Matthew 25:1-13 is the parable of ten maidens. The source is material unique to Matthew.
Philipp Nicolai in the 1500s wrote a hymn based on this parable, "Sleepers, Awake! A Voice Astounds Us.” The Bridegroom is “glorious in strength of grace and truth.” The wise maidens are to rise up and give light to us who sing the hymn. Our hearts are joyful in anticipation of the coming of the Bridegroom. We have hope. We heed to the call to enter the banquet hall. An African American spiritual, “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning,” draws upon this parable. We are to keep our lamps trimmed, for the time is drawing near. Sisters, brothers, and children are not to grow weary.
Scholars will debate whether this parable is an allegory, which would tend to make it a story from the early decades of the church,[1] or a parable Jesus told, in line with C. H. Dodd and Joachim Jeremias. I am going to interpret it as if Jesus told the parable. Some background might help us. This parable obviously draws on the customs of Jewish marriage in Roman-era Palestine. Arland Hultgren provides a concise summary of what little we know about such customs at the time of Jesus. The first state was betrothal, as the parents arrange the marriage of the couple. The arrangement was legally binding, broken only by divorce. The second stage was the wedding feast, usually occurring a year later. The couple consummates the marriage by their co-habitation. The parable we are considering is at this stage. A festival procession precedes the marriage celebration, as in Psalm 45:13-15, where attendants lead the princess to the king and I Maccabees 9:37-39, where a large escort brings the bride to the groom with much baggage and the groom greets her with music and weapons.[2]
The parable reflects a dimension of the rule of God. It uses an image of the Jewish tradition. The banquet depicted the eschatological future of fellowship in the rule of God. Here, the marriage feast depicts future fellowship with God and with the people of God.[3] It reminds us that human life has an unurgent and decisive quality that seems lost in a time of ever-lengthening lifespans. The wedding day has come. The banquet is ready. The story is a loving but genuine warning.
The situation described in the parable has some unique twists. 1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this.[4] Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. The parable reveals nothing about the bride. Who and where is she? The bride is not a character in the story and her absence invites no compelling interpretation. The focus becomes what these bridesmaids do. 2 Five of them were foolish (shortsighted), and five were wise.Speaking as "Poor Richard," Benjamin Franklin once asked "who is wise?" His answer, as usual, was both definitive and provocative: "Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. He that governs his passions. He that is content. Nobody." 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. The oil becomes a symbol of the good works and obedience.[5] 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, most likely, according to Jeremias and Eduard Schweizer, because of last minute animated negotiations that often accompanied the final visit of the groom to the family of the bride. Importantly, all of them became drowsy and slept. If we could look at them sleeping, we would not know the difference between the wise and foolish. At this point in the parable, the ten appear to be faithful. They are waiting for the bridegroom. On the practical side of this, most of us do not like waiting. We are impatient. 6 But at midnight there was a shout. ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Theologically, this moment suggests the suddenness of the arrival of the rule of God. The eschatological crisis is near.[6] Consistent with other parables and sayings of Jesus, we need to orient our lives to the fact that our time is expiring quickly. We do not know when our end will come, but we know it will. Whether or not we use this time before our end wisely, our time will be gone suddenly.[7] Someone invites the bridesmaids to Come out to meet him.’ At the beginning of the 1900s, an account of a wedding includes torches used to illuminate the wedding procession at night. The torches consisted of sticks wrapped with rags soaked in olive oil. Girls danced until the flame died. 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. In a difficult part of the parable for modern readers, 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise replied, with some wisdom, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ The foolish would need to leave the procession. We need to admit the problem many readers today have with the ethical issue raised. This response seems selfish. Yet, as we move through the parable, we will see that this may not be the case. I might also offer the reminder that the parables of Jesus often contain a questionable ethical element. It may even point to the harsh reality that we cannot expect others to be of much help. 