THE KUKMIN DAILY

“The reason God is good, beautiful, and the object of our longing, is because God is trinity. By nature, God surrenders and loves, therefore God is good.”

Michael Reeves (photo), theologian, writer, and president of Wales Union School of Theology, United Kingdom, went on to explain, “Without Trinity, there is no God.” During my recent meeting with him at Sarang Community Church in Seocho-gu, Seoul, he commented, “Christians think God is still the God of love even without the concept of trinity. No, we need to know that only the God of Trinity is the good God.”

So far, three books by Dr. Reeves have been translated and published in Korea: The Good God, The Unquenchable Flame, and Christ Our Life. “The Good God” is considered to offer the easiest explanation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Reeves breaks away from complex interpretations of doctrine, and describes Trinity in relationship to God the Father’s goodness and love.

Reeves said that in the past, he himself did not know about God’s beauty. Experiencing a sinking faith, he happened to read about the faith journey of Martin Luther. In particular, The Freedom of a Christian by Luther helped him understand clearly the truth that God saves us only by goodness. Through this experience of awakening, he said, “Theology saved me.”

“God looks for Christians who rejoice and are joyful in him, and this is the kind of desire that the church of today needs,” Reeves said. “If Korean church believers rejoice in God and are satisfied with their lives, they can endure any kind of trial and suffering.”

He requested prayers for the U.K. and Europe. “Europe is no longer a Christian continent. It is a mission field, and belongs to the darkest place in the world… Europe is in urgent need of re-evangelization.” He added, “Scotland used to be the fortress of the Gospel, but over the past two generations many have left the church and now it is even categorized as Unreached People. I ask the concern and prayers of the Korean churches for the recovery and restoration of the church in the UK and Europe.”

Reeves received his doctoral degree in systematic theology at King’s College, London, and is a former minister of All Souls’ Church, known worldwide through the ministry of Rev. John Stott. His interests include the doctrine of God, Christology and soteriology, based on Patristic and reformation theology.

Introducing his school, he said, “Union School of Theology is located in Wales, and it was a Welsh church that dispatched Missionary Robert. J. Thomas to Korea. He later died at Daedong River in Pyongyang, Korea. On its 15 campuses in the UK, UST raises up pastors and fosters leaders for the evangelization of Europe.”

Reporter Sangmok Shin (smshin@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by intern reporter Bo Yeon Kim


Original Article in Korean:
[인터뷰] “하나님 기뻐하는 삶 살면 고난 견딜 수 있어”: 마이클 리브스 영국 웨일즈 유니온신학교 학장