Christians at the Border – By R. Daniel Carroll

Barth delivered the lectures that form the basis of this commentary in Basel during the winter of 1940-41, five years after he had been banned from his teaching post in Bonn for his criticism of the Nazi regime.The historical context gives added interest to his reflection on Rom 9-11.While Barth does little to mitigate what he takes to be an account of Israel's disobedience in those chapters, he forcefully refutes the idea that the Jews have been finally rejected by God, calling anti-Semitism the "most potent form of disobedience."God wills the "disobedient Synagogue," according to Barth, in order to extend mercy to the world.However, if the Jews' "rejection" is the Gentiles' gain, the latter's ultimate hope depends on the inclusion of Israel-and the last word has not been spoken on those whom God has "hardened."More broadly, this commentary is presented as an explication of Paul's claim in Rom 1 : 17 that the Gospel reveals the righteousness of God.Although it is the "power of God for salvation," the Gospel initially confronts humanity with God's wrath, the object of which is the sinner's mistaken selfconfidence.Salvation, the "good centre in the hard shell," lies in the acceptance of the guilty verdict borne by Jesus Christ.The believer is not made righteous in appearance only, but "seriously," and his task is to live according to the "new order" of which he is a part-or, as Barth puts it, the "imperative" is explained by the "indicative

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