QTnurnr~tu
ml1rningtrul !lnutIJly
Continuing
LEHRE UND WEHRE
MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK
THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Vol. VII December, 1936 No. 12
CONTENTS
Page
The Tr~ing of Ministers. J. H. C. Fritz. . . . . . • . . . . • • • • • •• 881
Einige roemische Gesetze im ersten Drittel des vierten Jahr-
huriderts. R. W. Heintze ....•.•.••.......•...........• 885
The Study of the Apocrypha by the Preacher. H. H. Kunmick 899
Are We Using Our Septuagint 1 P. E. Kretzmann. • . . . . . . . .. 906
Der Schriftgrund fuer die Lehre von der satisfactio vicana.
P. E. Kretzmann . • . . . . • . .. 912
Outlines on the Eisenach Epistle Selections. . . . . . . . . . . .. 916
:Miscellanea ........................................ 928
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches . . . .. 933
Book Review. - Literatur .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 951
Ein Predlger mus. nicht allein weiden.
also dasa er die Scbale unterwel8e, wie
aie recbte Obrlsten soil en seln, sondem
auch daneben den Woe1len wehren. dass
ole die Schafe nlcht angreUen und mit
ialacher Lebre verfuehren und Irrtum ein·
fuehren. - Luther.
Eo ist kein Ding, das die Leute mehr
bei der Kircbe bebaelt denn die gnte
Predlgt. - Apologie. A rI. lj.
If the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1 Cor. LJ. 8.
Published for the
Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
-l
~
ARCHIV
Book Review. - Slitetiltut. 951
Book Review. - £UtftttUt.
Paul's Secret of Powe,r. By Rollin H. Wallcer. The, Abingdon Press,
Kew York, Cincinnati, Chicago. 181 pages, 5X71fz. Price, $1.00.
OrMr through Concordia, Publishing Rouse, 8t. Louis!, MOl.
Dr. Walker is profes-sor of the English Bible at OhiO' 'iVe.sleyan. Univer-
sity, an.d a,s, one! wo,uld expect, the studies he,re submitted telstify to' his
extensive an.d inten.sive occupation with the Roly Scripture's. The' results
of his resea,rche,s and medita,tions he succeeds, in setting fQ!rth in gripping
langnage,. The' book is, not intended to bel a, life nf 8t. Pa,ul, but endea,vors
to' uneove,r the fountains Q!f the amazing pQ!wer of the apostle' 2ncl his. mes-
sage. Some, of thel headings o,f the twe1ve' chapte'rs should be mentioned
here' to' show thel l"€ader wha,t aspects Q!f Paul's work the authQ!r has in
mind: "Utilizing thel Advan.tages Q!f a, Providential Background"; "PQ!we,r
through Responding to, the Divine' Revela.tion"; "Power through a, Grea,t
CQ!ncelption of Christ"; "PQ!we'r through Freedom from Legalis.m"; "Power
from Crucifying SeU"; "ThCl Dynamic of a, Great HQ!pe.'" Sets of questionsl
for study and discussion, one set fQ!r each eha,ptclr, concludel the volume.
