Copyright © 2006-2008 Robert D. Hosken, M.Min., D.Min.
The English mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861 - 1947) stated – "There are no whole truths; all truths are half-truths. It is trying to treat them as whole truths that plays the devil." Once again we are treated to a paradox by one of this world’s wise men: if all truths are half-truths, then that statement itself isn’t entirely true! Human efforts to debunk all absolutes demonstrate their own absurdity – “There are no absolutes, and that’s the absolute truth!” And yet millions or even billions of people take these nonsense statements seriously.
Meditate Word By Word On These Verses:
2 Cor. 4:2.
The concept of truth is fundamental to higher mathematics and computer science. A bit is either “on” (true) or “off” (false) – there is no in-between state. To deny the concept of truth is to say that computers don’t make a bit of sense (pardon the pun). But it is indeed very difficult to discover what absolute truth is, one might even say it is humanly impossible. That is the dilemma modern man finds himself in: truth is necessary, but extremely elusive. How do we find our way out of this dilemma? We as Christians believe it is possible only through divine revelation – “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, full of grace and truth (aletheia). … For while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth (aletheia) came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:14 and 17). Jesus Christ is full to overflowing with truth, and that is how we can know truth!
Question:
1. Is the assertion of Alfred North Whitehead totally true?
Yes, it is true, although perhaps only by 51%, but that is a majority, and we know that the majority is always right.
No, it is absurd.
What is truth? That was the same question Pontius Pilate posed to Jesus in John 18:38. This world’s rulers and wise men have puzzled over this question for centuries and haven’t found the answer. Strong’s Dictionaries simply define aletheia as “true, truly, truth, verity.”1 It is defined better in Thayer’s Greek Definitions –
"Objectively: what is true in any matter under consideration, … what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth, … the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians; subjectively: truth as a personal excellence, that candour of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit."2
While these definitions are helpful, they are a little circular because they use in the definition the word being defined. What is truth then? It seems to be a rather elusive thing! But if we really want to know what truth is, look closely at Jesus, because He said – “I am the way, the truth (aletheia), and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6). And those people who follow Him experience truth and radiate it to others around them – “But whoever does what is true (aletheia) comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions have been done in God” (John 3:21).
Question:
2. How can we grasp this unattainable truth?
(One or more of the following answers are correct.)
By worshipping God, submitting to Him.
Through the "third eye".
Through revelation from God.
With the help of clever bait on a hook.
We must follow Him with an attitude of worship – “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true (alethinos) worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (aletheia), for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (aletheia)” (John 4:23-24). The word here for worship is proskuneo which means “to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand; to … literally or figuratively prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence, to adore); worship.”3 It is used in the Bible for veneration given to God or to people of great honor. The quest for truth is rewarded with success only when we submit ourselves in worshipful service to our Master, Jesus Christ!
Now is the time to relate aletheia-truth to diakonia-ministry. We already have seen that worship (latreia) is linked to ministry. Our key passage for the ministry driven church, Eph. 4:11-13, teaches us that all of God’s people are to do the work of diakonia-ministry in order to make the church, the Body of Christ, grow. In the very next verses Paul warns us to watch out for pseudo-clever men whose self-appointed task is to deceive by sophistry, but instead we must speak the truth – “that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth (aletheia) in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15).
The ultimate goal of ministry is to help each other grow up into Christ’s likeness. Part of this involves telling the truth. The world considers it socially acceptable to tell “white lies” for convenience, for example, you call your employer and say you’re sick, but actually you’re doing something else such as going to a job interview or meeting someone from out of town. Even Christians sometimes tell “white lies” to other Christians for similar reasons, but this destroys trust and fellowship in the Body of Christ. A few verses later, in Eph. 4:25, Paul writes – “Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth (aletheia) each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.” In order to minister to the building up of the Body of Christ, we must speak the truth to one another.
Question:
3. How does the verb venerate-proskuneo differ from worship-latreuo, and how is truth (aletheia) related to ministry-diakonia?
We once knew a mission leader who was a pathological liar. He would excuse it by telling me – “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. I just say I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” The consequences, however, of constantly telling lies can be eternally fatal – “But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). How do we pull up the weeds of lies in our life, and live in honesty and openness toward one another? We must daily drink deeply from God’s Word, the well of truth – "Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, 'If you remain in my word, then you are truly (alethos) my disciples. You will know the truth (aletheia), and the truth (aletheia) will make you free'" (John 8:31-32). Jesus consecrated Himself to the truth, so that we also can be consecrated, made holy, in the truth – "Sanctify them in your truth (aletheia). Your word is truth (aletheia). … For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth (aletheia)” (John 17:17 and 19). This leaves no room in the Body of Christ for half-truths and deliberate deception by not telling the whole truth.
