Features-A Conversation With Karl Earth. The Infinite Resources of the Christian Worker (Part I)

A Conversation With Karl Barth

DANIEL WALTHER Professor of Church History, S.D.A. Theological Seminary

Of the leading and most influential Protestant theologians today is admittedly Karl Barth. When the first edition of his Epistle to the Romans appeared in 1917, it caused a sensation in the Protestant world, because Barth took a position against the crassest forms of liberalism and argued that only a new (neo-orthodox) approach to Scripture could save Protestantism from collapsing. Throughout his later works and lectures he has somewhat modified and changed his views; possibly he belongs to the right wing of modernism.

His theology is not Bible teaching as we Adventists understand it. But what is of interest to us particularly is that Barth has placed a very strong accent on eschatology, especially the second coming and the end of all things earthly. Some of his facts have been reported several times in our publications. A Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, after having lectured for many years in the leading German universities, is now professor at Basel, Switzerland. A few months ago, when I spent a couple of days in Basel, I endeavored to reach Barth for an interview. Karl Barth is not the only theologian in that old and famous university. One of his colleagues is Oscar Cullmann, who is an authority on the early church. He too stresses in his writings and lectures the eschatological message of the Bible, and he has written a number of works on the second coming.¹

But I was particularly desirous of meeting Karl Barth; however, he told me over the telephone that he was unavailable that day; he had to get ready for a seminar discussion where they were reading Melanchthon's Loci Communes, and in the evening he was to address a few hundred Protestant preachers. But when I told him that I was on my way back to Washington and that my questions would be brief, he invited me to his home "for a few minutes," which proved to be an hour and a half! If, in meeting Barth, you expect to be introduced to a well-groomed, streamlined professor, you will be disappointed. Nothing is apparently less important to him than his appearance: unruly hair, clothes that are exclusively for comfort, but a strong face that expresses his personality: he has a very mobile mouth and vivid eyes, which sometimes peer at you in an amused and frolicsome way, and at times look quite pensive or piercing if he is worked up on some topic. As I entered the room he was banging on a tinny, antiquated typewriter, hitting the keys with one hand and holding in the other a dis reputable pipe. He immediately stood up and asked me in a surprisingly high-pitched voice,

"What is the purpose of your visit here?" "In our Theological Seminary in Washington," I replied, "we study some of your writings in our class dealing with modern trends; and we are, of course, acquainted with your books: "Word of God and Word of Man; The Holy Ghost in the Christian Life; and your Courses in Dogmatics." I also spoke to him about the work of his brother, Peter Barth, who has published an important section of Calvin's works in German. As Barth still looked at me to know what I was interested in, I said:

"We notice that often in your lectures and public statements there is great insistence on eschatology. We notice that your teaching has a definite accent in dealing with the 'last days.' Why do you refer so often to the second coming?" "Because," replied Barth, "from begin ning to end the Bible is replete with this topic. Every chapter contains a direct or implied thought dealing with the last days.' Eschatology is the essence of the kingdom of God, the basis of Paul's teachings, and the kernel of Christ's message and life. It is the hope, the only hope, of the church." "Do you really believe that we are living in the last days?" "Yes, we are now in the time of the end." "How do you know this, Professor? Have not all leading Christians, from the early centuries on, believed that they lived in the time of the end? The Fathers, Joachim of Flora, the mystics of the Middle Ages, the Waldenses, the Reformers, the Pietists of the seventeenth century, and hosts of others believed that they lived in the very last generation." "Yes, I know," said Barth; and he took a few vigorous puffs on his pipe, "and they were all right in their belief! Every Christian cannot but harbor the hope that Christ is to return soon. You see," and with his finger he seemed to point to some specific spot, "the importance is in being ready to expect Him and to await judgment. It is this hope and the state of being ready that motivate the Christian's actions." "But do you believe in the literal 'com ing of Jesus'?" "Yes, I do, 'for every eye shall see him.' " The professor seemed very much in earnest. "Yes, I do believe this it is a part of all things."

