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I take the Bible far too seriously to take it literally.

Karl Barth

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Karl Barth
Age: 82 †
Born: 1886
Born: May 10
Died: 1968
Died: December 10
Pastor
Theologian
University Teacher
Basle
Seriously
Bible
Take
Literally

More quotes by Karl Barth

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Radically and basically, all sin is simply ingratitude.
Karl Barth
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The statement that 'God is dead' comes from Nietzsche and has recently been trumpeted abroad by some German and American theologians. But the good Lord has not died of this He who dwells in the heaven laughs at them.
Karl Barth
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A free theologian works in communication with other theologians...He waits for them and asks them to wait for him. Our sadly lacking yet indispensable theological co-operation depends directly or indirectly on whether or not we are wiling to wait for one another, perhaps lamenting, yet smiling with tears in our eyes.
Karl Barth
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Man can certainly flee from God... but he cannot escape him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God, but he cannot change into its opposite the eternal love of God which triumphs even in his hate.
Karl Barth
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Scientific dogmatics must devote itself to the criticism and correction of Church proclamation and not just to a repetitive exposition of it.
Karl Barth
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A being is free only when it can determine and limit its activity.
Karl Barth
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Dogmatics is the testing of Church doctrine and proclamation.
Karl Barth
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I had to show that the Bible dealt with an encounter between God and Man. I thought only of the apartness of God. What I had to learn after that was the togetherness of Man and God - a union of two totally different kinds of beings.
Karl Barth
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Faith is never identical with piety even if it were the purest and finest.
Karl Barth
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What God chooses for us children of men is always the best.
Karl Barth
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When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we confess our sins we become brothers.
Karl Barth
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With an ear open to your musical dialectic, one can be young and become old, can work and rest, be content and sad: in short, one can live.
Karl Barth
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The enterprise of Adolf Hitler, with all its clatter and fireworks, and all its cunning and dynamic energy, is the enterprise of an evil spirit, which is apparently allowed its freedom for a time in order to test our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Karl Barth
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Grace creates liberated laughter. The grace of God...is beautiful, and it radiates joy and awakens humor.
Karl Barth
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As ministers we ought to speak of God. We are human, however, and so cannot speak of God. We ought therefore to recognize both our obligation and our inability and by that very recognition give glory to God
Karl Barth
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I have read many books, but the Bible reads me.
Karl Barth
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I don’t believe in universalism, but I do believe in Jesus Christ, the reconciler of all
Karl Barth
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Grace and gratitude go together like heaven and earth.
Karl Barth
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The person who knows only his side of the argument knows little of that.
Karl Barth
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Faith in God's revelation has nothing to do with an ideology which glorifies the status quo.
Karl Barth