Trinity Day Conference in Swansea (update)

Conference update: The starting time is 10 am, not 10.30 am. My apologies.

Here are the details for the next Trinity Day Conference hosted by Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Swansea. The church building is just a short walk from the train station and a slightly longer one from the bus station.

Trinity Day

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Swansea

Saturday 30th January

10am-3pm

Cost: £10

Crèche facilities and lunch provided

Speakers and subjects:

Stuart Olyott "Why doctrine matters"

Mike Reeves "The Trinity in the writings" and "The Trinity in the gospels"

Martin Downes "Fighting to keep the Trinity clear"

Please book with Jo Smallacoombe by calling the church office: 01792 412128

Earlier this week the pastor Steve Levy caught up with Mike Reeves and asked him a few questions about the Trinity:

Levy: How important is the Trinity?

Reeves: I’m not sure what could be more important. Right from creation, the one true God has taught that he exists as three persons – so absolutely one being, but three persons, Father, Son and Spirit. Now not only does that absolutely distinguish the true God from all idols, it also provides the only logic for true good news. Only so can I be filled with the Spirit and find myself brought before the Father by the Son. In other words, it is only because God is Triune that I can be adopted as a son of God in the Son; only so can I have any assurance; only so can I approach the heavenly throne with boldness.

And that’s why historically Christians have been so eager to uphold the doctrine of the Trinity. Look at the creeds: they’re shaped around the Triune nature of God. ‘We believe in one God, the Father’ and ‘in one Lord Jesus Christ’ who is ‘of one substance with the Father’ and in the Spirit who proceeds from them both. One essence, three persons: it’s what makes our gospel Christian; it’s what makes our gospel good news.

So I’m really looking forward to Martin’s talk on the history of Trinitarianism, because it’s the most stirring story of bold fighting for true good news.

Levy: How, briefly, would you define the Trinity?

Reeves: The God of the Bible is not a solitary person like Allah; if he were, he would not be intrinsically loving (all on his own for eternity, who could he love?). But God the Father eternally begets the Son, a distinct person from the Father. And from them both eternally proceeds the Spirit. So, while Allah must remain eternally distant from his creatures, we can truly know this God: the Son is the express image of the Father. More, we can have God the Spirit in our hearts and so cry ‘Abba’!

Levy: So why are you excited about speaking on the Trinity?

Reeves: John Calvin said that our human nature is like a perpetual factory of idols, and what that means for the Christian is that everyday our sinful minds warp and obscure the happy truth about the living God. Quickly we replace it with dreary, unattractive and offensive images of him, and thus our hearts grow cold towards him. But when we hold up the revelation of who this God really is, then hearts are set on fire and religious drudgery gives way to awe, love and joy. I can’t wait!