The Christian is the man who no longer seeks his salvation, his deliverance, his justification in himself, but in Jesus Christ alone. If you’ve not read this gem I present now some extended extracts from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s writing on “Community” from Life Together. I revisited Bonhoeffer’s chapter on “Community” in Life Together after writing this week’s post on “Ordinary Christianity.” It was obvious to me how much this little book has come to color not only my understanding of Christian community, but of Christian holiness as well. You’ll never understand what Bonhoeffer says about things like prayer, confession, communion, work and service, however, unless you first grasp the foundation that he lays in his chapter on community.
The later chapters of Life Together describe what we might call spiritual disciplines that belong to Christian discipleship. He proceeds to draw out from that, however, an understanding of the Christian life that turned my understanding of Christian piety upside down. Bonhoeffer’s first chapter on “Community” starts with standard Reformation language regarding our righteousness in Christ. Its words were foreign and almost incomprehensible to my Baptist ears, but even then I thought “wow.” My appreciation of Bonhoeffer’s words grows deeper every time I read this beautiful little text.
My worn-out copy of Life Together ( Gemeinsames Leben) dates to 1978, my first year in seminary. I first read Dietrich Bohnoeffer’s writings when I was a high school student 38 years ago.
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