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meritorious action; not the acceptance of a doctrine, but a “making Christ Master” in an
attempt to pattern one’s life after the example of Christ. This view met with strong opposition,
however, in the theology of crisis, which stresses the fact that saving faith is never a merely
natural psychological experience, is strictly speaking an act of God rather than of man, never
constitutes a permanent possession of man, and is in itself merely a hohlraum (empty space),
quite incapable of effecting salvation. Barth and Brunner regard faith simply as the divine
response, wrought in man by God, to the Word of God in Christ, that is, not so much to any
doctrine, as to the divine command or the divine act in the work of redemption. It is the
affirmative answer, the “yes” to the call of God, a “yes” that is elicited by God Himself.
D. THE IDEA OF FAITH IN SCRIPTURE.
1. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
Evidently the New Testament writers, in stressing faith as the
fundamental principle of the religious life, were not conscious of shifting ground and of
departing from the Old Testament representation. They regard Abraham as the type of all true
believers (Rom. 4; Gal. 3; Heb. 11; Jas. 2), and those who are of faith as the true sons of
Abraham (Rom. 2:28,29; 4:12,16; Gal. 3:9). Faith is never treated as a novelty of the new
covenant, nor is any distinction drawn between the faith of the two covenants. There is a sense
of continuity, and the proclamation of faith is regarded as the same in both dispensations, John
5:46; 12:38,39; Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; 10:16; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38. In both Testaments faith is
the same radical self-commitment to God, not merely as the highest good of the soul, but as
the gracious Saviour of the sinner. The only difference that is apparent, is due to the
progressive work of redemption, and this is more or less evident even within the confines of the
Old Testament itself.
a. In the patriarchal period.
In the earlier portions of the Old Testament there is but little in the
line of abstract statement respecting the way of salvation. The essence of the religion of the
patriarchs is exhibited to us in action. The promise of God is in the foreground, and the case of
Abraham is designed to set forth the idea that the proper response to it is that of faith. The
whole life of Noah was determined by trust in God and in His promises, but it is especially
Abraham that is set before us as the typical believer, who commits himself to God with
unwavering trust in His promises and is justified by faith.
b. In the period of the law.
The giving of the law did not effect a fundamental change in the
religion of Israel, but merely introduced a change in its external form. The law was not
substituted for the promise; neither was faith supplanted by works. Many of the Israelites,
indeed, looked upon the law in a purely legalistic spirit and sought to base their claim to
salvation on a scrupulous fulfilment of it as a body of external precepts. But in the case of those
who understood its real nature, who felt the inwardness and spirituality of the law, it served to