An Overview of the Sundays After Pentecost
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
This is the non-festival half of the Christian Year. It has been called a variety of names: "Ordinary time," "Season after Pentecost," "Kingdomtide," etc. Each Sunday stands on its own and the preacher has some freedom in selection of which passages to choose from for the sermon each Sunday. Some preachers follow a nine year cycle, preaching on the Gospel on one cycle, the Epistles another cycle, and the Old Testament lesson on the third cycle of using A, B, C years of the common Lectionary.
Preaching during this period may follow a semi-continuous cycle using either Old Testament, Epistle or Gospel lessons for a given year as the basis for the sermon. In addition, the other readings can create greater interest and knowledge of the Bible's teaching as the minister or reader gives an introduction of the reading of a given Sunday with a brief recapping of the story or book of the Bible to this point. These readings can be a kind of "mini-series" of stories from the Bible, such as the life of David in cycle B.
While Sundays are called "the Sunday after Pentecost" the lectionary readings are determined by the days within which a Sunday falls on the calendar. For example, the readings for one Sunday will be designated for "the Sunday between July 10 and 16," regardless of the date of Pentecost.
Or the minister may choose to "go off the lectionary" for the sermon Scripture during the time, choosing rather to preach through a part or whole of a book of the Bible, deal with doctrines such as the Apostles' Creed, or social issues of special concern to the congregation.
While the basic color is green for this season, other colors may be used such as white on Trinity Sunday and Christ the King, red on the days of saints who were martyrs, and red symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit during evangelistic services, or ordinations and consecretionss, etc. Combinations of colors and colors other than the basic green - red, purple, and white - may be used during this half of the year and are being used more often.
Since this half of the church year is less structured, churches may be more creative in celebrating each Sunday. Green, a symbol of life and growth of grass, trees, etc., can also symbolize the growth of Christian and congregations in Christ-likeness.
Special occasions such as July 4 in the USA, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and other special occasions give the preacher a number of possibilities for preaching "occasional" sermons. When this is done, Scripture appropriate for the sermon is selected and the prescribed readings from the lectionary may also be used if desired. When Holy Communion is celebrated during this half of the year the preacher will want to select appropriate Scripture for the occasion, if none of the three lectionary readings for the day are fitting.
From what has been written in these essays on the seasons of the Christian Year, it should be obvious that the Christian Year is not a sequential following of the life of Jesus from cradle (and before) to grave and beyond. Rather the Christian Year is a theological ordering of the church's living commemoration. The reforms that have taken place in the Christian Year in recent years since Vatican II have been a return to earlier practices, not innovations. What may seem new to congregations and preachers is, in the main, the restoration of the oldest of Christian practices.
Trinity Sunday
Common
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Lutheran
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Roman Catholic
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Comments on the Lessons
In the Proverbs reading Wisdom is presented as a prophetess who was with God from the time of creation. Wisdom influenced the concept of the Logos in the New Testament. The Romans passage contains all three persons of the Trinity and deals with the consequences of justification. The John reading also contains the three persons of the Trinity - Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Spirit of truth.
Commentary
Proverbs: 8:22-31
God's attribute of wisdom, shown in creation, is presented as a prophetess who speaks her piece. Wisdom was present with God at the creation of the world (3:19) and this passage is a development of the thought in 3:19-20. It functions as a divine agent, through whom all things were made. Here we find the basic concept which was later developed into a doctrine of cosmic wisdom - and the doctrine of the Logos, which is so important in understanding New Testament christology. But in Proverbs, the idea seems to be poetic rather than philosophical. Wisdom, pictured as a feminine aspect of God, is described as the most important of all possessions. She stood by God's side while the rest of the world was made. (John 1:1)
In verse 22 the word translated "created" can also mean "came to possess me." Be conscious of the fact that wisdom is not a pre-existent divine being distinct from God. Rather, wisdom is an aspect or activity of God which is metaphorically given speech. In verse 23 "set up" can also mean "became a reality" or "was poured out," like the Spirit on Pentecost.
