True or False 5.23.2024

     Throughout May we have been conducting an extended discussion about the concept of “truth”. Truth is in quotes here because, as the discussion itself has disclosed, there are as many approaches to truth as there are inquirers. Truth can be opaque, ambiguous, and tenuous. 

    Minimally, virtually all of us have some personal definition of truth. It may be religious, scientific, common-sense, or pragmatic. Every time we say things like “Don’t lie to me!” Or “You’re pulling my leg.” We are declaring that we believe that some things are true, some are false, and that a central part of our reasoning process is to tell the difference between the two. 

    These essays have been about developing both a habit and a mindset for determining what is true from what is false. The context of this judgment is global. All truth is God’s truth. The Bible provides a structure for how we will think about everything else. 

    The conversation regarding Nominalism and Realism was a reminder (hopefully a reminder) of how complicated the world really can be. There are many sources of information as well as differing schemas for organizing that information. Broadly speaking all of it can be filed under one of the two headings realism or idealism (nominalism). 

    Last week we discussed the morality of our Media ecosystem primarily through the lenses of disinformation and propaganda. The reminder this time? People manipulate information and choose their words positively or negatively to “get their way.”

    All of that prepares us to make decisions about what we regard as true or false. I hope by now, that you have come to realize that identifying and applying the truth is not as simple as we might think. The world is a complex place.  In preaching and teaching, we try and make things as simple as possible. When we turn to the example of scripture, we find that the simplicity of truth that we crave is not only not possible, but also often neither desirable nor profitable. Consider the Parable of the Good Neighbor (Samaritan)

“Luke 10:25   And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” Luke 10:27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Luke 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”” (Luke 10:25-29 ESV)

 The introduction is straightforward. Jesus is asked a question and gives a direct answer. Here is where “truthfulness” gets a little shimmery. You will notice that verse 25 ends with another straightforward question. The answer is not exactly direct

“Luke 10:30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Luke 10:31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. Luke 10:32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. Luke 10:34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Luke 10:36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” Luke 10:37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”” (Luke 10:30-37 ESV)

Jesus answers a simple, definitional question with a story. Why? Truth may be simple, but the world is complex. Truth may be clear, but the human context is cloudy. Truth may be easy. Humanity is hard. 

    This is why I spent so much time outlining some of the essential, preliminary commitments that allow us to accept the truth of scripture and then responsibly apply it in the world. We turn to the Bible for guidance recognizing that it does not address every conceivable circumstance and that a part of being a responsible believer is integrating the truth of scripture with the rest of God’s “general revelation.”   

    It is hard to live life at the intellectual margins. “Everything is true” and “Nothing is true” are both unworkable approaches to reality. Biblical truth is an organizing principle for how we approach all other truths—and falsehoods. Far too many believers use the phrase “the Bible tells me so!” as a blanket denial of all other forms and sources of truth. This makes learning any topic that the Bible does not expressly discuss somewhat difficult.  Biblical truth is the instrument we use to judge other truths, the lens through which we view all the varieties of information that come before us. Responsible disciples take a broad view of the world because God made it all. Responsible disciples take truth-telling seriously and integrate their understanding of the world with their obedience to Christ. Disciples do not revel in ignorance but seek to deepen both their understanding of God’s world and His Word. In a world filled with lies, our Master needs men and women unafraid of upholding the standards of truth before the world and amid the assembly