Church Dogmatics, Vol. 2.1, Section 31: The Doctrine of God, Study Edition 9

252 Pages·2009·54.875 MB·English

by  Karl Barth

KARL BARTH
CHURCH DOGMATICS
VOLUME II
THE DOCTRINE
OF GOD
THE REALITY OF GOD II
EDITED BY
G. W. BROMILEY
T. F.TORRANCE
.~
t&t clark
Translated byG.W.Bromiley,]. C.Campbell, lain Wilson,]. Strathearn McNab, T.H. L.Parker,
W.B.Johnston, Harold Knight,]. L.M.Haire, R.A.Stewart
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Authorised translation ofKarl Barth, DieKirchlicheDogmatik II
Copyright @ Theologischer Verlag Zurich, 194°-1942
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@ Princeton Theological Seminary, 2009
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CONTENTS
~ 31. THE PERFECTIONS OFTHE DIVINE FREEDOM
1. The Unity and Omnipresence of God .
2. The Constancy and Omnipotence of God 53
3. The Eternity and Glory ofGod 177
v

[440]
THE PERFECTIONS OF THE DIVINE FREEDOM
The divinity of the freedom of God consists and confirms itself in the fact
that in Himself and in all His works God is One, constant and eternal, and
therewith also omnipresent, omnipotent and glorious.
1. THE UNITY AND OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD
Weare not turning to any new object, nor are weopening a new volume, if
we now turn our attention to the perfections of the divine freedom. We have
already spoken about the divine freedom aswespoke about the divine love.We
were not able tospeak about the latter without continually glancing over to the
divine freedom. In speaking of God's holiness, righteousness and wisdom, we
have already anticipated in the true sense the content of this second part of
the doctrine of the being of God. For it was simply the recollection of the
divine freedom which forced us to keep before our eyes particularly God's
holiness beside Hisgrace, Hisrighteousness beside Hismercy, and Hiswisdom
beside Hispatience, thus establishing, safeguarding and clarifying the fact that
we were not speaking of any kind of grace, mercy and patience but of the
divine grace, mercy and patience. The divine nature ofGod's loveconsists and
confirms itself in the fact that in Hisvery love God isfree and therefore in His
very grace, mercy and patience He isholy, righteous and wise.
Wehave now to consider this cohesion, this unity of the being of God from
its other side aswell. Our thinking now moves in some sense in the opposite
direction. We now begin at the point at which we continually ended in the
previous section. Wenow start from the divine freedom. Weput this second in
correspondence with the order of the divine life.Wehave seen, however, that
this order does not imply a subordination. God's freedom is no less divine
than His love. God's freedom isdivine asthe freedom in which God expresses
Hislove.The opposite isalso true. God's loveisdivine asthe lovewhich isfree.
This entitles and requires us to take His freedom just as seriously, and, aswe
now consider His being in this second way,to start from His freedom with no
lessseriousness than wedid before from His love.Again, weare already aware
that God's freedom does not exist alone byitself. All the time, then, we shall
have to remember His love aswenow turn to His freedom. Necessarily, there-
fore, in this second part of the doctrine of the being of God wemust recapitu- [441]
late the first part both implicitly and explicitly. Whatever was perceived and
~31. The Perfections of theDivine Freedom
expressed there must alwaysaccompany and be present with us. Our recollec~
tion ofthe divine lovewillrequire ushere aswellto consider our subject in two
ways.This time they willboth be directed to God's freedom, but the second in
such awaythat itreminds us of the cohesion and unity of God's freedom with
His love, thus establishing, safeguarding and clarifying the fact that it is not
with any kind offreedom but with the divine freedom that wehave to do. The
divine nature of God's freedom consists and confirms itself in the fact that
even in His freedom, asthe One who isfree, God isthe One who loves. God is
One. He is constant and eternal in Himself and in all His works. This is His
freedom. This is His majesty and sovereign power. This willbe our first con-
cern at each point in this second part of the doctrine ofHis being. But it isin
no accidental or arbitrarily determined waythat God isfree, majestic and sov-
ereign. It isin amanner wholly determined byHimself. He is,therefore, One
in such awaythat He isomnipresent, constant in such awaythat He isomnipo-
tent, and eternal in such awaythat He isglorious. His freedom isthe freedom
of His love. As we speak of His omnipresence, omnipotence and glory, we
glance back again from His freedom to His love, and therefore-in this con-
text-to Hisdivinity.The divinity ofHisfreedom consists and confirms itself in
the fact that even in His unity He is omnipresent, in His constancy omnipo-
tent, and in His eternity glorious. This fact isthe criterion ofthe divinity ofall
the perfections ofHis freedom.
