The Ancient Word...

In this series, John has shown us that "eternal life," or "age life" (aionios zoe), involves knowing God, seeing God, and being with God -- both in the present and in the future.

"Age life" also involves knowing the truth of God (see John 8:31-32). But, in the words of Pontius Pilate, "What is truth?" (John 18:38, NIV)

In John's Gospel, the word "truth" (aletheia) carries several different shades of meaning. "Truth" can refer to something real or valid -- the opposite of a falsehood or lie (see John 5:31-33; 8:44). "Truth" can also carry connotations of "goodness" or living life in accordance with God's true intentions for His Creation -- the opposite of evil (see John 3:20-21). Accordingly, Jesus declares that God's "word is truth" (John 17:17) and that his teaching will show us the truth (John 8:31-32).

John also uses the term in another sense -- a sense deeply rooted in the Old Testament. For John, the word "truth" also communicates the idea of God's truthfulness -- that is, His trustworthiness, His reliability, His faithfulness to keep His promises.

When John writes about "knowing the truth," he again uses ginosko, the Greek word for experiential knowledge (see Bare Roots 10.3). So "knowing the truth" means experiencing for oneself the "truthfulness" or "faithfulness" of God.

To illustrate: God had promised for centuries to send His Messiah and redeem His Creation. When Jesus arrived on the scene he declared, "I am the Truth" (John 14:6). In effect, Jesus was saying, "Here I am -- the fulfillment of those promises and the very embodiment of God's truthfulness. (Compare John 18:33-37.)

The "Law," or the Old Testament Scriptures, contains those divine promises. Jesus therefore tells the Jewish leaders:

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. (John 5:46)

John explains the relationship between God's promises and Jesus Christ in the opening chapter of his Gospel:

The Law (= God's promises) was given through Moses; grace and truth (= the gracious fulfillment of those promises) came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17; compare 1:14)

When John says that "age life" involves "knowing God's truth," he means that it involves first-hand experience of God's redemptive promises coming true in our lives through Jesus Christ.

Believers have already begun to live that new life. We have already seen the coming of God's Messiah. We have already begun to experience forgiveness of sins, the sanctifying power of God's Spirit, and the community of God's people. We have already begun to experience the truthfulness or faithfulness of God in keeping His promises.

... for Today

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

Growing up, many of us heard that "honesty is the best policy," "liars always get caught," and "truth is important even when it hurts."

That advice remains solid. However, John's idea of "knowing the truth" adds another important factor: We will best live the truth when we've first met the Truth."

Tracey dug a deeper and deeper hole for herself. Each story she spun and each lie that she told demanded more deception. The freedom that she really needed was not just a return to the "facts" but an encounter with the Truth, the One whose promises remain reliable and whose faithfulness holds firm.

Telling the truth will save us much grief. Encountering (knowing) the Truth will transform our lives.

Discuss...

1. In light of what you've just read, how does the Truth set us free?
   
2. When are you most tempted to compromise the truth (and the Truth)? How can we better recognize and resist deception?

Chris Davis, PhD & David Timms, PhD
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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