The variousl chaptelrs are conveniently subdivided, and the resulting sectinns
a,re given headings Q!f their own. In endeavoring to evaluate the fascinat-
ing book thenlogically, I was s.truck by the authnr's. vigorous, rejection of
the faUacy of autosoterism, and I cannot forbear quoting a fe'w striking
sentences (p. 2,6): "It is only after men have been lamed like Jacoh in
their ineffectual wrestling with the' Angel nf the Lord that the~ arc capable
of rcceliving Ris blessing. In the E'pistle to' thel Romans (1-3) Paul de-
clares tha,t this fa.ilurel nf mankind to' sa,ve themselves, by the methods
which they ha,ve sO' carefully worked nut iSI a, universal e,xpe,rience. Both
Jews an.d Greeks,. in spite of all their religious performances, he saysl,
are under sin. Man's self-evident a,ttempt to' climh up to heaven nn
a ladder Q!f his. Q!wn making hasl been a, failure.'" Tha,t is. a, dnctrine which
our haughty age, proud O'f its scientific achievements, stands much in
need of. As I read the chapter dealing with the meaning nf Christ and
His work, I could not suppress the wish that thel doctrine of the deity
of cur LOTd and that of His vicarious atonement had been se,t fnrth with
mOTe triumphant, clarity. Rere and thme' I fnund a, sta,tement which
evoked my unqualified dissent; for instance, p.43, wheTe the author says"
in meeting the' objectiO'n tha,t some modern inquirer ma,y not be a,ble to
accept the high doctrine concerning Christ which Paul tea,ches: "The
answe'r is very simple. NO' one' is required to' work himself up to a theo-
logical position that has nO' relation to' his experience." Christ is wha,t
He is, and we ha,ve no right to' take a,wa,y,. or permit somebody elsel to take
a,way, one little ray from the glory which is Ris, divine pQ!ssessicn. The
polemic agajnst insistence on adherence to' a comprehensive creed (p.621)
is another such passage. Thcugh the book, then,. cannnt receive the full
endorsement of a, conservativel Lutheran, it a,bounds' in green oases where
cooling springs a,re bubbling and plea,sant shade refreshes the weary
traveled". W. ARNDT.
952 Book Review. - ~itetatur.
@1Ilu6clt~refjre flir @e6Ubete. molt D. (g tid) 6 d) cr be r, !l\rofejfor bet
::tf)eologie unb ®ef)eimer ,~oltfiftotialrat in mtcs(au. metfag bon Gr. 58er"
tegmann in ®iltetlltof). 1933. 232 6eiten 6 X8%. !j.lrei§: .Rattoniert,
M.6.50; gcliunben, M. 8.
lIDie biele S'dei1Sltlaf)tf)eiten batf ein ::tf)eolog Ieugnen, ef)e 1f)m bas !l\rcrbifat
"pofitib" abgefptod)en witb 1 1JJ1an ift ba in (guropa fef)t liberal. 6d)crbcr witb
unter bie .)Jofitiben ::tf)eologen getecf)net. l\:r betltlitft aber bie ~nfpitation unb
aUdnige lUutoritiit bet S'deHigen 6cf)tift. lImon biel et gef)en f)iid;ft berwunberfid)e
megtiffe in ben .Rii1Jfen f)oef)gcbHbcter Wlenfd;en um." ~l)nen IIcrfd)eint bie 58illel
immer Ito.cf) ars gel)eiligtet .Robe6", lI!l\robuU bes ilbernatiltlid;ett ®ottcsgeifte§".