The question maybe raised againatthispoint howwecome tomention these sixattrib-
utes ofthe divinefreedom in this particular juxtaposition. And againwehave to acknow-
ledge that wecertainly cannot relyon, or appeal to,anydirect (orverbal) precept ofHoly
Scripture or eventothe precedent ofanyother dogmatics.Wehavetoadmit that basically
thisselection andjuxtaposition can possessand claimonlythe character ofan attempt or
suggestion.Inthelightofthebiblicalwitnesstorevelation-not ofsomegeneral ideaofthe
being ofGod-we are askingtwoquestions. First,what are the specificdeterminations in
whichtheloveofGodattested intheBiblebecomeseventandrealityinthefreedom ofGod,
sothat wecan and must seethem asdeterminations ofHisbeing? The answerto thisfirst
question isgivenbythe series:unity,constancyand eternity.Andsecond-again inthelight
ofthebiblicalwitnesstorevelation-what arethespecificdeterminations ofthisloveitselfin
sofar asitisthe lovewhich becomes event and realityin Hisfreedom, sothat wecan and
must understand these determinations as those of the divine being? The second series,
omnipresence, omnipotence and glory,isthe answerto thisquestion. Itmaynowbe seen
that the questions arethe sameinsubstance asthoseaskedatthebeginning oftheprevious
section, only now theyhave been put in the opposite order. Wecould not askanyothers
because, keeping to the samesource, wehave tospeak about the sameGod, the One who
lovesinHisfreedom, and therefore thesameloveand thesamefreedom, whichoccupied us
earlier asthecontext ofthebiblicalwitnesstoGod.Our selectionandjuxtaposition ofattrib-
[442J utes issupported byno previous authority, sothat whether itiscorrect and satisfactory,a
significantand serviceable attempt and suggestion, isaquestion whichcanbeanswered, as
previously,onlybythe presentation itself,oritsrelation tothe biblicalwitnesstoGod.Thus
the question must be thrown straight back at the one whoraised it.Anyonewhowishesto
object to the selection andjuxtaposition here proposed can do soonlybyhimself making
another attemptand suggestionwhich corrects the inevitable defectsand deficiencies.And
2
I. The Unity and Omnipresence of God
it must not be forgotten that the unavoidable schematic form here in evidence isonly a
means to an end. On no account should it attract independent attention, for example on
account ofthe symbolicnumbers 2,3and 12.Our purpose, nowaspreviously,istogive"the
most fullyconcrete answer to the question: Who and what isGod? i.e., the answer which
Inostfaithfully followsand corresponds to the object in itsself-manifestation." This isthe
onlypurpose tobeservedbyadevelopment ofconcepts whichisaswellordered and clearas
possible.Itsopposite, achaotic orriotous presentation, wouldcertainlynot beworthyofthis
purpose, and presumably, therefore, could not serveit.
Webegin with the unity ofGod. Allthe perfections ofGod's freedom can be
summed up bysayingthat God isOne. And to this extent allthe perfections of
His love, real and operative in His freedom, and all the perfections of the
divine being taken together, can be summed up in this one conception. Ifwe
understand it rightly,wecan express allthat God isbysaying that God isOne.
Bythis He differen tiates Himself from everything that isdistinct from Himself.
Bythis He rules and determines it,and bythis He isalsoin Himselfwhat He is.
He isOne. The word oneness has twomeanings. It can mean both uniqueness
(singularitas) and simplicity (simplicitas). Asa statement about God it must in
fact mean both, and weshall have to deal with both under the one heading.
