Types of Truth in the Bible

Not all facts and ideas that we believe are provable beyond a shadow of a doubt.

At some point we must simply believe, and have faith that what we are told is true.

e.g., The glass floor in the Sydney Tower Skywalk will hold you up.

Religion and TruthSome truths

in religion are historical, some are moral some are scientific and some are ‘religious’.

Religious Truth

Religion is concerned with human relationships with God

The deeper meaning that God intends to reveal to people through historical events.

Deals with fundamental questions of human existence and destiny

Religious Truth cont…Above all else, the Bible contains religious truths,

particularly for Jews and Christians, but also for Muslims.

The Jewish people and the followers of Jesus interpreted events in their story, or the story of Jesus, long after the events, in the light of what happened in between.

In other words, believers theologised factual and historical truths in order to make meaning of their lives and their changing understanding of their God over time.

Moral Truth A lesson is being taught of what is

right and what is wrong.

It is about how to live in relationship with God and other people. This covenant relationship demands compassion and justice for the poor

Example: “Thou shalt not kill”

Historical Truth

The Bible contains the recorded and oral history of the Hebrew people and the early Christians from 4000yrs ago.

History of the Hebrew people was passed mostly passed orally for generations before it was written and edited.

As great importance was given to memorisation of history and tradition and because texts were carefully copied, there is historical truth within the bible and it is partly a historical document of great value

Scientifc Truth

The scientific understanding of biblical writers was very primitive.

Example: The Bible describes the Earth as flat, the Sun as the center of the universe

We do not look to the Bible for scientific truth.

Factual Truth The Bible does indeed still include what is considered

“factual truth” today as well as in the times in which its texts were written. However, many of what were considered “factual truths” in the Bible then and across history have been shown now not to be the case and no doubt that will continue in the future.

This is not of great concern to scholars or the Church, because (i) the Bible has never claimed or been considered to be a book about “scientific” facts and (ii) today, Bible readers are advised to look, not for factual events, but for the meaning of the narratives in Bible texts.

Examples of Factual Truth in the Bible

There are factual truths about Sacred Scripture and factual truths in Sacred Scripture, though the Bible is not primarily concerned with Factual Truth.

Some factual truths in the Bible: There are many factually true statements about geographical locations

in the Bible- e.g. the existence of cities, mountains, rivers, lakes and the distances between them.

The Bible gives the location of the first and second temples as Jerusalem.

The Bible states that Caesar’s face was on coins used in Palestine at the time of Jesus.

The Bible gives many factual truths about the practices of the Hebrew people - their purity rituals; eating habits; status of various individuals in that society.

The Bible mentions the existence of a number of groups within Judaism in the 1st century CE- e.g. Scribes, Pharisees, Zealots.

What type of truth?

1.Water freezes at 0 celsius

2.God told Noah that the rainbow would be a sign of hope.

3.David replaced Saul as King

5. Jesus teaches us that everyone should be treated equally

6. The Roman empire began to crumble after Jesus’ birth

7. It takes 365 days to complete one circle of the sun

8. Be faithful to your spouse

9. The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…

10. Jesus lived and died a Jew

11. Mary was Jesus’ Mother

Acknowledgement:

“Out of the Desert Book 3” Morrisey, Mudge, Wilson

Pat Lavercombe “Types of Truth in the Bible” powerpoint