116ie f)aUen besf)alli jenen iiUiledid)en, fatf)olifierenben ®laulien att Me 6d)rift
ars inf1Jiticrtes ®anscs filt bie if)t clttgemeffene !j.lofition." (6.18 f.) :Iler efJtiit~
Hd;e ®Iaube ift nid;t l158ejaf)ung teligiiifer lIDaf)tf)eiten ober 53ef)ren aUf bie liuilm
lUutotitlit ... ber o,?eiIigen 5d)tift f)in". (6.38.74.) strot biefer IiStcHung witb
5ef)liber gar ben ,,58ille!tf)eologen" 3ugealiljrt. (mgt 3.58. {Y. ~attenliufcI), :Ilie
beutfcf)e ebangcIifef)C ::tf)eologie nfw., 5. 68.) :Ilicfe 5teHung gilt eben aIS bie
1Jofittbc, unb natauf lJetnft fid; 5cI)iibcr. 1Il\:§ gUt bon ber gefamten offenbatUng§~
gliiuliigen ::tf)eologie beg 19. unb 20. :;Saf)rf)unberts, bie aUf ben Grf)araUcr wiffcn~
fcl)aftlid)a, bas f)ei~t, facf)gemliilcr, {Yotfd)ung bas nBtige ®etuicf)t legt", baB "fie
ben ®ebanfen ber f,ogenaltntelt merlialiltfJ.1iration bet neu~ unb aHteftamenUicf)en
58ild)et abgeftoilen l)at." (5. 18. )t\'teUidy bef)auJ.1tet @)cf)crbet butif)weg, bail et
,;lillorttf)eo'(ogie" ±teilie. Unb biejes lIDott ®ottes linbet fid) in bet S'deUil1en
5clJrift. IUlier nid;t aUes, w·as in ber SdeiIigen 5cI)tift gefd)tieben ftef)t, ift ®ottes
lIDott. Unb was Dabon ®otte£: lIDott ift, ift utf1Jtilng1idJ 1JJ1cnfd)cnwott; abet
es witb filt uns ®ottes lIDott "fo, baB ®ottes mad)tboUer, 1JetfBnricf)et ®eift ober
fein ~)1adl'twif1e fief) mit ienem lIDott bergangener Wlenfd)en berbinbct unb hurd;
basfelbe an lltts witH". (5. 65.) ,,:Ilet SdeUige ®eift ift es, ber bas Wlenfd;en~
IUOtt beil l\:tJangeltums Bum lIDode ®ottes au' liltS mllif)t." (5.30.) Unb, Wet
fagt uns, wefd)e 5tliefe ber S'deHigcn 5cf)rift nie!)t ®ottes lIDott finb (bas !)eitt
wo!)l, nid),t fo!d)e 5tliefe, mit bencn ®ottes ·Wlacf)twiUe fid) tJerbinben fann)?
:IlalJ mniluns unfet ®Ialtbe fagen. ,,:Iler ®Iauoc f)at bie {YolJigfeit unb bie 'lluf~
galie, ben ~obe6 bet 58ild)et bell 91eucn unb IUHen ::teftamentes bataufl)in ,u
lieurteUcn, Db unb wiefern e1: ®ottes lIDott cntf)oTt." (5.74.) SDer ®laulie witb
tins 3. m. fagen, "was fid) etwa in ben cinaelnen 58Ud)em beil IUlten ::teftamenteil
an jubaifierenben meftanbieifen Beigt". (5. 73. ) :Ilet ®faulle im Grf)tiften ift
batum bie cigcntlid)c OueUe bet 53ef)te nnb bie eigentnd)e lUutotitlit. ~il lJei\lt ba
3. m.: ,,\Jaffen wit iett ben ®faulien Bum lUusbtud fommen." (5. 182.) "mom
lebenbig~wirtfllmen lID,ott" (bas ben ®faulien fef)afft) IIfd;fie\lt ber ®!aulie bireft
aUf bie lIDclt" (5. 104) unb fommt fo aUt 53cl)te bon bet 5cf)iiJ.1fuug. (lIDie er
babet au bem l5at fommt: ,,®ottes 5d;affen ift ewig, aliet bas !l\robuft feines
5.d)·affens, bie lID.e!t, ift a eitHd;", ift nic!)t erfid)tfid).) IIIUUes, tnas in bet ®fau"
benslef)te liber ben ®falllien gefagt wirb, if! fd)fie\lHcf) l5efbftausfage beil ®Iau"
bens." (5. 69.) ,,(;l;ine ~onfequenB aus ben ®tullb1JoftHonen beg d;tiftHd)en
®laubens ift biefe £ef)re nid)t." (5.232.) 5if)Heillid;: ,,:Iler ®rullbe f)at in
bet :;Sl\:fusfragc bas {cute lIDott." (5. 182.)
