What Does The Bible Say?
Question- What is truth?
Many have the idea that we cannot know truth and that there is no absolute truth. Statements are made like “this is my truth.” or “that is your truth.” Is truth relative? Can we know truth? Can we agree and come to knowledge of truth? Can truth set us free? All of these are questions from our original question. The Bible addresses all of these questions. Let’s look at the answers.
In John 18: 37-Pontius Pilate asks the question- “what is truth,” Pilate determines that there is no absolute truth but that truth is relative. He refuses to stand firm and pronounces the innocence of Jesus then has Him flogged. Socrates believed that truth is relative and that each person can choose his own truth. This type of thinking is what contributed to the death of Jesus. It is the type of pagan thinking that many have adopted today to get around accountability for how they act and what they do.
Jesus says in John 17:17- “Make them holy in the truth, your word is truth.” In John 8:32 he also said, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” In John 14:6- He states- “I am the way the truth and the light, no man comes to the Father but by Me.”
Mob truth of what the majority (or loud minority), say is truth, does not define truth by God’s standards. There is an absolute right and absolute wrong. We can all know and agree on truth by consulting God’s Word and abiding by what it says. Much like in government where truth is supposed to be determined and defined by the standard of the constitution, God’s truth is only determined by consulting His revealed truth in the Bible. This is the truth of God for a lie…” and in doing so “became fools while professing themselves to be wise.” Confusion and chaos come when each man defines his own truth.
In Proverbs 3:5-7 we are told to “trust the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.” In all of our ways we are to acknowledge Him and He directs our paths (through His word). The passage ends with “do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Jesus used the word truth 78 times in His teachings. He stresses there is absolute truth and that we will be held accountable for abiding it. If we love Him, we will keep His commands (John 14:15-31 and 1 John 5:1-5).
Please submit all questions to What Does the Bible Say c/o Maple St. Church of Christ P.O. Box 3086, Liberty, TX 77575.