Q&A

Q. "What is truth? (John 18:38a)"
There has been a lot of discussion about this around here lately. Can we claim to know the truth? Can we overthink the truth? Can we oversimplify the truth?

Pilate's question to Jesus may have been merely a cynical dismissal of Christ's claims about himself. Or it may have been the honest query of a heart on the horns of a moral dilemma.

Nowadays, the question might be asked as a prelude to a reminder that it is the height of arrogance to claim to know the truth.

A. "I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6a);"
This is Jesus speaking of himself.

"I tell you the truth."
Jesus utters this phrase 78 times in the New Testament (NIV; "verily,verily" in the KJV; "truly, truly" in the ESV). In John's gospel, he frequently uses this phrase when making statements about himself.

If we believe Paul's assertion that all scripture is God's inspired word (2 Timothy 3:16), then we hold the answer to Pilate's question in our hands.

I've gotta say it seems simple to me. Maybe that's because I spent years and years pursuing alternative truths. That's the philosophical equivalent of running down a series of blind alleys. In the dark.

Are you a Christian? What are you going to believe? The biblical signposts seem clear:

"To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (Isaiah 8:20)"