You have heard the phrase, “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” It is a legal oath requiring witnesses to provide complete, accurate testimony without omitting information (the whole truth) or adding false details (nothing but the truth). Originating in medieval English common law, this phrase ensures (tries to ensure) testimony is reliable and trustworthy.”
Speaking of TRUTH, today, I would like to review what is truth, something referenced by Pontius Pilate in the form of a question.
Thomas, not understanding the comforting words of Jesus, who was about to be betrayed, expressed confusion about where Jesus was going.
Jhn 14:4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."
Jhn 14:5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
Jhn 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
As we look ahead, in just a few days, we will rehearse and remember an irrefutable truth that there is no other way to eternal life, except through Jesus.
He, sharing much truth with His disciples, then turned in prayer to His Father…
Jhn 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Speaking of the OT, at the very least the Pentateuch and the Prophets, Jesus defines all of it as truth. So, as we review, we see that Jesus declares Himself as “the truth”, and then we see also, that He declares the word of God to be “the truth”.
But if the connection between Jesus, the Word of God, and truth did not seem certain enough, we also find Jesus equated with the “Word”, personified.
Rev 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
This had already been emphasized in John’s Gospel…
Jhn 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Even in the flesh, Jesus is fully identified as the Word. – which is TRUTH.
Jesus defines all the qualities of the Son of God and vice versa. Not just Savior. Not just Lord. Not just High Priest. All. Embodied by truth!
So, in the Bible, is there a name that represents the whole truth about Him?
YHWH – HE IS
It’s found in the OT, and the first instance of it is early in Genesis…
Gen 2:4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God (YHWH Elohim) made the earth and the heavens,
Gen 2:5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Gen 2:6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
But none of the saints of Genesis actually knew God as YHWH, even though this designation is revealed to us in the writing. And we can know that by visiting Exodus.
hâyâh (hawyaw) – I AM
Exo 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM (hâyâh) has sent me to you.' "
Exo 3:15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God (YHWH Elohim) of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
If we were to stop with this explanation, we could assume that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did know God by this name, but, then we find the following clarification in chapter 6…
Exo 6:3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty (El Shadday),but by My name LORD (YHWH) I was not known to them.
But, how do we really know that this Jesus IS YHWH?
Jhn 8:57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"
Jhn 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM (ego eimi)."
Jhn 8:59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
When you and I read the word of God, it behooves us to understand that we are seeing the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, remembering that translation error can cause misunderstanding without cross-referencing (thankfully, the Bible will interpret the Bible), and accepting that the reasoning of the human heart can mistakenly or intentionally undermine that truth.
Not only is the Word of God the Truth, but it is fully personified in our Lord Jesus, the Christ (Savior)—the 'I AM' who IS. This is an eternal truth, as these divine qualities have always existed and always will. The words reflect the Person, and his voice reflects the words—the whole truth and nothing but the truth..
This definition is so important to keep in mind, considering most of Christianity has defined much of what they observe and obey, apart from THE TRUTH, instead, post-truth, post-Jesus the man, the I AM,who never changes.
Is what I just said, communicated well enough?
Here are a couple of examples about drawing conclusions apart from the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
If I define God, I must limit myself to the truth of the word, not adding to it the decisions of councils, Popes, or Emperors, who have made decisions outside of the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the word of God.
If I define obedience, I must limit myself to the truth of the word, not adding the traditions of men. Instead, obeying only the written truth! Truly sola scriptura!
Let’s turn to one last scripture for a conclusion to the guidance, remembering that Jesus is the Word,personified, found in the Holy Scriptures, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
2Ti 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
As Paul advises Timothy, so we are advised to be diligent to understand and obey the word of God, personified and exemplified in Jesus, our only Way to salvation.
