“What is truth?” This question uttered by Pilate when he questioned Jesus has always intrigued me because it reveals the troubled heart of Pilate searching for truth while blind to the truth that stood before him in Jesus. In our relativistic world the question “what is truth?” has many answers because what is true for you may not be true for me. The result is that we are left wondering if there is such a thing as objective truth which takes us back to Pilate’s question, “what is truth?”
John 18:37-38 records Pilate’s conversation with Jesus. In the conversation Jesus states, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate responds with the question “what is truth?” which could have changed his life if he had stopped to listen or paid attention to what Jesus had to say. Instead, he seems to pose the philosophical question and assume that there was no answer. He missed out on the truth offered by the very one who came to reveal truth to those who would listen.
We can learn from Pilate’s mistake. There is such a thing as objective truth and God wants us to know the truth. He sent Jesus to speak truth to a world blinded by lies. God has revealed truth through his Word. One of the tasks of Bible study is to identify the timeless truths that are meant to shape our lives. Timeless truths are those principles, lessons, values, promises, warnings, etc. that are true regardless of culture, time period or location.
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In some cases, a timeless truth is easy to identify. For example, Paul instructs the Ephesian church to “walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (Eph. 5:2). His instruction to walk in love is true for us just as it was for the Ephesian Christians. How we walk in love might look a bit different but the truth is still the same.
In other cases, identifying a timeless truth might not be as clear. For example, in Deuteronomy 22:8 the people of Israel are instructed to build a parapet (low wall or barrier) on their roof when they build a new house. In Canada, where most of our houses are not flat roofed this command seems irrelevant. But is there a timeless truth at the heart of it? Yes, I think so. To find the timeless truth we have to ask the question, “why was this command given?” What was the concern or purpose of the wall on the roof? A parapet on the flat roof of a house was a protective measure to keep someone from falling off the roof since roofs were used as gathering places or places to sleep. The command was intended to protect others from injury and demonstrate concern and value for life. Seen in that light the timeless truth is much easier to identify. Show concern for the health and safety of people. This could be applied in all kinds of different ways. From safety measures in the workplace to shoveling sidewalks in winter to driving habits.
Timeless truths are based on skilled observation and interpretation of the biblical text. It is easy to jump to conclusions too quickly about how a passage or verse applies to me before considering what the author has said and why he said it. If we approach the scriptures with thoughtful attention to what is said and why it was said we may discover timeless truths that are very relevant to life today. We will find answers to the age-old question “what is truth?”
Here are some questions that you can ask to help you find the timeless truths of scripture:
Does the author state a general principle?
Why was this specific command/instruction given?
Does the broader context reveal a general principle?