Yesterday at the Gospel of John study Kat said “the New Testament is the rubble left after an explosion.”
UPDATE: as in, Jesus, particularly in his resurrection is a category-shattering singularity, reorganising experience and thought in a way that is not necessarily orderly, but paradoxical (three in one, a divine human, 1st-century Jewish expectations being fulfilled in startling ways). The world being turned on its head.
13 responses to “”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
interesting comment – please elaborate…
The New Testament is NOT the rubble left after an experiment for the following reasons:
1. To talk of the inspired word of God as rubble is derogatory.
2. The only possible explosion big enough to compare to Jesus is the big bang of the ‘big bang theory’. So to say that is pretty much the same as endorsing evolution.
3. It’s a blatant rip-off of Jesus’ own metaphor (destroying temple and building it up again) without the re-building part. As such it describes the advent of Christ solely in destructive terms without any reference to the constructive/reconstructive element.
On first impressions I’m going with Richface. I’m interested in seeing an explanation from Matt.
On first impressions I’m going to say shut up.
Matt you should have put it in all caps so there is no oppurtunity for comment.
Not an original quote just quietly – got it from one of my Otago lecturers. Explosion = the resurrection. Rubble = the writings we have from the early church struggling to come to grips with what they have experienced in Christ and the implications of Christ’s resurrection for their understanding of God. That’s all I have to say. Oh, and everyone in the world should read Bonhoeffer’s Christ the Centre. Damn I hate being quoted (no offense Matt).
Yeh, that quote kind of needed some context MATT!
Kat, Sorry! Cheers for the expansion. I’ll get the book.
Richie, that’s a wacky comment.
Jono, it’s true, I was lazy.
but you did generate 7 no 8 comments
Why tell Richface to shut up?
I misunderstood the quote too, that’s why I sought elaboration. You mightn’t agree with Richface, but doesn’t he have a right to express his view?
I think I understand what the lecturer meant to convey with this strange comment. However, I disagree with the terms used in the analogy. In that sense, I understand why Richface (what’s “Rich” about the “face”?) responded the way he did.
I don’t like the metaphor either. I think it’s entirely unfitting.
Explosions are violent and destructive occurrences, with negative connotations. As is the word “rubble” – which is the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up. Debris. Ruins. Wreckage.
Christ’s resurrection was nothing like these images at all. In fact, it’s a very positive moment, a returning to life. Upbuilding. Not destructive at all.
And struggling to come to grips with is hardly a fair description of the God-inspired writings of the apostles. Remember that the New Testament was written after Pentecost. With the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the authors understood perfectly well what Jesus’s life and deeds, culminating in the the cross and the resurrection, meant with regards to their understanding of God.
Paul especially saw the resurrection as the cornerstone on which our faith depended – without it Jesus was just another Jew executed by the Romans in the 1st century.
9 comments now…going on 10
“I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword”
I don’t understand why we have nail everything down so much.
Why isn’t it ok to say, “yes, I can see why you’d say that – it certainly brings out an interesting angle on the events!”
It’s not like by making such a concession, you’re prevented from saying anything else. I mean, hello! Things are multi-faceted!
Just so no one thinks i’m a retard, #2 was intended as humour slash elaboration provocation.
Whatever, Richface. You’re retarded.