lIDe!d;e d)tiftofogifd)en lIDaljtf)eiten barf ber 1Jofitibe ::tljeo!og betwerfen 1
I5cl)libet betwirft "bie 53ef)re bes 'lltf)anafius bon bet boUen ::teiH)abu:fcf)aft ~(gfu
Gr!)tifti an bem lIDefen ®nttes" (~Dmoufie, 5.164). l\:t ift ausgelfltod)enermailen
5uliorbinatianer. lI:Ili~ Untetorbnung ~(glU unter ®ott gef)iirt, wei! fie if)m
Book Review. - 13itetatur. 953
a 1!J be m 15 0 ~ n ® 0 t t e!J eignet, 3U feinet ®ott~eit .. " SDiefe am millel,
ltlort erhladjfene ~denntni!J bct neueren :tl)eologie ift unter hen ®ebHbetenltleit,
~in unbefannt. l5ie tniifen nut bon ber Htcl)1id)en 13el)u bet ®ottl)eit unb bet
tdnen ®feid)ftellung ~tIfu (£l)tiiti mit ®ott./I (15.26.) l5ie mUffen fid) an ben
®ebunfen /lber UntetfteUung bes 150~nes untet ben mater,®ott/l getniil)nen.
(15.180.) SDie l!Hl)anafianer lel)ten: ,,~~fus ~at bie giittlicl)e 91atut./I \!lbet
"im 9leuen :teftament ~eif3t es ball nid)t einfacl)/I. (15.165) l5d)iibct iagt allet,
bings ofters: ,,:;stIfus 1ft ®ow, aber et fagt Heber: ,,:;S~fus ift gott~eimcl)·."
Unb ltlorin beftel)t bieie ®ottl)eit!id).feit :;S~fu, "bieie eigentUmHdje \!ltt bet ®ott,
I)eit :;S~ful/ (6.170)? SDie 6cf)tift "ftellt ;;s~fus aIs ben fiinbtnbetgebenben
mad)tbollen :trager feines ®eiftes ®ott an bie 15cHe". (6. 179.) ,,~~fu ®ott~
gcit llefte!)t in bet 1JetfonficlJen :tcill)aberf cl)aft an ®ottes illeift." (6. 208. ) mlas
fagt 15c1)aber iU ber ,8tnelnaturenlel)re? SDiell: "mlie fall aull ber mereinigung
beiber 9laturen e i n e ~erfon, e in :;Sci) tnetben 1 SDas fh:dj1id)e SDogma nimmt an,
baf3 bas menfd)!idje :;Sd} bei biefer merbinbung f03Ufagen ausgefd)altet tnitb./I (?)
"SDas ®ottl)eiHid)e an ober in ~~fus foil bie 1Jetfonbilbenbe ®riif3e fein. \!lbet ift
:;S~fus bann nod) bet ®ott men f dJ?iI (15.165.) ftbtigens, tebet I)iet bet
® I a u be, "bet in ber :;stIfusftage bas lette ?illort I)at", obet bie mernunft?
:;Sft ;;S~f1ts bon ber :;sungfrau 9Ratia gebotcn? "SDer bogmatifd)en \!lnnal)mc
getabc bet jungftiiulid)en ®elJUtt ftel)en cine meif)e litetarifcl)et me ben fen gegen'
Hoet, fo bies, baf3 auf3eriJJlatfus a.ucl) :;Sol)anncs unb \'paulus nicl)t bon il)r reb en.
'iDet ®Iau'be, ber entfcl)eibenb an bem gefd)id)tlicfJ~mitffamen, gefreu3igt~n unb
aufetftanbenen &;:l~ttn !jangt, !jat cin unbebingtes :;Snteteffe an bem ,8eugniS bon
ber &;:letfunft :;stIfu aus ®ottes neufcl)iilJfetifcl)em, ltlunbetvarem [Bitfen, abet
nicl)t an bem mefonbmn ber &;:letfunft bon bet :;sungfrau iJJ1atia./I (6. 181.)
