THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THE SERVICE OF GOD ACCORDING TO THE TEACHING OF THE REFORMATION
RECALLING THE SCOTTISH CONFESSION OF 1560
THE GIFFORD LECTURES
DELIVERED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
IN 1937 AND 1938
BY
KARL BARTH
TRANSLATED BY
J. L. M. HAIRE AND IAN HENDERSON
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W 8th Ave, Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
The Knowledge of God and the Service Of God According to the Teaching of the Reformation
Recalling the Scottish Confession of 1560
By Barth, Karl
Copyright©1938 Theologischer Verlag Zurich
ISBN: 1-59752-427-1
EISBN: 978-1-4982-7078-6
Publication date 11/1/2005
Previously published by Hodder and Stoughton, 1938
Copyright©1938 Original German version published by Theologischer Verlag Zurich
TRANSLATORS’ NOTE
THE text of the Scots Confession which is printed at the beginning of each chapter is that given by P. Schaff in his Creeds of the Evangelical Protestant Churches. It is based on the text in Sir John Skene’s Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, 1424–1597, and has been re-issued recently, along with the Latin Version and an introduction, by Prof. G. D. Henderson of Aberdeen (Church of Scotland Publications).
We wish to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that we have rendered “Gottesdienst” throughout by “service” (of God). Occasionally, e.g. in Lectures XVII and XVIII, this word might be equally well or even better translated by “worship” or “public worship”.
We should like to express our thanks to Mr. R. J. Fulton, B.A., and to Miss Maud Fulton, M.A., for their valuable help in reading the proofs and preparing an index.
J. L. M. HAIRE.
IAN HENDERSON.
CONTENTS
LECTURE
I.“NATURAL THEOLOGY” AND THE TEACHING OF THE REFORMATION
III.THE MAJESTIC, THE PERSONAL GOD
IV.THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE GLORY OF MAN
VI.THE REVELATION OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST
VII.GOD’S DECISION AND MAN’S ELECTION
VIII.GOD’S WORK AND MAN’S SALVATION
IX.THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE FUTURE AND THE PRESENT LIFE OF MAN
XII.THE ORDINANCE GOVERNING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
XVI.THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH
XVII.THE CHURCH SERVICE AS DIVINE ACTION
XVIII.THE CHURCH SERVICE AS HUMAN ACTION
XIX.THE STATE’S SERVICE OF GOD
XX.THE GIFT OF COMFORT AND HOPE
LECTURE I
“NATURAL THEOLOGY” AND THE TEACHING OF THE REFORMATION
1. In good faith towards the will of Lord Gifford we have to establish: (1) that when his will speaks of natural theology it means a knowledge which stands at the disposal of man as man and whose object is the truth about God, the world and man; (2) that his will expects from the lectures of the Gifford foundation a specific advancement and diffusion of “natural theology” thus understood.
2. A reformed theologian commissioned with the delivery of these lectures cannot, as such, i.e. in loyalty towards his own calling,