Sanctification is holiness, consecration, being set apart. Holiness implies godliness and honesty because it comes from the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of truth – "When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth (aletheia), who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me" (John 15:26). When the Spirit of truth comes into our life, He will enable us to distinguish between truth and error – "However when he, the Spirit of truth (aletheia), has come, he will guide you into all truth (aletheia), for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming" (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit will give us a "sixth sense" for discerning truth in a jumble of news, misinformation and deliberate disinformation, and He will even enable us to foresee things that are yet to come.
Question:
4. What may become the final destiny of liars (Rev. 21:8), and how can we free ourselves from this destiny (Jn. 8:31-32 and 17:17 and 19)?
But this requires that we walk in the Spirit, not in our own egocentric way, cleverly manipulating God’s Word for our own sordid gain; rather, using it to build up the Body of Christ – "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth (aletheia) commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:2). Paul writes that God "desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth (aletheia), … to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth (aletheia) in Christ, not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (aletheia) (1 Tim. 2:4 and 7). It is striking how often the apostles use the word “truth” over and over, repeating it several times in the space of just a few phrases. It becomes clear to us that they were not careful to couch their words in “maybe” or “perhaps” or “in my opinion”; instead, they boldly asserted that the Good News of Christ is the truth. They did not say, “If you want to believe it, then it’s true for you; but if you don’t, then that’s okay too!” As we read the New Testament, it becomes strikingly obvious that the truth of the Gospel is not relative or subjective; it is objectively true everywhere and for everyone.
There are several warnings in the New Testament to beware those who try to distort the truth – “Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth (aletheia), before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified?” (Gal. 3:1). Notice that Paul writes “obey the truth” and not merely “agree to the truth.” Truth is not just an abstract concept, it is the hard reality of those actions we are morally obliged to take when we believe the truth about Jesus Christ’s crucifixion for our sins. The Christians in Galatia had gotten off to a good start, but then some Judiazers came along and tried to convince them to follow the Law of Moses – “You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth (aletheia)?” (Gal. 5:7). Again Paul uses the phrase “obey the truth.” Truth isn’t a word game we play; it is reality.
Question:
5. How does truth (Gal. 3:1) relate to the one Gospel (Gal. 1:6-10), and who has the authority (power) to correctly interpret the truth?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
Any person who claims that he believes in Christ has the right (power, authority) to interpret the Bible in the way he thinks that the Holy Spirit (or another spirit) tells him.
There is only one absolute truth to which we must submit: the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, and there is no other Gospel. The Apostles and their successors have the authority (power) to correctly interpret the Word of Truth.
Truth is a subjective thing, it depends on the circumstances in society and many other things, therefore we cannot think that a person can know the Gospel truth.
The Pope of Rome is the true successor of the Apostle Peter and he alone has the authority (power) to correctly interpret the Gospel, when sitting on the throne. And all the rest of the time he is just a sinful person.
The ultimate source of this deceit is the lawless one, Antichrist, who is empowered by Satan –
"... even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth (aletheia), that they might be saved. Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who didn't believe the truth (aletheia), but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth (aletheia) (2 Thes. 2:9-13).
In order to be saved, people must have a “love of the truth.” If not, God will send them error so they will believe a lie, to their own judgment. The fad philosophies of relativism and situational ethics are simply rationalizations for those who have “pleasure in unrighteousness.” But if someone loves the truth he is on the path of “salvation through sanctification.”
Many highly educated people are “always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (aletheia). Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth (aletheia); men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Tim. 3:7-8). This brings to mind some university professors and even Oxford-educated politicians who are moral reprobates, who either reject the faith totally or cynically manipulate religion for their own ends.
Question:
6. Who is the source of deception, lies and darkness (2 Thes. 2:10-13)?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
The Antichrist.
Barak Osama.
George Bush.
Vladimir, son and heir of V. Ilich.
Our response as servants of the Gospel is to “give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth (aletheia)” (2 Tim. 2:15), and to “stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth (aletheia) buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14). Truth is the “utility belt” to which the soldier of Christ fastens all the rest of his spiritual armor. If we lack truth, none of the other items of our spiritual armor stay with us, they fall off.
Three times the Apostle John warns if our actions don’t match our words, the truth isn’t in us –
"If we claim that we have fellowship with him but keep living in the darkness, we are lying and the truth (aletheia) is not in us. …If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth (aletheia) is not in us. … The person who says, ‘I have come to know him,’ but does not continually keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth (aletheia) is not in that person'” (1 John 1:6, 8; and 2:4).