In verse 27 "drew a circle" refers to the horizon. Reflect on the three-storied universe of the ancient cosmology, in which the sky was thought of as a solid dome resting on mountain pillars, with the sea at the extremities of a flat, round earth. In verse 29 we are reminded of the creation story in Genesis 1:9 and of Job 38:10-11.
A rare Hebrew word is found in verse 30; its meaning is frankly uncertain. It may mean either "confident" or "co-ordinator." There are a number of Canaanite-Phoenician expressions in this whole passage. This points toward a Canaanite source for the concept of wisdom, one which may originally have been associated with a pagan goddess of wisdom.
But the collector of the sayings in Proverbs sees wisdom as summing up life's goodness and beauty and all its unseen realities. God created the world as an expression of this wisdom. Wisdom stands in the busiest places of life, calling human beings to turn from lesser things and seek wisdom that is found in the ways of God. Reflect on this doctrine of divine revelation, one which has not been surpassed in human history.
Proverbs 1-9 is generally regarded as postexilic. (The preacher is referred to a word study of biblical wisdom in The Interpreter's Dictionary ofthe Bible, or in another comprehensive Bible dictionary.)
Romans 5:1-5
In 5:1--8:39 Paul deals with the new life into which God's justifying act admits the believer. Our pericope is part of a larger section of verses 1-11, dealing with the consequences of justification. Here, in verses 1-5, is a summary of the character and qualities of the New Life we have in Christ by faith. The main thrust of verses 1-5 is that when we cast ourselves utterly upon God's grace and do not trust in ourselves we then have peace and reconciliation with God. We are in a state of harmony with God. The reference to the "hope of sharing the glory of God" (v. 2) means that, although we have fallen far short of the glorious destiny for which God intends us, we now find ourselves confidently expecting that destiny.
We can note in the Greek the close connection between the beginning of this section and the ending of the previous one (although it is not so apparent in English translations). But the last verse of chapter 4 ends with "our justification" and 5:1 picks up with the participle "having been justified." The point that Paul is making here is that with the beginning of chapter 5 justification is viewed as an accomplished fact and we are now moving on to consider the implications and consequences of justification.
The tragic consequence of seeking to be righteous before God, based on the efforts of human beings seeking to please God, is anxiety and lack of peace. It describes Paul's state of mind before his Damascus road experience, and Luther before his discovery of justification by faith.
The first consequence of being justified by faith is that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lives by faith is righteous in God's eyes. Another translation would be "since we are found righteous because of our faith ..." In 3:20 this verb has this meaning, which is similar to the meaning in Psalm 143:2. Be aware of the fact that this righteousness is not given to a person even though the person is actually unrighteous. Nor does it mean that righteousness is infused into a person to displace unrighteousness. Rather, the person who believes and trusts God is actually righteous. This is the righteousness God requires.
In verse 1 some reliable ancient MSS read "let us have peace," which makes this an exhortation. It is a matter of one Greek letter, and I prefer the "we have peace" reading of the RSV, which indicates Paul is drawing conclusions here. The "let us" version is probably a result of a scribe's slip when writing from dictation, since both forms sound the same.
(In preparing to preach from this text, the preacher may want to do a word study of "peace" as well as "justification.")
This peace is with God, something far different from psychological "inner peace." It means harmony also with our total environment, and includes inner security and serenity. This is the peace that passes all understanding, as Paul calls it in Philippians 4:7. The point is that peace, like joy and hope, follows as a consequence of our being justified by faith in Christ and is not to be gained by "positive thinking" or by our own efforts.
We have this peace "through our Lord Jesus Christ" as a result of the life and work of Jesus. For Paul, the Christian life depends upon a continuing and sustaining relationship to Christ, who is present in the church. This is the main theme of this whole central section of Romans.
Paul says in verse 2 that "we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand." This stresses the already-realized meaning of our life in Christ. The two verbs in verse 2a are in the perfect tense, indicating already completed action. The two verbs in Greek are similar in sound and have a rhyming effect which was probably intentional.
