Jesus said to Pilate, “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice”. Then Pilate asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38) When you look around at all the variety of interpretations on God’s Word, how DO you know which one is the truth? This also brings to mind the folk tale of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887). In the poem, each blind man touched a different part of the elephant (tail, side, trunk, etc.) and believed the whole elephant to be like that one small, anatomical feature. The last stanza states:
“And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!”
The scriptures teach us how to search for the truth. God encourages us to come and “let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18), and to study to show ourselves approved “accurately handling the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). God promises He will reveal His deep truths through the aid of His Holy Spirit, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (I Corinthians 2:7-16). With all these things in mind, how can there still be so many differences?
In II Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul states the “mystery of lawlessness” was already at work in his day, and many were being deceived by false doctrines. He was trying to warn the churches against such deceptions. We know that truth and error exist amongst many Christians today. It is only when we use God’s formula (offering to Him your sincere heart (Proverbs 23:26), receiving sonship and spirit begettal from God, being led by His spirit (Romans 8:14-17)) that He will lead us into all truth. We will be sanctified by it (John 16:13; John 17:17). There must be and is a “thus sayeth the Lord” for every question, and the Bible is harmonious and true, with a consistent plan for all and made plain (Habakkuk 2) for those who are truly searching for it. May we all continue to search Him as He reveals his wonderful character and plans to us.
