Aberystwyth Conference 2024 Session 6 (Evening 4)

Stephen Clark spoke again last night, carrying on with Colossians, mostly Chapter 3. It was different to the previous message and with lots of illustrations.

Aberystwyth Conference 2024 Session 5 (Evening 3)

On our third evening we had a third retired man in his sixties. This time, Stephen Clark, formerly at Abersychan, Llandrindod and Bridgend. He now lves in Cyprus. He took us through Colossians 2:6-23 and was helpfully evangelistic. Near the end he used this well known illustration, which Stephen had heard a friends give at a Senior Camp. He said this "It is an imperfect illustration. If you push it all the way you will end up with a monstrously distorted doctrine of the atonement but it was meant to illustrate just one thing, the love of God in Christ Jesus ... it's a true story of a little girl whose mother had horribly deformed hands and this little girl had friends in school. They'd ask her to go to her friends' houses for tea but she never asked any of her friends to come for tea and she didn't ask them because she was ashamed of her mother's hands. This went on for quite some time and then the mother felt she had to deal with it. She said, "You never ask anyone to come here for tea. Why is that?" The girl didn't want to come out with it. She teased it out of her in the end. She said, "yes it's your hands Mum, I don't want my friends to see the awful scarring and shape on your hands. So she said, "I'll tell you why my hands are like this. I wasn't born like it" she said "I had lovely hands but one day the chip pan was on and you were in the kitchen. You came to the chip pan, your hand went up and if that pan had been pulled down you would have been marred for life and I rushed over and put my hands in the way so that you wouldn't be scarred. And that's why my hands are like this. He to rescue us from danger interposed his precious blood. And that's why you and I can go on in the Christian life. Because we've been rooted in Christ, we've been renewed in Christ and most of all we've been redeemed by the blood of the lamb and that is so immense that that will be the theme of Praise forever and ever. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

Westminster Conference 2021

It was good to be in Regent Hall at the Westminster Conference on Monday and Tuesday of this week. We had a few hitches but we came through quite well in the end. Numbers were a little down and we had to resort to a little bit of zoom but it was a live in person conference and a good one at that.

We began with an excellent paper from Andrew Roycroft on Charnock and Regeneration. Andrew has not spoken before but he gave a very good survey and we had a decent discussion to follow. Jeremy Walker chaired. After lunch on that first day we had to use Zoom which was okay, though it cut out at one point both times and first time round interaction between speaker and floor were not easy. The first session was Stephen Clark beaming in from Edinburgh on evangelicalism and the second Phil Haines from Cardiff on the Marrow Controversy. Again a decent discussion was had.

The second day was easier with no zoom needed. Chad van Dixhoorn was unable to be present owing to illness and so Jeremy Walker stepped in to speak helpfully on revival  (the men, the means). We then had an excellent and relevant presentation on the Huguenots by Paul Wells. It was my privilege to give the final paper - on my favourite and yours - Baptist pastor Benjamin Beddome. I also shifted a few copies of the book Glory to the Three Eternal: Tercentennial Essays on the Life and Writings of Benjamin Beddome (1718–1795)

Aberlite 2

We had a similar programme last night from EMW with Stephen Clark preaching on 2 Corinthians 5. Phil Swann's slick presentation, which I had (presumably wrongly) assumed that EMW had arranged was ditched for a much more down home approach. (Perhaps the better for that although I did like the previous set up). Again a woman read the Scriptures and then her husband led in prayer. One more tonight - Ian Parry. See here.

More Thoughts on Religious Experience

It was good to be giving thought to Archibald Alexander's wonderful book once again on Monday. The Westminster Fellowship gathering was led by Stephen Clark a long time fan of the book. We were our usually circa twenty. Good time.

Affinity Study Conference 2019 Final Day

On our final day in Northampton, Stephen Clark gave a final paper on worship and culture and then there was opportunity to ask questions of the speakers. Still disa[[pointed at the lack of reference to angels but there we are.

Example quote from Stephen Clark:

It is surely significant that for all its many words, the Bible does not contain one musical note. In his messages to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus makes no reference at all to the quality of their singing or of their music. He is concerned with their faith, repentance, love, obedience, humility, patience, or the absence of these things. It is here that the emphasis has always been placed in God’s Word, both in the Old and in the New Testament.

Very helpful conference then. Good to meet old friends.

