The authority and significance of the Bible Twelve Theses

This is a 4 page reflection paper.
The book is God Here and Now
Chapter 4 reflection on the Authority and significance of the Bible Twelve Theses by Karl Barth
Cites from the Bible required

ANSWER

The authority and significance of the Bible Twelve Theses

In chapter 4 of his book, Barth explores the authority of the Bible. In this chapter, Barth explores the nature of the authority of the Bible through a list of its statements and how the Bible’s authority relates to itself, man, the world and belief itself. At the beginning of the twelve theses, Barth states that when a child is asked why among the many women they call their mother, mother, they will give the same affirmation because she is my mother. He relates this to the authority of the Bible. However, he makes sure to point out that these are his beliefs and that he cannot conclude for any other person, he can only point out the analytical statements, and it is for those who read this to make the decision of the authority of the Bible.

The second point that Barth makes us is that the Lordship of Jesus Christ, both the congregation and the world has its form in the Bible. The congregation of the time in which we live is in between the time of the resurrection of Christ and His return (Barth, 2003). This means that none of the congregation has witnessed the resurrection of Christ, and thus the congregation is waiting for His return. The presence of the Lordship of Jesus is thus founded on the biblical witness. The presence of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is in the Bible; thus, the presence of Jesus is in the Bible. He who hears the words in the Bible hears from the authority of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, before His ascension, Jesus told his disciples that they would be his witnesses, and he who hears them hears him. This means that whatever the apostles wrote in the Bible and in the New Testament has the authority of Jesus in it and, thus, the authority of the Bible.

In answering the question about the authority of the Bible, Barth writes that despite the many perceptions of God, there is only one true knowledge of this one God. It is true because it is derived from God’s self-testimony (Barth, 2003). He also answers the question of the infallibility of the apostles and the fact that they were human. He says that the apostles are witnesses to the workings of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the light through the holy spirit, which filled the apostles and thus gave them the strength to preach the word of God. An excellent example of the authority of God’s word is the apostle Paul. Paul was known as Saul before he was converted. He was converted through the word of God on his way to persecute Christians. Despite being a sinner, he was converted, and through the power of the holy spirit, he started preaching the gospel. This gospel is the word of God. Despite the shortcomings of the apostles, the word they wrote has its authority from God. The followers of Christ today follow that word, not because of the apostles but because it comes from God’s mouth through the apostles.

The Bible’s authority is not political or legal. Its authority is spiritual. With authority comes obedience, and thus, the Bible’s authority lies with Jesus Christ, the Lord of the church. The Bible’s authority lies wot Jesus because he is the word. In John1: 1the Bible says that in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the Word was God. In saying that, the Bible verse means that the words written in the Bible are the words of God. For example, at the beginning of the creation story, God used his words to create the universe. In using his words, came life and the universe that the Lord God created through his words (Barth, 2003). The words in the Bible are written through his witnesses. They are the words that speak life, and thus they are God. The Bible has authority because it is the word of God.

The Bible commands authority inside the church and in the world. The biblical witness has authority, and this is because the church sets its life on the Bible. Without the Bible, which is the word of God, the church would not exist. The authority of the Bible could also be said to come from the fact that it is the pillar from which the church is built. If the word is eradicated, the church will not have a foundation. This is because the people in the church are witnesses of Christ. They live through the words of Christ and through his deeds. The Bible’s words include the instructions by Jesus on how they should carry themselves. It involves instructions. Through the Bible, Christians are connected to Jesus, and through the authority that the church has given the Bible, the Bible becomes the word by which Christians live.

The Bible gives the church a deeper right to exist. Without the Bible, the church would dissolve into a cloud of smoke without any meaning and would be uninteresting to God and to humans. According to Barth, whoever takes the strand to be a Christian and believes to be standing within the church stands under the authority of the Bible. This can neither be ignored nor can or be denied or forgotten. This is because the Bible is the foundation of the church. It guides the Christians, and without it, the church would become boring and moralistic. The fact that the church stands on the Bible and without the Bible, the church is bound to fail shows that the Bible has authority.

One cannot be stopped from having different points of view and doubting the authority of the Bible, especially if they are not Christians. However, anyone interested in Christianity and understanding God’s will must understand that the authority of the Bible cannot be questioned in Christianity. This is because the Bible is witness to the deeds of the Lordship of the church Jesus Christ. The Bible guides the Christians on what they should do. The words written in the Bible are the words of God through the different apostles. The first four books of the new testament are an example. They all document the life of Jesus from different perspectives. This helps the Christians mirror the life of Jesus so that they can live according to his guidance. The authority of the Bible cannot be doubted because it was written by human beings. This is because when the Bible was written, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and thus the words in the Bible are inspired by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Barth ends this chapter by saying that he understands that there are other points of view on the matter of the Bible being the authority. However, according to him, the authority of the Bible cannot be questioned.

References

Barth, K. (2003). God here and now. Routledge.

Bible, K. J. AN EVALUATION OF THE NEW KING JAMES BIBLE.