~tonntc ~0:fus fid) incn? :;stIfus I)at fid.J in feiner \Jel)re bon ber ~);iften3
l5atans nicl)t geitrt. SDas barf man nicl)t annel)men. \{Lbet "ein :;Stttum :;S~fu
tn irgcnbeiner literatij cf)cn, ~iftorif d)en ober lofalen \{Lnga'be liebeutct fUr ben
@lullven an il)n, fUr bie burd) ®ottes ®eift bermittelte ®lauliensl1utoritiit bes
&;:l~rtn, nidJ.t!J". (6.153.) - mlotin untericf)eibet fid) eigentlicl) bie 110jitibe bon
bet liberalen :tf)eologie 1 D. mlil1iam l5unba\J jagt: "Christology is the strongest
dividing-line between the modern positive school in Germany and the lib-
eral." (See Champion, Personality and the Trinity, p. 83.) SDet l3ioetale
b(1)anbclt :;S0:fum aIS dncn Mojjen iJJ1enfcl)en; ber ~ojitibe lel)rt nod) irgenbtnie
[eine ® ottf) cit. &;:lier in \!lmerifa, in lut!jetifd)en unb reformierten ~reifen, ltliirbe
cin :t1)eofog, ber bon ber ®ott1)eit :;S~fu rebet tnie 15c1)aber, iebenfalls ben !i6eta~
len, lUoberniftifcl)en :tI)eofogen 3uge3iil)U tnerben.
6cf)liejilid.J, muji ein 1Jofitiber :tl)eolog bie ftellbettretenbe ®enugtuung le!jmt 1
9licl)t mel)r feU ben :tagen &;:lofmanns. 6d)iiber lel)rt: "SDie aIt1Jroteftantifd)·e
:tl)eologie ljat bas 6terben ~~fu Gfl)tifti in folgenbet [Beife gebeutet. ~s boll,
3ie~t fid) I)iet cine ftellbettt.etenbe ®enllgtuung an bie &;:leiligteit unb ®ere.d)tigteit
®ottes. . .. SDiefe \!lnj(1)aullng ift bem biolifef)en ~bangelium ober bem ?illode
®ottes unb mit il)m bem ®Iaulien ftemb. SDas gilt nun a'ber boUenbs, menn
bieie \!luffaffung bes ~rClt3estDbes dne bulgiire iJorm annimmt, in ber fie au d)
untet ben ®eliHbeten ulUge~t .. " iJJlan fteUt fid) niimlid) ben l5ad)berl)alt fo bot/
baf3 ~~ius (£~riftu5 burd) fein ftellbertretenbeil I5traflcibcn ®ott bom gorn oUt
®nabe umgeftimmt ~aoe./I (6.24 f.) mlas lel)rt nun 6d)iibet? ~r tebet bon
6tellbetiretung, bon dnet "eigenattigcn 15teUbet±retung/l. (15. 196.) ~r benft
ficl) bie 6acl)e fo: ,,:;Sn (£I)riftlls lebte ltliil)renb feiner gefdJicl)tlic!)en mlirffamfeit
954 Book Review. - 53itetntut.
bie @nnbe @otte~ mit t~tet meItiibetminbenbenl))1nd)t. sau~ bet moUmnc()t ~et'
aus, bie ~ierin befc()loffen lag, ~at ;;s~fus bei 53eu3eiten l5unben betgeben ....
l5eine mergelmng bebentct, bafl er ars bet metfii~net, in ber i)"uUe ~emger \liebe,
3U uns tommt, unler ;Jnroenbiges erfafjt unb im @lauben fc()iif1ferifel) erneuert ....
