“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal 4:16).  

The New Testament recounts the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It tells us about the love of God through the sacrifice of Christ. We also find instances where the truth elicited strong and often negative reactions from people of the time.

The Truth has the power to disturb, unsettle, and even anger those who encountered it. The stories in the NT serve as a timeless reminder that the truth, though uncomfortable, has the potential to challenge the status quo, expose hypocrisy, and disrupt ingrained power dynamics.

The reactions to the truth highlight the vehement resistance toward the truth & truth tellers. Knowing this we can be better prepared to proclaim the truth with resilience, confidence, and determination.

5 things the TRUTH does.

In today’s diverse world, where ideologies clash and beliefs vary, the concept of objective truth is often lost on many. A closer examination of scriptures reveals that the truth is both unwavering and, at times, divisive.

Paul warns us that some will turn away from the truth toward their own lusts, (2Timothy 4:3-4). Jesus’ own teaching was difficult for some and they turned away from our Lord, walking no more with Him, (John 6:60-66). We still see this same thing when people fail to understand the truth.

The exclusivity of truth is underscored in passages like John 14:6, Mark 16:15-16, and Acts 4:12. These verses assert that the path to truth is narrow and requires faithful obedience. While the gospel is open to all, (Mark 16:15), it maintains the exclusivity of salvation through faith in Christ, repentance to sin, and water baptism.

Moreover, the unchanging and unalterable nature of truth is emphasized in 1Peter 1:23-25, Psalm 119:160, and 2Timothy 1:13. The very nature of truth requires that it be unchanging. Subjectiveness is confusing, changing, and unstable. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1Cor 14:33; cf Matt 7:24-29).

Yet, the unyielding nature of truth can be troubling to those who choose to believe otherwise. In Matthew 15:10-12 and Galatians 4:16, the Bible addresses the offense caused by the truth, creating tension and discomfort among those who resist its teachings. “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mat 15:14).

Furthermore, truth can be seen as both hostile and divisive. The hostility arises from the clash of conflicting beliefs and is often directed toward truth tellers, (cf. 1Cor 22:21,22). Despite its divisive nature, truth brings joy to believers who embrace it, (Acts 13:48).

The Bible presents truth as a constant, exclusive, and unchanging entity that can be divisive and troubling to those who choose to turn away. While the truth may offend some, it remains a source of joy and happiness for those who embrace it wholeheartedly. The truth shall set you free.

Agape,

Spencer

This article is part 2 of a series titled, God’s Moral Law. click here for part one.

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