Westminster Conference 2017 Day One

About 120 of us gathered once again at the Regent Hall in Oxford Street for the Westminster Conference. Stephen Clark kicked us off with a fairly comprehensive and persuasive exposition of Word and Spirit touching on regeneration, assurance, guidance an other matters seeking to demonstrate the independence of the Spirit with regard to God's Word. With supporting quotations from Edwards, Murray et al I was more convinced than ever that this is a biblical approach. Some found the long paper hard work and certainly anyone unfamiliar with the arguments might have struggled. Robert Striven chaired and we had a worthwhile discussion on assurance.

Dovetailing neatly with the first session we had a paper in the afternoon from Guy Davies on the felt presence of God, majoring on Thomas Goodwin but including references to Owen. I chaired. I did fear there wold be nothing more to discuss after the morning session but we were able to discuss quite profitably God's felt presence and whether it should be sought. There is some divergence among us but a general unity.

The final paper was slightly different as we went back to Calvin and Reformed liturgy with Andy Young. This was again a useful paper and a good discussion under the strict chairmanship of Jeremy Walker. Inevitably one or two exclusive psalm singers felt obliged to make their points but otherwise we seemed to be able to help one another at the end of what had been a very good day.

Here's a quote from Thomas Goodwin I enjoyed

conscience itself, which is ordained, as the urine of the body, to shew the estate of the whole, and therefore is accordingly called good or evil as the man’s state is, this is apt in such distempers to change and turn colour, and look to a man’s own view as foul as the state of a very hypocrite.” (Goodwin Works III, p. 254.)

Looking forward to day two.

John Owen Centre Conference 2017 Day 2 at the Pastors' Academy

had another good day today. I think the figures are more like 40 than 50 so a little down on previous years. Perhaps the title is a little vague and with all in house speakers people make less effort. Another possible theory is that people are planning to go to Reformation commemmoration events. Anyway, Stephen Clark kicked off on ethics. This is a fairly well trodden subject but it was good to air it again. Reluctantly Stephen disagreed with Professor John Murray's notoriously conservative position, preferringa  hierarchical approach. I think this is right but it was interesting how in discussion that position did seem to unravel, at least a little.

John Benton took the other two sessions, looking at Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Esau. Here the approach was more pastoral adn designed to be encouraing, which both messages were.

At the end of the conference Garry Williams revealed that the JOC will from now on be known as The Pastors' Academy.

Banner UK 2017 Session 9 Stephen Clark

In his second section Stephen Clark made a number of points on the subject of the Scriptures witness to Christ.

These were his main points

1. Biblical revelation is progressive in nature

2. Christ is presented in different ways in different Scriptures

Here we had some helpful material on types,looking at Joseph, Moses, Job and Psalm 22. Also the Son of God theme, pointing out that the phrase means different things in different contexts.

He commended Cunningham's Historical Theology and its treatment of eternal sonship.

3. The way Scripture testifies to the offices of Christ

This was a fine and helpful presentation.

Banner UK 2017 Session 5 Stephen Clark

Our first evening session today was Stephen Clark on Christ's view of Scripture. He had three main points in this the first of two sessions he will give.

1. His personal use of Scripture

An obvious example would be the way he used Scripture when he was tempted in the wilderness. The temptations were to the person of Christ but concerned his human nature and he responded as a man and as a public man. The context in Luke which inserts a genealogy between the baptism and the temptation, one that goes back to Adam the Son of God. Satan's approach was to begin "If you are the Son of God". As well as being our federal head he is our example. He is full of the Spirit but (indeed because of that) he opposes Satan by means of using the ordinary means of Scripture.

Or think of the arrest of Christ. When he rebukes Peter with his sword, one of the things he says is How will the Scriptures be fulfilled? We do not always know what God is doing but we are always to fear God and do our duty.
Even when he dies he is quoting Scripture. There was a time when liberals claimed Old Testament verses were quoted in the New out of  context. That is not the case, the context is always in mind. Certainly at the cross the whole of Psalm 22 is in mind.
Scripture was part of his mindset, his thinking. It fed him throughout, as it must feed us.

