If the ministry of witness is the primary determination of Christian existence, and if the ministry of witness unavoidably brings the Christian into affliction, then we have to say that none can be a Christian without falling into affliction. To be sure, we have not to desire or seek or provoke it, as martyrdom or the so-called baptism of blood was coveted in some circles in the early days of Christianity. This could only rest on misunderstanding, as though the bearing of affliction made the Christian a Christian. In fact, it is only the call of Christ, as His calling to the ministry of witness, which can
constitute Christian existence as such....
Barth goes on to note that affliction may indeed come from within the Christian community. But: supposing the world gives the Christian not much trouble? What then?
If...a man is not oppressed by his environment, if he has nothing serious to fear or to suffer at its hands, he has reason carefully to ask at least whether and how far he is genuinely a Christian at all and not fundamentally self-deceived in this respect.
Church Dogmatics, IV.iii, p. 618-9
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