What is Truth?

[bricklayer]

no argument on that one, my point however was not what is and is not truth, but rather that truth is an absolute while our perspective of truth is relative.

I don't disagree with you, unfortunately relative truth is the defacto title of an entire set of untruths.
We have a contingent perspective, what we hold true is not necessarily so.

 

[bricklayer]

I agree that the terms fact and truth are used differently, although there's a lot of overlap. Facts are normally fairly objective, requiring little interpretation. Facts are also truths. But some truths are broader than a fact. They can be broader perspectives on life (or science, or other things).

However I resist the concept of things being true for one person and false for another. Obviously people are different, and approaches may work for one and not for another. So there can be things like "this approach is better for me" which is true for some people and not for others. But that statement has a built-in personal reference "for me." So we're not really dealing with relativity of truth. There may well be things we don't fully understand, so we'll have to live with differences of opinion, or with multiple descriptions, each of which capture some of the truth, but in the end I still believe that propositions are either true or false. The type of truth may, of course, vary quite a lot, from "this object is red" to "God sent his son to redeem us."

A good example of the differences between fact and truth is the "cut and paste".
Ransome notes in movies are often of a cut and patse construct.
Most bible commentary is of the same construct.

 

[Lily_Among_Thorns]

What is Truth, to your mind? What Bible says about it? What another books or authors says about it?

The only Truth is the Word of God. The words of the creator are the only thing that matter. If a book and author does not stay within the vine then there is no truth within them. Regardless of other people's opinions what truly matters is the Word of God. To understand Truth is to understand fully the Word of God.

 

[bricklayer]

The only Truth is the Word of God. The words of the creator are the only thing that matter. If a book and author does not stay within the vine then there is no truth within them. Regardless of other people's opinions what truly matters is the Word of God. To understand Truth is to understand fully the Word of God.

For a thing to be true, it need not be in the bible.
For a thing to be true, it need not be contrary to the Word of God.

 

[Freedom63]

The only Truth is the Word of God. The words of the creator are the only thing that matter. If a book and author does not stay within the vine then there is no truth within them. Regardless of other people's opinions what truly matters is the Word of God. To understand Truth is to understand fully the Word of God.

Of course the "Word of God" is Jesus Christ alone. In this vein I totally agree. The bible also contains much truth since it contains much of God's words in written form...hence we can call it the word (little w).

Jesus of course stated that when He went away He was going to send the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. Regardless of other people's opinions...these were Jesus very words.

 

[razzelflabben]

The only Truth is the Word of God. The words of the creator are the only thing that matter. If a book and author does not stay within the vine then there is no truth within them. Regardless of other people's opinions what truly matters is the Word of God. To understand Truth is to understand fully the Word of God.

what of applying that truth from the Word of God? Wouldn't that also be truth?

 

[Krus]

Is it correct to say as a summary that:
1. Word of God is Truth
2. Truth is absolute, not relative. Our persention is relative
3. Jesus is Truth
4. God is Truth
5. All God is saying is Truth
6. Truth is that which is without questions
7. Spirit is Truth
8. Truth is cause and effect
9. Truth is reality

 

[ActionJ]

Truth is pure fact without the hint of adulteration, misinformation, speculation, false doctrine, or exaggeration. Truth is the way things really are.

 

[bricklayer]

Truth is that which corresponds to its predicate.
Any attempt to explicitly deny that truth is that which corresponds to its predicate implicitly affirms it.
The correspondence of truth is logically undeniable.

 

[razzelflabben]

I agree that the terms fact and truth are used differently, although there's a lot of overlap. Facts are normally fairly objective, requiring little interpretation. Facts are also truths. But some truths are broader than a fact. They can be broader perspectives on life (or science, or other things).

However I resist the concept of things being true for one person and false for another. Obviously people are different, and approaches may work for one and not for another. So there can be things like "this approach is better for me" which is true for some people and not for others. But that statement has a built-in personal reference "for me." So we're not really dealing with relativity of truth. There may well be things we don't fully understand, so we'll have to live with differences of opinion, or with multiple descriptions, each of which capture some of the truth, but in the end I still believe that propositions are either true or false. The type of truth may, of course, vary quite a lot, from "this object is red" to "God sent his son to redeem us."

to that end, I think we could say (correct me if I'm wrong) that truth is the same for everyone, but not everyone recognizes it as truth. One glaring example I can think of, is that Jesus is Lord, scripture says that every knee will bow every tongue confess that He is Lord. Now, the truth of that, is either, yes this is true, or not it is not, but not everyone on earth has recognized that truth yet as truth. Some still proclaim it to be true, while others proclaim it to be false, someone is right, someone is right to call it truth, but who is still a matter of hope...faith...trust

 

[razzelflabben]

I don't disagree with you, unfortunately relative truth is the defacto title of an entire set of untruths.
We have a contingent perspective, what we hold true is not necessarily so.

if I'm following you, I think my previous post stumbled upon a response.

 

[sinning machine]

What is Truth ?[/quote]

John 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth ?

Jesus did not give Pilate an answer, Why ?