Grace (v. 2a) means more than God's loving disposition toward humans and refers to a kind of emanation of God's reality, God giving himself to us. Thus grace here is not subjective only but objective. Grace is not only a matter of how God feels towards us, but denotes something God gives us! It is self-giving. Through Christ's death on the Cross God has given us access to this grace and in this we stand.
In verse 2b the verb translated "we rejoice" has a more basic meaning: it is "we boast" or "we exult." Some translate it "we triumph" or "we glory." It anticipates the mood expressed in 8:31-39, which the preacher is urged to read at this point. Once again, the present tense of the action here means "we do now rejoice," although our hope or joy is based on hope of the glory of God. While glory has been lost through sin, we are told it will be restored, and it is in that hope that we triumph.
Appreciate that verses 3-4 present something of an interruption of the thought pattern and the whole paragraph would be clearer in meaning if these verses were in parentheses. Paul seems to pause after speaking of joy and hope to recall his own sufferings, as well as the sufferings of others. He feels challenged and rises to the challenge by saying that these experiences have not destroyed the sufferers, but rather that their hope has been strengthened. This aside is irrelevant to Paul's argument, which is concerned with the grounding of our confidence in God. It appears that a marginal reflection has been copied into the main text by a later scribe.
Sufferings have resulted in endurance, says Paul. This has hardened character, which in turn has made possible a more vigorous hope than one might otherwise have had. Of course Paul is not saying that character is the source of our hope, but God's grace, in which we stand, is the source of hope. However, the experience of tribulations rightly sustained can serve to fortify the hope they seem determined to destroy.
In verse 5 Paul returns to the main theme, affirming that our hope does not disappoint us (literally, "does not make us ashamed"). The reason it does not make us ashamed is that God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The Greek says "the love of God," which is ambiguous, but the RSV rightly says "God's love has been poured out ..." The meaning is God's love for us, not our love for God. Note that this love is not just a fact about God which is recognized, but is the very reality of God conveyed and realized, poured into our hearts. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on those who believe (Joel 2:281) and God's Spirit gives knowledge of God's love. The human heart is the part that receives comfort, knowledge and assurance. For example, Isaiah 40:2, translated "speak tenderly to Jerusalem," says literally "speak to the heart of Jersualem."
Realize that in this verse 5 there is a virtual identification of "this grace" and "the love of God" and "the Holy Spirit." The Spirit of God is the supernaturally-given essential life of the community, a life given in terms of God's love poured into our hearts.
Reflect on the hierarchy of terms here: the first and most important is God's love, also referred to as "this grace." It is almost identified with the Holy Spirit. God's love manifests itself in God's act of justifying us and offers itself to us as the Spirit who breathes new life into human beings. God gives his own life to us. Faith is the human response to God's love. Faith is the channel by which we accept in humility and trust what God offers us. Peace is the result of this response of faith to God's justifying act. Hope is our confident expectation that the same God who began a good work in us will complete it. Understand that each of these terms will appear again and again in this section of Paul's discourse on justification and its results.
John 16:12-15
This is the fifth Paraclete saying in the farewell discourse of Jesus. The thrust of this pericope is the guidance of the Spirit into the full truth about the historic Jesus. The Spirit will glorify Jesus, meaning that he will reveal the essential nature of Jesus. The Spirit's authority is the same as that on which Jesus has relied in all his other teachings and the substance of the Spirit's teaching will be the same as that of Jesus. "For he will take what is mine and declare it to you," says Jesus. And in doing this he will glorify Jesus. Earlier, in 12:28, we were told that the Son's words and works glorified the Father, revealing his nature and purpose. Even so, the glory of the Son will be made known after his Ascension, through the ministry of the Paraclete. Earlier Jesus had declared that his passion and death are the supreme evidence of his complete obedience to the Father's will. Jesus' death on the Cross is the climax of the revelation of the incarnate Logos (related to Wisdom). However, this truth had not been grasped by the disciples.
