The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday, June 15, 2025

A word of encouragement:

Most of our congregations have heard the gospel stories preached again and again over the years. While the good news is always fresh, the good news is found throughout Scripture. If you (like me) tend toward the gospels, why not try to dip into the good news found in Paul’s letter to the Romans?

Background and Historical Setting

Paul probably wrote the letter to the Romans while he was in the city of Corinth, near the end of his third missionary journey, around 56–57 CE. Several clues in the text support this: Paul mentions individuals such as Phoebe, Gaius, and Erastus, all of whom were associated with Corinth or its port city, Cenchreae. Additionally, Paul was preparing to travel to Jerusalem with an offering collected from the Gentile churches at the time, which aligns with the timeline and location described in Acts and his own letters.

At the time, Rome was the bustling, multicultural capital of the Roman Empire which extended from the British Isles across much of Europe into what we call the Middle East and across the northern part of the African continent from sea to sea. Rome and the Empire were ruled at that time by Emperor Nero, who had ascended to the throne in 54 CE. Rome itself hosted a diverse population, including many Jews and an emerging Christian community composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers. Social life in Rome was highly stratified, with clear distinctions between citizens, freedmen, and slaves. Daily life was shaped by one’s status, wealth, and connections.

At the time of Paul’s letter, Rome was enjoying relative stability and prosperity, but underlying tensions existed. Nero’s early reign was marked by positive reforms and helpful public works, but also by growing intrigue and the beginnings of later instability. About a decade before Paul’s letter, Emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome, and although many had returned by the time Paul wrote, the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities were still navigating tensions and questions of identity and leadership.

Religiously, Rome was also very diverse, with traditional Roman gods, emperor worship, and a growing number of foreign religions like Judaism and Christianity. Christianity was not yet officially persecuted that would begin after the Great Fire of Rome. Nero’s infamous persecution would not occur until 64 CE. So, when Paul is writing, the nascent Christian community was still figuring itself out and figuring out what relationship it would have with the Jewish community in Rome.

Paul’s letter to the Romans seems to address a mixed Jewish and Gentile congregation in Rome, to help them navigate tensions over law, grace, and communal unity. Romans 5:1-5 sits within Paul’s broader argument about the nature of salvation and the superfluous nature of law for Gentiles (but not for Jews). Our section for this Sunday picks up at the end of a long discussion on the nature of salvation using Abraham as an example of salvation through faith. Paul points out that Abraham was ‘saved’ before he ever engaged in any of the law that God gave (including circumcision) because he was faithful/trusted God. Paul extends that to any believer. God will save those who trust/have faith in God regardless of their adherence to the law like God did for Abraham. Our verses for today function as the summation of this argument and the transition to his next argument about the nature of sin and Jesus’ role in salvation.

There are a few translation ‘issues’ to be aware of:

1. “We have peace with God” (v. 1)

• Greek: ἔχομεν (echomen) can be translated as either “we have” (indicative) or “let us have” (subjunctive).
• Issue: Some Greek manuscripts read ἔχωμεν (echōmen, subjunctive), which would mean “let us have peace with God.” Most modern translations prefer the indicative (“we have”), emphasizing an accomplished fact rather than an exhortation.
• Preaching Tip: The difference affects whether Paul is declaring a present reality or urging believers to enter into peace. Most scholars and translations take it as a statement of fact: “we have peace with God.”

2. “Access by faith” (v. 2)

• Greek: προσαγωγήν (prosagōgēn) means “access” or “introduction.”
• Issue: The word can suggest being brought into the presence of royalty or a deity, emphasizing the privilege and confidence believers now have. Some translations use “introduction,” but “access” is more common.
• Preaching Tip: Highlight the relational and ongoing aspect of this access, not a one-time event.

3. “Boast” or “Rejoice” (vv. 2-3)

• Greek: καυχώμεθα (kauchōmetha) can mean “boast,” “rejoice,” or “exult.”
• Issue: “Boast” can have a negative connotation in English, but Paul uses it here in a positive sense—confidence or joyful assurance. Some translations use “rejoice” or “exult” to avoid misunderstanding.
• Preaching Tip: Clarify that this is not arrogant boasting but confident joy in God’s work.

4. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts” (v. 5)

• Greek: ἐκκέχυται (ekkechytai) is a perfect tense verb, meaning “has been poured out and remains.”
• Issue: The perfect tense stresses the ongoing effect of God’s love being poured out by the Holy Spirit. Some translations may not capture the enduring nature of this action.
• Preaching Tip: God’s love is not just a past event; it is a present and continuing reality.

5. “Through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (v. 5)

• Greek: τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν (tou dothentos hēmin) is a participle, “having been given to us.”
• Issue: The phrase emphasizes the Spirit as the agent and ongoing presence of God’s love.
• Preaching Tip: The Spirit is not a one-time gift but an abiding presence.