2. His pastoral use of Scripture
Here Stephen simply went to one Scripture, Luke 24. Their eyes were kept from recognising him because he first wanted them to see him in Scripture. How their hearts burned within them when they saw Christ in his Word. There is a difference between teaching and preaching. Teaching does not leave the heart burning.
(This is a familiar note at the Banner and it was good to hear the note being sounded once more. There is a desperate need for preaching from the heart to the heart)
3. His use of Scripture in his public ministry and in controversy with false teachers
Think of how when discussing divorce, how he goes back to Scripture  - to Genesis 1 and 2,which he clearly treats as history.
In John 8:44 he talks of the devil as  liar and murderer from the beginning. He has the same  attitude then to Genesis 3. It is real and true. It really happened. We must assert the factuality of the creation and fall. We see the same thing in the way that Paul argues. Abel, the flood, Sodom, the Queen of Sheba, etc. He treats it all as history.
He asserted not only the veracity of Scripture but its authority. See Mark 7. The issue with tradition is not how old it is but whether it is biblical. Jaroslav Pelikan said “Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living."
Matthew 22 and the argument with the Sadduccees can only be understood if we accept that it is unnatural for man to be dead. It is an example of Jesus reasoning from Scripture.
Again, in John 10 there is that striking statement that the Scripture cannot be broken. (Stephen called the argument an ad hominem argument).
We also had a reference to Mark 2 and how we understand Jesus's argument from David. The key is to do with an order in ethical understanding - anointed king over temple over Sabbath. We must keep the least of the commandments but we must not forget the greater ones. Proportionality is important. John Stott once spoke about the need for a preacher to be both dogmatic and tentative. If we fail to differentiate we can give too great a weight to a truth. We must be weightier on the more weighty matters. Major on the majors and minor on the minors.
There was a little at the end on the NEw Testament too.
"Our greatest comfort in life is in Greek words" according to C S Lewis. We can add Hebrew and some Aramaic ones too.

Westminster Conference 2014 Day 1

It was a good day today in Oxford Street at the Westminster Conference. Today had a very Welsh flavour with three Welsh speakers (Stephen Clark, Adrian Brake and Andrew Davies) and three Welshish subjects. Welshmen seemed thicker on the ground than usual too.

The first paper was called holy worldliness (almost the same name as this blog). After a laudatory introduction concerning Whitefield we moved to the way he and Harris were less than perfect in their approach to marriage. Certainly the Harris, Whitefield, Elizabeth James affair is bizarre and Harris's obsession with Mrs Griffith wrong but I felt it was harsh to criticise Whitefield's unsuccessful letter of proposal to Elizabeth Delamotte. Failures by two men in one area does not justify the accusation of dualism. Anyway we had a half decent discussion following the paper.

We then had an excellent introduction to Thomas Charles who died in 1814. His Bible Dictionary had an incredible impact. It makes you wish you spoke Welsh. It begins

"The Holy Scriptures are a treasure house of all profitable and essential knowledge ….. Since they have all been given by the inspiration of God, they must partake of his perfection, and befit it. Because of the perfection of his knowledge, he cannot err; and because of the integrity of his nature, he will not deceive us in any matter; therefore, the knowledge given to us in the Scriptures is lofty, certain and complete. There is nothing which pertains to our condition and our blessedness in another world; nor anything which pertains to our circumstances and our duties in this world, that God, in his holy word, has not given us full instruction, how to behave in all things, in all situations, and towards everyone. The great plan of salvation, through a Mediator, shines clearly and fully in it, before a world of sinners."

You can get one in leather on ebay for around £60-70. There appear to some volumes available online.

The final paper was on Calvinistic Methodism and so the focus was on Wales again but it went well beyond that. The discussion after limped along a little.

Two excellent conferences coming up - Book now!

I've been a bit sleepy on the conference front but I do want to flag up two conferences coming up. The first is the Westminster Authentic Calvinism on December 2 and 3 and the second is the Carey Minsitry in the last days January 6-8. Double click then copy to see more clearly. 

PS Carey time-table here

Lord's Day August 3 2014

Another week, another church. We are in South Wales at the moment and so we attended Free School Court Evangelical Church, Bridgend. I know the minister, Stephen Clark, and one or two of the members a little. The building is a large modern one with chairs. Some songs were from the hymn book (the old Christian hymns) and some were projected on to a screen. Some were accompanied by flute and acoustic guitar. It was encouraging to see so many present, even in the holiday period, especially with only a small drop in numbers come the evening service. Stephen preached two contrasting sermons - one expository sermon chiefly for believers from Jonah 4:5 and part of a series and one more loosely based on Romans 1 and 10 chiefly for unbelievers called "Don't die of ignorance". After the morning meeting there was communion, conducted by Iwan Rhys Jones, one of the elders.

Westminster Conference 2013 Day 2

Apologies for the delay with this. It was not borne of false modesty, given my own part in the proceedings, rather it was being busy with other things (the Christmas icons were programmed in a while ago). Day 2 began with a  paper on evangelistic preaching by Gary Benfold. This was chiefly on Dr Lloyd-Jones but included several helpful references to C H Spurgeon, which made for some useful comparison and contrast. Gary was faithful to his historical task but his concern shone through to see more evangelistic preaching to the end that people may be saved. A good discussion followed.