So the positive side of the coin is to love the truth and live according to the truth – “For I was overjoyed when some brothers arrived and testified about your truthfulness and how you live according to the truth (aletheia). I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living according to the truth (aletheia). … Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can become their helpers in spreading the truth (aletheia)” (3 John 1:3-4 and 8). The Good News we spread, combined with doing diakonia-ministry to the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, is the truth from God lived out in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, His apostles, in the lives of those they discipled, and it must be lived out in our lives!
How does truth relate to light? The Apostle John links truth (aletheia) together with light (fos) in 1 John 1:6 and 8 as we saw in our study of koinonia, and again in ch. 2:8-11 –
"Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true (alethes) in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true (alethinos) light (fos) already shines. He who says he is in the light (fos) and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now. He who loves his brother remains in the light (fos), and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn't know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
Question:
7. How are truth (aletheia) and light (fos) related, according to 1 Jn. 1:6 and 8 and 2:8-11?
It shouldn’t surprise us that truth and light are used synonymously. We have already seen them together in John 3:21 – “But whoever does what is true (aletheia) comes to the light (fos), so that all may see that his actions have been done in God.” In both of these passages, St. John tells us that truth and light describe what we do, not merely what we know. The Apostle Paul also emphasizes the idea that our “walk” must match our “talk,” as we see in our central passage, Eph. 4: 1 and 17-18 –
"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called… This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts."
Question:
8. How is the concept of darkness used in Eph. 4:1, 17-18?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
He who does not walk in the truth (aletheia) that is worthy of the Gospel, will be in darkness.
Our behavior has no significance, only our faith in the truth (aletheia) of the Gospel; therefore we can sleep restfully all day, then get up and live in the darkness.
If our eyes haven't grown accustomed to the light (fos), it is better to sleep all day, then get up at night and live in the darkness.
In contrast to walking in darkness, we are to put on the new man and relate to one another in truth, as we have already seen in Eph. 4:25. Then St. Paul continues to describe how Christians ought to behave or “walk,” and in Eph. 5:2 he writes – “Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you.” And in Eph. 5:8-9 we find – “For you were once darkness, but are now light (fos) in the Lord. Walk as children of light (fos), for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (aletheia).” Thus Paul develops the concept of light (fos) in the context of ministry (diakonia). Next, Paul describes in Eph. 5:11-15 the specific actions we should take when we encounter darkness and evil:
"Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light (fos), for everything that reveals is light (fos). Therefore he says, 'Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.
This is one of those difficult passages, not because it is hard to understand, but because it is difficult to obey! In our modern live-and-let-live culture, we are taught to think that we should simply ignore other people’s immoral and even criminal behavior. If a neighbor or coworker is continually breaking the law and refuses to change his actions when we mention it to him, these verses teach us that we ought to reprove, i.e. expose them to the light. Unconditional love for our neighbor means that we accept the sinner as a human being Christ died for, but we do not accept his sins. Instead, we try to help him overcome them by the grace of God, who accepted me just as I am, but does not expect me to remain just as I am.
One former worker, a Christian I recruited for a responsible position, when I would try to counsel him about his problems of behavior, would say to me – “God accepts me just as I am, so you must accept me just as I am too!” He would come to work an hour or two late, then sit at his desk drinking tea and eating cookies all day. Try as I might, I could not bring him to understand that God expected him as a disciple of Christ to lead a disciplined life, to come to work on time, to accomplish his assigned tasks, and to control his appetite for food. Finally I had to terminate our working relationship, after having invested several thousand dollars in him.
Question:
9. What should we do when those around us do not walk in the light, according to Eph. 5:8-9 and 11-15, keep quiet or reprove them? Explain.
Another former coworker often bragged to me how he had received so many traffic tickets for speeding and drunk driving that the police revoked his driving license, but he continued to drive his car! After I talked with him several times about how he was risking the lives of other people by his drunk and reckless driving, he still kept on driving without a license. Finally I felt obligated to report him to the police, who arrested him as he was starting to drive his car.
On a certain consulting assignment I was managing a project for rewriting a software system that processed about one billion dollars per year of insurance claims. As I was finishing the project (it balanced to the penny), I was made aware that the insurance company where I was consulting was falsely coding government health insurance claims for abortions as “miscellaneous procedures.” This meant that I was in effect sharing a common purse with murder, as well as helping that company violate U.S. law that prohibited government funding of abortions. When I confronted them, they denied falsely coding any claims, so I had to end that consulting assignment and refused to take another assignment with that company when they asked me to return. Afterwards my consulting firm offered me a couple more consulting assignments that they knew would violate my morals: I refused to accept them and therefore resigned from the firm to return to full-time mission work.
