All Truth is God's Truth ?
Sounds pretty good, right?
This statement is usually what you will hear from someone who is trying to find the good and nice things from other religions as an attempt to be tolerant and open minded, seeking common ground. After all, claiming to have "the Truth" wouldn't be very nice to those who disagree.
But whether the statement is true or not really depends on how you and I and we all define "truth".
To ponder this statement and apply it, the average person will activate his little mind and scan the millions and billions of claims of "truth" in the world we live in. Those he thinks (or feels) are "true" he will then claim as God's. Either way, whether really true or not, it is all called God's. But accepting the statement "All Truth is God's Truth" as true is very dangerous! Here's why:
First, today in our culture many deny any absolute truth. The popular thinking is that you have your truth and I have mine and what's true for you might not be true for me. So the idea of "All Truth" cannot even be agreed upon.
Secondly, the statement's first part, "All Truth" puts man first and God second, requiring us first to think of: what we say, what we teach, what we believe, what we think, what we've read, what we've heard, and so on. This is a man centered way of viewing truth. In God's eyes it doesn't matter what WE say, what WE teach, what WE believe, what WE think, what WE've read, what WE've heard. It very possibly could all be wrong, incorrect, and even foolish. Unless, what we say, what we teach, what we believe, etc. is from God's Word it has no value. This is where we should start, God's Word. How WE define Truth is irrelevant.
Thirdly, the question ought to be "How does God, and God alone, define Truth?" And how do we find that out? The answer is; from the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, God's Word by the acting of the Holy Spirit.
Lastly, What is "Truth"? Well, to put it simply, Jesus! He said that he is the way, the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Everything he said, taught, fulfilled, accomplished, promised is all truth. That's where we must always start, with Jesus–the TRUTH manifested–as clearly taught through no other source than His holy scriptures–the Word. He is the "WORD" of God become flesh. That is "God's Truth". Anything outside of that is a lie.
Instead of trying to figure out "All Truth" and force it into "God's Truth" like the statement tells us, I think it would be better to say "All God's Truth is True". This puts God first and man out of the picture. That's the way it ought to be!
1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
-KCO
This statement is usually what you will hear from someone who is trying to find the good and nice things from other religions as an attempt to be tolerant and open minded, seeking common ground. After all, claiming to have "the Truth" wouldn't be very nice to those who disagree.
But whether the statement is true or not really depends on how you and I and we all define "truth".
To ponder this statement and apply it, the average person will activate his little mind and scan the millions and billions of claims of "truth" in the world we live in. Those he thinks (or feels) are "true" he will then claim as God's. Either way, whether really true or not, it is all called God's. But accepting the statement "All Truth is God's Truth" as true is very dangerous! Here's why:
First, today in our culture many deny any absolute truth. The popular thinking is that you have your truth and I have mine and what's true for you might not be true for me. So the idea of "All Truth" cannot even be agreed upon.
Secondly, the statement's first part, "All Truth" puts man first and God second, requiring us first to think of: what we say, what we teach, what we believe, what we think, what we've read, what we've heard, and so on. This is a man centered way of viewing truth. In God's eyes it doesn't matter what WE say, what WE teach, what WE believe, what WE think, what WE've read, what WE've heard. It very possibly could all be wrong, incorrect, and even foolish. Unless, what we say, what we teach, what we believe, etc. is from God's Word it has no value. This is where we should start, God's Word. How WE define Truth is irrelevant.
Thirdly, the question ought to be "How does God, and God alone, define Truth?" And how do we find that out? The answer is; from the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, God's Word by the acting of the Holy Spirit.
Lastly, What is "Truth"? Well, to put it simply, Jesus! He said that he is the way, the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Everything he said, taught, fulfilled, accomplished, promised is all truth. That's where we must always start, with Jesus–the TRUTH manifested–as clearly taught through no other source than His holy scriptures–the Word. He is the "WORD" of God become flesh. That is "God's Truth". Anything outside of that is a lie.
Instead of trying to figure out "All Truth" and force it into "God's Truth" like the statement tells us, I think it would be better to say "All God's Truth is True". This puts God first and man out of the picture. That's the way it ought to be!
1 Corinthians 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
-KCO
posted by kennyo at 4:03 PM
4 Comments:
What about saying God is all truth? That places God first, and recognizes Jesus as "the truth" and God as "the logos."
The all is important because saying God is Truth and Truth is Love and Love is a Door. That kind of A = B, B = C, qed A = C logic is fine for math class, but I don't think it always applies to hermenutics.
Surely you are not suggesting that all truth can be found within the bible. All truth is consistant with the bible. The bible is sufficient for salvation , faith, and practice; that does not suggest to me the bible is sufficient for fluid dynamics, or non-euclidian geometry.
How about "God is the source of all truth"?
This is written in a spiritual context. It is in response to ideologies people hold claiming they know the truth. Within that context truth can only be found through the manifested Christ as revealed through scriptures. The scriptures ultimately point to Christ as the head of all things. A person can never know real truth except through the good favor of the Holy Spirit making Jesus Christ know to an individual.
I tell my classes . . .
Maybe all truth is God's truth.
However,
only God's truth is all truth!
Kennyo,
If I read your original post correctly, perhaps what you are suggesting is that the statement, "All truth is God's truth" is not worded properly. How about: "All truth testifies to God"? For whether we're speaking of human biology, human behavior, laws, or justice, everything that is true testifies to God.
I'd like to add that in your original post, you apparently don't mention natural revelation. God reveals himself through His creation as well as through His Word. For instance, the glory and intelligence of God and and the wonderful order of His creation manifest themselves in, for example, many laws of mathematics.
Along with acknowleding God's special revelation, I acknowledge God's natural revelation. The book of Romans testifies that all men are without excuse: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Rom 1:20; KJV). This refers to God's natural revelation. I believe that all truth is God's truth. As to what is "truth", I would say: God's natural revelation plus His special revelation (His Word).
I don't think someone who states, "All truth is God's truth" is necessarily a borrower-from-all-religions, nor do I think such a person is necessarily a relative thinker.
God bless you and thanks for allowing me to post.
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