The Spirit will complete the unfinished training of the twelve. But in addition to all this, the Spirit will declare to them the things that are yet to come. So the Spirit is the Spirit of prophecy. In the midst of all the suffering and death of Christians under persecution, there would be the Spirit to inspire Christian leaders with the vision of the Lamb seated upon the throne, having won the victory over sin, death and the powers of evil. The seated Lamb is the symbol of the victory of the Cross.
In light of the fact that there is no formal doctrine of the Trinity in Scripture, it seems appropriate to include at this point a contemporary expression of this key doctrine, an expression in terms of God's saving actions and human experience of God. The preacher may find the following suggestive for developing the sermon on the Trinity:
The Spirit is one with the Father and the Son.
In the presence of the Holy Spirit
the first Christians experienced God's own presence,
not a power different from God or less than God.
In Jesus Christ they met God himself,
not a second God or one who is only like God.
Yet they worshiped with the people of Israel
one God alone.
Reflecting on this mystery,
the ancient church formulated the doctrine of the Trinity.
We believe with the church through the centuries
that God is what he has shown himself to be in his story with his people:
One God who is the Creator and Sustained,
the Savior and Lord,
The Giver of life within, among, and beyond us.
We affirm the unity of God's being and work.
We may not separate the work of God as Creator
from the work of God as Redeemer.
We may not set the Son's love against the Father's justice.
We may not value the Holy Spirit's work
above the work of the Father and Son.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God.
We affirm richness and variety in God's being and work.
We may not deny the real distinctions in God's unity.
In his eternal being and in all his activity,
the one God is always and at the same time
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
(Pp. 159-160, The Proposed Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S., 1976).
Theological Reflections
The Proverbs reading centers on Wisdom as an attribute of God shown in creation. She is an activity of God metaphorically endowed with speech. The Romans and John passages contain references to God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and their roles in salvation. The role of the Spirit of truth, in guiding disciples into all truth as he speaks for the Father and Son, is stressed in the John passage. The Spirit takes what is Jesus' and declares it to the disciples.
Homiletical Moves
Proverbs 8:22-31
Wisdom, God's Attribute at Creation
1. God created wisdom at the beginning of his work
2. Wisdom was with God before the beginning of the earth
3. Like a master worker, Wisdom was God's daily delight
4. Wisdom is like a prophetess who rejoiced before God always
5. Seek wisdom, for from her mouth comes what is right and she utters truth
Romans 5:1-5
God's Love Has Been Poured Into Our Hearts Through the Holy Spirit!
1. We are justified by faith in God
2. Therefore we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
3. We rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God
4. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that it produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope - and hope does not disappoint us
5. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us
6. Let us live by faith, rejoicing in our hope of sharing the glory of God
This Preacher's Preference
John 16:12-15
The Spirit of Truth Will Guide Us
1. Jesus tells the disciples he has many things to tell them but they cannot bear them now
2. The Spirit will guide them into all truth
3. The Spirit speaks what he hears and declares the things that are to come
4. The Spirit will glorify Jesus, for he will take what is Jesus' and declare it to the disciples
5. Let us listen to the Spirit as he guides us into all the truth, and the truth shall make us free
The preacher may want to develop the sermon as a doctrinal sermon, following the guidance of Donald Baillie in his classic God was in Christ, chapter VI, especially pages 140-147. See also On Being A Christian by Hans Kiing, and The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann, for further insights into the doctrine of the Trinity for today. Baille suggests that we can best understand the Trinity in terms of the work of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the process of salvation. The preacher may want to conclude the sermon by asking the congregation to join in singing its faith in the words of either the "Gloria" or "The Doxology." The sermon may present God as the living, powerful, moving divine being who acts as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the drama of salvation. Thus the sermon presents the Trinity, not as an abstract philosophical proposition but as a living, dynamic Being who is beyond human knowledge but who has chosen to reveal himself in human history in Jesus Christ, attested to by the Holy spirit.