Next we looked at Edward Irving with Nick Tucker from Oak Hill. Like many others I first became aware of Edward Irving thanks to Arnold Dallimore's paperback of many years ago. At the time the Charismatic wars were in full swing and it was difficult to ignore the polemic embedded in the book. By this stage one feels more able to take a cool look and see Irving with his many undoubted faults and consider him more dispassionately. Nick Tucker certainly did this well and we had another good discussion. Unusually we ended up discussing briefly whether the subject of the paper was a Christian (we had done this with C S Lewis). This is not the usual pattern at the Westminster Conference.

We began the final session, therefore that Isaac Ambrose was a Christian and a Puritan to boot (uniquely at this conference). I felt I managed to make such a good start that it was difficult to sustain as we filled in some of the detail of the life of this interesting man whose main claim to fame was his commitment to meditating on the Lord. Tradition dictates that the last paper is not discussed and I did not want to complain about that. The papers will be published in due time.
The chairmen were Stephen Clark, Jeremy Walker and Robert Oliver.

Next year it is very much an 18th century and 17th century affair with papers the first day on Calvinistic Methodism, dualism and its remedy and Thomas Charles and the second, Knox, Baxter and Antinomianism (with Mark Jones). It will be at the same place on December 2 and 3, God willing.

Noah Conference

Hoping to be at the Noah Conference at the John Owen Centre Monday and Tuesday. More here. A little bird told me one of the sessions will be on Skype.

Funeral of Graham Harrison

I was in South Wales yesterday for the funeral of Graham Harrison at Emmanuel Church, Newport. I stayed at my sister's in Cwmbran the night before and she accompanied me to the funeral. She was a member of the congregation there for six months many years ago. I was surprised that Emmanuel was big enough to accommodate everyone but there is extra room available and so the 200-250 filled the place but not to overflowing. I was not able to stay for refreshments but it was good to be at the service in the church sat next to Mark Thomas and at the committal at St Woolo's cemetery. Bernard Lewis, the present minister, led the service. It was good to see him and his wife Linda and Ken Brownell and John Palmer present. We were all exact contemporaries at LTS. Robert Strivens read, Wyn Hughes prayed, Trevor McMillen, an elder, gave thanks and Stephen Clark preached. It was all very helpful. Geoff and Iola, my in-laws, gave us a lift to the grave, where, in the sunshine, Neville Rees read, Hywel Jones prayed and Bernard did the committal to the grave where Mr Harrison's father had been buried in 1989. There is something solemn and reassuring about a Christian burial.

There must have been around fifty ministers present all told. It was not possible to speak to everyone I would like to have. It was good to be reminded of Mr Harrison's faithfulness (he was referred to as Mr Harrison throughout). We were reminded of his lack of small talk, his preaching, his sense of humour, his pastoral abilities, his very practical bent and his solidity in a crisis. Digby Williams and John Edmonds, both ministers, grew up at different times in the church. John recalled the day when the old Alma Street was being knocked down and they were meeting in the YMCA. Great days they sounded.

I always find a trip to Newport strange. I was born there but I do not know my way around well. I noticed my Auntie Mavis's grave among the hundreds there in that cemetery. I don't know where the graves of other family members are found.

Affinity 2013 Paper 1

The opening paper should have been given by Jonathan Burndside. In his absence Stephen Clark prepared a paper outlined below with the question s that were discussed in the six discussion groups. I am sorry I can't give any more than that.

Paper 1

Using the Bible Ethically: An Introduction to Contemporary Challenges

Stephen Clark, Minister, Freeschool Court Evangelical Church, Bridgend

 

I Using the Bible ethically in a multicultural world: identifying the issues

Definitions

1. Evangelism

2. Christian living in the world

3. Matters of public and/or government policy

4. The ethical use of the Bible

 

II General principles

1. The importance of general revelation

2. The purposes and ends of government or ‘the powers that be’

3. On ‘reading the Bible 'ethically’

III Application of general principles

1. Evangelism

2. Christian living in the world

(i) Freedom of moral choice

(ii) Work and issues of conscience

(iii) Law and public policy

3. The ethical use of the Bible

 

Conclusion

 

Questions

1) How does one give a biblical account and explanation of the following:

a) that most people have a sense of good and evil, of right and wrong;

b) that people’s ideas of right and wrong, and good and evil, may differ so widely,

c) that some people appear to be devoid of all moral sense?

2) Is it the task of the church to pronounce upon moral issues to the world without reference to the gospel? Support your answer from Scripture and explain the implications of your view.

