“What Is Truth?”
Issues – March 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine
What Is Truth?
Some Background
Pilate asked this question, quoted in John 18:38 ( NKJV ), while interrogating the Lord Jesus some hours before He was crucified. The Lord had been brought to the Praetorium – the governor’s official residence – early in the morning, but His accusers didn’t go in “lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover” (v.28). When Pilate asked, “‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’ They answered and said to him, ‘If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you’” (vv.29-30). The indictment, or accusation, against the Lord was three-fold: “They began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (Lk. 23:2).
Pilate then questioned the Lord Jesus and found “no fault in Him at all” (Jn. 18:38). In the course of Pilate’s questioning, we read: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’” (vv.36-37). Truly, the Lord used His answers to reveal some important truths about Himself.
First, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born” (v.37) is a statement of His manhood, of His humanity. Then we read of His deity: “… and for this cause I have come into the world.” These two things are found throughout John (1:1-3,9-10,14, 3:17-19, 9:39, 10:36). The third truth is that of His ministry, why He came: “that I should bear witness to the truth” (v.37).
In hearing these responses we are reminded of points He had made earlier: “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore, you do not hear, because you are not of God” (8:45-47). We read similar thoughts a little later: “Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (10:25-27).
Returning to John 18, upon hearing the responses by the Lord Jesus, “Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (v.38). We do not know if Pilate asked this question sarcastically or sincerely, but regardless of the manner, he asked a very serious and all-important question! We need to consider it, for many say truth for one person is not necessarily the truth for others. Some say there is no absolute truth. So we ask, “What is truth?”
Definition Of Truth
Truth is more than knowing facts. When describing the last days, Paul mentioned the world we live in is “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). Truth is outside of us and is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory and being of God. It is the self-expression of God. Truth transcends our emotions. This means how we feel about a matter has nothing to do with whether it is truth. Truth is an absolute standard.
In the New King James Version, the word “truth” is used 105 times in the New Testament. Twenty-three of those times are in the book of John – the gospel which presents the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. First John uses the word ten times and Romans nine times. The Greek word for truth is aletheia, which means “firm, solid or binding.”
Marks Of Truth
Truth has a number of distinguishing characteristics or marks. Let’s consider them now.
Mark #1. Truth comes from God, and each person of the Godhead is Truth. We read in Deuteronomy 32:4 that our God “is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” In Psalm 31:5 we read, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” Interestingly, the Lord Jesus quoted the first half of this verse on the cross when speaking to the Father (Lk. 23:46). We also read of the Father being “the God of truth” twice in Isaiah 65:16, “so that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes.” We glean from these verses that God the Father is Truth.
In John 14:6 the Lord Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He is indeed the One of whom we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth … For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (1:1-2,14,17). In these verses we clearly see the Lord Jesus proclaimed as Truth personified.
God the Holy Spirit is referred to as “the Spirit of truth” in John 14:17, 15:26 and 16:13. When we put all this together, we understand what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote: “let God be true but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). Hebrews 6:18 tells us, “It is impossible for God to lie” – a fact also mentioned in Titus 1:2. Our God cannot lie because He is truth!
Mark #2. Truth reigns supreme. This means that truth is absolute; it has the first and last word – the final say! Truth is never relative, arbitrary or conditional. It stands in contrast to the one who is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44).
Some say there is no absolute truth. Contradicting their own comment, by their very declaration they make an absolute statement, implying without any doubt that there is absolute truth.
Mark #3. Truth is real and genuine, meaning that it exists and is objective. It is not subjective or dependent on circumstances. Truth is not hidden, for we can know it. The Lord Jesus said to those who believed Him, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (v.32).
Mark #4. All truth stands together, meaning that truth is singular. The Lord Jesus spoke of “the” truth (v.32, 14:6, 18:37), not “a” truth or “one of many” truths. The Bible knows nothing about your truth and my truth. It only knows of one truth, the truth!
Mark #5. Truth never changes! Just as God does “not change” (Mal. 3:6), and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8), the truth does not change. The psalmist announced, “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven” (Ps. 119:89). Isaiah declared, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8). The Lord Jesus, Himself the living Word, taught, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Mt. 5:18).
Mark #6. Truth makes demands; it is authoritative. We read in Psalms: “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (119:160). The Holy Scriptures, breathed out by God, is revelation in written form (2 Tim. 3:15-16). There is only one written source from God and only one basis of authority for the Lord’s people in the Church: the truth.