Hymn for Trinity Sunday: Holy, Holy, Holy, or
Come, Thou Almighty King
Prayer:
Holy God, we praise you for revealing yourself to us in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We join with Christians around the world to sing our faith and praise you as the God of redeeming love. We pray for a greater measure of wisdom, that we may follow your guidance. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and grant us peace with you, since we are justified by faith. Amen
Preaching during this period may follow a semi-continuous cycle using either Old Testament, Epistle or Gospel lessons for a given year as the basis for the sermon. In addition, the other readings can create greater interest and knowledge of the Bible's teaching as the minister or reader gives an introduction of the reading of a given Sunday with a brief recapping of the story or book of the Bible to this point. These readings can be a kind of "mini-series" of stories from the Bible, such as the life of David in cycle B.
While Sundays are called "the Sunday after Pentecost" the lectionary readings are determined by the days within which a Sunday falls on the calendar. For example, the readings for one Sunday will be designated for "the Sunday between July 10 and 16," regardless of the date of Pentecost.
Or the minister may choose to "go off the lectionary" for the sermon Scripture during the time, choosing rather to preach through a part or whole of a book of the Bible, deal with doctrines such as the Apostles' Creed, or social issues of special concern to the congregation.
While the basic color is green for this season, other colors may be used such as white on Trinity Sunday and Christ the King, red on the days of saints who were martyrs, and red symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit during evangelistic services, or ordinations and consecretionss, etc. Combinations of colors and colors other than the basic green - red, purple, and white - may be used during this half of the year and are being used more often.
Since this half of the church year is less structured, churches may be more creative in celebrating each Sunday. Green, a symbol of life and growth of grass, trees, etc., can also symbolize the growth of Christian and congregations in Christ-likeness.
Special occasions such as July 4 in the USA, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and other special occasions give the preacher a number of possibilities for preaching "occasional" sermons. When this is done, Scripture appropriate for the sermon is selected and the prescribed readings from the lectionary may also be used if desired. When Holy Communion is celebrated during this half of the year the preacher will want to select appropriate Scripture for the occasion, if none of the three lectionary readings for the day are fitting.
From what has been written in these essays on the seasons of the Christian Year, it should be obvious that the Christian Year is not a sequential following of the life of Jesus from cradle (and before) to grave and beyond. Rather the Christian Year is a theological ordering of the church's living commemoration. The reforms that have taken place in the Christian Year in recent years since Vatican II have been a return to earlier practices, not innovations. What may seem new to congregations and preachers is, in the main, the restoration of the oldest of Christian practices.
Trinity Sunday
Common
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Lutheran
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Roman Catholic
Proverbs 8:22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Comments on the Lessons
In the Proverbs reading Wisdom is presented as a prophetess who was with God from the time of creation. Wisdom influenced the concept of the Logos in the New Testament. The Romans passage contains all three persons of the Trinity and deals with the consequences of justification. The John reading also contains the three persons of the Trinity - Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Spirit of truth.
Commentary
Proverbs: 8:22-31
God's attribute of wisdom, shown in creation, is presented as a prophetess who speaks her piece. Wisdom was present with God at the creation of the world (3:19) and this passage is a development of the thought in 3:19-20. It functions as a divine agent, through whom all things were made. Here we find the basic concept which was later developed into a doctrine of cosmic wisdom - and the doctrine of the Logos, which is so important in understanding New Testament christology. But in Proverbs, the idea seems to be poetic rather than philosophical. Wisdom, pictured as a feminine aspect of God, is described as the most important of all possessions. She stood by God's side while the rest of the world was made. (John 1:1)
In verse 22 the word translated "created" can also mean "came to possess me." Be conscious of the fact that wisdom is not a pre-existent divine being distinct from God. Rather, wisdom is an aspect or activity of God which is metaphorically given speech. In verse 23 "set up" can also mean "became a reality" or "was poured out," like the Spirit on Pentecost.
In verse 27 "drew a circle" refers to the horizon. Reflect on the three-storied universe of the ancient cosmology, in which the sky was thought of as a solid dome resting on mountain pillars, with the sea at the extremities of a flat, round earth. In verse 29 we are reminded of the creation story in Genesis 1:9 and of Job 38:10-11.
