Karl Barth was a monumental figure in 20th century theology, and exerted a great influence within biblical theology. One of those influential ideas is Barth's characterization of the Bible as an autonomous authority that resists any "domestication" from either church hierarchy or the guild of biblical scholars, with the result that the Bible can never be "pinned down" to a specific interpretation. The notion of a "free Bible" is one that is prevalent in both theologies of Brevard Childs and Walter Brueggemann. Both were Protestant theologians and Old Testament scholars but they differed considerably in their theological outlook. Whereas Childs found a "rule of faith" in the canonical outline of the Bible with the church as the natural locus for the reception of the biblical message, Brueggemann instead stressed the unruly character of the Bible, to which to no religious community has any exclusive right and where any attempt at harmonization of the biblical text is an aggressive power grab. In my presentation, before giving a short presentation on the reception of Barth within biblical theology in general, I will outline the different ways Childs and Brueggemann were influenced by Barth, highlighting similarities and differences. By examining their biblical hermeneutics, I will show the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of Barth's theology. I will conclude by giving a short evaluation of Barth's influence on biblical theology and what role it should play in the future.