bits of barth
Barth CD I/2 10:47 pm
not suited for the kingdom? strong words: http://goo.gl/5Qvfz
@epaga he's complex. he asserts himself in one direction and then another, without defense or resolution. Favors proof by assertion.
"for us, and therefore against us... the work of the kindness we cannot grasp": http://goo.gl/Tf3qJ
“@epaga: @pavi would love to hear your thoughts on some of the [quotes]” for now immersing, listening... to truly hear. in time...
"It is a great affliction when our right to have our own desires & to pursue them is so radically questioned & finally taken away"
for us, & therefore...
Barth, CD 1/2 p.278
But where the Word of God is master by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, there enters in an interest or concern which does not allow any rivals, for the simple reason that in the Word of God it is always a matter of our own interest and concern. But it is our own interest and concern not as seen from our standpoint, but as seen from the opposite but beneficent standpoint of the wisdom of God, as judged by the righteousness of God, as adopted by the goodness of God. That is the work of God: the work of God upon us: for us and therefore against us: the work of the kindness which we cannot grasp, which we have outraged, which does good to us, as to those who always do evil. Where it is heard as such, there is still an active will to assert and help ourselves, to maintain and justify and advertise ourselves, but it has been fundamentally broken and its vital power destroyed... If that means humiliation, it also means comfort. If it means Law, it also means Gospel. It is a great affliction when our right to have our own desires and to pursue them is so radically questioned and finally taken away. But, of course, it is an even greater help, when the common necessity of worrying about our own situation is so radically relativised and in fact basically set aside.
"For us, and therefore against us" - so much wisdom in six words.
not suited?
Barth, CD I/2, p.277
Further, we have to note that this following is distinguished from an arbitrary action, like imitation, by the fact that it is conditioned by the call of Jesus. It is therefore a Messianic gift. The individual who decides ("Lord I would follow thee") to tread this way on his own initiative, at once proves that he is not suited for the kingdom of God (Lk. 9:61f.) Finally, the frequent inter-relating of the idea of following with the idea of self-denial ought also to prevent us from thinking that this is the kind of formation and direction which a man can undertake of himself.
Strong words.
bits of barth
Barth CD I/2 8:21 am
"God comes forward to be man's Saviour. This presupposes... that man cannot be helped in any other way"
"It is not merely that man lacks something which he ought to be or to have or to be capable of in relation to God. He lacks everything"
"The few that find this way... are those who are chosen by God and who are therefore enabled to find what the many do not find"
"Blessed are the poor in spirit... this poverty, true & saving despair, is the gift of the Holy Spirit, the work of Jesus Christ"
"this has nothing to do with a magical invasion of the interrelated totality of our psycho-psychical life by supernatural forces" huh?
"the need for God is known only by the children of God"
"our participation in [the work of God] does not depend upon our fitness for this work... It rests upon the forgiveness of sins."
"only one thing is required of us. As those who cannot do it of ourselves... we have to participate when the Word does it"
"This burden... of my own & others' sins, does not lie upon me. It lies solely and entirely upon Jesus Christ, upon the Word of God"
(2) "... completely himself and not a cast, and yet completely represents the form and the way of the master and not a caricature"
(1) "no other master has the power to subordinate another man to his direction and leadership in such a way that the latter is ..."
5 wing 4
For years now I’ve studied the Enneagram and I’ve found it enlightening. The Enneagram is a personality assessment tool, but it differs from others assessments because it doesn’t seek to tell who a person is, but rather, how a person hides who they are. There are nine personalities on the enneagram.
I’m in a unique position to have both theologically conservative and theologically liberal friends and I notice that some personalities lean toward conservatism and others toward liberalism. Personalities that need high levels of control tend to be conservative, and personalities seeking higher levels of understanding but less control over others tend to be liberal. Therefore, each personality is developing their theology based on the filter through which they see the world.
Conservatives are dutiful followers of God, while Liberals are affectionate followers of God. Conservatives tend to have a fists-up attitude toward the world, while liberals tend to have an arms out attitude toward the world. And what’s more is that liberals tend to have a more free, exploratory relationship with God and with others. One of the things that is comforting about being around a more liberal theologian is they don’t try to control you. You don’t feel shame or guilt when you talk to them.
via Donald Miller's Blog.
I don't buy it, but it's a fascinating theory.
...a five will never seek to control you where an 8 will not interact with you unless they are in control. If you want a conversation, choose a 5, if you want somebody to lead you, choose an 8.
kjv
Regardless of your creed or convictions (or lack thereof), it’s hard to deny that the King James translation of the Bible is an epic tome of efficient diction, unforgettable narratives, and beautifully wrought poetry. The translation—arguably the most widely read text in the English language—celebrates its 400th birthday this year and deserves praise for its enduring allure and literary relevancy.
via Utne Reader.
no other master...
Barth: CD I/2 §16.2
To have our master unavoidably in Jesus Christ is to be subjected to a definite formation and direction. We can adapt ourselves to other masters. We can imitate them. We can model ourselves after them, or even on the caricature of them. No other master has the power to subordinate another man to his direction and leadership in such a way that the latter is completely himself and not a cast, and yet completely represents the form and the way of the master and not a caricature... The formation and direction of a man by the Word of God, which becomes a reality with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, has nothing to do with imitation. We must again insist that under this formation and direction, man remains the man he is. His own nature and thinking and willing and feeling, both in general and in detail, is not lost. But in the light of this his own being, he remains a sinner before God. Yet this very being of his as a sinner before God is subjected to the Word of God, and is therefore formed and directed by that Word. And because the subordination and therefore the formation and direction are perfect, there takes place at this point what imitation intends but can never achieve: the master acquires a pupil, a servant, a scholar, a follower, in whom he finds himself again, and in whom, accordingly he, the master, can also be found again by others.
How perfectly put, how beautifully understood!