What Is Truth and How Can We Know It?
What Is Truth and How Can We Know It?
We live in a world of competing claims, opinions, algorithms, headlines, beliefs, and personal experiences. Is truth simply whatever seems right to us—or is there something real we can actually know?
“What is truth?” is not a new question.
People were asking it long before social media, cable news, internet debates, and artificial intelligence.
But the question may feel more urgent today.
We are surrounded by information, yet often uncertain whom to trust.
One person says one thing.
Another says the opposite.
Both may sound confident.
Both may have evidence.
Both may accuse the other of spreading misinformation.
Eventually we may begin to wonder:
Is there really such a thing as truth—or does everyone simply have their own?
Christianity begins with the conviction that truth is real, that human beings can genuinely know something about reality, and that ultimate truth is grounded in God.
Pilate Asked Jesus the Same Question
Near the end of Jesus’ earthly life, He stood before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
Jesus said He had come to testify to the truth.
“Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate.
Pilate’s question still sounds modern.
Perhaps even tired.
Almost as though he were saying:
“Everybody claims to have the truth. Who can really know?”
That is still our problem.
Truth Is What Corresponds to Reality
At its simplest, truth describes things as they actually are.
If I say:
“It is raining outside.”
That statement is true if it is actually raining.
It is false if the sky is clear.
My feelings about the weather do not determine whether the statement is true.
My preferences do not determine it.
Reality does.
Truth is not primarily about what I want reality to be. Truth is about what reality actually is.
Personal Experience Is Real—but It Is Not the Same as Creating Reality
We often hear phrases like:
“That’s my truth.”
Sometimes the person simply means:
“This is my experience.”
That can be completely legitimate.
Two people can experience the same event differently.
One person may remember a childhood as secure.
Another sibling may remember it as painful.
Both experiences deserve to be heard.
But personal experience does not mean contradictory claims about objective reality can both be true in the same sense.
Can something be true for me and false for you if we are making opposite claims about the same reality?
Opposite Claims Cannot Both Be True in the Same Way at the Same Time
Suppose one person says:
“Jesus Rose From the Dead.”
This says a particular historical event occurred.
“Jesus Did Not Rise From the Dead.”
This says that same historical event did not occur.
Both claims might be debated.
Both sides might present arguments.
But they cannot both describe the same historical reality correctly.
Tolerance requires respecting people. It does not require pretending contradictory claims are all equally true.
“There Is No Absolute Truth” Creates a Problem for Itself
Some people say:
“There is no absolute truth.”
But notice what kind of statement that is.
Is the statement itself absolutely true?
If it is, then at least one absolute truth exists.
If it is not, then we have no reason to treat it as universally binding.
Saying “all truth is relative” sounds like a universal truth claim about the nature of truth.
Not Every Disagreement Is About Objective Truth
We should distinguish between facts and preferences.
Consider:
“Coffee Tastes Better Than Tea.”
This expresses personal taste. Different answers can coexist.
“Water Freezes at a Certain Temperature.”
This makes a claim about the physical world that can be investigated.
“Abraham Lincoln Was President.”
This is a historical claim supported through documentary evidence.
“Torturing Innocent People for Fun Is Wrong.”
This appears to claim more than personal preference.
Wisdom begins by asking what kind of claim we are evaluating.
Different Questions Require Different Kinds of Evidence
We do not learn everything in the same way.
Science is one important way of gaining knowledge.
But it is not the only one.
Observation: We see and experience things directly.
Reason: We use logic and inference.
Science: We test repeatable patterns in the natural world.
History: We study documents, testimony, archaeology, and evidence of past events.
Testimony: We reasonably depend on what trustworthy people tell us.
Experience: We know our own thoughts, feelings, memories, and awareness directly.
Truth is not limited to whatever can be placed in a laboratory.
Science Is Powerful Because It Seeks Truth About the Natural World
Christianity need not fear honest scientific investigation.
Science depends on the belief that nature is orderly enough to investigate.
It observes.
Measures.
Tests.
Repeats.
Corrects mistakes.
Revises explanations when new evidence appears.
Good science and honest Christian faith should share at least one commitment: we should care about what is actually true.
Science Cannot Answer Every Kind of Question
Science can tell us a great deal about brain activity.
