The Road To Truth

Acts 17:26-27; Romans 1:18,25; John 8:32

Truth. What is truth, and how do you find it? For most people, these questions take a lifetime to answer. Everyone wants to know what’s true, and they want to be confident and rest in that truth. But then again, everyone has a different opinion on what that process actually looks like. We travel the road to truth. We search. We reach out. But without the right guide, we end up going in circles, while our culture spins the compass. We have to find true north, and in finding it, we can’t let it go. 

Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Isaiah 55:8-9

Truth has to come from somewhere. We understand this much. The hard part is discerning the correct source. As we will see, there are four sources of truth: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. We’re going to start at the end and work our way backwards. We’re going to start with Experience and Reason. What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they compare and contrast with one another? What do these teach us about ultimate truth?

The Sources of Truth: Part 2

Colossians 2:8; Matthew 15:1-3; John 17:17: Isaiah 55:10-11

Truth has to come from somewhere. As we’ve seen, it must come from one of these four sources of truth: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. We’ve seen both Experience and Reason, but what about Tradition and Scripture. What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they compare and contrast with one another? What do these teach me about ultimate truth?

The Primary Source of Truth

2 Timothy 3:16-17

If the four sources of truth are Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience, which one is the primary source? As Christians, it may seem easy to say Scripture, but why is Scripture the primary source of truth? It’s fine to claim that, but what’s the rationale for it? Better yet, if we use Scripture to prove that Scripture is the best source of truth, isn’t that circular reasoning? What’s the balance here, and what’s the relationship between faith and reason?

Navigating in Truth

Ephesians 4:14-15

Knowing where truth comes from is really only step one. Now comes the hard part. How do we live in the light of our truth? How do we navigate the cultural terrain when we know the divide between our belief and theirs? How do we impact the world around us and share truth in a way that our culture will understand?