Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we are looking at what St. Paul says to young pastor Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-8
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
Today we will look at the word "Truth"
Did
you know? The word "Truth" is found 251 times in the Bible; this must
indicate it's importance.
The first time the word "truth" is used, is in Genesis 24:27, and the
last time is mentioned in 3 John 12. • Entry for Strong's #225 - ἀλήθεια
•Transliteration: alḗtheia Phonetics: al-ay'-thi-a
•Parts of Speech: Noun Feminine
•Thayer's Definition objectively
–what is true in any matter under consideration •truly, in truth, according to truth• of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly– what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth• in the greatest latitude •the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention– the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians
•subjectively
–truth as a personal excellence• that candor of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit
•
We hear in John 18: 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
We hear in John 18: 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
•After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
Pilate was ahead of his time..
•
Today
we are constantly told it is "Relative" or "Situational" Ethics and/or Truth?
•
We
normally hear things such as “that’s your truth” or “what’s true for you is
true for you and what’s true for me is true for me”.
•
No
“Objective” Truth just “Subjective” Truth.
What does this relative truth look like? I think about Falling from a building: just because we don't want to believe in gravity does not make gravity real and absolute!
I found this site of Christian Apologists called CARM who
• CARM site: 1. All truth is relative.
• If all truth is relative, then the statement "All truth is relative" would be absolutely true. If it is absolutely true, then not all things are relative and the statement that "All truth is relative" is false.
• 2. There are no absolute truths.
• The statement "There are no absolute truths" is an absolute statement which is supposed to be true. Therefore, it is an absolute truth and "There are no absolute truths" is false.
• If there are no absolute truths, then you cannot believe anything absolutely at all, including that there are no absolute truths. Therefore, nothing could be really true for you - including relativism.
• 3. What is true for you is not true for me.
• If what is true for me is that relativism is false, then is it true that relativism is false?
– If you say no, then what is true for me is not true and relativism is false.
– If you say yes, then relativism is false.
• If you say that it is true only for me that relativism is false, then
– I am believing something other than relativism; namely, that relativism is false. If that is true, then how can relativism be true?
– am I believing a premise that is true or false or neither?
• If it is true for me that relativism is false, then relativism (within me) holds the position that relativism is false. This is self-contradictory.
• If it is false for me that relativism is false, then relativism isn't true because what is true for me is not said to be true for me.
• If you say it is neither true or false, then relativism isn't true since it states that all views are equally valid; and by not being at least true, relativism is shown to be wrong.
• If I believe that relativism is false, and if it is true only for me that it is false, then you must admit that it is absolutely true that I am believing that relativism false.
– If you admit that it is absolutely true that I am believing relativism is false, then relativism is defeated since you admit there is something absolutely true.
• If I am believing in something other than relativism that is true, then there is something other than relativism that is true - even if it is only for me.
– If there is something other than relativism that is true, then relativism is false.
Check CARM.org
• 4. No one can know anything for sure.
• If that is true, then we can know that we cannot know anything for sure, which is self-defeating.
• 5.That is your reality, not mine.
• Is my reality really real?
•
If my reality is different than yours, how can my reality contradict
your reality? If yours and mine are equally real, how can two opposite
realities that exclude each other really exist at the same time?
We hear HIStory 103: 1 Tim 2: 3-4
•
3 This
is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth.
What is the knowledge of truth?
•
5 For
there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as
a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
•
This
was the TRUTH that stood in front of Pilate..
The Old Testament speaks of truth in Psalm
145: 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
John, Peter and Paul testify:
• John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart
•
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the
word of truth.
What is the TRUTH you seek today?
•
John
14: 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
•
We
have to ask if we believe the Bible?
•
If we
believe what Jesus says about HIMSELF or
believe HIM to be as CS Lewis said “either Jesus is who HE says he is “LORD” or
he is a Legend, LIAR and/or a LUNATIC.”
CS Lewis in Mere Christianity:
• "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."
What Does Jesus say about HIStory?
• John 4: 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
John 8 and 15
• 8: 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
• 15: 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16, 17 and 18
• 16:13 When the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not
speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will
declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he
will take what is mine and declare it to you.
• 17:16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
• 18 we stated earlier before Pilate..
So what is Truth? You choose..
• Did Jesus LIE about who HE was and is?
• I hope you will look into more information so that you will do as St. Paul tells young Pastor Timothy in 1 Tim 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
• So why be a covenant people (HIStory 101),
• A Kingdom People (HIStory 102)
or a People of Truth (HIStory 103)?
• Why be a follower of Jesus and worship HIM?
• John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
•
• Why study the Word, Pray, Fellowship, Be Mentored in Discipleship and Serve if the JESUS is not the TRUTH?
•
• Now is the time to answer the question: WHAT IS TRUTH?
• And to trust and pray for Freedom, Salvation (Justification) and Truth (Sanctification)
Love in Christ,
Pastor Bryan
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