148 Peace, hope and suffering in Rom 5

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 this 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: https://youtu.be/5FtNqUXOQEo

And the written commentary for John 16 is here: https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/the-trinity-and-john-16/