The only downside to his work is a sense that what he was saying was tailored to fit his audience. This is not a crime but there is little spontaneity or uniqueness to his commentaries. Gladly he kept writing to include his “Autobiography” in 1975, three years before his death. Suddenly a thinker appears, a thinker who is aware of the blessings and struggles of life. A thinker in search of a workable theology for the next and succeeding generations. He was not an ideologue but actual flesh and blood, able to criticize without condemning and admit his own shortcomings.
Chapter three begins with the sentence. “Sooner or later this chapter has to be written.” (p. 34) Some of us wish it had been sooner. Then again, few were listening then and few are listening now. William Barclay calls his readers to think for themselves, ever acknowledging that faith, the starting place, emanates from the revelation of God in scripture. If scripture leaves open the possibility of thinking, the reader can adjust his understanding. One example is his criticism of naturalistic evolution and its reliance upon chance as the directive, instead it is replaced by "an intelligible life force that operates by the theory of invitation and response". This thinking attitude is a far cry from the insane diatribes coming from most pulpits. He goes on in chapter three to present a beautiful, reasonable an approachable theology of the Love of God.
Professor Barclay makes a confession on page 58. “But in one thing I would go beyond strict orthodoxy-- I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in the end all men will be gathered into the love of God.” Some of us, and the list is growing, believe there is no acceptable end to theology without the ultimate salvation of all mankind. Some of us believe that the love of God is not reserved for the few but the hope of all. The professor points us to the New Testament scriptures that, in his mind, require a universal interpretation of the love of God. They include John 12:32, Romans 11:32; I Corinthians 15:22 & 28; and I Timothy 2 : 4-6.
Key to these passages is the little word “all”, that salvation is about all men. Upon checking out these verses in his “Daily Study Bible Series” commentaries written by Barclay, any discussion of this word is nonexistent. It is as if the word is not worth the mentioning in these passages. All these commentaries were written around 1955, 56 and 57, so it may be that his theology had somehow matured after they were published. The other possibility is that he did not want to upset the folk by saying something that would turn away the orthodox buyers.
To the naysayer’s who insist upon a sadistic cubbyhole for the unrighteous, he maintains there is no eternal punishment, only remedial punishment, in this life or the next. There are those deserving of hell but they will eventually go through hell to experience the love of God. William Barclay believed there are no limits on the love of an all powerful God. As he says, in the end “the only possible final triumph is a universe loved by and in love with God (p. 61)".
As if it matters, we agree, professor. Thank you for writing your autobiography and your complete theology. Our only regret is that it took so long for you to share your truly spiritual understanding. Some of us agree that sooner would have been better.
G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca
