Thinking About Truth

Introduction

The idea of truth is seeming less and less concrete all the time.

You can “speak your truth” or “live your truth” or do any number of things with “your” truth.

The key element here is that truth is defined by each individual and cannot be called into question by others.

This sort of thing can have a far greater influence on us and on our children than we are wont to realize.

I want to press on this idea a little more than we did last week.

Room for Relativism

The Bible frequently gives instructions that are relative (1 Tim. 3:1-7; 2 Cor. 9:6).

It describes people in relative terms (1 Kgs. 16:30-33; 1 Sam. 15:28).

Least and greatest

Our approaches to people are relative (1 Thess. 5:14).

Applications of truth are relative (1 Tim. 2:9).

The Dangers of Relativism

It creates hypocrisy.

Look at all the effort the Pharisees put into coming up with their answer (Matt. 21:23-27).

No one actually believes in relativism fully.

There are no relativistic philosophers at the bank.

It is rebellion against authority (Matt. 21:23-27).

It is pride cloaked in humility (Judges 21:25).

This doesn’t mean telling the truth is always humble.

It only means that denying the truth is never humble.

It cloaks disbelief (2 Cor. 4:2).

“This temper of mind is hostile to precise definitions. Indeed nothing makes a man more unpopular in the controversies of the present day than an insistence upon definition of terms…Men discourse very eloquently today upon such subjects as God, religion, Christianity, atonement, redemption, faith; but are greatly incenses when they are asked to tell in simple language what they mean by these terms.” - J. Gresham Machen

“It is not that part is denied and the rest is affirmed; but all is denied, because all is affirmed merely as useful or symbolic and not as true.”

It is profitable (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

It enslaves people (Jn. 8:32).

Conclusion

Two things need to happen.

We need to be more familiar and honest about the things where we can only speak in relative terms.

We need to be more certain and grounded in the areas where God’s word is certain.