What is Truth?

Our world has many answers to the question, “What is truth?” Some say, “Truth is what you believe to be true,” or, “Truth is relative to the individual,” or, “Truth is what you have learned through experience,” or, “Truth is what science discovers,” and still others simply state, “There is no truth.”

Our understanding of “truth” impacts the way we live our life. Because of the far reaching effects of the answer to this question, we would be foolish to consult an unproven source for an answer. Rather than consulting with various human philosophers from our time, let us instead consider an unbiased source that time and again has stood against ideas that were believed at one time, but were eventually proven false. The source that has stood against false ideas and philosophies for generations is the Bible. It is the only source that is thousands of years old and has still proven correct even with the most current findings of true science.

Consider with me just one example of the strength of knowledge found in the Scriptures. All of the greatest scientists and philosophers at one time thought the earth was a flat disc with a domed sky on top of it, and that if you went far enough to one side, you would slip off the edge of the world. Oddly enough, during the time when this belief was still prevalent, Isaiah 40:22 and Job 26:7 confirm not only that the earth is spherical, but also that it hangs suspended in space! Take a gander at them both:

²² It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

-Isaiah 40:22 (NASB95)

⁷ “He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing.

-Job 26:7 (NASB95)

This fact and others like it have proven the Bible to be the gold-standard when trying to determine what the truth is on any given subject.

Because of the proven reliability of the Scriptures, we would be wise to defer to the knowledge and wisdom that the Scriptures can impart to us concerning the question, “What is truth?” If we allow the Scriptures to speak, they answer our question with astounding clarity. Read this excerpt from a prayer of Jesus, recorded in John 17:17:

“¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; [God’s] word is truth.”

According to the Scriptures, truth is what God says. This is the only answer God gives us concerning our question, “What is truth,” and it is more than sufficient. God is our Creator, and it only makes sense that He, being so much greater in every way than us, would speak truth to us who are His creation. And so, based on what those proven Scriptures say, everything which God says is the truth, and can be trusted, and all other sources of information are subject to fluctuation and change.

Our world has trouble coming to a solid and reasonable conclusion on many questions, including this simple one of “What is Truth?” The Scriptures, on the other hand, are abundantly clear and simple to understand, and provide great insight into matters which man’s knowledge still has yet to attain. We all would be foolish to set aside the Words of God in order to try to come to our own conclusions, so instead let us consult them constantly, and allow them to direct our thoughts on every matter.

If you are living in the Sacramento, CA, area and are looking for a group of people who cling to God’s Word for all our teachings and practices, please visit the Mariposa Avenue Church of Christ! We would love to meet you!