3) Can you identify any issues which some Christians regard as moral but upon which Scripture is either silent or says less than some claim? [Stephen has in mind post-1967 understandings of when life begins according to the Bible - not sure about this]

4) Some Christians believe remarriage after divorce is not permissible; other Christians believe that in certain circumstances scripture does allow remarriage.

a) What issues might arise, and how can they be resolved, where those in pastoral oversight in a church take differing views on this?

b) What issues might arise and how should they be resolved where neighbouring churches take a different view?

5) Is there a ‘one size fits all’ approach to evangelising those who espouse moral relativism? (i.e. Is the Tim Keller approach referred to in the paper the only approach to such people?) Support your answer from Scripture.

6) How should pastors approach the subject of preaching on passages which raise profound ethical questions and dilemmas? (e.g. Abraham offering Isaac; the wiping out of the Canaanites)?

7) Advise a church member in the following situations:

a) the member is a Sunday School teacher who works in a law firm in your town. His boss has told him to do the necessary legal work to apply for a licence for an ‘adult shop’. What principles will guide you in your counsel? [In answering this Stephen saw no problem with the work but continuing as  a Sunday School teacher may be an issue]

b) A member as an employment lawyer who is instructed by a longstanding client of the firm, who is gay, to represent him in a ‘gay rights’ case against a Christian charity. What principles will guide you in your counsel?

c) A member is a tax lawyer who had been instructed by someone in the entertainment industry wither respect to a claim by HMRC for considerable underpayment of income tax. During the consultation with the client the member discovers that her ‘profession’ is the oldest one in the world – prostitution. What principles should guide the church member in this situation?

Affinity Conference 3-5

Greg Beale



Dan Strange

So another day of it yesterday. We began with Greg Beale's paper which was a development of previous work on hermeneutics and the question of whether the NT use of the old is legitimate and to be followed. He made a good and scholarly contribution on this, focusing in the latter half of his paper on the use of Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2. We found it difficult to discuss the paper in our group but were glad to hear someone setting out what I think most of us agreed with.

Stephen Clark spoke next (and I chaired). This was a more practical paper on the use of the Bible in church life (originally Martin Downes was to have done a paper on use and abuse so this was a different paper to the one intended). So we said various useful things about reading the Word, preaching, personal Bible study, etc.

The third paper of the day was from Dan Strange who outlined the contrasting views held within the Reformed world over involvement in public life. On one hand, there is the more Lutheran seeming two kingdoms approach and, on the other, what Dan called a transformational approach (chiefly growing out of Van Til), the view he himself favoured. We had a lively discussion on the question of how we argue in the public sphere - from natural law or straight from the Bible. We did not come to any firm conclusions and there was some disagreement, for example, on how Christians should deal with the challenges we are currently facing in the public sphere.

Another good day then.

The Truth Shall Set You Free

Most of the papers have now arrived for The Affinity Theological Study Conference 2-4 February at High Leigh Conference Centre in Hoddesdon, Herts. The programme is

DAY ONE

We arrive by 11.30 and after lunch and a welcome we have

14.15 Paper 1: Is the Princeton View of Scripture an Enlightenment Innovation?

Carl R Trueman (Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia) Interview with Trueman here.

Then after tea at 16.15

16.45 Paper 2: Lost on the Old Testament? Literary Genres and Evangelical Hermeneutics

Peter Naylor (Minister, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Cardiff)

DAY TWO

9.15 Paper 3: Right doctrine, wrong texts. Can we follow the apostles’ doctrine but not their hermeneutics?

Greg Beale (Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia)

11.00 Coffee Break

11.30 Paper 4: Every heretic has his text: the use and abuse of the Bible in the church

Stephen Clark (Minister, Freeschool Court Evangelical Church, Bridgend and Tutor at London Theological Seminary). This I understand is Martin Downes' paper. He can't be there because of the continuing situation at home.

We're free after lunch until

17.00 Paper 5: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Public Theology

Dan Strange (Lecturer in Culture, Religion and Public Theology at Oak Hill College, London)

Followed by Dinner and 20.30-21.30 Corporate Prayer

DAY THREE

9.15 Paper 6: Preaching the Word in the Power of the Spirit: biblical, historical and practical reflections

Hywel R Jones (Visiting Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary, California)

After a coffee break at 11 there's

11.30 Panel Discussion

Followed by lunch and depart (though I'll have to make a quicker getaway as I'm hoping to see my son in  a play in Aber that night).

Westminster 09 1c

For the final session of the day we left Calvin on one side and focused with Stephen Clark on the 1859 revival. It was good to do that as other anniversaries have crowded this one out for me this year.