How do we “interact” with culture (the world)? 1. Don’t be OF the world ISOLATION
How do we “interact” with culture (the world)? 2. Attack the world FIGHT
How do we “interact” with culture (the world)? 3. We are IN the world SIMULATE
How do we “interact” with culture (the world)? 4. IN but not OF LEARN AND FILTER
This week’s message: The Truth Narrative: Truth is relative. Period.
The Narrative : What is Truth? It is so complicated to figure out, so just believe whatever you want and leave me alone.
Understanding The Narrative :
“ “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” � Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Four historical ways we have (and still do!) see Truth
Pre-Modern Thinking TRUTH
Modern Thinking
Rene Descartes - 1596 - 1650 � I think, therefore I am �
“It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, ‘cause Kansas is going bye-bye.”
Post - Modern Thinking
Jacques Derrida - 1930-1994 � There is nothing outside the text � - � It � s words all the way down � Deconstructionism
Michel Foucault - 1926 - 1984 � Power is Knowledge �
Jean-Francois Lyotard- 1924 - 1998 The end of the Meta Narrative
Post � Truth Thinking
Post � Truth Thinking
Post � Truth Thinking
Pre-modern “I call them the way they are”
Pre-modern “I call them the way they are” Modern “I call them the way I see them”
Pre-modern “I call them the way they are” Modern “I call them the way I see them” Postmodern “It ain’t nothing until I call it so”
Pre-modern “I call them the way they are” Modern “I call them the way I see them” Postmodern “It ain’t nothing until I call it so” Post-Truth “Why are you worried about balls and strikes? There’s starving children in the world!”
Filtering the Cultural Dogma of “What is Truth?”
Strengths & Weaknesses of each Worldview
Strengths Pre-Modernity: Truth is MUCH larger than what we can observe, deduce, discuss and feel It does ultimately lie “outside” of us.
Weaknesses Pre-Modernity: If Everything I don’t understand = God, then when I start to understand things, God is significantly diminished.
Strength Modernity: There are huge amounts of truths that we can discover, and the invitation to do so is thrilling!
Weaknesses Modernity: If the scientific model is the way to ultimate truth, why so much disagreement?
Stength Postmodernity: It is unbelievably arrogant to think that anyone of us is “omni-perspectival”. That only belongs to God!
Weaknesses Postmodernity: The statement: “There is no absolute Truth” is by definition an absolute truth.
Strength Post-Truth: Symbolism and Emotion are very important parts of who we are. Scripture is filled with images and emotions that are meant to impact us.
Weaknesses Post-Truth: Symbolism over Substance will lead to The End of Veracity.
What is the Biblical idea of Truth?
This is not a new issue John 18:36-39 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate.
God alone is the source of Absolute Truth Isaiah 65:16 16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.
God alone is the source of Absolute Truth 1 Timothy 3:14-15 14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
“ T HE V ERACITY OF G OD . Scripture uses several words to express the veracity of God… This already points to the fact that it includes several ideas, such as truth, truthfulness, and faithfulness. When God is called the truth, this is to be first of understood in its most comprehensive sense. He is the truth all in a metaphysical sense, that is, in Him the idea of the Godhead is perfectly realized; He is all that He as God should be, and as such is distinguished from all so-called gods, which are called vanity and lies, Ps. 96:5; 97:7; 115:4–8; Isa. 44:9, 10.
“ He is also the truth in an ethical sense, and as such reveals Himself as He really is, so that His revelation is absolutely reliable, Num. 23:19; Rom. 3:4; Heb. 6:18. Finally, He is also the truth in a logical sense, and in virtue of this He knows things as they really are, and has so constituted the mind of man that the latter can know, not merely the appearance, but also the reality, of things. Thus the truth of God is the foundation of all knowledge…
“ In view of the preceding we may define the veracity or truth of God as: that perfection of His Being by virtue of which He fully answers to the idea of the Godhead, is perfectly reliable in His revelation, and sees things as they really are … There is still another aspect of this divine perfection, and one that is always regarded as of the greatest importance. It is generally called His faithfulness , in virtue of which He is ever mindful of His covenant and fulfills all the promises which He has made to His people.
“ This faithfulness of God is of the utmost practical significance to the people of God. It is the ground of their confidence, the foundation of their hope, and the cause of their rejoicing. It saves them from the despair to which their own unfaithfulness might easily lead, gives them courage to carry on in spite of their failures, and fills their hearts with joyful anticipations, even when they are deeply conscious of the fact that they have forfeited all the blessings of God. Num. 23:19; Deut. 7:9; Ps. 89:33; Isa. 49:7; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:17, 18; 10:23. ~ L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 69–70.
In ourselves, we will never have Absolute Knowledge of Absolute Truth. However, we do have some Knowledge of Absolute Truth. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
In ourselves, we will never have Absolute Knowledge of Absolute Truth. However, we do have some Knowledge of Absolute Truth. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Our knowledge (over a lifetime) X Absolute Truth
Evidence (Facts) are not in opposition to Faith John 14:1-11 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Evidence (Facts) are not in opposition to Faith John 14:1-11 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Evidence (Facts) are not in opposition to Faith John 14:1-11 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
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