PneumaPsucheSoma
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  • Part 1
    The activities by which each of the persons of the Trinity exists distinct from each other, is called “internal works” (opera ad intra). They are personal activities not common to all the persons and are incommunicable. As such they are the begetting and spirating of the Father, for the Son, being begotten and spirating, for the Spirit being spirated. These works, for the reasons mentioned, are called divided works (opera divisa).
    Part 2
    Contrasted to these “internal works” are the “external works” (opera ad extra). These may not be divided but belong to the whole being (Gen. 1:26; John 5:17, 19). The external works are performed by God’s power, and power as an attribute belongs to the being. In the economy or management of God each person has His unique task. For example, creation is ascribed to the Father, salvation to the Son, etc. Yet here, too, the three persons in a certain sense work together, namely, the Father through the Son and the Spirit, the Son through the Father and Spirit.
    Part 3
    Moreover, in the economy within the Godhead in a narrower sense—in the economy of salvation—the persons of the Trinity exist in a judicial fellowship. Nothing can take place in which each one is not involved judicially. The Father, as Judge, represents violated holiness and is wrathful. But at the same time the Father ordains the Son as Mediator and the Holy Spirit as the one who applies salvation. The Son accomplishes the Mediator’s work, but He does so officially for the Father’s sake, and through the Holy Spirit He applies His merits. The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of the elect, but He does so for the sake of the Father and the Son.
    Part 4
    This order of working points us back to the order of existence. Just because the Father is the First Person, He occupies that place in the plan of salvation and in the external works in general (opera ad extra). Just because the Son is the Second Person, He also assumes in both respects the position He assumes. And the same is true for the Holy Spirit.
    Frustrating is descriptive. I should have closed the thread to prevent any responses. I wanted to start slowly and build momentum in piecemeal fashion.
    More than one of my Godly pastors in the past, warned me from bothering to read much of Barth, because of how contradictory were his works. Do you concur?
    As our discussion in the dedicated thread proceeds it would help if you try to ignore posts from others as much as possible to avoid following others' rabbit holes or discussing concepts not yet fleshed out between us.

    I would like a logical procession of ideas to take place that flow from one point to another seamlessly.

    I plan to initially ask for some clarification of how you see terms being used so we can possibly come to agreement on them. This will seem like a twenty question grilling, but I assure you it is only to establish how we can properly communicate with one another and not talk past ourselves. Or you could post a starting list of terms and definitions that we can work through.

    Afterwards, we can have a more free flowing discussion. I hope this strategy works for you and apologize beforehand if it makes you uneasy. I will mention this in the thread so as to short-circuit anyone's thinking I am just taking you to task or something.
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