind this—the future has broken through into the present, but we continue to know suffering in this world opposed to God.
And the passage is Trinitarian not in the sense that it explains that Trinity, but in the sense that it is only understanding God as Trinity which explains the inter-relation of the God with whom we have peace, through the suffering and rising of the Son, who now pours the Spirit into our hearts. God over us; God for us; and God with us.
The video for the John 16 reading can be found here.
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Thankyou, Ian Paul your wisdom is astounding in that how you respond to the comments.
Thankyou.
Thank you for your interesting summary.
This passage at this particular point seems to me
A fulcrum of the previous and the remaining/ future.
The fulcrum of the passage I think is Peace;
all of which seems to constitute the Gospel of the
“Apostle’s doctrine” continued in by the early Church.
It is not only what Jesus Christ has done or will do for us
but what he is doing in us at present.
The question arises “What do you know of the Peace of God?”
A Proverb remarks “Mark the perfect man,
for the end [issue] of that man is peace.
There will be an absence of conflict, struggles, agitations,
historic calumnies’, an end to seeking masteries, of striving for
perfections.
“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of
His good pleasure {His Will}
Peace is one of the great hallmarks/evidences of true Holiness.
It is the way into the Holiest, the dwelling, resting place of God and the saints rest.
“He who has this hope in himself, purifies himself” and “commands his soul”
Alas that for too many, no-one has spoken peace to their souls.
This gift of Peace is the very preciousness of God himself.
It is precious because it is quite rare.
Christians are the richest people in the world, we have been gifted many very precious things as Peter declares in his Gospel.
The preciousness of Christ “to you is the preciousness” or “to you who believe He is precious”.
Precious blood, precious faith, precious promises by which we might be partakers of the Divine nature.
I used to repine that I could often not recall a suitable promise;
But then realized we don’t have to remember the promises;
But to remember “He is faithful who promises”
Every promise that God ever made will be fulfilled in and through us.
“All the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus,
we do not need to “Claim”them they are already ours and if God has given us Christ Jesus will He not freely give us all things?”
1 Jesus, I am resting, resting
in the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
as Thy beauty fills my soul,
for by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
Refrain:
Jesus, I am resting, resting
in the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of Thy loving heart.
2 O, how great Thy lovingkindness,
vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
know what wealth of grace is Thine,
know Thy certainty of promise,
and have made it mine. [Refrain]
3 Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
and thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart.
Satisfies its deepest longings,
meets, supplies its ev’ry need,
compasseth me round with blessings;
Thine is love indeed! [Refrain]
4 Ever lift Thy face upon me
as I work and wait for Thee;
resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
sunshine of my Father’s face,
keep me ever trusting, resting,
fill me with Thy grace. [Refrain]
Bye the way M L Jones gave a wonderful exposition of
Peter’s 2nd in preaching on “The Preciousness of Faith” and the preciousnesses.
Available @ .mljtrust.org/sermons/itinerant-preaching/preciousness-of-faith/
Thank you. Yes, the testimony of Revd Dr Nick Ladd. What a significant testimony to hear as thise being shaped under St John’s formation pathways at that time!