Below please find the manuscript and video from last Thursday night's worship service. Though I hadn't originally planned to preach over the 'Trinity' on the following Sunday, I ended up preaching over the Trinity. I am want to change my mind on sermons and sermon topics after all.
I've also linked below the sermon I gave two years ago about the 'Trinity'. It's linked as a reference for anyone wishing to know more about how I personally understand the concept of the Holy Trinity.
Be a blessing to someone today!
In Christ,
Roy
This coming Sunday will be 'Trinity Sunday', now neither tonight nor Sunday am I planning to dive too deeply into the Theology of the Trinity. Two years ago, I gave a sermon over the Trinity and if you'd like to know more about that I'd refer you to that sermon which is available on Youtube and in my blog post I will provide a link to that sermon. Please take a listen to it, though it was a sermon given outside so you'll have to forgive the sound quality a little bit.
Tonight we're going to look at the verses found in Romans 5:1-5, that I just read for you all. Please allow me to read them again and I am also going to show them on the screen:
Romans 5:1-5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Results of Justification
5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access[b] to this grace in which we stand; and we[c] boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we[d] also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Footnotes:
a) Romans 5:1 Other ancient authorities read let us
b) Romans 5:2 Other ancient authorities add by faith
c) Romans 5:2 Or let us
d) Romans 5:3 Or let us
My only diversion in this sermon into the concept of the Trinity is to point out that Paul's belief in the Trinity is on display here. We see in these five verses three references to God, one direct reference to Christ along with an indirect reference, and finally, we are told that God's love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Truly, the Spirit is within us... if only we would listen more attentively.
So the Trinity is there in these words of Paul in Romans. Jesus and the Spirit are both identified as being vital components of our ability to know the peace and the love of God. The roles of Christ and the Spirit are both discussed in these five short verses.
But, let's move on... I do, however, want to point something out about the translation in the NRSV. In verse two we read the following; 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
The problem here is that the word 'sharing', is not there in the Greek. For whatever reason, the Translators of the RSV inserted the word 'sharing' and the NRSV continued that tradition. I don't know if any other translations use this word but if one references the Greek interlinear, it's just not there.
| 1223 [e] 2 di’ 2 δι’ 2 through 2 Prep |
| 3739 [e] hou οὗ whom RelPro-GMS |
| 2532 [e] kai καὶ also Conj |
| 3588 [e] tēn τὴν - Art-AFS |
| 4318 [e] prosagōgēn προσαγωγὴν access N-AFS |
| 2192 [e] eschēkamen ἐσχήκαμεν we have V-RIA-1P |
| 3588 [e] tē τῇ by the Art-DFS |
| 4102 [e] pistei πίστει faith N-DFS |
| 1519 [e] eis εἰς into Prep |
| 3588 [e] tēn τὴν the Art-AFS |
| 5485 [e] charin χάριν grace N-AFS |
| 3778 [e] tautēn ταύτην this DPro-AFS |
| 1722 [e] en ἐν in Prep |
| 3739 [e] hē ᾗ which RelPro-DFS |
| 2476 [e] hestēkamen ἑστήκαμεν ; we stand V-RIA-1P |
| 2532 [e] kai καὶ and Conj |
| 2744 [e] kauchōmetha καυχώμεθα we boast V-PIM/P-1P |
| 1909 [e] ep’ ἐπ’ in Prep |
| 1680 [e] elpidi ἐλπίδι hope N-DFS |
| 3588 [e] tēs τῆς of the Art-GFS |
| 1391 [e] doxēs δόξης glory N-GFS |
| 3588 [e] tou τοῦ - Art-GMS |
| 2316 [e] Theou Θεοῦ . of God N-GMS |
Young's Literal Translation records it as such; 2 through whom also we have the access by the faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast on the hope of the glory of God.
Though I have a great fondness for both the RSV and the NRSV, this translation is a seriously poor one in my opinion. Both place into the mouth of Paul a hope that we all can 'share' in the glory of God. Folks, we do not... we will never... share God's glory. We can experience this glory, we can witness this glory... but... we are not co-equal to God and thus His glory is not something that we share with Him. There is a difference... we can boast about the glory of God, we can hope to see and witness this glory... but, we will never share in it. This is, in my opinion, a serious issue with the translation in the RSV and NRSV. This is a prime example of the danger of translation, the insertion here of one word... a word that is not there in the Greek... nor is it implied either... and its addition creates the potential for some very, very bad Theology.
Now, on to our 'justification'. Right away in verse one, we are told that we are 'justified' by our faith, thus obtaining the peace of God... and then at the beginning of verse two, we are told that we have gained access to this grace through Christ. By the workings of Christ, we have not only gained justification but by His sacrifice, we have been made righteous in God's sight and we have been sanctified as well.
Let's look at the meaning of these words and the blessing and grace that they hold for us.
Justified - adjective
1. having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason.
"the doctors were justified in treating her"
2. THEOLOGY - declared or made righteous in the sight of God.
Righteous - adjective
1. (of a person or conduct) morally right or justifiable; virtuous.
"feelings of righteous indignation about pay and conditions"
synonyms: good, virtuous, upright, upstanding, decent, worthy; More
2. INFORMAL • USA
very good; excellent. "righteous bread pudding"
Sanctify - verb
1) to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate.
2) to purify or free from sin: Sanctify your hearts.
3) to impart religious sanction to; render legitimate or binding:
to sanctify a vow.
4) to entitle to reverence or respect.
5) to make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing.
Through the sacrifice, the life, death, and life again of Christ, we are all justified before God. We have been declared righteous, virtuous, upright, decent... worthy. We have been purified and sanctified with the love of God Himself:
John 3:16-17 Revised Standard Version (RSV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Through Jesus, who was and is the Christ, we have the hope... and remember that when we say hope here it's not like gosh... I hope I get a passing grade on my test... no, it's the faith that we have in the grace obtained for us by Christ... through Christ, we have faith that we will one day witness the full glory of God the Father.
Because we have this faith of this coming glory, we are able to gain through the hardships of this life here in this world. The pain and suffering of our lives will not and cannot make us weaker... rather we gain strength through all that life throws at us by our faith that through Jesus we have been made righteous in the eyes of God and we are worthy of receiving His grace and witnessing His glory.
Praise be to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...
Amen.
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