Most of these notables point our attention to Paul’s message declaring not simply a present reality, but an invitation to on-going participation in God’s ceaseless action in the world for us.

Trinity

Once again, a few verses hold an enormous amount of good news.

Let’s begin with a discussion of the Trinity. Here Paul discusses God, Jesus, and the Spirit.  It seems appropriate that this is a text used for Trinity Sunday. This passage in particular can lead the unsuspecting and incautious to fall into one of the common Trinity errors. This error conflates the Father with God and then subordinates Jesus and the Spirit. This is not to say that Paul is in error, rather those who do not engage in careful readings can fall into misunderstanding Christian doctrine and inadvertently advocate for polytheism. If the Father is thought of and discussed as God rather than the Father, the first person of the Trinity, then the son and the spirit get a subordinate status as not quite all the way God. This is soft polytheism and it is contrary to accepted Christian doctrine. Tread carefully, preacher, to be sure in your discussion that the Father is not equated with God and the other members left in a kind of limbo of being God but not quite. Paul, for his part, does not seem to have fallen into the soft polytheism way of thinking. He does indeed seem to mean God as the whole godhead rather than the Father. Note also that Trinitarian doctrine is not yet established—that comes in 325CE at the Council of Nicaea. Paul’s writing is 300 years removed from what will eventually become orthodox Christian thought, so we can forgive him if his language is not as precise or technical as we would hope. This is why we have an educated clergy: so we can help our congregations navigate these complex issues.

The heart of Trinitarian doctrine points to the internal relationality of the nature of the divine. This is a truth about God that process-relational thinkers often whole-heartedly support. If you would rather not attempt to give a technical explanation of Trinity, it may be helpful to lean into the importance of God’s fundamental relationality exemplified in the Trinity.

Justification as relational harmony (v.1):

“Justified by faith, we have peace with God”: Process-relational theology sees “justification” not as a legal transaction but as restoration of right relationship. God’s aim is to harmonize all creation, inviting humanity into collaborative shalom (peace) that transcends static “sin management.” The Father’s initiating love, the Son’s embodied solidarity, and the Spirit’s indwelling presence work synergistically to heal alienation.

Suffering and Creative Transformation (vv. 3-4)

“We boast in our sufferings… suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope”: Process-relational theology rejects the notion that God ordains suffering but affirms that God works within it to invite and woo creation toward greater complexity and beauty. While some suffering can be and is irredeemable, suffering that can be, becomes a crucible for growth when met with divine empathy.

The cross reveals God’s vulnerability—the Son suffers with creation, the Spirit groans in solidarity (Rom 8:26), and the Father persists in redeeming brokenness. It also reveals God’s steadfast refusal to allow evil and sin to have the last word in this world. In the case of Jesus, resurrection and ascension ARE God’s answer to human brokenness, sin, and evil.

Hope as Eschatological Welcome (v. 5)

“Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit”: The Spirit is God’s “divine invitation,” infusing creation with anticipatory hope. Hope here is not passive waiting but active participation in God’s aim for cosmic renewal. The Trinity models a community of mutual indwelling (perichoresis), where love flows freely between Persons, inviting creation into this dance of interdependence.

Possible Sermon Illustration:

Several years ago, I went through a season that tested me in ways I never expected. I lost a job I loved, and with it, my sense of purpose and most importantly, security. Each day felt heavy with uncertainty and disappointment, fear for how I would take care of two small boys on my own. At first, I wanted to hide my struggle, feeling embarrassed by my failure. But as the weeks went on, I found myself leaning more on God and reaching out to friends and family for prayer and support. I began to notice small ways God was sustaining me—unexpected encouragement from a friend, a new opportunity to serve at church, and a growing sense of resilience in my spirit.

Looking back, I see how that season of affliction produced endurance in me. I learned to keep going, even when things didn’t improve right away. That endurance, in turn, shaped my character. I became more compassionate toward others who were struggling, and more honest about my own weaknesses. And through it all, hope grew—not a shallow optimism, but a deep trust that God was shaping me for something more, and that His glory could shine even in my weakness.

Now, when I encourage others who are going through hard times, I can honestly say I “boast” in what God did through my affliction—not because the pain was good, but because God is good, and I was not abandoned to my difficulties. God was present at every point, inviting me to take the small steps that would lead to the good God envisions for me. That season to produced endurance, character, and a hope that has not disappointed me. It has encouraged me to rely more closely on God who will show me the best way forward and will be there to pick me up and dust me off if ever I run into such a difficult season again. I have this hope because the nature of God, in the divine self, is one of mutual relationship. Since that is who God fundamentally is, then I too get to be in relationship with God. This is hope.

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Rev. Dr. Torbitzky received her doctorate from Claremont Graduate University and her Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She serves as Chaplain of Lindenwood University and faculty in the Philosophy and Religion Department. Torbitzky recently co-edited a volume on Open, Relational, and Process preaching and practice, Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God. She edits the Process and Faith lectionary commentary series.