KB: Likely so, but
we are not God, so that the best we can say is that it would seem
so. Hebrew 4:12 puts it that the
text, under these
conditions, is like a double-edged sword that can not only deliver God's
word but cut your soul in two. As I see it,
that's the action of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was talking about in
John 14:26.
If so then obviously Barth did not accept
God's Word as is either. Hebrews tells
us that "The Word of God (not the Spirit of God) is quick, powerful, and
sharper than a two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
(Hebrews 4:12)
In this encounter,
you experience the truth, God's truth, and this can be be the most convincing
encounter of your life, and the Word actually enters into you and
changes you. But later, when you
fall back into the literal meaning of the words-- the best that you have is Man's
truth -- truth on a level that you can
relate to yourself or others... that of text, words,
language, with all of their imperfections.
In Barth's opinion? - Obviously his
understanding is seriously flawed and he is arrogant enough to correct
God's Word with it. "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein
is he to be accounted of? (Isa 2:22)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: April 04, 2005 20:09
Subject: Fictitous interview with Karl Barth
KB:
Fine.
Stu: Professor,
you are considered by many to be one of the greatest theologians of
the twentieth century, if not THE greatest. The founderof biblical
theology.
KB: Well, thank
you, but.... [directing his gaze at a bible on his
desk]
Stu: I suppose,
being modest, you would attribute it all to the
Bible.
KB: No, not to
the Bible itself, but to what happens when I would read the
Bible.
Stu: Sorry.
Let's see if I have it right for the newspaper.
The Word of God was revealed to the biblical authors, who wrote them
down in the Bible, so the Bible must be true, word by word, and when
you read these words, the same true message originally sent by God
appears in your mind. Right ?
KB: No, not at
all.
Stu: Well,
weren't they inspired ?
KB: Yes, but
that's no guarentee that what the biblical authors wrote down was as
perfect. You see, no experience can be perfectly reproduced in
language.
Stu: So the Bible is not the literal truth of God
!?
KB: The short
answer is not always. But it's more complicated than that. I'll get to
that, but for now let me just say that it contains quite a few errors
of fact. The best that you can say in that regard is that it is true
as a whole.
Stu: What are we
to do, then--- if it contains errors !?
KB: You are
placing your faith in the text of the bible, printed in a book. The
book an object made of paper, ink and a cover. You want to be careful
not to worship such an object, for it's not God. It's just a
book.
Stu: But that's
all we have.
KB: Not at all.
If you can feel the spirit moving in you, you have faith in Jesus
Christ.
Stu: I don't see
the connection.
KB: [ picking up
the bible] Listen to this, from Jesus, in John 14:26. " I will send
you the Holy Spirit, who will teach you all things and bring all
things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said said to
you."
Stu: So what's
true is not the text itself, it's the existential encounter with the
Holy Spirit, during the reading of the text, through which God's
message is transmitted to us.
KB:
Exactly.
Stu: I see.
....but if that's true, I don't even NEED the Bible ! I can just
commune with God !
KB: Not so fast.
How would you understand the meaning of those messages without the
Bible ?
Stu: Hmmm. I
guess we do need the Bible. But I still don't understand. You say that
although God inspired the Bible -- so that He is sort of a
Superauthor-- the message was, although inspired, still written down
by imperfect men in words, which are also imperfect by nature. By the
time I read it, with my imperfections, there's nothing left
!
KB: Absolutely
not. But it depends on what eyes you use to read it. If you read it
with the eyes of reason alone, such as you might read your chemistry
textbook, that's all you get. The words, imperfect as they may be. But
if you read it with the eyes of faith, you
get.....
Stu:
....voila!..... a linking to the original
inspiration...
KB: ...on the
wings of the Holy Spirit......
Stu:.... the
original truth !
KB: Likely so,
but we are not God, so that the best we can say is that it would seem
so. Hebrew 4:12 puts it that the
text, under
these conditions, is like a double-edged sword that can not only
deliver God's word but cut your soul in two. As I see it, that's the
action of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was talking about in John 14:26.
In this encounter, you experience the truth, God's truth, and this
can be be the
most convincing encounter of your life, and the Word actually enters
into you and changes you. But later, when you fall back into the
literal meaning of the words-- the best that you have is Man's truth
-- truth on a
level that you can relate to yourself or others... that of text, words,
language, with all of their imperfections.
Stu: If that's
so, then what gives the Bible its authority ?
KB: Not the text
itself, which is public, but the private encounter of the individual
in faith. To non-believers, the text can sound wacky, because they
view it with the eyes of reason, like a textbook. But believers who
read it with the eyes of faith are really reading it through the eyes
of Jesus, sotospeak, and it makes great sense-- at least to the soul.
And the Word becomes part of your soul, cleansing and lifting it up to
God.
Stu: Wow . I've
felt things like that. It's more like a silent music, like a great
Hymn, than just words.
KB:
Exactly.
Stu:
wow.........[pause] ...tell me, Professor, speaking of hymns...do you
have a favorite one?
KB: Yes. Yes.
[smiling] "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me
so."
END