Then he went into a somewhat substantial digression that at times was almost as foggy as the treatment' of the topic in his Dogmatics.²' "Why," I asked him, "do you think that other Protestant theologians stress the thought of the second coming much more now than they did in the nineteenth century?" And as Barth spoke of nineteenth-century "liberal" theologians who had tried to destroy that hope, I thought of the fact that 1953 marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the beginning of modern "higher criticism." It was in 1753 that Jean Astruc published a little work ³ that was intended to prove that Genesis was made up of several documents.

This argument, while bitterly opposed by the conservative theologians, was taken up later by Eichhorn and De Wette. Karl Barth is one of those who believed he had rejected the conclusions of "higher criticism" and had endeavored to bring the church back to the Word of God. Barth, however, belongs to those whom we, as conservative Bible students, would consider modernists in the sense that he accepts the theories of modern science, especially with regard to creation. Nevertheless, it was most interesting to hear Barth digress informally on the end of the world. When I asked him, "What, in your opinion, is meant by the end of the world?" he hesitated a trifle. I knew that he does not endorse the idea of a physical, cataclysmic end of the world "as the naturalists want us to believe," as he said. "You see," he continued, "the modern MAY, 1954 scientists have a catastrophic and cosmographic concept of the end of the world. The world that we live in is to die, just as other heavenly bodies are born and die. This is not my way of thinking," he said, "nor do I favor the idea of an atomic destruction laying waste the world. To me the end of the world may mean a consummation of one's life. In some instances the end of the world comes to an individual when, with conversion, all things have be come new. It may also mean the advent of the kingdom of God." "What is the kingdom of God?" I asked. "The realization of the spiritual world. The realm of the spiritually minded. The final dispensation as envisaged by Christ." The conversation was interesting and, as one can see, filled with many statements that were contradictory; but time was short. I knew that he would have to go presently to his seminar, and there were many other questions that I had in mind; I hurried to get his reaction on ecumenism. "Don't you think," I asked, "that the very basis of the Protestant principle of individual interpretation is jeopardized by ecu menism?" "No," Barth replied, "because Protestant Christianity in its entity with all Protestant denominations cannot endure disunity and survive. We must seek to be one, at least on the fundamentals. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Yet it is clear that we want every denomination to keep its own characteristic teachings and emphasize its own message; that makes it what it is. But through all there must be a common de nominator among all Christians.

It is that common denominator that we seek, but have not yet found." "In America," continued Barth, "you have forty-eight sovereign States, independent of each other in legislation as in government. But above and with these States you have the Federal Government, which stands for and defends the interests that are common to all; a similar form of government exists here in Switzerland. Why not apply these to the churches?" "But," I asked, "do you think that ecumenism is practicable?" "So far the masses have not followed along ecumenism has mostly been advocated by church leaders and theologians. After all, it is the leader that is instrumental in a reformation, and not the masses." And then Barth compared ecumenism in our day to a reformation. "It takes time for Protestants to get used to it; and re member," he added, "a reformation is not made by man it is God's work. In the last resort God chooses the leader and decides the time." This thought of a reformation being exclusively God's work is a Calvinistic concept. It reminded me of what Calvin wrote in 1543 to Emperor Charles V: "The Reformation in the church is God's work and is as independent of human life and thought as the Resurrection of the dead." ⁴

It was very quiet in that study room over looking a small, well-kept garden. Knowing that Earth had urgent business to at tend to, I made ready to leave. He picked up my calling card, and I noticed that he seemed puzzled about something. I surmised that he wondered about the initials "S.D.A." printed before "Theological Seminary," so I said to him, "Professor Barth, I am a Seventh-day Adventist." "Oh, you are," he said, and he seemed pleasantly surprised. "I understand," he continued, "that your people do not have too much liberty in Switzerland." He seemed amazingly well informed concerning our religious liberty situation, which was of particular interest to him, and he questioned me about the relationship of church and state in the United States. He wanted to have specific examples as to how it worked out as far as we were concerned. And in closing he said, "You have as much liberty in the United States as one can ever hope to have anywhere at any time. Make the most of it, for you will not always have it." "You will not always have it."