A rare Hebrew word is found in verse 30; its meaning is frankly uncertain. It may mean either "confident" or "co-ordinator." There are a number of Canaanite-Phoenician expressions in this whole passage. This points toward a Canaanite source for the concept of wisdom, one which may originally have been associated with a pagan goddess of wisdom.
But the collector of the sayings in Proverbs sees wisdom as summing up life's goodness and beauty and all its unseen realities. God created the world as an expression of this wisdom. Wisdom stands in the busiest places of life, calling human beings to turn from lesser things and seek wisdom that is found in the ways of God. Reflect on this doctrine of divine revelation, one which has not been surpassed in human history.
Proverbs 1-9 is generally regarded as postexilic. (The preacher is referred to a word study of biblical wisdom in The Interpreter's Dictionary ofthe Bible, or in another comprehensive Bible dictionary.)
Romans 5:1-5
In 5:1--8:39 Paul deals with the new life into which God's justifying act admits the believer. Our pericope is part of a larger section of verses 1-11, dealing with the consequences of justification. Here, in verses 1-5, is a summary of the character and qualities of the New Life we have in Christ by faith. The main thrust of verses 1-5 is that when we cast ourselves utterly upon God's grace and do not trust in ourselves we then have peace and reconciliation with God. We are in a state of harmony with God. The reference to the "hope of sharing the glory of God" (v. 2) means that, although we have fallen far short of the glorious destiny for which God intends us, we now find ourselves confidently expecting that destiny.
We can note in the Greek the close connection between the beginning of this section and the ending of the previous one (although it is not so apparent in English translations). But the last verse of chapter 4 ends with "our justification" and 5:1 picks up with the participle "having been justified." The point that Paul is making here is that with the beginning of chapter 5 justification is viewed as an accomplished fact and we are now moving on to consider the implications and consequences of justification.
The tragic consequence of seeking to be righteous before God, based on the efforts of human beings seeking to please God, is anxiety and lack of peace. It describes Paul's state of mind before his Damascus road experience, and Luther before his discovery of justification by faith.
The first consequence of being justified by faith is that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lives by faith is righteous in God's eyes. Another translation would be "since we are found righteous because of our faith ..." In 3:20 this verb has this meaning, which is similar to the meaning in Psalm 143:2. Be aware of the fact that this righteousness is not given to a person even though the person is actually unrighteous. Nor does it mean that righteousness is infused into a person to displace unrighteousness. Rather, the person who believes and trusts God is actually righteous. This is the righteousness God requires.
In verse 1 some reliable ancient MSS read "let us have peace," which makes this an exhortation. It is a matter of one Greek letter, and I prefer the "we have peace" reading of the RSV, which indicates Paul is drawing conclusions here. The "let us" version is probably a result of a scribe's slip when writing from dictation, since both forms sound the same.
(In preparing to preach from this text, the preacher may want to do a word study of "peace" as well as "justification.")
This peace is with God, something far different from psychological "inner peace." It means harmony also with our total environment, and includes inner security and serenity. This is the peace that passes all understanding, as Paul calls it in Philippians 4:7. The point is that peace, like joy and hope, follows as a consequence of our being justified by faith in Christ and is not to be gained by "positive thinking" or by our own efforts.
We have this peace "through our Lord Jesus Christ" as a result of the life and work of Jesus. For Paul, the Christian life depends upon a continuing and sustaining relationship to Christ, who is present in the church. This is the main theme of this whole central section of Romans.
Paul says in verse 2 that "we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand." This stresses the already-realized meaning of our life in Christ. The two verbs in verse 2a are in the perfect tense, indicating already completed action. The two verbs in Greek are similar in sound and have a rhyming effect which was probably intentional.
Grace (v. 2a) means more than God's loving disposition toward humans and refers to a kind of emanation of God's reality, God giving himself to us. Thus grace here is not subjective only but objective. Grace is not only a matter of how God feels towards us, but denotes something God gives us! It is self-giving. Through Christ's death on the Cross God has given us access to this grace and in this we stand.
