What is Truth ?

If you are person of truth, is there a place in your life for fiction? Isn't fiction just a complex way to lie? Whatsoever things are true (alethes),...If there be any virtue, or praise, think on these things. [Phil4:8] (to continue this thought in another direction, see also Fiction, Friction, and Factions)

"alethes" (truth) is an interesting Greek word. In the modern world, we normally think of truth as being self-evident, obvious, and easy to find. In contrast, the greek word shows a contrasting worldview. When a Greek word starts with "a-" it is a sign that it is a negation of some other word. (This is not always the case, but a general pattern to which students should pay attention) Another common greek word following this pattern is "amartano", ie: to sin, or to miss the mark. So this Greek word (alethes) for truth is derived from "a-" (not) plus "Lanthano" which means "to be hidden, to be hidden from one, secretly, unawares, without knowing" and is translated as "being hid , being ignorant of , unawares". This ancient Greek view is certainly compatible with the scientific worldview which sees truth as something that must be found or discovered.

There is an observation named the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, developed by the two American linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf on the cusp of the Great Depression in 1929-1930. This hypothesis can be described as elaborating two intertwined principles about language and worldview. The first might be called linguistic determinism, ie: our thought is determined by our language. The second principle, linguistic relativity, is that people who speak different languages perceive and think about the world quite differently. (interesting analogue on the Free Will-Predestination issue)

So if the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is true, then just using a word like "truth" shapes our response to truth in different ways than a phrase like "not-hidden-stuff" (a loose translation of alethes).

In the same way, our experience, and the ideas that we already know, the foundation documents we remember (like the Bible), and the people we come to know, can also shape our response to truth.

This has a deep impact.

For example: remembering the scripture that "the Holy Spirit will lead us to all truth" [Jo 16:13], and that Jesus refers to himself as the "Way, the Truth, and the Life" [Jo 14:6] , means that our conception of truth is changed. It also changes our emotional and psychological worldview. We can know that truth does exist, and that it makes sense to "Seek the Lord while he might be found"[Isa 55:6]. We don't have to believe the futile thoughts that no matter how hard we seek for truth that it isn't there to be found anyway.

Some may argue that combination of the two thoughts from Jesus is that Paraclete will lead us to Jesus, but that we can't expect to be led to truth about other aspects of the world, such as Chemistry, Physics, or Philosophy. This is a shallow form of reasoning, which assumes only those two thoughts have bearing on the issue. Incidentally, this is the heart of creating an intelligent reasoning program, ie: being able to determine which facts and rules have bearing on each other, so that the best conclusions can be determined. The relevant fact I would argue that they miss is that "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." [Jo 1:3] and "For by him all things were created," [Col 1:16]. So if Jesus is the incarnate Creator, and the Holy Spirit leads us to him, and "By their fruits you will know them" [Mt 7:16] therefore a path the Holy Spirit can use to show us the Incarnate Truth is to show us the truth about his creation.

This also means that an inquiring mind, searching for Truth, is a good, and valorous goal. When we have such a mind, and act upon where it is led, we are honoring the Most High, and bringing his kingdom into our lives.

Truth Is.
As for us, we are called to discover, delight, and proclaim it.