Answer: Because in verse 37 Jesus knowing what Pilate was going to ask Him, so He had already given the answer.

John 18:37 ...., that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

The irony of Pilate's question is stood before him was The Truth, he was looking at and listening to The Truth, but was blind and deaf to it, as where the mob.

 

[Manford]

What is Truth, to your mind? What Bible says about it? What another books or authors says about it?

Any fact. I personally don't think it's deep. If it is, it is because it so simple. Its so simple, deep minded philosophers will miss it. It is simply any fact.

 

[bricklayer]

Any fact. I personally don't think it's deep. If it is, it is because it so simple. Its so simple, deep minded philosophers will miss it. It is simply any fact.

Well put. well said. Hear here.

A fact is that which corresponds to its predicate.
Truth is that which corresponds to its predicate.

Any explicit attempt to deny that truth is that which corresponds to its predicate implicitly affirms it.
It is logically undeniable.

 

[Trailltrader]

What is Truth, to your mind? What Bible says about it? What another books or authors says about it?

I have often asked this question: is truth objective or subjective? As a human it is subjective- if you observe something like a basketball game being played from under water verses watching courtside you have two different views of the same thing. However, truth is also scientifically objective- here on planet earth any object that is dropped at sea level will accelerate towards the center of the earth at 32 feet per second per second velocity except as influenced by air and the physical stopping of the earth. You go to Mars and the velocity drops to something like 26 feet per second per second. Mercury drops even farther to something like 8 feet per second per second.

The truth: all mass has gravity. The quantity of mass however determines the energy of the gravity field.

So the truth is usually somewhere in between: Take an Olympic sized swimming pool for the Olympics. Fill it with nuclear reactor grade water- that's the purest water that can exist- 2 parts hydrogen, 1 part oxygen, no minerals at all. Its absolutely pure.

Now drop in one drop of water based ink. So is the water now simply highly diluted ink? If the ink represents truth- is the swimming pool now truth or untruth? ie- a lie?

 

[Girder of Loins]

Objective Truth is God. How we respond to Him is relative.

 

[Manford]

Well put. well said. Hear here.

A fact is that which corresponds to its predicate.
Truth is that which corresponds to its predicate.

Any explicit attempt to deny that truth is that which corresponds to its predicate implicitly affirms it.
It is logically undeniable.

Thank you. well said as well

 

[Emmy]

Dear Krus. When Pontius Pilate asked :" What is truth," Jesus answered :
" I am the TRUTH AND LIFE." we all have our own truths, but only Jesus is
Truth, and truth would never give us wrong advice.
In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus tells us: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Love is very important to God our Heavenly Father. Jesus also told us:
" Ask and ye shall receive," ( Matthew 7: 7-8) then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. Jesus will give us His Love and Joy, and we keep asking God and thanking God, then share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends.
We start treating our neighbour as we would love to be treated: kindly and with friendly words always. God will see our sincere efforts, and God will approve and bless us: we will carry on Loving God with all our beings, and loving and caring for our neighbour.
God is Love, and God wants loving children/sons and daughters. We might stumble and forget sometimes, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring. A Christian`s great weapon is Love, Love will overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us:
JESUS IS THE WAY. The Bible tells us to " Repent," to change from being
selfish, to become loving and caring. I say this with love, Krus.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Rob Callow]

I believe the truth can also be defined as “all we believe we have witnessed and all that logic and reason tell us.”

...or from a personal point of view, all I believe I have witnessed and all that logic and reason tell me. This is why I no longer believe Calvinists and others when they keep preaching every condemned soul will be kept alive constantly writhing in agony in a lake of fire forever.

In the light of the knowledge of Scripture and of the understanding of the Spirit there can be seen very good reasons to believe such teaching is false.

Scripture, the Spirit, logic and reason, all speak the truth and of immortality being dependent upon the knowledge and understanding of the Spirit of truth. How a man reacts to that knowledge and understanding will determine how he spends the rest of eternity.

This is the truth: the God of reason and perfect love will do everything necessary to ensure no part of His creation will ever degenerate into evil again. His nature demands that no free and perfect member of creation as Satan once was, will ever again desire the way of the damned and then allow that desire to grow and bear fruit. But to cause or allow torment beyond what is necessary for the eternal well being of the Spirit of truth would be an offence to the Spirit of truth. To cause or allow any torment for no good reason would do no good and would therefore be an offence to the God of love and to all that is good.

 

[bricklayer]

What is Truth, to your mind? What Bible says about it? What another books or authors says about it?

Truth is that which corresponds to its predicate.
Any explicit attempt to deny that truth is that which corresponds to its predicate
implicitly affirms that it is that which corresponds to its predicate.

The idea that truth is that which corresponds to its predicate is axiomatic; it is logically undeniable.

Truth is one of God's names in the bible. Truth is one of His names because truth is a characteristic attributable to God, and anything attributable to God is attributable to Him without limit. God is an infinite being. Therefore, God's attributes are His names. God doesn't just love; He is Love. Does doesn't only judge; He is Justice. God isn't just truthful; He is Truth.