Mark #7. Truth cuts deeply. We see this in Hebrews 4:12, which says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God is alive because God is “the living God” (3:12). The Lord Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (Jn. 6:63). In the parable of the sower (Mt. 13:1-9,18-23) He compared God’s Word to seed. Seed, like the Word, is a living organism that, when spread and planted in fertile soil, produces abundant life.
In Hebrews 4:12 the term “powerful” is translated “active” in some Bibles. It means “effective, producing or capable of producing an intended result.” The Word of God is vibrant, dynamic, energizing and productive. It does not sit idle in the lives of genuine believers. First Thessalonians says the Word of God “effectively works in you who believe” (2:13). As we already saw, Hebrews describes the Word of God as “sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12). Ephesians calls it “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (6:17). The Word of God is our definitive defensive weapon against the assaults of a spiritual enemy. When Satan tempted the Lord Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord wielded God’s Word to counter the Devil’s attacks (Mt. 4:1-11).
Mark #8. Truth determines destinies. A person’s response to the truth will impact every area of the life here and now, and it will determine his or her eternal destiny as well! This is why the psalmist referred to the Word of God as “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).
The Power Of Truth
In John 8–9 we learn of the Lord Jesus as the True Light contrasted with darkness. It is instructive that light and truth go hand in hand, for light exposes darkness, and truth exposes that which is false. In fact, we see several contrasts revealed in John 8: grace versus law (vv.1-11), light versus darkness (vv.12-20), life versus death (vv.21-30), freedom versus bondage (vv.31-47), and honor versus dishonor (vv.48-59).
In this chapter the woman caught in the very act of adultery set the groundwork for the subject on truth. If the religious leaders in this record were genuine about their concern for the law, they would have had the man present, in keeping with Leviticus 20:10. It might seem strange at first glance that our Lord declares at the end of this encounter, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). He said this because He was exposing the true condition of their hearts.
The next section of the chapter (vv.13-32) deals with the teaching of the Lord Jesus as the light of the world, revealing the need of the people and pointing to the remedy. “The Pharisees … said to Him, ‘You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me’” (vv.13-18). This connects directly with what our Lord said in verse 31-32: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They were enslaved by ignorance, and He offered the freedom that comes from the truth.
Later in this confrontation the Lord declared, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come” (v.21). The Jews were confused by this comment, saying, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?” But later He pointed out, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever” (v.34). In this the Lord Jesus spoke of those who are enslaved by sin – but He offers freedom from sin!
Then the Lord said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (vv.23-24). The Lord Jesus was seeking to impress upon them that they were enslaved by death and that He offered freedom from death, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (v.36).
In the midst of this dialogue the Jews asked, “‘Who are You?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him’” (vv.25-26). Carefully following this chapter we clearly see the Lord Jesus claimed deity (vv.12,18,23-24,28,36).
Notice the connection between the truth and the Son. In verses 31-32 the Lord Jesus announced, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” In verse 36 He said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” At least seven times in this chapter our Lord declared that His words were true (13-14,16-18,26,31-32,40,45,46).
Elsewhere in this book we read that as the incarnate Word – “the Word became flesh” – He was “full of grace and truth” (1:14). Truth came through Him, “for the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (v.17). He is the Truth, as He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (14:6). As the Truth, He is able to set us free (8:32-36; Gal. 5:1). Truth sets us apart: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17).
Conclusion
It is no secret that today, as always, there is a war on the truth! Satan has not changed his tactics. But Paul gave us a reminder “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). From the very beginning he has sought to put doubt into the heart of man concerning the Word of God, by asking, “Has God said … ?” (Gen. 3:1).
Satan seeks to distort the Word of God. We see this already when we carefully compare what Satan in Genesis 3:1-4 claimed God said with what God had actually said in Genesis 2:16-17. The distortion opened the door for Eve to lose sight of her relationship with her God. She took away from the instructions God gave, omitting “every” and adding “not to touch.” Eve also softened God’s words by taking away the word “surely.” By the time we get to Genesis 3:4, she had completely ignored the truth.
This is why Paul told Timothy to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). In these last and difficult days we are to “hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (1:13). There will be those who do not want to hear the truth. Paul warned us, saying, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (4:3-4). That time is here, and truth does matter. This is why we are to “preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” and “be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (vv.2,5). We are to speak the truth, answering the question that man still asks, “What is truth?” GT
ENDNOTE
The writer appreciates points presented by Steven J. Lawson in his book The Moment Of Truth, some of which were used as a guide for portions of this article.
By Timothy P. Hadley