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet. The attention shifts to what the bridegroom does. He finally arrives. The attention also shifts to the wise, who are ready for the arrival of the bridegroom. They join in the procession, joining others for the banquet. We then hear and read the words that have so much finality contained in them: and the door was shut. We feel the pain and fear of the shut door. The parade passes by. Such recognition of a human life is a dimension of wisdom. It also reflects the nature of the rule of God. Are we ready? Will we commit? This parable is saying that we need to take the lordship of Jesus Christ seriously. Time has an end for us. Time has a fulfillment of our actions. We must decide now if we want to be part of the end to which this parable invites us. Do we want to be part of the wedding feast? Will we make decisions now that make us ready for that feast? We should want to, of course. Few people do not like a good party. On the personal side, disciples of Jesus, if they invite people at all today, do so as if they are inviting people to a funeral. They need to have the mentality of inviting people to the party. Those ready for the arrival of the bridegroom enjoy fellowship with God and with the people of God. People have present access to this life.[8] 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ They missed the procession. They did not participate at the crucial moment. They will not enjoy the presence of the bridegroom or the party. We now learn of the wisdom of the wise in their decision. We are ready because we have chosen to live a life of obedience. We are not ready because such qualities transfer from someone else. One can look as if one is doing the right thing in getting oneself ready. All of the ten fell asleep. Yet, one may not have such a life from the heart. When the bridegroom finally arrives, he will recognize those whose lives have not truly anticipated entry into the banquet. The point is the present life of believers and of the community. Are disciples active in relation to the coming of the Lord? Our lamps of faith and life need to burn and shine at the decisive moment. If we do not, we do not enjoy the party.[9] Thus, the parable looks to the future while warning against speculation as to the precise moment in human history when the end of human time comes. The wise do not know the precise time of the end. They had the oil and prepared for a long wait. Thus, the point of the apocalyptic language here is not to focus our attention upon the future. Rather, considering the future, we are to give all due attention to the decisions we make in the present. Followers of Jesus need to attend the matter at hand and the decision of each moment. Followers of Jesus will stand before the Lord with the world. The cause of God does not rest in our hands. Followers of Jesus are handmaidens of the Lord. Followers of Jesus bear witness to Jesus. All people are accountable to God.[10]Thus, this parable transforms the imagery of Jewish apocalyptic into conformity to the message of Jesus.[11]The challenge of Jesus here is whether followers of Jesus understand their present existence under the lordship of Jesus in relation to their future. The end is the consummation of the coming of the Lord the glory, the liberation, and the judgment toward which history now moves. Thus, the future of Jesus Christ weighs in the balances the present life and action of humanity in general and the followers of Jesus in particular.[12] We may well need to re-think our lives considering this future. For example, in thinking of eternal fulfillment, if we do not see it in the present, we will not see it all.[13]
A story from the life of John Calvin might help. He is laying on his deathbed, plagued by debilitating conditions. Yet, he kept on working at his usual pace. Beza urged him to rest and take it easier. “What! And have my Lord find me idle when he comes?” We do not have to be a Type A personality to realize that we live with hope for the future, of fellowship with God and the people of God, which enlivens our lives today.[14] Such a parable invites us to take spiritual inventory of our lives. For example, are we short of oil? The oil could represent kindness, compassion, patience, and instruction in discipleship. Is the oil ready for us in our devotional life, places of work, family, and friends? If we live in anticipation of the bridegroom, our focus does shift to others as well. The banquet is large enough for everyone. We need to do all we can to help other people be ready to have a place at the table. Just to re-emphasize, we are inviting people to a wedding banquet. We are inviting people to a party.
The conclusion of this segment encourages the listener or reader: 13 Keep awake (Γρηγορεῖτε, or better in context in CEV, always be ready) therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. To keep watch for the bridegroom is to take the reality of God so seriously that one can come to terms with the sudden appearance of the reality of God at any moment within our lives. Admission to the banquet depends upon having the oil in the lamp at the right moment.
We sometimes say that showing up is half the battle. True. Yet, showing up is not enough. Kingdom living has a beautiful, inspiring, and joyful hope that shows itself today in the daily practice of faith works of love. Following Jesus, kingdom living, can focus on today precisely because of its hope for the future.
Christian hope gets a bad rap in the press. Harold Camping of Family Radio predicted the judgment of the world on May 21, 1988, September 6, 1994, May 21, 2011, and October 21, 2011. He has tried to apply numerology to biblical texts to arrive at these dates. This passage reminds us that none of the ten virgins knew the timeline of the approaching end. The precise date does not matter. What does matter is that we take seriously the lordship of Jesus Christ. He will come. We will meet him.