Christians have become so intimidated by phrases such as “You can’t legislate morality” and “Don’t force your religion down other people’s throats” that we often hide our faith and our morals. But look at what the Lord Jesus says about this – “You are the light (fos) of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light (fos) shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mat. 5:14-16). If we let our light shine, it will overcome the darkness – “In him was life, and the life was the light (fos) of men. The light (fos) shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it” (John 1:4-5). If, however, we hide our light under a basket due to social pressure, the darkness will overcome the light. Light must be allowed to shine in the darkness! It will then expose the evil works of darkness, as we read in John 3:19-21 –
"This is the judgment, that the light (fos) has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light (fos); for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light (fos), and doesn't come to the light (fos), lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light (fos), that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."
Question:
10. Why are the Bible passages about light and darkness hard to understand?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
Because these passages describe the world and human society as it was 2,000 years ago, but now quite a lot has changed.
Because if we understood them as they are written, we would have to behave differently and risk quite a lot.
Because one must not understand them so literally, they must be interpreted as metaphors.
There exists a struggle between light and darkness, good and evil. We already saw in Eph. 5:14 – “Therefore he says, ‘Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine (fos) on you.’” St. Paul wrote similarly to the church at Thessalonica –
"But you, brothers, aren't in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. You are all children of light (fos), and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thes. 5:4-8).
Here Paul is clearly connecting our being “children of light” to leading our lives in the daytime, not staying up late into the night. Children of light sleep at night, but “those who are drunk are drunk in the night.” Mark writes about Jesus – “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there” (Mk. 1:35). Staying up late at night virtually guarantees that we won’t be able to rise up early to pray. We may feel we ought to rise early to pray, but as we learned in our study of koinonia about walking in the light, if we try to go to bed early when we’re not tired so that we can get up early, it often won’t work. We just lie in bed wide awake because our body clock isn’t set to feel tired. So we don’t get to sleep until past midnight, then we sleep past 8 a.m. … and feel even guiltier! The trick is to reset our body clock by going to bed at the regular time, setting the alarm clock for 6 a.m. and get up then, don’t hit the snooze button. Then we will begin to feel tired earlier the next evening and it will gradually reset our body clock. It will take at least three or four weeks to learn this new habit, so be consistent in getting up when the alarm goes off, and then simply go to bed in the evening when you feel tired. Remember, the starting point should always be getting up early in the morning on schedule. God wants to have fellowship with you, and I’m sure you want to have fellowship with him. This is just a simple technique to help that happen.
In Mat. 17:1-2 we read of Jesus’ transfiguration – “After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light (fos).” Peter, one of those three disciples who witnessed this transfiguration, writes – “seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue; by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2 Pet. 1:3-4). And Paul writes that as we spend time in His presence, we too are transfigured and begin to reflect His glorious light – “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). Choose this glorious light!
Jesus said – “I am the light (fos) of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light (fos) of life” (John 8:12). And we read in John 12:35-36 that He said – “Yet a little while the light (fos) is with you. Walk while you have the light (fos), that darkness doesn't overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn't know where he is going. While you have the light (fos), believe in the light (fos), that you may become children of light (fos).” Every human being is born with a spark of light in him from Jesus, “the true light (fos) that enlightens everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9). This is God’s part. But much also depends on each one of us: will we decide to seek the light – goodness – and become children of light, or will we choose to seek the darkness – evil – and become children of darkness who hate the light? God has done His part, now the choice is ours. Choose light and life!
When Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus in order to seek and destroy followers of the latest false (in his thinking) Messiah, he was struck with a blinding light and a voice – “As he traveled, it happened that he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light (fos) from the sky shone around him. He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' He said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting'” (Acts 9:3-5). Just as we read in John’s Gospel, we see here that Jesus is the light! We might think that in this case God chose Saul, but Saul also chose to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and obey His voice. Later renamed Paul, he reiterates this story in Acts 22 and 26, testifying before religious and secular authorities that Jesus is this dazzling light.
While in exile on the Island of Patmos, the Apostle John received the revelation to the seven churches of Asia, introduced by a vision of the exalted and glorified Christ –
"I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And among the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest" (Rev. 1:12-16).
When I was a new Christian, one morning as I was praying the exalted Christ appeared to me in a vision in dazzling light, just as He appeared to St. John. Christ became so very real to me that I myself faded into insignificance. Later, while studying philosophy in university and beginning to question the existence of God and my Christian faith, I remembered the awesome, overwhelming reality of that vision I had experienced and decided once and for all that I would rather doubt my own existence than to doubt the existence of Christ as God. I sincerely hope and pray that this awesome, glorious light of Jesus will be just as real to you!
Question:
11. Does our daily schedule (the time we get up and the time we go to bed) have any relationship to our spiritual growth? Explain.
Endnotes:
1. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, op. cit.