The Saturday within the Octave of the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Posted on June 6, 2026 by under
Scripture: Acts 16:9-15 (NKJV)
16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Devotion
Because there is one God, the Trinity is one in purpose and in message. The term, “charismaticism” refers to the belief that the Holy Spirit comes directly to individuals without God’s Word and emphasizes miraculous powers “out of the blue”, as it were. St. Paul disproves charismaticism by saying, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). But another problem with charismaticism is that it falsely separates the Persons of the Divine Trinity. Jesus explains the work of the Holy Spirit thus: “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak,” and “He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-14). In other words, the Holy Spirit will not teach something that is not already taught in Scripture. If He did, there would be two messages, not one, and thus two—or even three—gods.
In today’s text, the Holy Spirit sends St. Paul a vision that he should preach in Macedonia. The Holy Spirit could have taught the Macedonians Himself through similar visions. But He doesn’t. He teaches the Macedonians through the preaching of St. Paul. For the Christ had called St. Paul to this work, and the Holy Spirit will not oppose what the Son has commanded. Rather, because there is one God, the Trinity is one in purpose.
Collect: Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hast given unto us, Thy servants, grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst keep us steadfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities; Who livest and reignest, One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
