Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Gordon Clark: Barth on Revelation (The Presbyterian Journal)

1961. Barth on Revelation. The Presbyterian Journal, XX.

Barth On Revelation 
(Where "witness and instrument comes from) 

Karl Barth writes to the effect that the Bible is not itself to be considered God's past revelation. But the Bible speaking to us and heard by us attests to past revelation. Barth constantly uses the phrase, "the revelation attested in Scripture." To "attest," he says, is to point beyond to something else. In this idea of attestation Barth seems to confuse personal witnesses (such as Paul) — who of course do point away from themselves to Something else — with the witness of the Bible. Now, while Paul may point to Something beyond himself, it is not necessary to conclude that the Scriptural doctrine of justification or of sanctification points "beyond." If God gave Paul certain doctrinal information and if Paul wrote down this information accurately, then the words of God and the words of Paul would be identical. (Then the words of Paul would not "witness" to revelation, they would be revelation. — Ed.) 
 
— Gordon H. Clark

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