i)"ut ben Sj~tr1t llebcutete feine betgebenbe %atigteit immer ein 53eiben. ~r gab
fic() teincm @Hcbe feines moUes bergebenb ~in, o~ne irgenbtllie, aligeftuft, unter
;;strtum, merrennung, meinglaullen, 150tgenfinn, lSos~eit 3U leibcn. . .. '3:ier
Sj~tt ~at aud) im I5tctllen mergellll11g geubt. . .. lJ'Cun ift bas 53einen, roeldjeil bie
l5unDe bem Sj~tm antut, aUf f etner Sjii~e. '3:iie @nabe ;;s~fu ~f)rifti cntfa1tet
alfo ~ier bie gan3e (\'nergie bon @ebu!b unb %reue .. " ;;sm I5tcrlicn boUenDet
fic() bie @crcel)tigteit ;;squ. ~r tut im @e~otfam geg.en @ott bas IlhlflCtftc. '3:ies~
~alb ~at et aud) ~ier, bet boUenneten l5unbe gegenubet, bie moUmael)t, @nabc
3U uli.en." (15.190 ff.) .ltlat ift bie l5adje nid)t. Unb tllenn man ben ganaen
sallfd)nitt, 15.189-197, im .(lufammenfjang lieft - unb 3eflnmaI genau lieft -,
bie l5ac()e tllirb nic()t frat. lillas l5el)aber n i el) t anneflmen fann, bas fann er-
Hat fagen: lI.(lunac()·ft tann feine lftebe babon fein, bafj @ott :;S~fus feIbet im
%obe tic()tet. . .. '3:iies ift eine abfoIut unmiigIidje mOtfteUung. . .. ,@ott
flat ben, bet bon teiner l5unbe tllufjte, 3ur l5unbe gemac(),t', ab·et nic()t 3um
l5unber, nic()t 3um 15,c()uIbtgen, ben f1ctfiinIidj mertllerfung trifft. 1I (15. 195.) -
lillie geftaftet fic()' bemnadj l5d)abers lReel)tfertigungsIeflre? lillas meint et,
menn er fagt, bafj bie metgevung bebeutet, bafj b,er meriiiflnet uns im @Iauben
fc()iif1ferifel) emmert? lSifel)of D . .(lanfer, bet iflm nid)t abfloIb ift, fteUt bie l5ad)(
fo bar: //\)lUt l5d)abct iit ,bet trag.enbe, Ie~te l5inn ber lfte.c(),tfertigungslel)re gar
nid)t bet, ball bem l5unber bie ~ntIaftung bon bet l5c()uIb ober bie l5eligteit bes
berfii~nten @eiDiifens ButcH tllitb. Gir negt barin, bafj bet 9ThenfelJ ber funDigen
i)"erne bon Cllntt unter bie 53eitung bes ~em\len @ottesgeiftes tritt ober ben @dft
@oUes emf1fungt. . .. ffieel)tfertigung ift biejenige lillidung @ottes, burel) roeld)e
et ben GUnber mit fiel) in @ e m e i n f c() aft berfett.' ('3:ias mlod @ottes,
~. l5d)aber, 15. 79.) SDen I5treit um ben Untetfc()ieb 3tllif,d)en @ereel)terHarung
unb @md)tmad)un\l ~iilt l5d)aber fur einen l5d)uTftreit, ber enbIid) aUfl)iiren
mune.// (saUg. ~b.~53ut~ . .!t . .(l., 11. mtober 1935.)
'3:ias I5c()Iufjtllott .(lanferll miige l)ier nod) ~Ia~ finben: //~s ift nic()t 3U ber'
tllunbern, bafj 15·cl)aber bei feiner gtunbfa~Iid) tl)e03entrifd)en ~infteUung bon ber
neuen lilleUe, bie bur4J bie biaTeftifc()e %fleoIogie fleraufbefd)tlloren tllurbe, gana
befonbetll ftatt beru~tt tllotben ift unb bafj umgefeflrt bie biaIeftifc()e %l)eologie
mand)es an l5c()abers %l)eologie ag Sjal6fleit emf1finbet.// % fl. ~ n geT b e r.
God in Action. By Karl Barth. Translated by Elmer G. Homrighau86n
and Karl J. E1·n8t. Round Table Press,. Inc., New York. 143 pages"
5% X 8, including an appendix of oral e,xpositio'llB made by Barth.
Price, $1.75.
