Subtotal: $
Checkout
What makes the Bible more than ink on paper?
The living word, Eberhard Arnold writes, is greater than the words of the Bible, which even the devil used to tempt Jesus. The scriptures on their own can never produce the righteousness, mercy, and faithfulness that count before God. But when the Holy Spirit speaks this living word into the hearts of those who have set out on the way of discipleship to Christ, the deepest meaning of the scriptures are opened up to them. Those who have accepted this living word, which never contradicts the Bible, also agree with one another. Transformed from within, they receive the strength, clarity, and unity they need to carry out the task God has given them — to make God’s kingdom a reality on earth.
The final volume of five in Inner Land, The Living Word includes a preface by Eberhard Arnold’s son J. Heinrich Arnold, who has written elsewhere: “My father not only believed that Inner Land was the most important book he had written; he also believed and told me that he included in this book everything in his life he had ever experienced of Christ, of the suffering of humankind, of the murderous spirit of mammon, of human life and divine life altogether.”
Arnold's emphasis on pacifism and putting no trust in human authorities may strike some American evangelicals as odd, but he makes good cases for each. Given his WWII German context, some of those points have a rather haunting, prophetic quality. Throughout, Arnold also gives readers a great sense of God's goodness and the value of living a life that relies on god and God alone. A very fitting conclusion to the Inner Land collection.
The Living Word Inner Land – A Guide into the Heart of the Gospel, Volume 5 – by Eberhard Arnold, pastor, theologian and founder of the Bruderhof, is a book worthy of being studied by Christian readers. The Living Word, Eberhard Arnold writes, is the inspired Word of God. When the Holy Spirit speaks this Living Word into the hearts of disciples of Christ, the deepest meaning of the sacred Scriptures opens up to them. They are transformed inwardly and receive the strength to carry out God’s appointed tasks assigned to them – to make God’s kingdom a living reality on earth. The final volume of five in Inner Land, Eberhard Arnold’s son, J. Heinrich Arnold, writes: “My father believed that Inner Land was his most important book. He included in it everything he ever experienced of Christ, of the suffering of humankind, of human life and divine life altogether.” “The only justification for withdrawing into the inner self would be to enrich fruitfulness, to gain within, through unity with eternal powers, a strength of character ready to be tested in the stream of the world.” Such beautiful, time-tested words to inspire Christian believers. The undeniable power of Arnold’s writing is because he believed what he preached and lived it out in daily life. It gives his words a deep resonance and unbelievable depth, earning him the undisputed right to be heard. Innerland inspires us to trust in God so that our attitudes are transformed. Arnold’s writing, with its luminous, direct vision, has the authentic ring of a truly evangelical Christianity, that stirs hearts to repentance and renewal. Arnold’s writings are a light of hope in a dark age. They must not be hidden under a bushel, but shine out like a beacon of light to illuminate the world with Christ’s love. The witness of Eberhard Arnold is much needed for the Christian church to biblically connect belief and obedience. Innerland is a challenging invitation to the path of uncompromised discipleship. Eberhard Arnold knew the extraordinary secrets of radical Christianity. He imbibed a radical vision for a society transformed by the illuminating teachings and indomitable Spirit of Jesus. In his writings, Eberhard Arnold lives out the gospel in daily life. He approaches discipleship as a revolution – an inner transformation that spreads outwards to encompass every aspect of life. Arnold writes in the tradition of radical obedience to the gospel, with a haunting, prophetic quality, giving us a great sense of God’s amazing goodness and the value of relying on God alone. This book is a befitting conclusion to the inspiring Inner Land collection. I highly recommend it. Miriam Jacob
