The Appearing Grace: Living and Waiting in Christ
Theology Keanu Heydari Theology Keanu Heydari

The Appearing Grace: Living and Waiting in Christ

The grace of God has appeared, Barth tells us, and it is no abstract concept or fleeting feeling. It is found in a person, Jesus Christ, in whom God has concluded His eternal covenant with humanity. This is why, in the Early Church, this passage was read on Christmas Day, for in the coming of Christ, “the grace of God hath appeared.” This grace, Barth emphasizes, is universal: it brings “salvation to all men.” In Christ, salvation is not reserved for a select few but extends to every person, breaking down barriers and reaching across the world. Yet grace does more than save—it also teaches. Barth reminds us that it is “grace itself and as such (incorporated in this person),” not something that precedes or follows grace, that instructs us. Grace is both the principle and the command, shaping us ethically and sanctifying us through its own power.

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An Early Karl Barth Sermon: The Discipleship of Jesus (1907)
Theology Keanu Heydari Theology Keanu Heydari

An Early Karl Barth Sermon: The Discipleship of Jesus (1907)

The following is my unauthorized translation into English of one of Karl Barth's earliest sermons: Homiletic Seminar in Bern, Summer Semester 1907: In the summer semester of 1907, his last semester in Bern before he moved to Tübingen, Barth had taken "Homiletic and Catechetical Exercises" with Moritz Lauterburg (1862-1927; since 1905 Professor of Practical Theology in Bern), according to his "Zeugnisheft" from the Bern University of Applied Sciences.

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