Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: John 3,1-8. Holy Trinity

John 3,1-8 3321

Trinitatis 045

Felix, Bishop of Rome, Martyr 274

30. Mai 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father: We poor sinners confess that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing, and that, left to ourselves, we die and perish in sin, since that which is born of the flesh is flesh and cannot see the kingdom of God. But we beseech Thee: Grant us Thy grace and mercy, and for the sake of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, send Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that being regenerate, we may firmly believe the forgiveness of sins, according to Thy promise in baptism; and that we may daily increase in brotherly love, and in other good works, until we at last obtain eternal salvation. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man went to Jesusby night and said to Him: „Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.“ Jesus answered him: „Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born againhe cannot see the reign of God.“ Nicodemus said to Him: „How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?“ Jesus answered: „Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the reign of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.Do not marvel that I said to you: ‘You must be born again.’ The windblows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is sent from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.“«

3. The Trinitarian nature of God is found throughout the Scriptures. In John 1 the apostle talks about 2 people: the Word and God the Father, and it is clear that this Word is also God. In chapter 3, the apostle records a discussion Jesus had with the Pharisee Nicodemus where He mentions God the Father and the Spirit, and it is clear here as well that the Spirit is also God Nicodemus does not correct Jesus when He says this, for there is a Trinitarian-likeunderstanding of God in 1. century Judaism.

4. In Genesis 1, at Creation, there is God the Father and the Spirit of God. Throughout the Old Testament Yahweh, the Angel of Yahweh and the Spirit of Yahweh appear; each is a distinct person of God and each our worship as God. It is clear that Yahweh is the Father, the Angel of Yahweh is the Son and the Spirit of Yahweh is the Holy Spirit. Luther writes in his commentary on Genesis 35,7: „The [Patriarchs] had the knowledge and faith concerning the Deity which we teach today. It is foolish to object that the doctrine of the Trinity was nowhere promulgated in the Old Testament, when it is manifest from so many passages that the Godly men at that time also concluded that there was a plurality of Persons in the Godhead“ (Luther 250).

5. „Thus the Old Testament unmistakably teaches the divine personality of the Son and the Spirit by ascribing to each of them divine names, properties and works. It is therefore only natural to regard also those passages as a reference to the Trinity a) in which God speaks of Himself in the plural (Genesis 1,26; 3,22; 11,7), and b) in which God is worshipped in a threefold hymn of petition of praise, e. g., the Aaronic blessing [Yahweh bless you and keep you; Yahweh make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.] (Numbers 6,24-26), which significantly is followed by the explanation: ‘They shall put my name upon Israel’ (v. 27), and the Trisagion [Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!] (Isaiah 6,3) (Pieper 395).

6. The word „trinity“ does not occur in the Scriptures, but the doctrine of the Trinity is there. Tertullian (ad 155-220) is credited with being the first theologian to use this term, trinity, to describe the God of the Bible, and he did based on the nature of God revealed in the Great Commission: »Jesus said: „Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age“« (Matthew 28,19-20). The earliest Church Fathers confessed the Scriptural doctrine of the Trinity. There is the aforementioned Tertullian. Ignatius (ad 30-107): Since, also, there is but one unbegotten being, God, even the Father; the one only begotten Son, God, the Word and man; and one Comforter, the Spirit of Truth; and also one preaching, and one faith, and one Baptism (Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians, Chapter 4). Justin Martyr (ad 110-65): For, in the Name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water (The First Apology, Chapter 61). Irenaeus (ad 120-202): The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the Prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the Passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father to gather all things in one (Against Heresies I,10).

7. Tertullian writes: As if in this way also one were not All, in that All are of One, by unity (that is) of substance; while the mystery of the dispensation is still guarded, which distributes the Unity into a Trinity, placing in their order the three Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: three, however, not in condition, but in degree; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in aspect; yet of one substance, and of one condition, and of one power, inasmuch as He is one God, from whom these degrees and forms and aspects are reckoned, under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. How they are susceptible of number without division, will be shown as our treatise proceeds (Against Praxeas Chapter 2). And again: For the very Church herself is, properly and principally, the Spirit Himself, in whom is the Trinity of the One Divinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (The Spirit) combines that Church which the Lord has made to consist in „three.“ (On Modesty Chapter 21). We see how the Athanasian Creed speaks about the Trinity and develops Tertullian‘s wording/description.

8. [Trinity] expresses the Church’s faith as well as can be done in human language, for the word Trinity conveys the Christian knowledge of God, namely, that the Divine Majesty is three distinct Persons in one divine essence. (St. Louis XII:628 f.) ... The term person is employed ... for it clearly sets forth that in the one God there are three individual personal agents („Ich“), or self-subsisting subjects („Selbstaendige“) (Pieper 408-09).

9. Johann Gerhard (1582-1637), an early 17. century Lutheran theologian, once preached: We believe, teach and confess that God is 3 distinct Persons and 1 indivisible Essence. This one true God is merciful, all wise, all powerful and just (Gerhard 15-16). „This was the inexpressible will of God, to send His only Son into the world to redeem us. We were villains, but nonetheless He sent Christ His Son for the sake of such villains. We were enemies of God, yet He sent Christ, His most precious possession, for the sake of such enemies. We had gone astray and were unaware of our great affliction, and even less in search of help; but God came to our aid without our desiring it. We had fled from Him, but He has called us back. This must, indeed, be great love. His beloved Son came into the world, suffered death for our sins, gave His Father perfect obedience, was lifted onto the wooden cross like the brass serpent, and thereby obtained the forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, righteousness and eternal bliss. And thus the lost treasure has been restored“ (Gerhard 19).

10. The true, Christian Church worships the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We worship this Triune God because this Triune God has worked out our redemption from all sin and brought us eternal life and salvation. God the Father sent His Son Jesus Christ into this fallen world. The Son of God merited the world’s salvation by suffering, dying and rising again. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, speaking through the Prophetic and Apostolic Scriptures, and through those Scriptures reminds us of all that Christ has done and said. In the Baptismal font the Triune God saved us by washing away our sins. This is the work of God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At that Baptismal font each of us first confessed the Triune nature of God, and thus we confess that very essence of the Trinity today in our Divine Service, in remembering our Baptism, and in the Athanasian Creed, all of which affirm and teach that we are saved by the work and power of the Triune God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. „There are Three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these Three are One“ (Löhe 356 §12) and they bear witness to the one way and means of salvation: through the vicarious sacrifice of the Son who was sent by the Father and who is testified by the Spirit as the world’s savior (der Welt Heiland). Amen.

11. Let us pray. Blessed are You, O Lord God of our fathers, and greatly to be praised and glorified forever. For in Your infinite majesty and wisdom You did show grace and favor upon Your fallen human creation, redeemed us, and sanctified us; may we ever worship You thus, for in worshipping we believe and in believing we hold fast to the gospel that proclaims that we are restored in everlasting fellowship with You, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: 3 Persons yet1 God. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Saturday, June 5, 2021

John 3,1-8. Holy Trinity

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