Truth: Objective & Knowable
By Allen Dvorak

It was Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea, who asked our Lord, What is truth? (John 18:38) Although Pilate was probably not asking with a genuine interest in knowing the truth, his question reflects one of the greatest needs of man. We need to know what the truth is because of the power which both the truth and a lie have. (John 8:32-34, 44; Genesis 3:1-4)I am the Truth. It might be difficult to find the "lowest common denominator" of agreement in a discussion of truth. The question of whether truth is subjective or objective in nature must be answered before one can even begin to determine what is truth. Religious people do not even agree about the nature of truth!

Many view truth as being in some measure subjective, meaning that the content of truth depends to some extent upon the individual viewing it. Truth will vary from individual to individual just as experiences, feelings and prejudices form a unique background for each individual. The more subjective truth is deemed to be, the less connection it needs to have with reality and the accepted meanings of the words. For example, two individuals read the same words and come away with two entirely different conflicting understandings of what was written, each claiming that he has the truth "in him!" God’s truth becomes whatever they want it to be. In essence, truth finds its source in each individual. Others understand truth to be objective, meaning that it is not determined by the person viewing it; its source is outside of the person. It "reads" the same for every person who encounters it. It is this view of truth which is supported by the Word of God.

Truth does not depend upon man; it has its origin in deity. Jesus identified the source of truth when He told His disciples, I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Employing a similar figure, the apostle John wrote that God is love because love so perfectly describes the character of God. Jesus is so intimately connected to the truth that He claims to be the truth. John wrote in his gospel of this connection, 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. (John 1:14, 17)

The truth that Jesus taught was from the Father. Jesus told the Jews, But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who was told you the truth which I heard from God…(John 8:40) In His impassioned prayer to the Father on the night of His betrayal, Jesus said, Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

The view that truth is an objective body of doctrine seems too legalistic to many religious people. They argue that Jesus desires a relationship with us, that we be His disciples rather than assent to a group of "facts." The Lord Himself responded to this false view when He said, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (John 8:31) Jesus indeed seeks a relationship with us, but discipleship cannot be separated from the truth.

Certainly discipleship involves more than simple cognitive assent to a body of doctrine, but our Lord DOES call upon us to agree with the truth. (John 8:24) … for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. The meaning of the word "confess" is literally "to speak the same thing." When we confess our faith in Jesus, we are acknowledging and affirming the truth which the gospel presents about the nature of Jesus. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17) and promised His apostles that they would be guided into all truth by that same Spirit (John 16:13) It is not surprising that Paul described the gospel that he preached to the Ephesians as the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. (Ephesians 1:13)

Can We Know The Truth? If truth was subjective, by definition each person would know truth… Truth would be whatever we wish it to be! We have affirmed, however, that truth is not subjective, but objective. Can we then know the truth? Jesus claimed that we can. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32) The truth makes men free from the bondage of sin by purifying them through belief in and obedience to the truth. (1 Peter 1:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; James 1:18) Not only CAN we know the truth, but God desires and expects us to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) In his general epistles, the apostle John spoke of those who knew the truth. (1 John 2:21; 2 John 1:1) The very purpose of revelation is that men may understand the truth, the mystery of God. Paul claimed that those who read the words that he penned could understand God’s truth. (Ephesians 3:1-7) Indeed, it would be the essence of futility from the Spirit to reveal the truth to the apostles if they were unable to understand it themselves nor communicate it in a way that would permit men of future generations to understand it! The Testimony of Divine Condemnation. The Scriptures demonstrate that God’s word, the truth, is both objective and knowable. When king Saul was commanded to utterly destroy the Amalekites and the possessions, he killed all the Amalekites except the king and destroyed all of their possessions except the best of the animals (1 Samuel 15:1-3, 8-9) When the prophet Samuel was sent by God to rebuke Saul, the king claimed that he had obeyed the command of the Lord. The divine condemnation of Saul shows that God not only expected that Saul understood His command, but also did not accept Saul’s "interpretation" of that command. When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, He did not simply point out their hypocrisy. He also accused them of not obeying the truth. (e.g., Matthew 15:1-6; 23:3, 23) Jesus did not reason that they were merely practicing the truth as they understood it! Nor did He excuse them because the truth of God was supposedly impossible for men to understand properly.

God’s truth is exactly that – HIS truth, objective and understandable by man. Thanks be to God for the indescribable gift of the truth and the privilege of knowing that truth which can set us free forever!

CHURCH HISTORY: A BIBLICAL VIEW
Part III - No. 16 Compiled and written by Gary Eubanks

The Relation of Humanity and Divinity in Christ. One aspect of Christology has to do with Christ's relationship to the Father. In practical terms this addresses Christ's divinity. In what sense, or to what extent, was Christ divine? Previous lessons have shown that this question drew forth a variety of answers and generated prolonged and heated controversies among the various factions within the “Church”. Some, such as Arius who asserted that Christ was a created being, went to such an extreme that they practically denied the true divinity of Jesus Christ. It was principally these matters which occasioned the convening of the Council of Nicea (325) which reaffirmed the full divinity of Christ. However, it was many years before the controversy cooled and Arianism was largely eradicated.

