Almost 2000 years ago, Pontius Pilate asked one of the most well-known questions, and his question, “what is truth?” has echoed throughout history. Since then, many people have attempted to find the truth, but only a few have found it. We live in a postmodern age when no one cares about truth. Many people in today culture reject any claim to a truth that is objective, absolute, or eternal.
I talked to a young man while evangelizing to him, and he believes that there is no absolute truth and that truth could be whatever anyone wants it to be. However, this is the wrong definition of truth.
A Proposed Definition of Truth
To understand truth, first, we must first define truth. According to the Oxford dictionary, the truth is “that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality and is accepted as truth.” Truth is also defined as faithfulness and conformity to fact. Truth corresponds to reality. Truth is real.
In defining what truth is, it is helpful to note what truth is not:
- Truth is not relative:
The postmodern view says that there is no absolute truth that is in accordance with reality. The philosophy of relativism believes that all truth is relative, and there is no such thing as absolute truth. Because there is no absolute truth, there is no authority for determining what is right or wrong. However, to make a statement that there is no absolute truth is illogical. Is the claim, “there is no absolute truth,” absolutely true? If the answer is yes, then that statement is an absolute truth, which proves the existence of truth. Moreover, without absolute truth, the world would be in chaos. If two plus two is not equal four, then the civilization would not function properly, and math would be irrelevant. Fortunately, two plus two is four. Therefore, there is absolute truth, and it can be found and understood.
- Not all truth claims are equally valid
Another popular world view that is illogical is pluralism. Can two claims- the earth is flat, and the earth is round- both can be true at the same time? The earth can’t be flat and round at the same time because these two claims contradict one another. The idea of pluralism fails the test of the law of non-contradiction, which says that that something cannot be both “A” and “non-A” at the same time.
The Truth is a Person
In reality, the truth is not only just a concept, but it is a person. Almost 2000 years ago, the truth became flesh and lived among us. He lived a perfect life, and He was perfectly obedient to God the Father. In John 14:6, He claimed, “I am the truth.” However, the truth was put on trials and judged by other people who were liars. After being arrested, the truth faced a man named Annas, a corrupt priest of the Jews. Annas broke many Jewish laws during the trials, including striking the innocent defendant. Then, the truth faced Caiaphas and the Jewish Sanhedrin. Many false witnesses testified against the truth, and yet no evidence of wrongdoing was found.
In the next day, another trial took place. The truth faced Pontius Pilate, the fifth governor of Roman province Judea. The truth said to Pontius Pilate, “For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose, I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth.” Then Pilate asked, “what is truth?” The question of Pilate has echoed down through history. The truth is that Pilate failed to realize the Man standing in front of him was the origin of all truth. Jesus had stated, “I am the truth” (John chapter 14, verse 6) and came to testify to the truth (John chapter 18, verse 37). Now the truth is a person, and He is Jesus Christ, the Son of living God.
To find the truth in contemporary culture, you have to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation and repent from all of your sins. In John 14:6, Jesus states, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” To find the truth is to come to Jesus, who is the origin of all truth. When you come to Jesus, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).
Dat Nguyen from Vietnam is a student at the Master’s Seminary and a member of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California. My desire is to be a faithful minister of the Word of God. I love playing basketball and American football and watching movies.
Dat Nguyen is a student at the Master’s Seminary and a member of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California. His desire is to be a faithful minister of the Word of God. He loves playing basketball and watching movies.
