The Truth

A few thoughts about the truth.

We are doing a study, at home, over 2 John and 3 John. In the 27 verses that make up these letters, John uses the word truth 10 times. I thought, "This word truth is important in the writings of John!" Sherlock Holmes would have been impressed, I'm sure (cynicism intended!).

I thought to myself, "But truth is an abstract concept! How do I explain an abstract idea in concrete terms?"

I then turned my a attention to the gospel of John, wondering how Jesus used the word truth. I discovered several things:
1. In John 3:20-21, Jesus contrasts evil with truth. I generally think of good as being in opposition to evil. In the sames verses, He implicitly contrasts darkness with light. Jesus, of course, is the light that comes into the world. The world preferred darkness over light because they desire to do evil rather than obey the truth. The light, therefore, may be seen as the source from which truth emanates as evil originates from darkness.
2. Jesus unabashedly claims to be the truth (See: John 14:5-7). Ah-ha, this is the point whereby the abstract becomes concrete! Jesus is the truth, who has come from the Father. If you know the Son (the Truth) then you will consequently know the Father. He is the fleshing out of the ideal (truth).
3. Jesus, however, is currently not physically present in the world (He does live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit). How can I know that I am following the truth with Him gone to be with the Father. The answer is found in John 17:17-19..."sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17; KJV).

We have to start our understanding of "What is truth?" through an understanding that Jesus is the truth. We then have to understand that He speaks to us today through His Word (and the Holy Spirit, etc.).

If He intends for us to know the truth, be the pillar and ground of the truth, and spread the truth (light) to the world (darkness), would He have left us without a 'manual' of truth? I don't think so.

I was talking with Colin this morning about a statement his teacher made in his Old Testament class--that we could not "prove" the Creation story (don't judge his teacher, he is trying to get his students to think). I agree with this. I could only "prove" the Creation account by being physically present when it occurred. The only other way would be to have a reliable source who was there give an account of the events. Moses, who wrote Genesis, was not there...so, he cannot personally attest to the Creation events. Who was there? The Creator of Creation Himself is the only One who was there.

Whether you believe in Creation or in an impersonal beginning, you have to start with a basic presupposition: There is a God, there is not a God. If you begin with the concept of a God, then you should have no problem with the Creation account. If you begin with, "There is no God", then you certainly can't come to the point of a personal beginning for the universe.

For the Apostle John, this would have been easy to understand. Those who walk in the light believe the Word of God and, therefore, are able to walk in the truth. Those who walk in the darkness prefer their works of darkness and refuse to acknowledge the truth.

Let's hold to the idea of antithesis here: There is a light (truth) and a dark (evil). Those who follow Jesus are able to follow the truth and those who follw the dark cannot know the truth.

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18).