First we take unity in the sense of uniqueness. What ismeant when we say
that it belongs to God to be unique? Naturally not that He alone exists. The
world He has created also exists. But God alone isGod. He isthe only one of
His kind. There is not another God, either a second god or many gods. We
cannot fail to recognise the fundamental character of the statement that God
is One when we use the word in this first sense. From the beginning the
Church understood the prophetic and apostolic testimony in such awaythat
in itsconfession offaith, in which it responded to that testimony, it had to say
first and foremost that He whom this testimony calls God, and whose reve-
lation and work are to be found in this testimony, isOne, aunique being, this
unique being. Abeing which wasnot unique, and not thisunique being, would
not be God. For this reason ~nyso-called or would-be God which has asecond
god alongside it isbound to be a false god or no god. The very moment we
conceive of a second person or thing of the same kind as God, even ifit pos-
sessesonly one attribute of the divine being, wecease to think of God asGod.
ItisHe alone who lives.ItisHe alone who loves.He alone isgracious, merciful
and wise. He alone isholy, righteous and patient. And He alone isalso free, [443]
with all that this involves. To be one and unique is true only of Him in the
sense proper to Him. For itisonly in Him that everything (including unique-
ness) isessential, original, proper, and for this reason alsocreative, sothat now
itcan allbelong to other forms ofbeing also in acreated, dependent, derived
and improper way.In comparison with everything else,God isunique-as who
He isand what He is-while everything else iswhat itisbyHim, and therefore
only dependently, in acontingent and figurative sense, and therefore not in a
waythat competes with God. Whatever itsnature and mode of existence, it is
not God. It cannot stand beside Him asa second of His kind or a multiple of
3
~31. The Perfections of theDivine Freedom
His kind. Thus the knowledge of God, the God attested in His revelation by
prophets and apostles, means that all so-called or would-be deities and divin-
ities apart from Him lose their character as gods. The faith and worship
offered to them cannot be taken seriously. They fade awayas idols and non-
entities. And so God's freedom, majesty and sovereignty shine out in His
uniqueness. Knowledge of this God brings those who partake of it under a
claim that is total and unlimited as regards what is divine. It isolates them
unescapably. It confronts them with an exclusive demand that nothing can
soften. In respect ofGod itsetsbounds for them which they can break onlyby
giving up the knowledge of this God. In this they experience God's love as
grace, mercy and patience. They experience it as God's election in virtue of
Hisfreedom, an election inwhich God not onlychooses them for Himself, but
in doing sochooses Himself for them, and marks Himself out asthe one, true
and therefore unique God. They experience Hisloveasan election inwhich a
final decision isreached at every point regarding what isand what isnot div-
ine. The decision isreached that this Godwho chooses them isGod alone, and
that all other so-called or would-be gods are not what they claim to be. He
alone isGod, because allthat He isand does has itssignificance and power and
stands or falls by the fact that He is it and does it in an incomparable and
unique way.There isno other likeHim. He does not have toface anycompeti-
tion, either hostile or friendly. His Word does not need to fear any contra-
diction or Hiswork anyopposition, nor ofcourse do they stand in need or are
they capable of any assistance, supplementation or authorisation from any
other source.