Coming from a man endowed with his intellectual horizon and experience, I felt that this last statement was a sort of warning that deserves to be heeded.

The Infinite Resources of the Christian Worker

CARLYLE B. HAYNES Secretary, War Services and Industrial Relations PART I

The infinite resources of the Christian ministry are the resources of the Godhead, made available to each worker in Christ, who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and conveyed and imparted to each worker through the Holy Spirit. I think I do not misinterpret what is in the minds and hearts of our workers when I say it is the deep longing for a ministry of greater efficiency and greater power for the important work we have been called and commissioned to do. There can be no question about the importance of our work. It is the work of God, the work of human salvation. It is a deeply satisfying work. It is a lofty privilege to be engaged in it.

Others may be unemployed. We are not. And we have the highest work Page 6 in the world. I wonder whether we appreciate it as we should. In our workers' .meetings we come together to look into ways and means of be coming better, more fruitful workers. We are interested in a larger evangelism. We are constantly reaching out for improved methods of labor. We all, to one degree or another, long for a deeper spiritual life. We would have developed in us a greater alertness to opportunities. We seek to develop greater activity in accomplishing the objectives of our great commission. We desire to employ a more intense earnestness in the things of God. We seek to find and employ a more successful leadership in our churches, societies, and schools. We long for a better and larger understanding in our great objectives. And we would have a clearer conception of our duty.

A Few of Our Problems

During the years I have been in this ministry, now nearing half a century, certain positive impressions have etched themselves into my thinking with reference to our work, our workers, and our needs.

There are outstanding problems in all fields. We are not facing or solving them, as we should. One thing in particular has impressed me regarding the workers of this cause, my self among them. I believe we are taking our work too easily, too nonchalantly. No, I do not mean we are lazy, or that we shirk our work. Far from it. We are busy enough, and about a multitude and variety of things, as we all have reason to know. What I do have in mind is that we are inclined to be too easily satisfied, too little alarmed, too content to hold what we have gained, too complacent with what we have accomplished. We are not making the aggressive, intensive efforts that are needed to advance our lines, to solve our problems. There is among us a listlessness that is deadening to our own spirits as well as to the spirits of our people. We are not com passing our task as we should and as God and our people have a right to expect.

At our present rate of progress our great task will never get itself finished "in this generation" or in any other. We face the danger of resting on our lees, complacently figuring and casting up our gains in statistical reports, and letting these over encourage us. Moreover, we are in danger of allowing ourselves to become merely professional religious workers. In our churches, conferences, institutions, districts, societies, schools, and fields there are problems, situations, disciplinary needs, church school problems, youth problems, marital problems, evangelistic problems, from which we are shying away, letting them drift to care for themselves, when they should be gripped and handled and settled. There are people in our churches who violate our church teachings and standards, and we allow these matters to drag on and on without discipline or settlement.

We take the easiest way out, let things alone when they should be handled. We allow a discipline case to drag through years be cause of the unpleasantness of facing it. We are inclined to allow ourselves to go soft and yielding, avoiding hard problems, easing ourselves out, any way to get through. Thus we allow situations to develop in our churches that interfere with the progress of our work and ultimately bring danger- MAY, 1954 out crises into existence, just because we do not handle them when and as they should be handled. I put it to you, Are we as intensely interested in the salvation of men as we should be? Is there that deep, glowing, consuming ardor, that fervent soul-seeking and soul-saving spirit we have every right to expect will characterize the workers of this closing message of Christ's gospel?

