Jn. 18:36-38 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate there-fore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, 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. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?”

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

--Such was the case in Isaiah’s day

Isa. 59:14 “Truth is fallen in the street”

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

--Such was the case in Isaiah’s day

--Many then preferred lies to the truth

Isa. 30:8-10 “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord; which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits”

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

--Such was the case in Isaiah’s day

--Many then preferred lies to the truth

--For that reason many didn’t know right from wrong

Isa. 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

--Such was the case in Isaiah’s day

--Many then preferred lies to the truth

--For that reason many didn’t know right from wrong

--Paul warned of same attitude

2 Tim. 4:3, 4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

--Such was the case in Isaiah’s day

--Many then preferred lies to the truth

--For that reason many didn’t know right from wrong

--Paul warned of same attitude

--The same attitude prevails today

“Our society finds truth too strong a medicine to digest undiluted.” ---NBC’s Ted Koppel

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

MODERN ANSWERS TO “WHAT IS TRUTH?”:

--”All truth is relative”

>Grows out of idea man is product of evolution; thus “truth” is ever changing

>Such is self-contradictory

>Even some religions have helped promote this false view

“It makes no difference what one believes in religion, as long as one is sincere”

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

MODERN ANSWERS TO “WHAT IS TRUTH?”:

--”All truth is relative”

--”Whatever one feels or decides is truth”

>This makes truth subjective in nature

>Most apply this only to moral or religious matters

AGE OLD QUESTION

TRUTH OFTEN IS NOT HIGHLY REGARDED

MODERN ANSWERS TO “WHAT IS TRUTH?”:

--”All truth is relative”

--”Whatever one feels or decides is truth”

DICTIONARY: “That which is true; that which conforms to fact or reality; that which is characterized by being in accord with what is, has been, or must be.”

OPPOSITE OF TRUTH: Fiction, fantasy, fable, falsehood

SOURCE OF TRUTH

GOD----Truth

God, Author of Truth, Rules By TruthPs. 31:5 “O Lord God of truth”

Rom. 3:4 “Let God be true, and every man a liar”

Ps. 89:14 “…mercy and truth shall go before thy face”

Tit. 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised”

WHAT IS TRUTH?

SOURCE OF TRUTH

GOD----Truth

God, Author of Truth, Rules By Truth

Satan, Author of Lies, Rules By Lies

Jn. 8:44 “There is no truth in him”

Rev. 12:9 “…Satan, which deceiveth the whole world”

WHAT IS TRUTH?

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

GOD----Truth

WHAT IS TRUTH?

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

Nature

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

Nature

Bible

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

Nature

Bible

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

Jn. 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth”

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

HOW LEARNED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

Nature

Bible

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

HOW LEARNED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

Nature

Bible

ObservationExperimentationInvestigationImplication

Revelation

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

SOURCE OF TRUTH

TYPES OF TRUTH

WHERE REVEALED?

HOW LEARNED?

GOD----Truth

Physical

Moral

Nature

Bible Revelation

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Spiritual

EACH KIND OF TRUTH IS REAL & NECESSARY TO MAN’S WELL-BEING

VIOLATION OF TRUTH BRINGS UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES

REQUIRES EFFORT TO LEARN & APPLY

WITHOUT KNOWING TRUTH, EVERYTHING A MYSTERY

ObservationExperimentationInvestigationImplication

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT (External Standard-Objective)

I Tim. 2:4 (God) “would have all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT

NARROW

Mt. 7:13, 14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in therat; because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Eph. 4:4-6 “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all”

(External Standard-Objective)

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT

NARROW

HARMONIOUS

--Bible does not contradict itself

--Bible does not contradict scientific facts

--Contradictions in religion not caused by the Bible

I Cor. 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion”

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT

NARROW

HARMONIOUS

BENEFICIAL

--Exists for our good

--Physically, improves standard of living

--Spiritually, improves character; makes us free

Jn. 8:32 “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT

NARROW

HARMONIOUS

BENEFICIAL

--Exists for our good

--Physically, improves standard of living

--Spiritually, improves character; makes us free

--Why, then, is there so much evil in world?

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT

NARROW

HARMONIOUS

BENEFICIAL

ABLE TO STAND THE TEST

I Thes. 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUTH

SELF-EXISTENT

NARROW

HARMONIOUS

BENEFICIAL

ABLE TO STAND THE TEST

EVERLASTING

Ps. 100:5 “His truth endureth unto all generations”

Ps. 117:2 “the truth of the Lord endureth forever”

TRUTH MUST BE GIVEN PRIORITY

MUST RECOGNIZE ITS WORTH

Pr. 23:23 “Buy the truth and sell it not”

TRUTH MUST BE GIVEN PRIORITY

MUST RECOGNIZE ITS WORTH

MUST LOVE IT

2 Thes. 2:10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

TRUTH MUST BE GIVEN PRIORITY

MUST RECOGNIZE ITS WORTH

MUST LOVE IT

MUST PUT IT ABOVE FAMILY, FRIENDS, PLEASURE, PREFERENCE, FEELINGS