Finding Truth: Part 1 - Skimming the Truth

The word of God says that the sum of His words are truth. I have often come across this thought in my daily ponderings. If the sum of His words are truth, then what are the chapters? What are the phrases or sentences? Is it a whole truth, Or can we take it piece by piece? Is there only a small bit inside of the word that is true and the rest builds up to that truth? Or perhaps only a piece is “separated” or “holy”, and the rest… well. No. All of His words are truth. They are all true and truthful. And the sum of (or the completeness of them) is indeed all truth.

For God, perfect is perfect. Right is right and wrong is wrong. But most importantly true is true. God is best described as holy and true. No other two words describe Him so well. Even the angels as are written about them in the book of Revelations know this. They stand around and say: “Holy, holy, holy”. They don’t say: “Wonderful, powerful, lovely”. Tell me, where is holiness? Where is truth? Can they be bought at the local market? Can they be purchased at the local convenience store? No dear reader, truth is found nowhere else but in the arms of God.

Let us look a deeper than where it is found. Let us look at what it is. What is truth? Even as technology changes and our laws change, does the truth change? Is it a relative subject under the influences of change and culture? Is it based upon laws? Upon morals? Perhaps it is based upon our abilities as humans (or inabilities). What is truth? God is truth. God is immutable and He never changes.

It was mid afternoon and the flies droned lazily about the musty old school room. Mr. Richards had taken his usual posture leaning on the table and was discussing modern church theology. Although not asleep, the students’ glazed eyes were indicative of the utter boredom of yet another impassionate lecture about confession and baptismal rites.

Questions within each of the students hearts arose, tried to surface out of their heads, but eventually drowned again within the monologue. The students bodies were prone, but minds were listless, apprehensive, and on the majority, fifteen years old. Although not one year out of seminary, Mr. Richards had attained the heart of a scholar of many years.

Although each of the students were required to take the class we were all from various backgrounds and therefore were not in total agreement with the teachers appraisals of modern Christianity. Time grew long and surprisingly he touched upon a subject that he wanted a response to. What was baptism about? Was it necessary for eternal security? Was it sprinkling? Immersion? Was it important?

After some discussion he declared that the church had all the answers to these types of questions. That church polity was and should be the instructor for this spiritual dilemma. Although fifteen years myself, I had been brought up to believe that no matter what the church said, the Bible was always the final say involving dispute… especially those of a spiritual nature. So I raised my hand.

All eyes were on me. I asked Mr. Richards if he actually knew what the word baptism meant. No response. I asked for a dictionary. No response. After an uncomfortable pause, I got up and proceeded to get a dictionary from the front desk. The verdict for my sincerity? I was sent to the principals office.

Now I do not share this story to speak ill of any parochial Institution of learning, to expose the shortsightedness of any professor or teacher, and I am not bragging on the audacious qualities of my pre-pubescent self. What I am doing is asking why we are more concerned with the opinions of our local church or denomination than we are of our Bible? Should we blindly trust the decisions made by others or try to find the truth of any matter? Should we seek for ultimate truth and drink it whole… or merely skim the surface of it?


Copyright 2003 by pauly hart

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