What is Truth?
I find it ironic that on what is called “April Fool's Day,” I was inspired to do an article on a famous, brief sentence uttered by Pontius Pilate during his inquisition of Jesus Christ. That brief question was, “What is truth?”
There was once a time that truth, was revered, including absolute truth. There was once a time when the Bible by many, was believed to be the absolute true Word of God. As time went on, especially during my life time, absolute truth has been discarded by many. Many believe there are no absolutes. The amazing thing about the people who say there are no absolutes, is that they believe they are absolutely right! Their own adamant stance of there being no absolutes actually works against them.
Last time I checked, 1+1 absolutely equals 2, 2+2 absolutely equals 4. Yes, there are other ways to come up with what equals 4, 5, or 6, but even those other ways absolutely equals what the total is. Simple math proves there are absolutes. If there are absolutes in simple math it stands to reason that there are absolutes. It stands to reason that there is absolute truth.
Sadly many Christians no longer believe that the Word of God is absolute truth. Over the course of the last several decades there have been studies and survey's by Christian organizations that have shown that over 80% of adult Americans that consider themselves Christians write their own Bibles. If they believed in the Bible being the absolute Word of God, they would have so much reverence for the truth they would not dream of writing their own Bibles. That is tantamount to creating God in our image and likeness instead of allowing God to transform us back into His likeness and image. Talk about idolatry.
I'm not trying to condemn American Christians. I'm just trying to make us aware of the situation, because it has dire ramifications. If all people, we as Christians should pursue the truth. As most of us know, Jesus proclaimed Himself as “the Truth.”
“Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.”
John 14:6 King James Version
Think about how absolute that statement is. It is either true or it is not. There is no wiggle room. Jesus is making an absolutely astounding statement. As mentioned, it is either true or it is not. If it is not, Jesus is a raving lunatic. How could anyone even consider Him a great teacher or a wonderful philosopher making such a statement if it were not true. All through the Gospel of John, Jesus makes statements about Himself that are unquestionably absolute. The thing is, is what He is saying true or not. All through the Gospel of John, Jesus makes statements starting with “I Am...” God the Father revealed Himself in the Old Testament to Moses as, “I Am Who I Am.” Jesus was revealing His Oneness with the Father by saying, “I Am.” For such statements for Jesus to make and allow Himself to be gruesomely tortured and crucified, and not be speaking the truth would mean He was off the charts insane.
For John the apostle and the other apostles to preach the Gospel, and not only speak of Jesus' resurrection, but actually say that they witnessed Him alive after His crucifixion would make them insane as well. Most of the apostles died excruciating deaths spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Let us now get into Pilate's question to Jesus.
“They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (the governor's official residence) and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium in order that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, 'What accusation do you bring against this Man?' They answered and said to him, 'If this Man were not and evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.' Pilate therefore said to them, 'Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.' The Jews said to him 'We are not permitted to put anyone to death,' that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spoke signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.
Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus, and said to Him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, 'Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?' Pilate answered, 'I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and chief priests delivered You up to me; what have You done?' Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom from this world, then my servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.' Pilate therefore said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'”
John 18:28-37 New American Standard Bible
When Jesus made the statement, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice,” the words, of the truth are meaning, everyone that is of a desire to know the truth, or is a lover of the truth, will hear His voice.
If we are Christians, our heart posture should be that we desire to know the truth. That we be a lover of the truth. When we desire the truth and love the truth, regardless of where the truth leads us, regardless of the pain we may feel due to the truth at times, then and only the can we hear His voice. To desire to know the truth and to love the truth is a choice.
So many people in the body of Christ keep saying how much they want unity. Many approach unity as, “we will agree to disagree,” lay down our differences and be unified on common ground. However, that is not how truth operates. That is not true unity. There are doctrines in which many Christians are diametrically opposed to one another, thinking that the way to have unity is to just lay aside our beliefs. Again that is not true unity. The truth is, someone has the truth and someone does not. It should never be about proving that our point is right and the other point is wrong. To have true unity means each of us has to as Jesus said, desire to know the truth, to love the truth so that we may hear His voice. So when we come together, we should help one another find out what the truth is. That will bring about unity. It takes patience and it takes work. Above all, it takes Christ like love.
“Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?'”
John 18:38 New American Standard Bible
In today's climate, America, politically, culturally and religiously not many have a desire to know the truth, or to be a lover of the truth. We have adapted a viewpoint of truth being relative. You have your truth and I have my truth. Look around and see what is happening in our nation, even among Christians. I ask you, how is that working? It is very hard to find the truth in the news media, or in history books, science, colleges, etc, because most people are only interested in “my truth.”
When Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” many scholars do not believe he was jesting, or even interested in knowing the truth himself. Most scholars believe that as Pilate looked upon Jesus, he viewed Jesus as one of many philosophers and thinkers of that time period that spoke about truth and reigning. They were wandering dreamers. It was likely that Pilate was sick of the different philosophies and religions that were prevalent during that time, that the question Pilate asked was more out of the thought, “Here we go again.”
Of course, with Jesus, desiring to know the truth and being a lover of the truth is more than pursuing a set of ideals and principles. In the case of Jesus, desiring to know the truth and being a lover of the truth is the desire to know Jesus, and to be a lover of Jesus.
When I was younger, regarding debates, opinions or whatever, I had a drive to be right. I did my best to have the last word. Miraculously the Lord through the years has drawn me away from that. For me, now, it's not about having to be right. It's about knowing the truth, to my own hurt if need be. I far more value the truth than the value of being right.
Several years ago, while I was preaching during a church service, I made the statement, “We have to go back to believing the Word of God for what it says, and take God at His Word, even with what we may find hard to understand.” As soon as those words left my lips, I knew the tests were coming. As long as I have had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, at times it has been very difficult to believe God at His Word, even with all the times God has proven Himself loving and faithful over and over and over again. These tests have been more than worth it.
What will cause the next great revival to be the greatest revival in history is for all of us to value the truth of the Word of God. We need to need to come to the place of believing the Word of God, the Bible, and take God at His word like never before. We need to value knowing the truth more than the value of being right. To know the truth is to know Jesus, not to just know about Him. And to know Jesus is to be made free.