All students of theology interested in the Dialectical Theology will
be grateful to the translators and publishe'rs of the five addresses by Karl
Barth contained in this handsO'me·,. handy volume. Barth is still the chief
exponent O'f the Theology O'f Crisis,. and no matter what a.s~nting or dis-
senting pupils of his may write, the theological WO'rld still desires, to hear
wha.t Barth himself has, to· say in exposition of his theology.. The addresses,
here offered to English and .American students of Ge'rman theology in
a good translatio'll, were originally delivered in German O'r French beffore
Book Review. - £iterntut. 955
pastoral cQnferences> in variQus pa.rts- Qf Switzerland and represent Ba,rth's
specific teachings 011 Revelation, the Church, Theology, the Ministry, and
the 'Witness' Function Qf the Believer in the World. Ba.rth he'r8' speaks
a, little nlO're clearly than ]181 doeH in his more learned wQrks; yet his
usual obscurity Qf diction and style crops out even in these PQPula.r talks
and often lea.ve,,, the, rea.der a,t a, loss to understand what he really means
to say. Ba.rthianism a,rose a.S' a revolt against the pantheism, Pelagianism,
na,turalism, rationalism,. and secula.rism of his time, urging a, speedy and
absQlute return to the Refmmation. But wha,t Barth has proclaimed was
neither genuinely Lutheran nor strictly Reformed, but a sort of religious
philosophy built a,round the centra,l thought of God's sovererignty and man's
absolute dependence> upon Him in the realm of nature and grace. Though
both thO'ughts are Biblical if properly understO'od and interpreted, Barth,
in his new religious sys-tern, has become a, rationalist himself, unable to'
direct his students rightly according to the> divine> truth. ThrO'ughout the
five addresses offered in thi~ book the reader will find truly Biblical sta.te·
ments, espcially in the one, entitled "The Ministry of the' Word." But there
are alsO' many more statements in which the traditional Christian faith is
disa.vowed; and there' a,re' still more in which the presenta,tiO'n of ideas is
so vague and obscure that the reader fan~ altogether tOi understand what
is meant. Just to' mention a few instances. Barth speaks! O'·f 1'B'vdatio-n
as being God Himself (p. 15: "ReveIa,tion is God Himwlf"). Then again
he speaks of revelation as being an act Qf forgiveil1oos or even an act Qf
sanctifica,tion (p, 18). Or he S1peaks of the Holy Scriptures as· being the
true authority in religion, since in them God Himself speaks. Yet accord-
ing tOi Barth not the Bible is. the' Word of God, but tha.t which is revealed
to him whOi studies, the Bible. He writes: "The Scriptures gO'vern the
Church and nO',t thel Church thel Scriptures" (p, 30). He adds, however:
"But nQte well, the Scriptures' as a, tool in God"s, hands; for they are' Qnly
human testimO'ny Q1f divine revela,tion" ( ibid. ) " Ba.rth tliusl makes the
Bible a, human book and so advances nOi higher in his bibliological be>lief
than did the- destructive critics and o,ther heretics whose unbelief he so
stoutly cO'ndemns. After all,. he is only another Hchwaermer, and one' whO'
is all the mO're dange>l'Ous for the very reason that he' pretends. to be, lO'yal
to the traditional faith. Of the Ohurch, Barth teaches that it exists
wherever the Scriptures speak and where man he>a,rs God (p. 2,9). But he
makes no distinction between the La,w and the Gospel, and nowhe·re does
he doocribe the members of the Church as believers in Christ, as did
Luther. Of Theology he says: "TheoIO'gy's essential hypothesis, Q1r axiom,
is revelation, which is God's own ad, done in His Word and through His
WQrd" (p. 41) . However, a few pages la.tm he' declares: "TheolO'gy is
a, human and not a, divine work. TheolQgy is se,rvice to the Word and is
not itself the WQrd of GO'd" (p. 49). Is· theology, then, human reveIation
by which the Word of God is revealed? Why does Barth not speak more
clE~ady? .Already in America, grea,t praise has been bestowed upon Barth
and his school,. but every Qne whOi is fully truthful must contend that
he is both a Hchwaermer and a, Hchwaetzer. As Hchwaermer he separates
authority in religion from the Holy Scriptures and places it in subjective
feeling, As Hchwaetzer he speaks, not to, instruct, but tOi obscure and
956 Book Review. - ~itetatut.
mystify. But eVe