The Truth about Truth Part 1: The Truth Question

In my last two posts I have briefly explained how biblical apologetics finds its meaning and mission in rationally defending the truth of Christianity. If this is the case, it is worth taking pause when the historic Christian understanding of truth is brought into question or even outright rejected. Therefore, an accurate understanding of objective truth must be the underlying foundation of philosophy, theology, apologetics, or any other discipline.

This post will be the first part in a three-part series concerning the concept of truth. I will examine the two core components of the question of truth in this first post. In the second post I will summarize the leading truth theories. Lastly, in the third post I will argue for which theory of truth best aligns with a biblical worldview and explain why an accurate understanding of objective truth is essential to all Christians as we equip ourselves to defend our faith in Christ.

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There are at least two core components when discussing the question of truth.[i] First, what is the nature of truth itself? What does it mean for a statement or belief to be factually true as opposed to false? These types of questions address the metaphysical aspects or “being” of truth. Truth claims can be made about monotonous facts (What is today’s date?) or about historical and consequential worldviews (Which of the many religions is true, if any of them?). Second, since contradictory truth claims are ever so present, truth claims need to be rationally tested. Because no epistemology (the study of how we know what we know) can work independently of a theory of truth, a rational theory of truth is required for a coherent and truth-seeking epistemology.

Francis Schaeffer prophetically wrote in 1968 that the problem with communicating Christianity to a new generation was centered on a new view of truth that is detached from objective knowable reality.[ii] The dangers he saw then are even more catastrophic in the overwhelmingly relativistic culture we now find ourselves in. In order to communicate the gospel effectively, we must be able to distinguish between objective truth which aligns with reality and subjective truth which is strictly opinionated.

Today’s understanding of truth, specifically spiritual truth, is widely taken to be a matter of perspective, a mere personal or social construction. The historical view of objective truth has been hijacked with a subjective view of truth that is primarily based on individual emotions and opinions. Truth is no longer concerned with the nature of reality, nor is it subject to intellectual analysis. What follows is a world in which truth becomes irrelevant (a culture of "you do you") and the purpose of education is not about learning truth or mastering facts – rather it is merely to acquire a skill so that one can go out and obtain wealth, power, and fame.[iii]

As Christians, this sort of relativistic attitude toward truth is directly opposed to a biblical worldview. We believe that all truth is God’s truth, and that He has revealed this truth to us through both His Word and in the person of Jesus who claimed, “I am the Truth” (Jn 14:6). Therefore, we must cherish and celebrate the truth as it is a reflection of God himself. We also need to realize our commitment to the truth does not make us intolerant, as tolerance correctly understood entails that one does not agree with that which one tolerates. Christians must be committed to both truth and tolerance by modeling the One who said not only, “I am the Truth,” but also, “Love your enemies” (Matt 5:43-45).

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[i] Groothuis, Douglas. Essay. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, 121-122. S.l.: InterVarsity Press, 2022. [ii] Schaeffer, Francis A. The God Who Is There. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2020. [iii] “In Intellectual Neutral: Reasonable Faith.” Popular Writings | Reasonable Faith. Accessed June 7, 2023. https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/popular-writings/apologetics/in-intellectual-neutral.