Has the Church outlasted its usefulness? Is it now up to individual faith, or some “community” interpretation?

Bloesch tackles it head on. His observation is that postmodern theology questions the infallibility of the gospel itself. Creeds aren’t useful to identify faith definitively. Since there is no “infallible” interpretation, it doesn’t do much good to pay attention to creeds.

Using Karl Barth, Bloesch argues for the infallibility of the Church so long as we distinguish between the message of the gospel itself and the ongoing interpretations of this message in the history of God’s people.

To quote Barth:

The Church is infallible, not because its pronouncements, which are of necessity humanly limited, possess as such inerrancy and perfection; but because by its pronouncements it bears witness to the infallible Word of God and gives evidence that it has heard that Word; because the Church, abandoning all its own wisdom, lets itself be taught by the Word of God.

The Church, in Bloesch’s view, is a valuable aid in enabling seekers of truth to gain a deeper and truer perception of truth, but only holy Scripture as it is interpreted by the Spirit can be viewed as the fount of eternal wisdom. When the Church subordinates itself to Scripture it can be incredibly valuable as a true witness to Christ!

Bloesch:

The church is our mother and teacher in the faith but only insofar as it is open to being corrected and reformed by the wisdom of the eternal God as we see this manifested and embodied in Jesus Christ.

Bold statements. I am going to enjoy this book.