What IS Truth?

by Robert J. Stewart

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth." -John 18:37,38

There are two kinds of truth:

  1. Counterfeit Truth
     

  2. Genuine Truth

  1. What Is Counterfeit Truth?

    This might sound a bit far fetched, but there is such a thing as "counterfeit truth." Counterfeit truth is truth which has been perverted into a lie, which is NO truth at all. So why do I call it "counterfeit truth?" Because many people RECOGNIZE it as genuine truth. Satan is a master of deceit, knowing just how to present his LIES in the form (or likeness) of the genuine truth.

  1. Homosexuality

    A perfect example of how "genuine truth" gets perverted is concerning the issue of homosexuality. The Homosexual movement desperately tries to justify their sin, claiming that the Bible doesn't condemn actually homosexuality. In fact, there are even professed "Theologians" who endorse homosexuality. They actually encourage it. This is counterfeit truth! Homosexuals take God's Word and pervert It's Truth into lies (Romans 1:25)--lies they invent to justify their sins. Evil people tamper with God's word (genuine truth), attempting to make sin appear acceptable to the masses. Homosexuals are actually trying to lead society to believe that God supports homosexuality. This is counterfeit truth. The lying words of these pseudo-theologians     are despicable and appalling in the eyes of God! 2nd Timothy 4:3, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." The Bible takes a strong stand AGAINST Homosexuality and hides nothing.

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." Leviticus 20:13

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Leviticus 18:22

  1. Feminism

    Another perfect example of counterfeit truth is feminism. Many Feminists believe the lie that God has a feminine side. There is no such teaching in the Word of God. God is continually referred to in the Bible as the "Father," and Christ as the "Son" (both masculine nouns). Yet, the feminists have gone as far as to create a "feminist theology," a counterfeit truth, which horrible perverts the Truth of God's Word. Feminists disregard Colossians 3:18, where God commands all wives to submit to their own husbands. God tells women that they are to submit to their husbands:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Ephesians 5:22

Feminism is counterfeit truth. Feminists twist the Scriptures and pervert God's Word into complete lies! Tragically, because the vast majority of the public doesn't believe the Bible, many woman fall prey to the lies of feminism. People have a foolish tendency to believe what they hear, without further investigation. As a result, many woman wrongly believe that God has a feminine side; thus, teaching damnable goddess worship. Such heresy is held by Wiccan witches, New Agers, and feminist spiritualists. One must remember that we are created in God's image; but, we must NEVER recreate God in our own image. Although John 4:24 clearly declares that God is a Spirit; it is also clear from the Bible that God has revealed Himself to mankind in masculine form, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

  1. Catholicism

    The Catholic religion teaches counterfeit truth! In the official Catholic Catechism (1994), they state:

"One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having carefully examined his conscience." Pg. 374, #1493

In this Catholic teaching, it states that priests have the power to forgive sins! This is counterfeit truth! Jesus Christ is the ONLY One who can forgive anyone's sins; NO ONE else! (Matthew 9:6; 1st Timothy 2:5). Only a sinfully proud man would have the audacity to speak such blasphemies, claiming the power to forgive sin. Catholicism is a prisonhouse of religion. The Catholic Catechism's teaching that priests can forgive people's sin is heresy! Mark 7:6-13 warns us about following the traditions of men instead of the Word of God. Ironically, the Catholic Church claims to believe the Bible; yet, totally ignores the Scripture's warnings against following manmade traditions. Psalm 118:8 states, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

But why do so many Roman Catholics believe men's traditions (counterfeit truth) to be genuine truth? It's because Satan fabricates his counterfeit truth to come as close as possible to the actual truth, the genuine truth. The Devil knows we won't accept a lie if it is too obvious, so he corrupts the truth just enough to deceive us. Jesus shed His own precious blood to pay for our sins! (Hebrews 13:12). I don't see any priest's with scars in their hands, or upon their heads from the crown of thorns! (Matthew 27:9). I don't see any priests with nail-scarred feet, or with whip marks upon their back! Even if they did shed their blood to pay for our sins, they would still not have that power to forgive our sins, because they were born with a sinful nature! (Romans 5:12). Only Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29). All men have sinned (Romans 3:23); but, not Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). Jesus never sinned! No priest can forgive your sin! None of the Apostles are ever forgave sin. The big question is ... why go to a sinful priest for forgiveness, when you can go DIRECTLY to Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:19 states, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." Any person can have direct access to God the Father through the blood of Christ, through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
 

  1. Genuine Truth

This is the truth that most people don't want to hear about, the real truth. They don't want to hear about the simplicity of salvation. They would rather do good works to merit their own salvation; BUT, they can't (Ephesians 2:8,9). They don't want to believe that the Bible condemns homosexuality. They don't want to hear about wives being submissive to their husbands. They don't want to hear about how their sins will keep them from going to Heaven (1st Corinthians 6:9). The genuine truth often makes people very angry (Galatians 4:16). Remember what happened to Jesus when he spoke the truth to the Pharisees? They conspired against Him and had Him crucified on the cross. It was Jesus' own people (Jews) who turned Him over to the Roman government, who brutally beat Him beyond recognition (Isaiah 52:14, "As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men" They placed a crown of thorns upon His head, and drove it in with a large stick! (Matthew 27:29,30). Then they mocked Him (Vs. 31) and spit on Him (Vs. 30) because He spoke the truth (John 8:40).

How about Peter? He was burned upside down on a cross for preaching the truth? Paul was beheaded by Nero. James was killed by Herod in Acts 12, for preaching the truth. In Acts 7, Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the truth. Or that John the Baptist was beheaded for preaching against Herod's adultery with his brother's wife? All these men of God, and so many more, were hated because they preached the truth! They were hated for speaking the genuine Truth of God's Word. John 17:17 declares that God's Word is Truth. U.S. legislators are presently considering passing several anti-hate-speech bills. Most people don't want the truth! They want a "counterfeit" truth that appeals to their sinful nature and selfish desires.

Then there's the Bible-corrupters who keep putting "new" bibles onto the market. There've been over 30 "new" Bible versions in the past 20 years alone. Bible-corrupters don't care about truth, they just want to make more money! They are selling counterfeit truth. They want to make money off naive religious people! So they publish corrupted Bibles left and right that appease the feminists, homosexuals, Christ-rejecters, and etc. Homosexuals have their own Bible now, the New Oxford Annotated Bible. All of the "new" and "better" Bibles are increasingly apostate, diminishing fundamental Biblical doctrines and lessening the sinfulness of sin. These new perverted Bibles are encouraging people to live in sin. Most people do not want the genuine truth! They want a counterfeit truth, that they think is the truth, so they can live in sinful denial. They want to feel good about their sins, while denying the sinfulness of those sins.

The Bible declares that the truth is right in front of our faces (Psalm 19:1; Proverb 1:20; Romans 1:20). Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6). If you want the genuine Truth, then you must DESIRE the truth! Pilate was speaking to the Creator of the universe in John 18:37 and 38, "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth." Yet, Pilate failed to recognize to Whom he was speaking (John 1:10). Pilate was speaking with Jesus Christ Himself, yet failed to believe Christ's Word. How unfortunate! Today, Pilate is burning in the torments of Hell because he rejected the Truth of God's Word. If you want genuine Truth, then you need to obey the Word of God, which I believe has been preserved in the reliable King James Bible. So many people today have believed a lie, how about you?

"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." -John 8:45

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