In verse 2b the verb translated "we rejoice" has a more basic meaning: it is "we boast" or "we exult." Some translate it "we triumph" or "we glory." It anticipates the mood expressed in 8:31-39, which the preacher is urged to read at this point. Once again, the present tense of the action here means "we do now rejoice," although our hope or joy is based on hope of the glory of God. While glory has been lost through sin, we are told it will be restored, and it is in that hope that we triumph.
Appreciate that verses 3-4 present something of an interruption of the thought pattern and the whole paragraph would be clearer in meaning if these verses were in parentheses. Paul seems to pause after speaking of joy and hope to recall his own sufferings, as well as the sufferings of others. He feels challenged and rises to the challenge by saying that these experiences have not destroyed the sufferers, but rather that their hope has been strengthened. This aside is irrelevant to Paul's argument, which is concerned with the grounding of our confidence in God. It appears that a marginal reflection has been copied into the main text by a later scribe.
Sufferings have resulted in endurance, says Paul. This has hardened character, which in turn has made possible a more vigorous hope than one might otherwise have had. Of course Paul is not saying that character is the source of our hope, but God's grace, in which we stand, is the source of hope. However, the experience of tribulations rightly sustained can serve to fortify the hope they seem determined to destroy.
In verse 5 Paul returns to the main theme, affirming that our hope does not disappoint us (literally, "does not make us ashamed"). The reason it does not make us ashamed is that God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The Greek says "the love of God," which is ambiguous, but the RSV rightly says "God's love has been poured out ..." The meaning is God's love for us, not our love for God. Note that this love is not just a fact about God which is recognized, but is the very reality of God conveyed and realized, poured into our hearts. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on those who believe (Joel 2:281) and God's Spirit gives knowledge of God's love. The human heart is the part that receives comfort, knowledge and assurance. For example, Isaiah 40:2, translated "speak tenderly to Jerusalem," says literally "speak to the heart of Jersualem."
Realize that in this verse 5 there is a virtual identification of "this grace" and "the love of God" and "the Holy Spirit." The Spirit of God is the supernaturally-given essential life of the community, a life given in terms of God's love poured into our hearts.
Reflect on the hierarchy of terms here: the first and most important is God's love, also referred to as "this grace." It is almost identified with the Holy Spirit. God's love manifests itself in God's act of justifying us and offers itself to us as the Spirit who breathes new life into human beings. God gives his own life to us. Faith is the human response to God's love. Faith is the channel by which we accept in humility and trust what God offers us. Peace is the result of this response of faith to God's justifying act. Hope is our confident expectation that the same God who began a good work in us will complete it. Understand that each of these terms will appear again and again in this section of Paul's discourse on justification and its results.
John 16:12-15
This is the fifth Paraclete saying in the farewell discourse of Jesus. The thrust of this pericope is the guidance of the Spirit into the full truth about the historic Jesus. The Spirit will glorify Jesus, meaning that he will reveal the essential nature of Jesus. The Spirit's authority is the same as that on which Jesus has relied in all his other teachings and the substance of the Spirit's teaching will be the same as that of Jesus. "For he will take what is mine and declare it to you," says Jesus. And in doing this he will glorify Jesus. Earlier, in 12:28, we were told that the Son's words and works glorified the Father, revealing his nature and purpose. Even so, the glory of the Son will be made known after his Ascension, through the ministry of the Paraclete. Earlier Jesus had declared that his passion and death are the supreme evidence of his complete obedience to the Father's will. Jesus' death on the Cross is the climax of the revelation of the incarnate Logos (related to Wisdom). However, this truth had not been grasped by the disciples.
The Spirit will complete the unfinished training of the twelve. But in addition to all this, the Spirit will declare to them the things that are yet to come. So the Spirit is the Spirit of prophecy. In the midst of all the suffering and death of Christians under persecution, there would be the Spirit to inspire Christian leaders with the vision of the Lamb seated upon the throne, having won the victory over sin, death and the powers of evil. The seated Lamb is the symbol of the victory of the Cross.