Jesus tells the story of 10 virgins who are part of the wedding party. The groom is late. Each virgin catches a nap. What kind of nap will it be? Eventually the Bachelor arrived. Only five were eligible and invited to the party. I do not want us to allow the fact that the five who had oil did not share to stop us from appreciating the point of the parable. A parable cannot say everything. The point here is not about sharing, which Jesus will discuss in other parables. The point is being ready. In verse 10, “those who were ready” entered the banquet. Here is the point. Kingdom living involves a wonderful hope. Imagine a beautiful wedding banquet. Jesus is the groom. You will be at the party with many others from around the world. The banquet suggests a joyful, life-giving fellowship with Jesus and with each other in eternity. You want to be ready for that, do you not?
The behavior of the bridesmaids is a puzzle. I invite you to reflect with me upon them and see if we can tease out some theological and spiritual lessons.
An article in the McKinsey Quarterly from March 2014 discusses the importance within organizations of “tapping the power of hidden influencers.” The point in that article was that executives need to find employees who are part of an informal network of individuals who influence attitudes regarding change. Such influence can be positive or negative, of course.
Finding hidden influencers is a process they call snowball sampling. Start with an interview and ask that person whom they need to include in a study or change effort. Interview them and ask them for whom else to talk. The process will continue until the same names start to emerge. Individuals will surface, which is the snowball effect. If you want to study homelessness in a community, start with one homeless person, and then ask whom else you should interview. If you recall the 2011 movie The Help, the interviewer began with one housekeeper, and eventually snowballed to other key members of that community. Here is how the authors of the article put it.
Indeed, informal influencers exist in every organization, across industries, cultures, and geographies. They are, simply put, people other employees look to for input, advice, or ideas about what’s really happening in a company. They therefore have an outsized influence on what employees believe about the future, as well as on morale, how hard people work, and their willingness to support—or resist—change.
The "hidden influencer" is the person whose opinions and ideas have an outsized influence on other members of the group. He or she may not be the group's designated leader, but such people are the ones who have a significant effect nonetheless on the morale, level of cooperation and outlook within the group.
The book Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change (2013) says that leaders of change need to increase their awareness in these matters. It only takes a few behaviors to create substantial changes. One or two actions can create a cascade of change. The culture of an organization may sustain past problems, but the leader looks for behaviors that might help an organization break free. The authors refer six sources of influence. One is personal motivation, in which they focus on the distinction between short-term and long-term actions. The bad actions are real, fun, and now, whereas negative consequences are often fuzzy, maybe not so bad after all, and a long time off. To turn this around, leaders learn to help others love what they currently hate by allowing them choices, creating direct experiences, telling meaningful stories, and turning the tedious into a game. Two is personal ability means learning new skills. The leader encourages this by involving people in practicing the new skills that involves realistic conditions, coaching, and feedback. This means the technical skill, but it also means interpersonal skills, and intrapersonal skills. This means the leader focuses on deliberate practice. Three is social motivation, recognizing that respected and connect people can exert an enormous amount of influence. The leader must lead by example. Are you willing to sacrifice old values for new ones. The leader will need to create visible and believable evidence by sacrificing time, money, ego, and other priorities before people will take similar risks themselves. Yet, it will take more than that as one identifies other important leaders who will embrace change. They encourage public discussion of norms that involves holding each other accountable. Four is social ability, which focuses on working well with others, building social capital. Five is structural motivation involves administering rewards and punishments that relate directly to the vital behaviors required of the organization. Six is structural ability is a change in the physical space that will support the needed change.
Considering the notion of hidden influencers, we could apply it to the wise and foolish bridesmaids. I can imagine that among the wise, someone voiced the opinion that they had enough. However, the hidden influencer, someone whose opinion they valued, encouraged them to purchase more oil. Likewise, I can imagine someone among the foolish who puzzled whether they had enough. Yet, a hidden influencer suggested that they had plenty.