Are we quite contented to go along year after year, doing but mediocre work, winning a few souls, but very few, just holding what we have, not very deeply concerned whether souls are born into the kingdom or not? Is the record of the years, your record of the past year, quite satisfying to you? Could it have been better, much better? Do you have any interest in making it better this coming year? Does it make any difference to you whether it is bettered or not? Does it mean anything to you whether you become a better worker or remain as you are? Certainly there should be upon the workers who are responsible for finishing the work of the gospel as great a burden for souls as rested upon the workers responsible for beginning the gospel work, or even a greater burden. But is there? The burden for souls that characterized Paul should characterize us. Look at Moule's translation of Romans 9:1-3: "Truth I speak in Christ; I do not lie, my con science, in the Holy Ghost, bearing me concurrent witness, that I have great grief, and my heart has incessant pain. For I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen, fleshwise."

Look now at the Berkeley Version of the same verse: "In Christ I tell the truth, I am not falsifying, as my conscience fortified by the Holy Spirit bears me witness, when I say that I harbor in my heart intense grief and unceasing distress; for I could wish myself banished from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my human kinsmen, who are Israelites." Where is this "intense grief" and "incessant pain" for souls among us, for school children, for youth, for our boys and girls who are in terrible danger in the public schools, for conditions in our churches, for men and women who are going astray, for lost souls? When we have it, when God gives us a genuine burden for souls, when He bows down our souls in a very agony of grief for lost men, then we shall see conditions in our work through all our fields changed. Consider the status of our evangelism. Here and there we hear of large success, but only here and there. We are moving very few whole communities. Mostly the results we get are disappointing. I do not say this by way of criticism, but only by way of calling attention to facts. It is always good to face facts. It never helps to avoid them.

Some Searching Questions

Where, then, is the difficulty? What is our trouble? What is slowing us down and holding us back? What is our need? Has the time gone by when we can expect large results? Is our particular field a hard one, harder than other fields? Have we come to a time when we cannot reasonably expect large results? Or are we being driven too hard with campaigns, goals, church troubles? Are we loaded down too heavily? Is too much expected of us? Are we underpaid and over worked and unjustly dealt with? Or have we been following wrong methods? Is our plan of working what it should be? Is too little money being placed at our disposal for evangelism? Are we overorganized, overdepartmentalized, overstaffed? Or perhaps is it some lack in ourselves? Are we the kind of workers we should be? Do we have the necessary spiritual equipment for success? What are we doing that we should leave undone? What are we leaving undone that we should be doing? These are some of the questions we continually ask ourselves and endeavor to find answers for. Certainly the small number of souls we are winning does not meet the mind of God. Certainly He would have us accomplish more in our work. Certainly our time and energy and money are being too much ex pended on those already in our churches, and we know this is not pleasing to Him, for He has told us so. Certainly the time has come, is fully here, when we can confidently expect and have greater results. What, then, is the matter? Is the real cause with our work, with our times, with our methods, with our plans or is it with us? I venture to suggest that our greatest need is not more money, more equipment, better planning, more entertainment, improved methods, or even more workers, but rather the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives, with His enlightenment, His understanding, His enduement of power. With that the infinite resources of the Godhead would be available.

"In the great and measureless gift of the Holy Spirit are contained all of heaven's resources." Christ's Object Lessons, p. 419. Should we not, then, as workers in the great and holy cause of God, bring ourselves to a purposeful, intelligent, positive, and persistent seeking for the gift of the Spirit? Indeed, it is useless for us to press our work at all, with any or all other equipment. We have been plainly told that: "We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. Moral darkness, like a funeral pall, covers the earth. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and Satanic deceptions are misleading the minds of men. Without the Spirit and power of God it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth." Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 158. (Italics sup plied.) As we solemnly think of our work, our methods, and our need, I would have you consider, as I join you in doing, Are we, with all diligence, laboring to "present the truth," "without the Spirit and power of God"?