John 18:38, What is truth? 

In this age of moral relativism or situational ethics, it is unpopular to believe in, much less purport, that there is one single truth. Most humans live under the notion that every person can determine their own truth for themselves. The problem with this delusion is that when your truth conflicts with my truth there will inevitably be conflict. Ultimately, there will be a breakdown in law and order leading to anarchy resulting in unending theft, murder and wars. This was the case in primeval and medieval societies like Europe before strong central governments evolved to enforce law and order. The history of British Isles alone before there was a strong king in London was one series of blood baths after another by various raping and pillaging parties.

The reality that a single truth is better than multiple truths is reflected in the laws of a nation. Ostensibly there is supposed to be one set of laws (or one truth that determines what is right and wrong) for all the citizens of that country, state or city. For example, if each person who drove an automobile on the public roads had a different set of rules or truths, mayhem would occur. So at this level, it’s not difficult to see the need for one set of rules or, literally, one truth when it comes to driving a vehicle.

The difference of opinion as to what constitutes truth, however, occurs when we take this discussion to the moral and spiritual level. Truth at this level is less tangible and quantifiable. That’s why there are so many religions and philosophies extant. There seems to be something out there for everyone. It’s like going to an ice cream store with 1,031 flavors; there’s something for everyone. On a moral level, if you don’t like one of the existing flavors of “truth” you simply choose one that suits you, or, better yet, make up your own flavor and call yourself “spiritual.” That’s what new ageism is all about where each person designs their own flavor of spirituality and feels good about it because it suits them. This is, in reality, a self-styled religious system where  each person picks and chooses what they will or will not do. It’s the “have it your own way approach” to life. Or to put it another way, “Do what thou wilt,” which is a mantra of modern day satanists. Or “if out feels good, do it,” which was the hippy mantra of the 1960s. The Bible, the Book of Judges, calls it “every man doing what’s right in his own eyes,” and further tells us in the Book of Proverbs that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end result is death.”

Ultimately, this is the rejection of the one, single divinely revealed Truth of Elohim. It’s the rejection of Torah—the instructions, teachings and precepts of Elohim, and ultimately the rejection of Yeshua the Messiah, the Living Torah-Word of Elohim. In reality, it’s accepting the lie of the serpent in the Garden of Eden at the tree of knowledge when he  told the first humans, in essence, “You really don’t have to obey Elohim. You can pick and choose which of his commands you want to do and then reject the rest.” Well, anyone who knows their history and who has their eyes open to reality around them can see how that approach has worked out from then until now. It hasn’t gone too well for society!

Make no mistake, the rejection of Elohim’s one truth is, in reality, a flat out rebellion against the Creator and a rejection of his truth, which the Bible defines as witchcraft or satanism (1 Sam 15:23).

Man lost Eden’s paradise on earth when he listened to the devil’s lies at the tree of knowledge and rejected Elohim’s divinely revealed truth. The utopian paradise that everyone secretly longs for in their heart will not be regained until everyone accepts Yeshua the Messiah and his rule, when he returns and establishes his kingdom on earth with the Torah as the one truth that everyone must live by. Even then, not everyone will accept Yeshua’s rule and truth. The Book of Revelation tells us that those who don’t will be condemned at the white throne judgment and cast into the lake of fire at the end of the age. Those humans who have accepted the Truth of Elohim will be allowed to eat from the tree of life and will experience the utopian paradise of the New Jerusalem on the new earth in the new heavens.

Peace on earth all starts with an understanding of the definition of truth. So what is truth? Your truth, my truth or the Creators’s Truth as revealed in his Written Word, the Bible?

Pilate asked Messiah Yeshua, the Son of Elohim, a question many inquiring minds have been asking since time immemorial, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). If someone were to ask you this question what would your answer be? 

Since the word truth is found some 300 times in the Scriptures, it would be safe to assume that YHVH, the Author of the Bible, probably has a definite opinion as to the definition of truth. What is your definition of truth? Does your definition square with his? If not, whose definition is right? The Creator’s or yours? Adam and Eve were confronted with this issue in the Garden of Eden at the tree of knowledge. YHVH gave them some basic truth he expected them to obey, and shortly afterwards the serpent came along questioning that truth. Adam and Eve fell for the serpent’s confusing lies and perversion of truth and men have been confused about the definition of truth ever since. 

Even today how many Bible proponents really believe and obey all the truth of the Bible? Don’t most people who read the Bible pick and choose what they want to accept as truth therefrom and reject the rest? Their Bible isn’t the Holy Bible, but the Holey Bible—the Swiss Cheese Version; it contains a lot of holes! For most people, the choices that they make as to what in the Bible they will believe and obey are based not on what their Bible actually says, but on what their teachers, pastors and churches have preconditioned them to think.  They have been taught to accept some biblical truth and reject those truths they don’t think apply to them. 

