--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we speak of our virtues we are…" description: "\"When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we confess our sins we become brothers.\" — Karl Barth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg" --- # When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we… ![“When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we confess our sins we become brothers.” quote by Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg) > “When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we confess our sins we become brothers.” [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Confessing sins unites people, while boasting virtues creates competition **In simple terms:** Admitting flaws builds brotherhood Key Takeaway Share flaws to foster connection Themes humility community spirituality Mood reflective spiritual Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - small groups - confessional settings - online forums Key Concepts sin virtue brotherhood Questions to Reflect On - How does vulnerability strengthen bonds? - What prevents people from confessing sins? A Different Perspective Focusing only on virtues can breed envy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brothers/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Competitors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitors/) [Competitors Confess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitors-confess-5618122/) [Confess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confess/) [Confess Sins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confess-sins/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Sins Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sins-brothers-5618121/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [“Confess your sins, worship God, and get on with your life. You can experience the mercy of God no matter what you’ve been through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-s-mcgee/confess-your-sins-worship-god-and-get-on-with-your-life-you-can/) [Robert S. McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-s-mcgee/) > [Strive always to confess your sins with a deep knowledge of your own wretchedness and with clarity and purity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-the-cross/strive-always-to-confess-your-sins-with-a-deep-knowledge-of-your-own/) [John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-the-cross/) > [Should we all confess our sins to one another we would all laugh at one another for our lack of originality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/should-we-all-confess-our-sins-to-one-another-we-would-all-laugh-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Confess your sins to the Lord and you will be forgiven; confess them to man and you will be laughed at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/confess-your-sins-to-the-lord-and-you-will-be-forgiven-confess-them/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [“Here and now I must settle and plan the issues which project themselves on into eternity. Christ knew that, and in His teaching concerning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wright-follette/here-and-now-i-must-settle-and-plan-the-issues-which-project/) [John Wright Follette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wright-follette/) > [“Blessed is he who confess his sins, he shall be cleansed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/blessed-is-he-who-confess-his-sins-he-shall-be-cleansed/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“If so, don’t pretend nothing is wrong. Don’t pretend you don’t fall. Don’t try to get back in the game. Go first to God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/if-so-don-t-pretend-nothing-is-wrong-don-t-pretend-you-don-t-fall-don/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [ To confess your sins to God is not to tell \[God\] anything \[God\] doesn't already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/to-confess-your-sins-to-god-is-not-to-tell-god-anything-god-doesn-t/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“Perhaps one of the most powerful things the contemporary church could do is to confess our sins to the world, the humbly get on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/perhaps-one-of-the-most-powerful-things-the-contemporary-church-could/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“When we realized we are wrong, we must confess sins. THEN return to seek the right ways of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/when-we-realized-we-are-wrong-we-must-confess-sins-then-return-to/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [It's Satan's delight to tell me that once he's got me, he will keep me. But at that moment I can go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-redpath/it-s-satan-s-delight-to-tell-me-that-once-he-s-got-me-he-will-keep-me/) [Alan Redpath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-redpath/) > [Make a fresh start each day by taking time to confess your sins,to admit your weakness,and to ask God for His strenght to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-a-fresh-start-each-day-by-taking-time-to-confess-your-sins-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meicee29/if-we-confess-our-sins-he-is-faithful-and-righteous-to-forgive-us-our/) [Meicee29](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meicee29/) > [“Jesus could wash away your sins—but it is the only hope you have. Accept this offer now. Confess your sins to God. Thank Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/jesus-could-wash-away-your-sins-but-it-is-the-only-hope-you-have/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [I wish to confess my sins and I wish Christ to come into my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-johnson/i-wish-to-confess-my-sins-and-i-wish-christ-to-come-into-my-life/) [Russell Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-johnson/) ## More by Karl Barth > [If I have a system it is limited to a recognition of what Kierkegaard called 'the infinite qualitative distinction' between time and eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/if-i-have-a-system-it-is-limited-to-a-recognition-of-what-kierkegaard/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [Humor is the opposite of all self-admiration and self-praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/humor-is-the-opposite-of-all-self-admiration-and-self-praise/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [“Godlessness is not… a possibility, but an ontological impossibility for man. Man is not without, but with God. This is not to say, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/godlessness-is-not-a-possibility-but-an-ontological-impossibility-for/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [When we are at our wits' end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. 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Everyone can be saved - in virtue of what God can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/no-one-can-be-saved-in-virtue-of-what-he-can-do-everyone-can-be-saved/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [Society is now really ruled by its own logos; say rather by a whole pantheon of its own hypostases and powers... we are beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/society-is-now-really-ruled-by-its-own-logos-say-rather-by-a-whole/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [There will be no song on our lips if there be no anguish in our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/there-will-be-no-song-on-our-lips-if-there-be-no-anguish-in-our-hearts/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [With an ear open to your musical dialectic, one can be young and become old, can work and rest, be content and sad: in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/with-an-ear-open-to-your-musical-dialectic-one-can-be-young-and/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) [Explore all 131 Karl Barth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) ## More Brother quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [“Yeah. You treat him like a son or a soldier, instead of like a brother. He wants you to like him and admire him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-hunter/yeah-you-treat-him-like-a-son-or-a-soldier-instead-of-like-a-brother/) [Faith Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-hunter/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/) [Spencer Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-moody/) > [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Your favorite son and brother, Shade. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/your-favorite-son-and-brother-shade-like/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. 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Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) [Browse all 7,453 Brother quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we confess our sins we become brothers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl Barth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-competitors-when-we-confess-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brother" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-competitors-when-we-confess-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb7/karl-barth-3434_brother_when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-comp_3144509.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we speak of our virtues we are competitors, when we confess our sins we become brothers.” — Karl Barth", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Karl Barth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we speak of our virtues...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-competitors-when-we-confess-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/when-we-speak-of-our-virtues-we-are-competitors-when-we-confess-our/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```