Stephen Jones — Triniteitsleer
b1 — Creation’s Jubilee
Economische triniteit via drie tijdperken
Jones beschrijft op het “corporate level” (Level Two) drie opeenvolgende bedelingen/kerken die elk overeenkomen met één van de drie grote feesten van Israël:
“The Passover-Age Church, or Kingdom, began with Moses at that first Passover, when Israel came out of Egypt. […] It was an era where the Holy Spirit was WITH the people, but not IN them.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
“The second Church is the Pentecostal-Age Church, which began seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, when the Spirit of God was sent on the day of Pentecost. On this day God renewed the Kingdom by giving it greater power and placing the Holy Spirit within the people.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
“The third Church is the Tabernacles Age Church. At the beginning of this age God will pour out the fullness of His Spirit upon the overcomers.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
Interpretatie: Jones structureert de heilsgeschiedenis in drie opeenvolgende bedelingen die corresponderen met drie modi van aanwezigheid van de Geest: BIJ (Pascha-era), IN (Pinksteren-era), VOLLEDIG (Loofhutten-era). De drie feesten corresponderen functioneel met de drie trinitarische Personen als historische handelende instanties — maar Jones gebruikt geen expliciete trinitarische terminologie hiervoor.
Geest BIJ / IN / VOLLEDIG
Jones werkt de driefasige Geest-aanwezigheid ook uit via het beeld van Noach’s duif (Appendix 2):
“The fact that Noah sent the dove out three times speaks of the three times that the Holy Spirit was to be sent into the earth in history.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Appendix 2
“The first occasion speaks of the first Pentecost of the Old Covenant at the foot of Mount Sinai under Moses’ administration. The Holy Spirit was sent, but the people fled in fear […]. The ‘dove found no rest’ amidst the sea of people.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Appendix 2
“The second occasion speaks of the New Covenant at the great Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts. The ‘dove’ in this case had found a single olive sprout in the person of Jesus. […] Yet this was only a tiny portion of the promise, even as an olive sprout was only a little piece of the olive tree.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Appendix 2
“The third occasion speaks of the unlimited fulfillment, when the Spirit shall be poured out upon all flesh. It shall be the greater outpouring, of which the previous one was only an ‘earnest.’ Once sent, the dove shall not return to the ark, which had limited its movements. His glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Appendix 2
Aanvullend via Hoofdstuk 6:
“Pentecost gave us only an ‘earnest’ of the Spirit, a downpayment, rather than the fullness. The NASV calls it a ‘pledge.’ Ephesians 1:13 and 14 says, […] ‘who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession.‘” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
Interpretatie: Jones onderscheidt drie kwalitatief verschillende niveaus van aanwezigheid van de Geest. De terminologie BIJ/IN/VOLLEDIG is redactioneel samenvattend; Jones’ eigen formuleringen zijn “with,” “within,” en “fullness.” Dit sluit aan bij de economische triniteit: de Geest handelt historisch in drie fasen.
Drie oogsten als trinitarische structuur
Jones stelt dat de drie oogstfeesten (gerst/Pascha, tarwe/Pinksteren, druiven/Loofhutten) corresponderen met drie opeenvolgende groepen mensen die worden opgewekt (“squadrons”):
“Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:23, ‘But each in his own order [tagma, or squadron]: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are the Christ’s at His coming.’ […] Paul is saying that we will be raised in three squadrons.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
“The first ‘squadron’ to be raised from the dead are the barley Overcomers; the second is the Church in general, the wheat harvest.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
“Three Levels of Fulfillment. The feast days of Israel prophesy on three levels. Level One is the individual personal level. […] The Feast of Passover is fulfilled in us by our justification by faith […]. The Feast of Pentecost is the next step […] our sanctification. The Feast of Tabernacles is the final step […] the fullness of the Spirit and brings us fully into the promise of perfection.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
Interpretatie: De drie-niveaus-structuur (individueel/corporatief/kosmisch) weerspiegelt een trinitarische heilslogica. Jones koppelt de drie feesten echter niet expliciet aan Vader, Zoon en Geest als afzonderlijke Personen.
Vader-Zoon eschatologie (1 Kor. 15:28)
Jones citeert uitgebreid 1 Kor. 15:24-28 als climax van de derde oogst (druiven):
“Then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. […] And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6 (citaat 1 Kor. 15:24-28 NASB)
Jones’ commentaar:
“Only when death itself is banished from the created universe will God be all in all.” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Hoofdstuk 6
Jones presenteert ook Gregory van Nyssa’s uitleg van 1 Kor. 15:28:
“When we all are free of evil in imitation of the first-fruits, then the whole mass of our nature will be commingled with the first-fruits and we shall become completely one body which accepts the lordship of the good and of that alone. So that the whole body of our human nature will be commingled with the divine and uncompounded nature; and therein will be achieved in us what is called the subjection of the Son — for the subjection which is established in his body is being rightly ascribed to him who makes this grace of subjection effective in us.” — Gregory van Nyssa, geciteerd in Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Appendix 3, §42
Jones’ noot bij §37:
“[NOTE: Gregory here differs from our point of view in that he interprets 1 Cor. 15:23 to mean that Christ is the Firstfruits, followed by ‘Paul’ as an example of those who are Christ’s ‘at the advent.’ Gregory, being a Greek, was apparently somewhat familiar with Israel’s feast days and how they apply to these resurrections.]” — Jones, Creation’s Jubilee, Appendix 3
Interpretatie: Jones onderschrijft de universalistische lezing van “God may be all in all” als eschatologisch einddoel. De “onderwerping van de Zoon” wordt pneumatologisch uitgelegd via Gregory: de Zoon-in-zijn-lichaam (de gemeente) wordt volledig onderworpen wanneer alle mensen zijn gereinigd. Functioneel een economisch-trinitarische eschatologie: de Vader is de eindbestemming, de Zoon het middel, de Geest het instrument van progressieve heiliging.