What is truth? Does it matter?
After the death of Sir Owen Dixon, then Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, he was described in the Sydney press as an “intellectual colossus”. He wrote a series of essays about the rules of evidence which he entitled: Jesting Pilate.
It is recorded in the Bible that the fifth Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate asked Jesus: what is truth? On an earlier occasion in a different setting when answering a question by Thomas, Jesus said: I am the way and the truth and the life. (John chapter 14 verse 6).
Our individual response (including silent indifference right ‘till death) always adds to the growing division as the whole of humanity (past, present and future) necessarily lines up behind either the first Adam (of Adam and Eve fame) or the ‘second Adam’ (Jesus). In a very real sense ultimately the Bible is about these two men.
What the dictionary says
Unhelpfully, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines truth as: the quality or state of being true, that which is true as opposed to false, a fact or belief that is accepted as true.
Bible dictionary
Conformity to fact or actuality. Truth is a fundamental moral and personal quality of God himself. He is described as the “God of truth…without injustice.”
The Christian knows that Jesus is much more than just an historical figure. He is described as the Word of God who became flesh “full of…truth”. (John chapter 1 verse 14).
As His gruesome death by crucifixion drew near, Jesus promised His disciples (His followers then and always) that He would send in His place “the Spirit of truth”, a Helper who would for all time guide them into all truth. (John chapter 16 verse 13).
The witnesses’ oath
The witness used to enter the witness box and swear on oath before God and in His presence and hearing, to ‘tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God’.
In the melting-pot of cultures of diverse and conflicting beliefs which is secular Australia, the witness now simply promises to tell the truth.
What Jesus says
Still today Jesus describes Himself as: the way the truth and the life. “No-one” comes to the Father except through Me. (John chapter 14 verse 6). Heaven is for real, but unless we genuinely turn to Him the alternative of hell is for real too.
Lovingly and graciously, Jesus came to save us from forever experiencing the loneliness of hell.
The car rear-window sticker read: ‘speed on brother: hell ain’t full yet’. With immense gratitude and relief we can confidently say that God knows: ‘heaven ain’t full yet either’.
Jesus’ earthly revelation of Himself is the final ultimate revelation and definition of truth about God, humanity, redemption, history and the world.
Which is true?
I put to one side the phoney empty mindset of evolution about which its apparent high priest ex-Oxford University Professor Richard Dawkins frankly concedes there is no evidence.
‘Expert’ opinion, interpretation and inference about the earth’s supposed deep past is not evidence. Accordingly, evolution cannot legitimately be called a theory. It is merely the mindset of the atheist.
The detective can only formulate a theory about what happened if there is at least some evidence to examine.
Regarding the truth of each of the many religions of the world, what is the best test to enable and assist human assessment of its reasonableness? Answer: its own explanation of its origin and before that how the earth and its multitudinous life forms (human, animal and vegetable) came to be.
If a religion cannot do that, how much acceptance and faith should it seriously attract?
Is it sufficient to either satisfy or convince, for the offered explanation to simply be that its human founder received a private revelation from its so-called deity?
Worst of all is for its holy book to fail to satisfy man’s basic ‘need to know’ by being tantalisingly silent or unclear on the issue. Various world religions contain these shortcomings.
Christianity stands apart
In contrast, the Bible regularly places its events and characters among already known and verified people, places and happenings, thereby weaving individual historicity into the broader fabric of world affairs.
Included (and prominent) in that world history are many events which occurred during the charismatic and magnetic life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Such was the universal significance of same that our calendar tells us this is the year 2018 and not some fanciful figure such as 4.6 billion years as the evolutionists would have it.
Jesus’ courageous steadfast refusal to accomodate the religious leaders of His day, and His fierce denunciation of their beliefs and attitudes combined with His enormous public appeal (for a time), finally led to His gruesome death.
This was graphically witnessed by many and subsequently recorded for all to read, culminating in His spectacular resurrection to indestructible eternal life.
When another historical figure, Paul was making his defence to King Agrippa and to Festus the Roman governor, having stated that Jesus was the “first to rise from the dead,” he then significantly and boldly stated that this was “not done in a corner”. (Acts chapter 26 verse 26).
A paraphrase of the above statement records that “this was not done behind the scenes but rather was played-out in full view of many people…no claimed but unverifiable private revelation made in secret”.
Jesus’ rising to new life was an actual event lived out in historical time and place.
The truth
So what is truth?
Jesus simply but powerfully still says about Himself even today: I am the truth.
We need to digest that and then positively and maturely respond. NOW.
Gavin Lawrie is a retired Barrister and Solicitor from Tweed Heads NSW Australia and author of the book: 'THE EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION: Uncovering The Faulty Science Of Dawkins' Attack On Creationism'. He is married to Jan with two adult children and they are grandparents.
Gavin Lawrie's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/gavin-lawrie.html