But the scientific method alone cannot tell us whether human life has ultimate purpose.
Science can study how people behave morally.
But a laboratory experiment cannot by itself establish whether justice is objectively good.
Science can study religious practices.
But it cannot simply place the existence of God under a microscope.
Are we asking a scientific question, a historical question, a philosophical question, or a theological one?
We Cannot Search for Truth Without Using Reason
Even the person who rejects reason must give reasons for rejecting it.
Every argument depends on logic.
We assume contradictions matter.
We distinguish good evidence from bad evidence.
We recognize when a conclusion follows from its premises.
Christianity gives an interesting explanation for why reason should correspond to reality.
A rational God created an orderly world and created human beings with minds capable of genuinely knowing something about it.
Being Rational Does Not Mean We Are Neutral
Human beings can reason well.
We can also rationalize what we already want to believe.
We have biases.
Loyalties.
Fears.
Assumptions.
Political preferences.
Religious traditions.
Personal wounds.
Pride.
All of these can affect how we evaluate evidence.
We Naturally Notice What Confirms What We Already Believe
This is often called confirmation bias.
We tend to notice evidence that supports us and explain away evidence that challenges us.
Christians can do this.
Skeptics can do this.
Conservatives can do it.
Progressives can do it.
Religious people can do it.
Nonreligious people can do it.
Am I actually following the evidence—or mainly collecting reasons to protect what I already want to believe?
Feelings Matter, but Feelings Do Not Always Tell Us What Is True
Feelings are real.
They often reveal something important about what is happening inside us.
But feelings can also mislead.
I can feel afraid when there is no actual danger.
I can feel confident and still be wrong.
I can feel unloved while surrounded by people who love me.
I can feel guilty when I have done nothing wrong.
Or feel innocent when I have acted badly.
Tell Us Something About Us
They deserve attention, compassion, and understanding.
Describes What Is Real
Reality is not always identical to how reality feels in the moment.
Experience Can Be Evidence Without Becoming the Final Judge of Everything
Christians sometimes speak about experiencing God.
Prayer.
Conviction.
Peace.
Transformation.
A sense of God’s presence.
Those experiences may matter deeply.
But Christianity does not have to say:
“I felt it, therefore my interpretation must be correct.”
Experiences should be tested against Scripture, reason, character, and truth.
Most of What You Know Was Not Personally Verified by You
You probably believe there is a country called Japan even if you have never been there.
You know your birth date largely because other people and documents told you.
You believe historical figures existed because of testimony and records.
You trust doctors, mechanics, pilots, scientists, teachers, historians, and witnesses every day.
The question is not whether we trust testimony. The question is whether the testimony is credible.
Past Events Cannot Be Repeated, but They Can Still Be Known
We cannot repeat the assassination of Julius Caesar in a laboratory.
We cannot rerun the American Civil War.
We cannot scientifically repeat yesterday morning.
Yet we can know many things about the past.
Historians examine:
Early documents.
Eyewitness testimony.
Multiple independent sources.
Archaeological evidence.
Whether an explanation accounts for the known facts.
Christianity makes historical claims that should be approached in this way.
Christians Should Not Defend Scripture by Refusing to Ask Questions
If the Bible claims to communicate truth, then people should be allowed to examine those claims.
Who wrote these books?
When?
How were they transmitted?
What kind of literature are we reading?
What did the original authors mean?
How does archaeology relate to biblical history?
Are the manuscripts reliable?
Those are not attacks on faith.
If Christianity is true, honest investigation should ultimately help us understand it more clearly, not require us to hide from evidence.
Scripture Praises People Who Checked What They Were Told
“They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Notice that.
They listened.
But they also examined.
Christianity need not demand gullibility.
Religious Claims Should Be Tested Too
A person standing behind a pulpit does not become infallible.
A famous Christian author can be wrong.
A denomination can misunderstand Scripture.
A tradition can accumulate assumptions.
An internet teacher can sound confident and still teach nonsense.
“Test them all; hold on to what is good.”
Christian faith should be humble enough to admit that our understanding of truth is not the same thing as truth itself.
Disagreement Does Not Mean Truth Does Not Exist
Christians disagree about many things.
Baptism.
Predestination.
Church government.
Spiritual gifts.
End-times views.
Communion.