A discussion of how Christ was divine and how He was related to the Father naturally led to a discussion of the other major aspect of the Christological problem - the humanity of Christ. In what sense, or to what extent, was Christ human? How were the human and divine natures related or united in Christ? These questions gendered controversies as long and vicious as those gendered by a consideration of Christ's divinity. Again, it was to the advantage of the West that it had early arrived at a formula which provided it with unity on this matter. Christ was considered fully God and fully man at the same time but in such a way that His human and divine natures did not detract from one another. Obviously, this is more of a simple statement of belief than a defense or explanation of it. This may well be as far as the finite human mind can take it. Nevertheless, the more philosophical East was not satisfied with this. Its people wanted a clearer definition of just how Christ's human and divine natures were related.

It was possible to assert one aspect of Christ's nature at the expense of the other. One could so emphasize Christ's divinity that His humanity could be practically overwhelmed; or one could so emphasize His humanity as to diminish His divinity. The latter of these two dilemmas had more or less been at the heart of the Arian controversy. The former was an important part of the controversy concerning the human and divine natures in Christ. Some had no difficulty in speaking of Christ as having two natures - one human and the other divine. Others had great difficulty in thinking of Christ as having two natures. This to them implied a duality of persons. They were thus dubbed "Monophysites" (from the Greek words, "monos," meaning "one," and "phusis," meaning "nature"). Controversies over such issues raged through the Fifth and Sixth Centuries and were the occasion for several more general councils. Monophysite sects exist in certain parts of the Middle East to this day.

The Importance of the Humanity of Christ. Without becoming involved in the subtle and intricate distinctions of the controversies surrounding the nature(s) of Christ, it must be recognized that there is a balance to be maintained between the deity and the humanity of Christ. Neither can be slighted in the least. Some have diminished the deity of Christ even to the point of making Him nothing but a man. This is wrong. He was fully divine. On the other hand, some are reluctant to give to Him everything His humanity implies. This too is wrong. He was fully human.

As the death of Jesus is nothing to men without His resurrection, so His deity is of no avail to men without His humanity. It took One who had been with both God and man to adequately reveal God to man John 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 14:9 “Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?” Jesus became God in human flesh so that He might explain God to man in terms man could understand. Moreover, it was the offering of the body of Jesus which served to sanctify men Hebrews 10:10 “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Without partaking of humanity, Jesus would not have been perfected Hebrews 5:8-9 “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,” Hebrews 2:10 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Through His death He rendered the devil powerless Hebrews 2:14 “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” In order to be a high priest and also be able to make propitiation for sins, He had to be made like His brethren Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Since, He was also human, He can identify with mankind and help and understand them Hebrews 2:18 “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” and knowing that Jesus had to endure the afflictions common to all men, those in human flesh can take courage.

"The Truth of the Matter"
David A. Sargent

When it comes to paying taxes to our government, many people would like to BEGIN with a refund amount they want to receive and THEN work backwards to arrange their financial information in order to come up with that refund. It just doesn’t work that way, does it?

Unfortunately, many would take a similar approach in their study and application of Scripture:

Some would like to continue to live a certain lifestyle, so they go to the Scriptures to justify that lifestyle.

Some have their OWN personal beliefs and go to the Scriptures to justify those beliefs.

Some see the Scriptures as merely abstract drawings similar to those a psychologist might use, where two people may interpret the same image differently based upon their own predisposition – but either view is seen as acceptable.

Have you ever heard the statement: “You can prove anything by the Bible”? That is true, IF one uses an incorrect approach to understanding the Scriptures.

One must not, as the saying goes, “put the cart BEFORE the horse.” The proper approach to understanding AND applying Scripture is to recognize the Scriptures to be the SOURCE of TRUTH, NOT the justification for what one might WANT to believe.

“ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In other words, the Word of God is profitable:

For what’s right – “for doctrine” (teaching, body of truth)

For what’s wrong – “for reproof”

For getting right – “for correction”

For staying right – “for instruction in righteousness”

For equipping us to DO what’s right – “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

From 2 Timothy 3:15, we ALSO learn that the Scriptures are profitable for teaching us how to be saved from SIN. Paul reminded Timothy: “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The Scriptures teach that in order to be saved from our sins we must believe in Jesus (Acts 16:30), repent of our sins (Acts 17:31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).

The Scriptures ALSO teach that “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Do you want the truth of the matter? GO to the SOURCE! (John 17:17) And THEN allow Gods Word to mold you into the person HE desires you to be.