Oct
31
2009
The Great Disturbance
“Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, in saying ‘Repent,’ intended that the whole life of believers should be repentance.” Martin Luther, Thesis 1
According to Schaff, History of the Christian Church, VII:160, Luther was attacking the medieval notion of sacramental penitence. That kind of “repentance” could be limited to isolated outward acts, leaving the rest of our lives safe from the mega-upheaval of true repentance. Luther contended that real repentance opens us up to endless personal change, leaving nothing about us untouched.
When Luther posted his Theses, he undermined self-reinforcing Christianity, which is no Christianity, and he launched a new era of self-challenging Christianity, which is the power of the gospel.
In Karl Barth’s commentary on Romans, he entitles his section on Romans 12-15 “The Great Disturbance.” The whole world needs gospel disturbance. Nashville needs it. I need it.
Bring it on.
2 Comments
Thanks for the post. I’m preaching on Mark 1:1-13 tomorrow and I’ll probably use this in talking about John preaching on repentance. Thanks Ray and all the brothers and sisters who make TGC a blessing to churches seeking gospel-centered ministry in the coming generation.
Karl Barth’s “Great Disturbance” is no substitute whatsoever for the firsthand and personal experience of the work of the Holy Spirit, poured out and still active, at the perfect death of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 16: 4-15). This is what needs to be verified in Scriptures because the whole world is hungry to know the truth about God.
Better late than never!