Bibliology - Authority For Truth
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DEFINITION OF TRUTH What is truth? John 18:37-38
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An exact and faithful expression of the facts Illustration: On the witness stand the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
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The standard by which to judge all else; a final authority
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The real answers to the real questions; those thing that remain Hebrews 2:26-28
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RECEIVING THE TRUTH
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Man is Unfulfilled Without the Truth He is to:
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Serve in truth (1 Samuel 12:24)
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Buy the truth (Proverbs 23:23)
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Seek the truth (Jeremiah 5:1)
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Know the truth (John 8:31-32) NOTE: knowledge of the truth must therefore be possible
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God is the Source of Truth
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God the Father is truth (Psalm 31:5)
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God the Son is truth (John 4:6)
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God the Holy Ghost is truth (John 14:17)
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God has Promised to Reveal the Truth His Truth is:
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To endure to all generations (Psalm 100:5)
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To be known with certainty (Proverbs 22:21)
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Contained in the word of truth (John 17:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:15)
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THE BATTLE FOR TRUTH
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Truth is Often Disregarded by Man
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Truth is fallen in the street (Isaiah 59:14-15)
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Men are not valiant for the truth (Jeremiah 9:3,5)
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There is no truth in the land (Hosea 4:1,6)
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Men turn their ears away from the truth (2 Timothy 4:4)
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Truth is Often Negated by Conflicting Authorities (Romans 1:25; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2)
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The word of God: the only God-given authority (John 8:31-32; John 17:17)
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Tradition: the authority of mans long-time practice (Matthew 15:1-9, esp.verses 3,6,9; Colossians 2:8)
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Philosophy: the authority of mans greatest wisdom (Colossians 2:8; Acts 17:18, with verses 16,22,23)
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Science: the authority of observable facts and repeatable physical laws (1 Timothy 6:20)
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Scholarship: the authority of academic learning and agreed upon knowledge (2Timothy 3:7; Isaiah 29:9-12)
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Pragmatism: the authority of what brings the desired results (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
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Experience: the authority of personal experience (Romans 10:2-3)
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One Authority Must be the Final Authority
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The authority a person accepts when two authorities disagree becomes his supreme authority
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Theistic evolution (Bible versus Science)
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Praying through for salvation (Bible versus Tradition or Experience)
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Concerts and Drama (Bible versus Pragmatism)
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Only an absolute authority can give absolute truth; all other truth is relative and changeable (Psalm 119:128)
