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Pontius Pilate asked our Lord, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Perhaps we will never know whether Pilate was sincere or sarcastic. However, there is no excuse for anyone who has read the New Testament to have any doubt whatsoever that Jesus recognized the existence of absolute, objective, immutable spiritual Truth. Neither is there any doubt about its identity: “Thy word is truth” (17:17).
The prevalent human philosophies have for some time denied the existence of objective truth in any realm (including religion). By their dictum all things are relative (except, we assume, their dictum that all things are relative, of course!). Lovers of Truth are greatly concerned when those claiming to be brethren become infected with such atheistic philosophies and begin spewing their doubts upon trusting brethren from pen and pulpit. The following excerpts from an article by one who probably thinks he is a Gospel preacher provide a case in point. Seldom will one see a greater number of egregious errors in a shorter space:
Truth is resilient…. Truth does not confine. Truth does not call us to violate our hearts. Truth does not crush spirits…. Most of all, truth never holds up a “stop sign” to inquiry…. Truth gives birth to new ideas…. Innovation is the child of truth…. Truth is not to be feared, but enthusiastically embraced, no matter where it carries us….
Is God’s Word “resilient” (i.e., pliable, flexible, alterable, elastic, etc.)? This fellow believes we can make of the Truth whatever we want to, but the Holy Spirit consistently warns us against any alteration (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 John 9–11; Rev. 22:18-19; et al.). Contrary to the liberal’s statement, Truth does confine. We are not Jesus’ disciples if we are not confined by His Word, the Truth (John 8:31–32; cf. 1 Pet. 1:22).
To say that “truth does not call us to violate our hearts” is blatant subjectivism and abject emotionalism (a trademark of Pentecostalism). Truth does sometimes “crush,” as the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, Ananias, Sapphira, Elymas the sorcerer, and a host of others involved in evil and false doctrine could testify. The people on Pentecost were “crushed” by the Truth, causing them to ask what to do to be saved (Acts 2:37).
The aim of these false statements about Truth is to make an opening for “new ideas” and “innovation,” the singular lust of the change agents and the denominationalizers who still want to parade themselves as stalwart saints and Bible scholars. By the view of Truth expressed above we can change, augment, diminish, alter the Word of God at will because it is so “resilient.” This fellow belongs on a state university philosophy faculty rather than in a pulpit, masquerading as a Gospel preacher. (Note: I would have named the above-quoted scribe, but somehow his name has become separated from his comments in my files. If a reader can help me identify him, I will be grateful. I deemed the quote so illustrative of the widespread “mental illness” characterized by relativism, subjectivism, liberalism, and postmodernism as to be worthy of reproduction, even without the name of its author.)
[Note: I wrote this article, and it originally appeared in the July April 2002 issue of The Gospel Journal, a 36-page monthly of which I was editor at the time.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
