Baptize all the World: 7 June, 2020

Matthew 28:16-20

The disciples and Jesus are gathered in Galilee on a mountain (this is where theophonic experiences or encounters with the divine often take place) poised for something new. It is from here that Jesus sends out the disciples to “to all nations” which implies gentiles. They are to carry forth the ministry of Jesus.

In verse 18, Matthew affirms his picture of Jesus as the Lord to whom has been given all power and authority and who will always be with the disciples to the end of the world. Specifically the disciples are to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This tripartite formula probably has a liturgical origin in baptism. Again, this formula is a far cry from a developed notion of the Trinity. For example, there is no sense here that Jesus is equal to the Father. Note that it is God that gives authority to Jesus and so affirms his role as the Messiah (v 18). The disciples are to be teachers (v 20). The gospel of Matthew is arranged as a series of teachings and it is these that the disciples will carry to the nations. –– Jeffrey Galbraith

Genesis 1:1––2:4a

This account bears some similarities to the Babylonian creation account, enuma elish, but there are notable differences. In particular, unlike the enuma elish, the Genesis account posits no conflict, does not relate the birth of the gods, nor does it suggest that humankind was created to serve the gods. While many readers are familiar with the opening words of Genesis as “In the beginning God created . . . ,” many may not be aware that the preferred translation (cf NAB and NRSV), is “In the beginning, when God created...” This translation implies further that for the writer there was no “creation out of nothing,” but rather God brought order out of chaos.

It is interesting to observe that the term for a watery chaos ( page2image1045079200) bears a striking similarity to Tiamat of the Babylonian creation myth, from whom the world was created. The term for create ( page2image1045090000) is reserved for God, who creates by the word, that is, God speaks and it happens. The reference to the Spirit of God in verse 2 is best understood as the wind of God, not a distinct being. Now although some have found a reference to the trinity in verses 1–3 (God, Spirit, Light), this is untenable. The highlight of the majestic poem is the creation of humankind in the image of God. –– Jeffrey Galbraith

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Of course, the interest in this pericope for Trinity Sunday is the supposed reference to the Trinity found in verse 13. While it is clear that Paul does refer to God, Jesus, and the Spirit, in words that are familiar to every churchgoer, it does not follow that Paul had any notion of the Trinity as it was to develop in the following centuries. For example, Jesus is not referred to as the “Son,” but the Lord. God is not referred to as “Father,” but the source of love, and the Spirit is not a distinct being, but rather is the source of community. –– Jeffrey Galbraith

Jeffrey Galbraith is pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Greenfield, MA, and a professor of business administration at Greenfield Community College.

Homily Service 41, no. 3 (2008): 15-23