The existence of disagreement does not prove there is no correct answer.
Doctors disagree.
Historians disagree.
Scientists disagree.
Judges disagree.
We do not conclude medicine, history, science, or law therefore contain no truth.
The better question is: Which interpretation best fits the evidence?
Confidence and Humility Are Not Opposites
We can know something without knowing everything.
You know your spouse without knowing every thought they have ever had.
A scientist can know something about gravity without having a final theory of everything.
A Christian can have good reasons for belief while admitting unanswered questions remain.
Humility does not mean saying, “Nobody can know anything.” It means recognizing that our knowledge is real but limited.
We Do Not Need Absolute Psychological Certainty Before We Can Know Something
You may be certain and still wrong.
You may have doubts and still be right.
Certainty describes how strongly we feel about a belief.
Truth describes whether the belief actually matches reality.
How Sure Am I?
This concerns my level of confidence.
Is It Actually So?
This concerns reality, whether I feel certain or not.
Faith Does Not Turn Something False Into Something True
The strength of our faith does not determine whether the object of our faith is trustworthy.
A person can sincerely believe something false.
Sincerity matters, but sincerity alone does not establish truth.
The important question is not merely “Do I have faith?” but “Is the One I am trusting actually worthy of that faith?”
Jesus Did Not Merely Say He Taught Truth
Christianity makes an extraordinary claim.
Jesus did not simply say:
“I know some truths about God.”
He said:
“I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Christianity says ultimate truth is not merely an abstract principle.
It is rooted in the character of God and revealed personally in Jesus Christ.
If Jesus Claims to Be the Truth, His Claims Deserve Investigation
We should ask:
Did Jesus actually live?
What did He really teach?
What did He claim about Himself?
Was He crucified?
Why did His followers become convinced He rose from the dead?
What explanation best accounts for the historical evidence?
Christianity does not ask people simply to admire Jesus.
It asks whether His claims are true.
The Apostle Paul Said Christianity Could Actually Be False
“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
Paul does not say:
“It doesn’t matter whether the resurrection happened as long as Christianity helps you.”
He says if it did not happen, Christian faith collapses.
That means Christianity makes truth claims that are open to investigation.
Being Right Does Not Give Us Permission to Be Cruel
Christians sometimes defend truth in ways that make truth appear harsh.
We can win an argument and lose a person.
We can use doctrine as a weapon.
We can speak correctly without speaking graciously.
“Speaking the truth in love.”
Truth and love should not be enemies. Biblical love seeks what is truly good, and biblical truth should be spoken with humility and grace.
Loving Someone Does Not Mean Agreeing With Everything
Sometimes we imagine that love requires affirmation.
But genuine love sometimes requires telling someone something they do not want to hear.
A doctor may give difficult medical news.
A friend may warn about destructive behavior.
A parent may tell a child no.
Love that ignores reality may eventually become something less than love.
Truth without love can become harsh. Love without truth can become dishonest.
Some Things Seem Wrong Even If a Culture Approves of Them
Human cultures disagree about morality.
But disagreement alone does not prove moral truth is unreal.
Slavery has been accepted by societies.
Genocide has been justified by governments.
Abuse can be normalized within families or institutions.
Yet we believe society itself can be morally wrong.
If society can be wrong, then moral truth must be larger than whatever society currently approves.
Christianity Grounds Truth in the Character of God
Christianity does not picture truth as something God arbitrarily invents.
God is truthful.
Faithful.
Consistent.
His character provides the ultimate foundation for truth and goodness.
“God is not human, that he should lie.”
If reality comes from a truthful God, then truth is not an accidental feature of existence.
Information Is Often Designed to Persuade Before It Is Designed to Inform
Headlines compete for attention.
Algorithms reward engagement.
Anger spreads quickly.
Stories are sometimes framed to confirm the expectations of a particular audience.
Images can be manipulated.
Quotes can be taken out of context.
Statistics can be presented selectively.
Christians should not assume something is true merely because it supports our preferred side.
If we claim to follow the God of truth, then accuracy should matter to us even when the facts are inconvenient.
How Can We Become Better Seekers of Truth?
Ask exactly what claim is being made.
Separate evidence from emotion and rhetoric.
Look for original sources when possible.
Consider evidence that challenges your own position.
