HELLO!
Welcome to our (your!) Bible Study Blog Space!
I've set up this area in the hope that you will have a useful, organized area to express any thoughts, questions, or concerns you may have pertaining to our biweekly Student Center Bible Study. We're on the forefront of a study of Calvinism and feel that, due to the pervasiveness of this doctrine within religious society, it would be advantageous to have a resource such as this for both present and future use.
Now seeing as though I've never been a "blogger" before (haha), some of the layouts of the texts and outlines may be a little shaky, but I'm hoping to learn as I go and get better as the semester progresses, so bear with me!!
Now...
I've entitled this blogspot and subsequent opening entry "Clinging to Truth" and "Through the Lens of Truth", respectively. Notice any common words?
Truth will, naturally, be our common theme and chief motivator throughout this doctrinal study (as it should be every time we open God's Word). But what is Truth exactly? Unfortunately, the definition of the word has become muddied and rather complicated. Just as a for instance…the first sentence in Wikipedia's page on the word truth is:
- "Truth can have a variety of meanings, from the state of being the case, being in accord with a particular fact or reality, being in accord with the body of real things, events, actuality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard. In archaic usage it could be fidelity, constancy or sincerity in action, character, and utterance."
The word Truth has changed and devolved over the years from an absolute defined by God, to close certainty defined by man’s reason, to a possible surety discovered by science, all the way down to what it’s turned into today: A relative opinion based on one’s own personal experiences and viewpoints--subject to change, debate, and even denial.
Something’s wrong with this picture…if we let culture dictate what truth is, it will change with the wind. Truth, by its very nature and definition, needs to be based on something unchanging, something solid… something eternal!
You know, I've always thought truth was supposed to be much simpler than all this...Let’s look at what Christ has to say about truth.
- 5 Thomas said^ to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said^ to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. 7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (John 14:5-7)
- 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. 18 "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:17-19)
We see here with these two verses two definitions of truth given by Christ:
1. God’s Word is truth
2. Christ himself is truth
Now I realize this is a very simple analysis of a very prevalent subject in scripture, but for our purposes this will suffice. Now, with these passages in mind, we can easily come to the definition of truth…
In our “post-modernistic” Society, truth is relative. Everyone has a different perspective--different truths held up by thin air. To question anyone about his/her beliefs is deemed “intolerant.” Well Christ has laid out truth’s eternal definition:
Truth is reality from God’s Perspective.
In our studies, we will hold various doctrines and creeds up to eternal truth: God’s Word. If something doesn’t sync up to his word, it is simply not truth, and should not be regarded as such.
I look forward to growing with you all!!
- Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117)