Because the Church from the beginning understood the prophetic and apostolic testi-
monyinthisway,itresponded from the firstwithaconfession ofHisuniqueness asakind of
primary assertion. Quod unus estDeusEN1 is,according to Origen, the first species eorum quae
perpraedicationem apostolicam manifeste tradunturEN2 (IIEpL apxwv I,PraeJ. 4). Regula fidei una
omnino est,sola immobilis etirrejormabilis: credendi scilicet in unicum Deum ... EN3 (Tertullian, De
virgovel. 1).Deus, sinon unus est,non estEN4 (Adv. Marc. 1,3).Neque super eum, neque post eum est
aliquid; neque abalio motus sedsua sententia etliberefecit omnia quum sitsolus Deus etsolus Dominus
etsolus conditor etsolus pater etsolus continens omnia etomnibus ut sint, praestansEN5 (Irenaeus,
[444J Adv. O. h. II, 1, 1). Praeter hanc nullam credimus essenaturam vel angeli, vel spiritus, vel virtu tis
alicuius, quae Deus est credendaEN6 (Libellus in modum Symboli [5th century?] Denz. No. 19)'
God is the One cuius nec magnitudini neque maiestati, neque virtuti quidquam, non dixerim
ENl Because God isone
EN2 ofthose appearances which were clearlypassed down through apostolic preaching
EN3There isinallone rule infaith, which isalone unchanging and irreformable, namely belief in
one God
EN4 God, ifhe isnot one, isnot
ENS Nothing iseither above him or after him; nor ishe moved byanything but his decree and
freelyhe made allthings since he alone isGod, alone Lord, alone creator, alone father, alone
holds together allthings, and he issuperior toallthings that exist
EN6Webelieve that no nature except thisone, neither angel, nor spirit, nor anypower, thisnature
which isto be believed isGod
4
1. The Unity and Omnipresence of God
praeferri sed nec comparari potestEN7 (Novatian,De trine 31). KnowledgeofGod in the sense of
the NewTestament message, the knowledge ofthe triune God ascontrasted withthe whole
worldofreligions inthe firstcenturies, signified,and stillsignifies,the mostradical "twilight
ofthegods,"theverything whichSchillersomovinglydeplored asthede-divinisation ofthe
"lovelyworld." Itwasno mere fabrication when the earlyChurch wasaccused bythe world
around itofatheism, and itwould havebeen wiserfor itsapologists not to have defended
themselvessokeenlyagainst thischarge. There isareal basisfor the feeling, current tothis
day,that every genuine proclamation of the Christian faith isa force disturbing to, even
destructive of,the advance ofreligion, itslifeand richness and peace. Itisbound tobe so.
Olympus and Valhalladecrease inpopulation when the messageofthe Godwhoisthe one
and onlyGod isreallyknown and believed. The figures ofeveryreligious culture are neces-
sarilysecularised and recede. They can keep themselves aliveonly asideas, symbols,and
ghosts,and finallyascomicfigures.And inthe end eveninthisform theysinkinto oblivion.
Nosentence ismore dangerous orrevolutionary than that GodisOne and there isno other
likeHim.Allthepermanencies oftheworlddrawtheir lifefrom ideologies and mythologies,
from open or disguised religions, and to this extent from all possible forms of deity and
divinity.Itwason the truth ofthe sentence that GodisOne that the "Third Reich"ofAdolf
Hitler made shipwreck. Let this sentence be uttered in such a waythat it is heard and
grasped, and atonce 450 prophets ofBaalare alwaysinfear oftheir lives.There isno more
room nowforwhatthe recent pastcalledtoleration. BesideGodthere areonlyHiscreatures
or falsegods, and beside faith in Him there are religions onlyasreligions ofsuperstition,
error and finallyirreligion.
There isno doubt that theoretically the ancient and mediaeval Church worked out the
knowledge ofthe uniqueness ofGodwithgreat clarity.Butexcept forthe significance ofthis
for the original conflict of Christianity with paganism, and especiallyfor the exclusion of
Gnosticism, it was really the Reformation of the 16th century, above all the Calvinistic
Reformation, which first brought into true focus the character of practical decision, the
criticalsignificancewhichbelongs tothisknowledge.Tobesure,Thomas Aquinas (S.theol. I,
quo3, art. 5s.c.) had already advocated and established the statement, which isofincalcul-
able importance for the logicoftheology, that Deus non est in aliquo genere, because nihil est
prius Deo nec secundum rem, nec secundum intellectum EN8. And Anselm of Canterbury had
alreadydeclared (Monol. 80)-in remarkable anticipation ofthe tendencies ofthe Reforma-
tion-that God isnon solum Deus sed salus Deus ineffabiliter trinus et unus, de quo soloprospera
sunt operanda, ad quem solum ab adversis fugiendum, cui solipro quavis resupplicandum ENg. But
after the struggles ofthe earlyChurch against Gnosticism, itisthe Reformation which first