We are social creatures, of course. M. Scott Peck points out in The Road Less Traveled and Beyond (1997, 167-9) that we do not make personal life choices as individuals in isolation. As individuals, we are part of families, communities, organizations, and, at the largest level, the culture. For that reason, he thinks we need a greater emphasis on building healthy community and civility. Such civility is not superficial politeness. Civility is ethically motivated behavior within an organization or community that involves submission to a higher power.
Are you a "hidden influencer?" Consider the roles you play in your life. Most of us can think honestly about ourselves for a few minutes at least. Consider the influence you have on those around you. I am going to suggest that all of us have a hidden influence on others. If you have an outsized influence, you need to consider whether it is a positive or negative influence.
The word used for leadership by Paul in a list of spiritual gifts, used only in I Corinthians 12:28 in the New Testament, is a word that comes from steering or piloting a ship. While an officer will direct the course, someone else on the crew will do the actual steering. If the sailor follows the prescribed course, the influence is helpful and a blessing. If the sailor doing the steering thinks he or she has a better idea, problems will arise.
Hidden influence is a form of leadership among in our social network. Let us make sure that our influence is toward the wisdom that opens people up toward God.
Another puzzling aspect of the bridesmaids is that all of them sleep in a way that makes the conclusion concerning the importance of keeping awake a bit puzzling.
We have heard of power naps and the occasional afternoon siesta. They can restore enough vitality for the rest of the day. If you really want a power nap, think of the bear. They hibernate for up to four months during the winter, without ever waking up to eat, drink, relieve themselves or exercise. Their heart rate will be as low as six beats per minute. Still, they burn an amazing 4,000 calories per day! However, what is amazing about these power-nappers is the ability to emerge from hibernation fast and strong, at the same level of physical strength and stamina as when they started their siesta. Through daily regimens of muscle stimulation and contraction, bears can both maintain their constant body temperature and keep their massive muscles in working shape.
If you have had to be in bed for a while, you know how lazy your muscles become. As you age, you know it takes a bit longer to get moving in the morning. Sports teams have spring training and pre-season for good reason. It takes time to get the muscles back into shape. Hibernating bears? As inactive as they are, they maintain muscle strength. So come spring, they bound out of their den at full speed ready to eat about anything in sight. Four months off and good as new. That is a true power nap. You can imagine that some human scientists are studying bears, hoping to find help for the bed ridden and those with muscular diseases.
Here is the thing. While the deep sleep of hibernation is great for bears and may one day impact medical therapy, not all slumber is equally beneficial.
Naps are not bad. They can be a sign of trust and confidence in God. Jesus took a nap during a storm on the Sea of Galilee. In this story, all ten of the virgins take naps. Does the nap restore you? Is it a sign of laziness? Half of the virgins are ready when the groom comes. Half are not. “Lord, Lord, open to us,” but the door remained shut. Life is like that Jesus seems to say. I do not mean to put this too seriously – but in another sense, l do. We say we want God in our lives. We say we want the will of God done on earth as it is in heaven. Yet, are we ready? This parable reminds us that time is expiring quickly. The end can come suddenly.
Life may be more urgent than we know. Our lives do not go on forever. The parade passes by. Will we be ready? Will we be prepared to commit?
I keep coming back to the fact that all ten took their naps. There are dangers in taking the wrong type of nap. An episode from Seinfeld, “The Maestro,” has George feeling sorry for a security guard. He is dating the niece of the boss and says he will be the boss someday. He talks to the guard, who says that of course he would rather be sitting than standing. In one scene, he discusses with Jerry the type of chair he will get for the security guard. In the end, after discussing some interesting options, George gets a rocking chair. In the final scene, men are robbing from the store and you see the security guard asleep.
Do not take the wrong kind of nap. You will not be ready. Do not fall asleep on Jesus.
First, even though something delayed the coming of the bridegroom, it was still an eventual reality(25:5-6). Most of us do not like waiting. We are impatient. Quite understandable for Christians, since it has now been two millennia since Jesus spoke this parable of the kingdom. Besides, there will always be tomorrow, right? Why do today that which we can put off tomorrow, right? Do not fall asleep on Jesus. It will be a mistake. The point of this parable is not knowing when the end happens, but what are you doing with today? Have you taken the lordship of Jesus Christ seriously? We may need to re-think. Of eternal fulfillment, if we do not see it in the present, we cannot see it at all.[15] Followers of Jesus live with a beautiful hope. We look forward to that future in a way that enlivens our present. Jesus may have come to us today. If we are awake and have the oil in our lamps, we will see Jesus in the prisons, along the highways, in our schools, in our neighborhoods, at the food bank, in the soup kitchen, at the office, in the hospital, at a retreat, and so on.
