In Pontius Pilate’s words, “What is truth?” People have different opinions about “Truth”. But can there be different “Truths”? Or does “Truth” mean a specific thing in the Scriptures? Today, we will look into this simple word used dozens of times in the Bible and try to come to a conclusion into what it really means when it reads “Truth” in our Bibles.
Strong’s Hebrew Concordance –
*H571 – אמת – ’emeth eh’-meth – Contracted from H539; stability; figuratively certainty, truth, trustworthiness: – assured (-ly), establishment, faithful, right, sure, true (-ly, -th), verity.
(used over 125 times in the Old Testament)
Psa 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth*.
Psa 119:151 Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth*.
(Some see God’s “Law” as bondage. The word which is translated as “Law” in English is not a perfect translation. The meaning of the word used here, could be better translated as “Instruction”. (Please read Defining the terms Sin, Law & Grace for more information on this)
The Old Testament showcases God’s Word (Whatever He commanded and whatever was spoken through His Mouth) as the “Truth”.
But is this idea consistent and in agreement with the New Testament? Is this the same truth that Yeshua(Jesus’ true name) also speaks of? Or is He referring to something else, when He says “Truth”?
Strong’s Greek Concordance –
**G225 – ἀλήθεια – alētheia – al-ay’-thi-a – From G227; truth: – true, X truly, truth, verity.
(used over 100 times in the New Testament).
Joh 8:46,47 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth**, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth**.
Yeshua’s Words also agree with what the Psalmist says discussed above. Which means all of what God has spoken or have commanded, which is “God’s Word“, is “Truth“.
In John 14:6, Yeshua proclaimed that He is The Way, The Truth & The Life. Does this disagree with what we have learned so far? Not at all. We know that Yeshua was the Word of God which was made flesh as per John 1:14. What does this mean? He was the embodiment of God’s Word on Earth. The Word which was put into action. Yeshua showed the true meaning of God’s Word by living it. He poured in the Spirit into God’s Commandments. He showed that we needed to keep God’s Word, not as a set of words, but through our hearts. For Example, God’s Word said “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, Yeshua redefined this by saying “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”(Mat 5:27,28). God’s Word written in the Old Testament was revealed for what it truly was, through our Messiah.
Yeshua told Pontius Pilate the reason why He was born into this world in John 18:37, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice”. According to His own Words, we understand that He was born into this world for one purpose. To witness to the Truth. Pontius Pilate was perplexed by this answer. He, like most of us did not know what “Truth” meant, and this caused him to ask Yeshua “What is truth?”.
What is Truth as per Yeshua’s own Words? Truth is “God’s Word”(John 17:17). And the reason He was here was to witness to “God’s Word” which is the “Truth”. This is what He did all throughout His ministry. Teach, Walk, Talk, Eat, Drink & Breathe God’s Word.
In Conclusion, as we have seen that God’s Word is “THE Truth”, If Yeshua was a witness to God’s Word, and we are asked to be witnesses of Christ, aren’t we in fact, witnesses of God’s Word? Shouldn’t we start walking as He walked, in obedience to all of God’s Word? Or do we have the right to pick and choose what we obey? In other words, can we choose to obey only part of the “Truth”? Just a question for us to ponder on, as we all learn more and more about the “Truth”.
Bible things in Bible ways 