In light of the fact that there is no formal doctrine of the Trinity in Scripture, it seems appropriate to include at this point a contemporary expression of this key doctrine, an expression in terms of God's saving actions and human experience of God. The preacher may find the following suggestive for developing the sermon on the Trinity:
The Spirit is one with the Father and the Son.
In the presence of the Holy Spirit
the first Christians experienced God's own presence,
not a power different from God or less than God.
In Jesus Christ they met God himself,
not a second God or one who is only like God.
Yet they worshiped with the people of Israel
one God alone.
Reflecting on this mystery,
the ancient church formulated the doctrine of the Trinity.
We believe with the church through the centuries
that God is what he has shown himself to be in his story with his people:
One God who is the Creator and Sustained,
the Savior and Lord,
The Giver of life within, among, and beyond us.
We affirm the unity of God's being and work.
We may not separate the work of God as Creator
from the work of God as Redeemer.
We may not set the Son's love against the Father's justice.
We may not value the Holy Spirit's work
above the work of the Father and Son.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God.
We affirm richness and variety in God's being and work.
We may not deny the real distinctions in God's unity.
In his eternal being and in all his activity,
the one God is always and at the same time
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
(Pp. 159-160, The Proposed Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S., 1976).
Theological Reflections
The Proverbs reading centers on Wisdom as an attribute of God shown in creation. She is an activity of God metaphorically endowed with speech. The Romans and John passages contain references to God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and their roles in salvation. The role of the Spirit of truth, in guiding disciples into all truth as he speaks for the Father and Son, is stressed in the John passage. The Spirit takes what is Jesus' and declares it to the disciples.
Homiletical Moves
Proverbs 8:22-31
Wisdom, God's Attribute at Creation
1. God created wisdom at the beginning of his work
2. Wisdom was with God before the beginning of the earth
3. Like a master worker, Wisdom was God's daily delight
4. Wisdom is like a prophetess who rejoiced before God always
5. Seek wisdom, for from her mouth comes what is right and she utters truth
Romans 5:1-5
God's Love Has Been Poured Into Our Hearts Through the Holy Spirit!
1. We are justified by faith in God
2. Therefore we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
3. We rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God
4. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that it produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope - and hope does not disappoint us
5. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us
6. Let us live by faith, rejoicing in our hope of sharing the glory of God
This Preacher's Preference
John 16:12-15
The Spirit of Truth Will Guide Us
1. Jesus tells the disciples he has many things to tell them but they cannot bear them now
2. The Spirit will guide them into all truth
3. The Spirit speaks what he hears and declares the things that are to come
4. The Spirit will glorify Jesus, for he will take what is Jesus' and declare it to the disciples
5. Let us listen to the Spirit as he guides us into all the truth, and the truth shall make us free
The preacher may want to develop the sermon as a doctrinal sermon, following the guidance of Donald Baillie in his classic God was in Christ, chapter VI, especially pages 140-147. See also On Being A Christian by Hans Kiing, and The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann, for further insights into the doctrine of the Trinity for today. Baille suggests that we can best understand the Trinity in terms of the work of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the process of salvation. The preacher may want to conclude the sermon by asking the congregation to join in singing its faith in the words of either the "Gloria" or "The Doxology." The sermon may present God as the living, powerful, moving divine being who acts as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the drama of salvation. Thus the sermon presents the Trinity, not as an abstract philosophical proposition but as a living, dynamic Being who is beyond human knowledge but who has chosen to reveal himself in human history in Jesus Christ, attested to by the Holy spirit.
Hymn for Trinity Sunday: Holy, Holy, Holy, or
Come, Thou Almighty King
Prayer:
Holy God, we praise you for revealing yourself to us in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We join with Christians around the world to sing our faith and praise you as the God of redeeming love. We pray for a greater measure of wisdom, that we may follow your guidance. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and grant us peace with you, since we are justified by faith. Amen
