Honest to God by Robinson John A. T. (John Arthur Thomas) 1919-1983

Author:Robinson, John A. T. (John Arthur Thomas), 1919-1983
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Christianity, Apologetics, Christentum, Sittlichkeit
Publisher: Philadelphia, Westminster Press
Published: 1963-01-05T16:00:00+00:00

What do we mean by 'God' ? Not in the first place an abstract belief in his omnipotence, etc. That is not a genuine experience of God, but a partial extension of the world. Encounter with Jesus Christ, implying a complete orientation of human being in the experience of Jesus as one whose only concern is for others. This concern of Jesus for others the experience of transcendence. This freedom from self, maintained to the point of death, the sole ground of his omnipotence, omniscience and ubiquity. Faith is participation in this Being of Jesus (incarnation, cross and resurrection). Our relation to God not a religious relationship to a supreme Being, absolute in power and goodness, which is a spurious conception of transcendence, but a new life for others, through participation in the Being of God. The transcendence consists not in tasks beyond our scope and power, but in the nearest Thou 1 at hand. God in human form, not, as in other religions, in animal form —the monstrous, chaotic, remote and terrifying—nor yet in abstract form—the absolute, metaphysical, infinite, etc.—nor yet in the Greek divine-human of autonomous man, but man existing for others, and hence the Crucified. A life based on the transcendent. 2

Jesus is 'the man for others', the one in whom Love has completely taken over, the one who is utterly open to, and united with, the Ground of his being. And this 'life for others, through participation in the Being of God', is transcendence. For at this point, of love 'to the uttermost', we encounter God, the ultimate 'depth' of our being, the unconditional in the conditioned. This is what the New Testament means by saying that 'God was in Christ' and that 'what God was the Word was'. Because Christ was utterly and completely 'the man for others', because he was love, he was 'one with the Father', because 'God is love'. But for this very reason he was most entirely man, the son

1 E. Bethge in Chicago Theological Seminary Register, vol. li; (Feb. 1961), p. 32: Terrible translation mistake (in E.T.): "nearest thing" '.

2 Ibid., p. 179.

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