That leads to a second thought: Jesus warned against not being ready when he comes. Five of the virgins were un-bear like. Do not be like them. What does this oil symbolize? Oil is often a symbol for the Holy Spirit. We have relied too much upon ourselves, rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us. We are short of the oil of kindness and compassion. We are short of the oil of patience and long-suffering. We are short of the oil of education and instruction.
Third, there is a somber ending to this warning against slumber. The opportunity to be included in the banquet eventually ends. The door was shut. It feels final, does it not? It is. We are accustomed to shutting doors. We may shut the door to other people out of fear. We may have felt the pain of other people shutting the door on us. We knew they locked us out. Fortunately, we do not get to define who is in and who is out. We do not get to shut the door when it comes to the grace of God. That grace is available today. Here is the warning. We like stories that involve second chances. We like “do-overs.” In golf, I need plenty of mulligans. With SAT scores, one can retake them to improve the score. We have delete keys on the computer. Yet, there is an eventual end at which these second chances are no more. The pastor must give the sermon. You must get up and go to work. You will decide whether to take Jesus seriously – or not. I view this story as a loving warning, but a genuine warning. Be prepared. Be ready. Do not fall asleep on Jesus. Take the lordship of Jesus Christ seriously.
How then do we respond to this parable? How can this beautiful, inspiring, and joyful hope be a meaningful part of kingdom living for followers of Jesus today?
We might take a spiritual inventory of our lives. We may need to make sure we have the oil necessary for our devotional lives, places of work, families, and friends.
The “groom” is coming. We do not know when or how. When he comes, it will be beautiful. We need to be ready. We also need to do everything we can to help other people be ready. The banquet is large enough for everyone. There will always be room. There will always be enough food for the feast. Everyone can be a “friend” of this groom. In fact, he wants to be your friend. He wants to be the friend of your friends.
Finally, we must remember what we are preparing for. It is a wedding banquet. We are inviting people to a party! Too often, I think, we act as if we are inviting people to an IRS audit! When the busy week is over and we are getting ready to go to a party at a friend’s house, that is a good thing. It is fun anticipation.
We can take a lesson from the black bear: Always wake up prepared to go. The party is worth the anticipation. The suitor is worth the preparation. Do not fall asleep on Jesus. The life of unprepared lamps is one of regrets.
[1] If you have some interest in these matters, here is an account of the scholarly debate regarding whether Jesus might have said this, or whether the early church created this.
Most scholars acknowledge that Matthew’s community was dealing with the “delay of the Parousia” — Jesus was supposed to return in glory soon, but it had not yet happened. With the preceding parable, Matthew’s Jesus warns against licentious behavior because of the delay, and in this parable, he rejects “a frivolous enthusiasm which does not take the length of the delay seriously.”[1]Disciples of Jesus must retain their eschatological hope, but that hope must manifest itself in perseverance of faith and works of love. Yet it is also evident that the images invoked in the story have specific symbolic meanings. Although elements of both parable and allegory are present in the story of the 10 virgins, for some scholars, one must tip the scales slightly in favor of an allegorical image, due to the author's presumption that certain knowledge is already held by his listeners and that the images presented build upon that prior knowledge. Most of Jesus’ parables are properly understood as timeless tales. They are not located in past, present or future but are meant to apply at all times. This parable, however, provides a specific temporal indicator in verse 1, which locates its meaning in the future. The first word of the parable, “then,” is not a vague connecting word in the Greek, as it might seem in English, but a more precise word (tote) meaning “at that time.” The reader knows “that time” is the eschatological future because of the surrounding context of Matthew’s eschatological discourse (24:1-25:46) and the future passive verb “will be like” (25:1).