Christian theologians have contrived many ingenious philosophical polemics (in reality, spiritual circumambulations) to justify their decision to view some biblical truth as irrelevant. These arguments, however, are easily refuted. For example, to the argument that certain truth applied in ancient times to certain people groups (e.g. the children of Israel or the Jews), but not to people in modern times (e.g. the Gentiles), we respond, “The Bible declares in many places and in many ways that YHVH Elohim and his truth never change.” To those who rationalize, for example, that certain truth was for the Jews only and not for the Christians we respond, “All the early New Testament believers and apostolic era writers were Jewish Christians thus invalidating that argument. To the argument that we’re living in a different “spiritual dispensation,” therefore YHVH Elohim’s laws and rules have changed, we respond, “Show us in the Bible where YHVH’s truth changes for different people-groups of different eras.”  To the argument that we follow the God of the New Testament, not the God of the Old Testament, we respond that Yeshua, the God of the New Testament and the God of the Old Testament are the same. To the now codified and institutionalized theological notion that YHVH’s truth has changed or evolved (called systematic theology, which is a form of spiritual evolution) over the millennia and that the validity of the Word of Elohim must be called into question, we respond, “Says who? YHVH or men? Who originated this notion? YHVH or the serpent (Satan the devil) at the tree of knowledge?” You see, sadly, most people, again, have a Swiss cheese or a Holey (not Holy) Bible. Parts are missing from it! 

 So what is the biblical definition of truth? Yeshua declared that he was the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Yeshua said that the word of Elohim is truth (John 17:17). Yeshua is Elohim, the Word of Elohim, and the Word of Elohim that was made flesh (John 1:1, 14). So Yeshua is the Living Word of Elohim or the Living Truth.

But how does Scripture specifically define truth? Psalms 119:142 and 151 says that “thy Torah is truth” and that “all thy commandments are truth.” What is the Torah? The Hebrew word torah literally means “instructions, precepts, teachings and law,” and as used in its scriptural context truth refers to YHVH’s instructions in righteousness or his commandments, which when followed lead man to eternal life and intimacy with our Heavenly Father. Speaking of YHVH’s instructions in righteousness or the Torah, Proverbs 6:23 says, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the Torah is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Why would Bible believers not want to agree with and follow this truth?

Where in Scripture is found the Torah to which Proverbs makes reference with its commandments which the Bible calls truth? It is found in the very part of the Bible that the mainstream church has come to believe was “done away with” and is largely no longer applicable to Christians today—in the first five books of the Bible called the Books of Moses or the law of Moses, which is the Torah. 

The fact that the Bible defines the Torah as truth presents the majority of Christians with a conflict. When confronted with the truth of the Torah, most Christians will respond, “But I can’t do all that stuff, it’s impossible.” The Creator disagrees. In Deuteronomy 30:11–14, YHVH plainly says that obeying his Torah-truth is not impossible or too difficult to do, and Paul curiously and to the chagrin of many Christians, reaffirms this truth in Romans 10:5–13. In Deuteronomy 30:15 YHVH says, 

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love YHVH they Elohim, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and YHVH thy Elohim shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 

Some Christians might respond that the Torah was only for the Jewish people, and is not for us today. To this YHVH’s response is simple. His commandments are valid for 1000 generations (that’s approximately 50,000 years; Deut 7:9). Moreover, his truth endures forever and to all generations (Pss 117:2 and 100:5). So has YHVH ever changed his mind as the mainstream church teaches? Does his truth ever change? Does he have one truth for the Jews and one truth for the Gentiles? To this, YHVH emphatically responds in Malachi 3:6, “For I am YHVH, I change not…” It is man who changes the definition of truth, not Elohim! Some Christians may respond, “But things are different in the New Testament. We’re under a different law now, and in a different spiritual dispensation or era.” To this, we ask you to remember that Yeshua is the truth or word of Elohim made flesh. Did that truth ever change? The answer is no, for Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Yeshua Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

Therefore at this point a question needs to be asked: Is your church the pillar and ground of the Torah-truth of the Bible? Paul, a Torah-commandment keeping apostle and follower of Yeshua said in 1 Timothy 3:15 that it should be. John, the apostle, said in 1 John 2:4, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his [Torah] commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Furthermore, we read in the Book of Revelation that the end times saints will be keeping the Torah-commandments of Elohim and have the gospel message of Yeshua as well (Rev 12:17; 14:12).

This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as the Bible presents it! May YHVH Elohim help us to love him by obeying his truth, and may his Torah become a way of life for us here and now.

If you love Me [Yeshua], keep My [Torah] commandments. (John 14:12)

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Elohim is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. (1 John 2:3–7)