seriously and comprehensively makes practical application and especially critical applica-
tion ofthisknowledge. Itdoes thisinternally and not merely externally-in relation to the
Church itselfand the apostasywhichisboth possibleand realwithin the Church. Calvinnow
writes: ReligiOENlO means abinding, and the decisivecontent of this "binding" is:ne aliquo
transferatur quidquid in divinitatem competitEN11. Ifeverything divineisnot recognised, sought
and honoured asthe solepossession ofthe one God, He isrobbed ofHishonour, and the
to whose magnitude, or majesty, or power, Iwould not sayanything can be preferred, but
EN 7
nothing can be compared
EN HGod does not belong to any category because nothing isprior to God, either ontically or
noetically
not only God but isthe only God ineffably three and one, from whom alone good fortune is
EN 9
accomplished, towhom alone one can flee from adversity, and towhom alone supplication
about anything istobe made
ENlOreligion
ENII nothing which belongs to the Divinitycan be applied toanything else
5
~31. The Perfections of theDivine Freedom
worship apparently offered to Him isprofaned (Instit. I, 12, 1). Bydemanding fromjesus
(Mt.49) that He should falldown and worship him Satan showed himself tobe Satan,while
the angel ofGod (Rev.1910) revealed himself tobe an angel ofGodbyrefusing for himself
the proskynesisEN12 which belongs onlytoGod. Sivolumus unum Deum habere, meminerimus ne
[445] tantulum quidem ex eius gloria delibandum quin retineat, quod sibi proprium est ... Quaecunque
pietatis officia alio transferantur quam ad unicum Deum, sacrilegio non carereEN13(ib. 12, 3). And
for this reason the Scots Confession begins with the weighty sentence: 'We confesse and
acknawledge ane onelie God, towhom onlywemust cleave,whom onelie wemust serve,
whom onelie we must worship and in whom onelie we must put our trust." Everything
depends on God's not onlybeing recognised asthe One who isunique, but on His being
treated in the waywhich isHisdue, asthe One who isunique. Everything depends on the
fear,trust, honour and service,whichareHisdue, being givenHim asthe onlyOne towhom
theycanpossiblyapply.Itistobenoted that onthisknowledge, i.e.,the practical and critical
application of this knowledge of God as the unique, the one and only God, depends the
Scripture principle of the Reformers, their doctrine ofjustification, and especially their
Christology, with all the antitheses and the positive rules for doctrine and lifewhich this
involves.Yetthisknowledge must be made even more fruitful in itsimplications than even
the Reformers made it.Itisnot an easything toapplyitwith the required universality.
We now turn to the other side or meaning of the assertion of the unity of
God. It means also that God issimple. This signifies that in all that He isand
does, He iswholly and undividedly Himself. At no time or place is He com-
posed out of what is distinct from Himself. At no time or place, then, is He
divided or divisible. He isOne even in the distinctions ofthe divine persons of
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He isOne even in the real wealth of
His distinguishable perfections. In specific things that He is and does, He
never existsin such awayasto be apart from other things that He also alwaysis
and does. But in allother things He also isand does these specific things. And
asHe isand does these specific things, He also isand does all other things.
In this second sense, too, the assertion ofGod's unity can be called the basic
proposition of the doctrine of God's freedom. Being simple in the sense
described, God isincomparably free, sovereign and majestic. In this quality of
simplicity are rooted, fixed and included allthe other attributes ofHismajesty:
His constancy and eternity, His omnipresence, omnipotence and glory. Noth-
ing can affect Him, or be far from Him, or contradict or withstand Him,
because in Himself there is no separation, distance, contradiction or oppos-
ition. He is Lord in every relationship, because He is the Lord of Himself,
unconditionally One as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and in the whole real
wealth ofHis being. For every distinction ofHis being and working issimply a
repetition and corroboration of the one being and, in the one being, of all
that He wasfrom eternity and therefore from alltime, and ofallthat He willbe
in eternity and therefore for all time.
EN12 worship
EN13 ifwewant tohaveone God, letusremember that wecan take the smallest portion ofhisglory
without him retaining what ishis ... whatever else than on God alone are not devoid ofsac-
rlle~e
6