Bultmann (176) concluded that this parable was an allegory by the early church. He also had the opportunity to respond to Dodd and Jeremias and disagreed with their view of the parable as one of crisis. It is a creation of the early church, based upon the delay of the Parousia. According to the Jesus Seminar, the parable does not have any of the signs of the authentic parables. It confirms common wisdom that the prepared will succeed and those not prepared will fail. It does match Jesus' expectations of the kingdom's future coming. However, it is a theme common in stories of the period, and it has few of the typical characteristics of Jesus. No surprises or twists, the outcome is predictable. It is consistent with Matthew's view of the community as a mixed lot, part of which is not suitable to enter the final joy of heaven, as in the planted weeds and the fishnet. Brandon Scott comes to the same conclusion. There is no imaginative reconstruction of how this parable would fit into the language of Jesus . . . because the parable revolves around who is in and who is out, . . . On the evidence of the other parables, Jesus concerned more about eliminating boundaries than creating them . . . the parable is dominated by common wisdom. The roles of the characters are predictable; it does not play against expectations and so does not exhibit a distinctive voice.[1] Some believe that the parable cannot be original with Jesus because of the placing of the wedding feast at night, the reception of the bridegroom with lamps, and the delay of his coming until midnight, all betray later Christian concerns, and are not found in rabbinic literature. However, Jeremias concludes that the sources are incomplete, and that the traditions even today suggest this is an accurate picture of a wedding.
Scholars who support the idea that Matthew created this parable point out that throughout Matthew, there seem to be discourses aimed at distinguishing the new faith community from what scholars have termed "the synagogue across the street," that is, the traditional Jewish beliefs that influenced the Matthean community's primarily Jewish Christian believers. The delayed return of Christ and the promised Parousia were especially problematic topics for the synagogue Jews. The rabbinic Judaism that dominated after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. showed markedly less interest in apocalyptic issues and messianic identities than had earlier Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism looked askance at the heavy emphasis these Christians still placed on a possible Parousia. Of course, they refused to identify "the Son of Man," Jesus, with the anticipated arrival of a "messiah" as the apocalyptic age approached. The decision to de-emphasize apocalyptic messages in Judaism may have been the synagogue's attempt to defuse a potentially explosive situation as the Jewish community struggled to regroup and rebuild spiritually after the temple's violent destruction. Thus, the "synagogue across the street" may have viewed the continued focus on a returning Christ as a politically dangerous and disruptive noise.
[2] (Arland Hultgren, The Parables of Jesus: A Commentary [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2000], 170-171).
[3] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology Volume 3, 285)
[4] To a casual reader, using the tale of the 10 virgins as an example of what "the kingdom of heaven is like" may seem quite disagreeable. This parable symbolizes the kingdom of heaven as a future entity, which is a good thing because it does not outline a good ethical model for the present. The "foolish" and the "wise" virgins wait together with the same apparent faithfulness for the bridegroom's arrival. After dozing off during the lengthy wait, the foolish virgins find their oil supply exhausted and turn for help to the farsighted "wise" virgins who have brought more oil with them. The wise bridesmaids who do not share their oil do not easily map on to the Golden Rule, or other precepts of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. What is more, after the "foolish" maidens run out and obtain their own oil, they are still not let into the marriage feast. Since they missed the bridal procession, they truly are not members of the bridal party and so are unrecognized by the hosts. Although they had waited and slumbered alongside the others, their unpreparedness, their misguided belief that others could make right their own shortcomings, and their lack of participation at the crucial moments, all work to ostracize them from the bridegroom's presence.
[5](See Karl Paul Donfried, "The Allegory of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1 13) as A Summary of Matthean Theology," Journal of Biblical Literature 93:427).
[6] Jeremias (p. 51-53)
[7] Barth (Church Dogmatics III.4 [56.1], 583)
[8] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology Volume 1, 398)
[9] Barth (ibid III.2 [47.1] 505)
[10] Barth (Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.2], 510)
[11] Barth (ibid, IV.3 [69.2]
[12] Barth (Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.1] 505
[13] Paul Tillich, The New Being.
[14] —Samuel Pendergrast, “Does God know who you are?” March 15, 1998, Second Presbyterian Church Web Site, 2preslex.org.
[15] Paul Tillich, New Being
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