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