Ask whether the source is reliable and accountable.
Distinguish fact, interpretation, and opinion.
Be willing to say, “I don’t know.”
Be willing to change your mind when the evidence requires it.
We Should Ask What the Bible Actually Says, Not Merely What We Want It to Say
Scripture can be quoted out of context.
A verse can be made to sound like it teaches something the author never intended.
Healthy Bible reading asks:
What Comes Before and After?
A verse belongs to a larger argument or story.
What Kind of Writing Is This?
Poetry, history, prophecy, wisdom, and letters communicate differently.
What Was Being Communicated?
We should seek the intended meaning rather than inventing one.
How Does It Fit the Larger Story?
Individual passages should be read within Scripture’s larger witness.
Not Fully Understanding Something Does Not Make It False
Christianity contains mysteries.
The Trinity.
The relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
The incarnation.
The problem of suffering.
Mystery should not be used as an excuse for contradiction.
But neither should the limits of our understanding surprise us if we are finite creatures thinking about an infinite God.
“I do not fully understand this” is different from “this is logically impossible.”
Doubt Can Be Part of the Search for Truth
Doubt is not always the enemy of faith.
Sometimes doubt exposes weak assumptions.
It forces us to examine what we believe.
It can move us from borrowed faith toward considered conviction.
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Jesus did not turn that man away.
Sometimes We Want to Be Right More Than We Want to Know the Truth
There is a difference.
Wanting truth means I am willing to discover that I was mistaken.
Wanting to be right means I may defend my position regardless of evidence.
Truth-seeking therefore requires character.
Honesty.
Patience.
Humility.
Courage.
Do I love truth enough to admit when the truth corrects me?
Christianity’s Most Difficult Truth Is Also Its Most Hopeful
The Gospel tells us something we may not want to hear.
We are not as good as we imagine.
We have sinned.
We have loved created things more than the Creator.
We cannot rescue ourselves simply through moral improvement.
But the Gospel also tells us something better than we dared imagine.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”
The truth about our sin is serious, but the truth about God’s grace in Jesus Christ is greater.
Jesus Said Truth Is Meant to Set Us Free
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Truth can initially feel uncomfortable.
It exposes illusions.
Confronts excuses.
Corrects false beliefs.
But a lie can only comfort us temporarily.
Freedom does not come from convincing ourselves that reality is whatever we want it to be. Freedom comes from learning to live in reality as God has made it.
We Can Know Truth Without Pretending We Know Everything
Truth exists.
Human beings can know real things about reality.
But our knowledge is limited.
We make mistakes.
We have biases.
We need evidence.
We need reason.
We need trustworthy testimony.
We need humility.
And Christianity says we need revelation from the God who knows reality completely.
Examine the evidence.
Use reason carefully.
Recognize your biases.
Listen to trustworthy witnesses.
Read Scripture in context.
Ask hard questions.
Be willing to be corrected.
Keep coming back to Jesus.
Christianity does not ask us to abandon the search for truth. It invites us to pursue truth all the way to the One who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
What If the Truth Is Not Merely Something to Understand—but Someone to Know?
You can spend years debating philosophical ideas about truth.
Those discussions matter.
But Christianity eventually brings us face to face with Jesus.
Who was He?
What did He claim?
Was He trustworthy?
Did He really rise from the dead?
And if He did, what does that mean for you?
Am I willing to follow the truth even if it leads somewhere I did not expect?
Questions Worth Considering
- When I say something is true, what do I mean by “truth”?
- Do I sometimes confuse my personal experience with objective reality?
- What sources do I trust, and why?
- Am I willing to examine evidence that challenges what I already believe?
- Do my feelings ever become the final authority for deciding what is true?
- How can I become more careful about what I read, repeat, and share?
- Have I investigated the historical claims surrounding Jesus and His resurrection?
- If Jesus really is “the truth,” what would that change about my life?
God, help me care more about what is true than about protecting what I already believe. Give me wisdom to recognize falsehood, humility to admit when I am wrong, and courage to follow the truth wherever it leads. Guard me from pride, fear, manipulation, and prejudice. Help me read Your Word carefully and examine the claims of Jesus honestly. If Jesus truly is the way, the truth, and the life, help me know Him, trust Him, and follow Him. Amen.