Truth1

What is truth? 

The word truth is hard to define.  According to an English dictionary, truth is something that is true or real.  But there is more to that.  For example, I have a book named “What went wrong?” by Bernard Lewis, which is true.  But few would regard this as an important truth.  You may be familiar with the term relative truth and absolute truth.  These are philosophical terms and are useful to determine scientific truths.  The idea is that at any time we can discover truths.  Truths are often relative.  Through many generations, scientists may gradually approach the absolute truths.  These are largely correct.  As I said before, scientific truths are only a small portion of the truths.  There are much more important truths. 

By the way, those from mainland China may be familiar with the slogan “Practice is the sole criterion to test truth”.  I wonder what truths they have discovered so far.  The only “truth” (relative truth) I can think of is that market economy is better than central planning economy, i.e., Adam Smith is more correct than Karl Marx.  This was known long time ago. 

I think a better definition of truth is that it is true both in this world and in the world to come.  According to the Bible, the world is divided into two periods; this world and the world to come.  (Buddhists claim that the world goes in cycles; but there are no scientific evidences to support it.)  

Book of Truth

The Bible is the book of Truth.  I have not seen any other book that is even remotely closer to it.  John 14: ⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  There is one sentence in the intro of http://www.gcciusa.org/b5/eBooks/Truth/truthIndex.html I like very much.  “Eastern thinkers are looking for the way; western philosophers are looking for truth; Jews are looking for everlasting life.”  In fact, all human beings are looking for the three, although for different peoples there may be different emphasis.  The Bible is the book of way, the book of truth, and the book of life.  The Bible is the book about God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

What about scientific truth? 

Some may wonder why the Bible does not have much about scientific truths.  The Bible does have some chapters dealing with scientific truths.  For example, Job 38-41.  By the way, it is interesting to read Job since it poses some very difficult questions.  Although many generations have passed, today’s sciences can only answer few, if any, the questions God asked Job. 

Another reason is what good is a book of scientific truths to a person?  Even some simple scientific truths will take many years for some well-educated person to understand them.  And what good are to him/her?  Does that ensure his/her entrance to heaven?  Suppose there is a person who is illiterate.  Does God not allow him/her to know Him?  That would be unfair since all talents ultimately come from God. 

Is knowledge good or bad? 

It is natural to discuss knowledge when talking about truths.  Proverbs 1:⁷ “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

There are two kinds of knowledge.  One may be puzzled when reading the original sin (Gen. Chapter 3), especially for a scientist like me.  It may seem incredible that God punished Adam for eating fruits from the tree of knowledge.  This contradicts to popular beliefs that knowledge is man’s strength. 

There are different types of knowledge.  In I.Cor.8, Paul said: “¹Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” It seems that knowledge is bad.  But in Colossians 1:10, Paul said “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”  So knowledge is not necessarily good or bad.  It is important to know what type of knowledge and how to use it.