Throughout the history of mankind many discussions have taken place. Many debates made that people got cross with each other and even made people going to fight against each other.

1st stubborn ideas - or fall of man - cause of troubles

Soon after man was created in the image of God, the possibility to think freely made him doubt certain matters (like God really wanting and giving the best He could). The first female being, the mannin or Isha, Chavah (wife of Adam) Eve, was totally taken by her own ideas, that she would be right. For their rebellion against God all her offspring came under the curse of death.

Thinkers and theologians

God has given all people brain. They can and should use them, but not all people use them in the same way. Some use it to acquire knowledge, others to bluff other.

Several people think they have so much knowledge that they know best what to do. Some want others to listen to them and to follow up what they say. Throughout history, many people thought they had the wisdom in their hands.

We must be aware that there have many people who called themselves theologians who claim to know best the Word of God and know better the truth than the Bible or other people who also claim to read the Bible. Many of those so-called religious people or clergy say they tell the truth and people should listen to them and best not read the Bible, because they cannot understand that book.

Following those human thinkers their word and their truth

There is the biggest problem in the world, man telling he knows the truth better than the Bible would tell the truth.

Many of those who belong to the clergy manage to have people believe they know better than they could learn or understand from reading the Bible. They are prepared to follow their human thinking or human teachings and to believe their human doctrines instead of believing the Biblical doctrines.

People should know better, because the Sovereign Maker of them has, as Source of all wisdom, provided the Truth for them in His Words.

When we look at man's truth and compare it to God's Truth we should not doubt to see what is the most accurate truth.

In God’s word, the Bible, Truth is an eternal absolute, yes, but it’s much more than just statistical, hard facts. Actually, Truth is most often coupled with God’s loving-kindness, His “grace, mercy and peace”.

As God defines it, Truth embodies specific characteristics that are meant to lead “an honest and good heart” to recognize the voice of “the only true God” when he hears it. It causes him to perceive and distinguish “all goodness, righteousness and truth” and to produce godliness in that person who obeys God’s word. So let’s see if we can arrive at a good understanding of what it really means to love Truth and to be “of the Truth,” as Jesus says in John 18:37.

“ So Pilate said to Jesus: “Are you a king, then?” Jesus answered: “You are saying that I am a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world of humankind, so that I should testify about the Truth. Every person who originates from the Truth listens to my voice.”” (Joh 18:37 mhm)

Truth in the Old Testament

Starting with the Old Testament, the main Hebrew word for truth is “emeth”. It means

“firmness, faithfulness and fidelity – in which anyone is consistent, performs promises, sureness, reliability, stability, continuance.”

Kind of like an immovable rock or mountain, spiritually speaking. It’s from the Hebrew word “aman” meaning

“to support, confirm, be faithful, to sustain.”

And so, we can perhaps understand a little better what God is telling us about His divine and perfect character in Exodus 34:5-7:

“5 ADONAI descended in the cloud, stood with him there and pronounced the name of ADONAI. 6 ADONAI passed before him and proclaimed: "YUD-HEH-VAV-HEH!!! {YHWH - Yehowah = Jehovah} Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (Adonai) is God, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth; 7 showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations.” (Ex 34:5-7 CJB)

Lovingkindness and Truth work together, they are not opposites. While man by nature does not truly practice this characteristic, it is God’s purpose to fully form and complete this trait in each one of His children:

“(51:8) Still, you want truth in the inner person; so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart.” (Ps 51:6 CJB)

Truth and wisdom are related in terms of power, and both come from God.

Truth in the New Testament

When Jesus started his public life he came to tell people about God's Truth. He as a sent one from God called others to come to belong to the chosen of God. That way he also called Saul of Tarsus who became God’s slave and Christ’s agent for promoting the faith among God’s chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it.

“ Paul–God's slave and Jesus Christ's apostle according to that conviction of God's Chosen Ones–a true, reverent and heightened relationship with God –” (Tit 1:1 mhm)

When Paul has it about "knowledge of the Truth" he uses the Greek “epignosis” which means the “precise and correct knowledge”. The word for “Truth” is the Greek “aletheia” which means

“what is true in any matter under consideration…also the sincerity of mind which is free from pretence, hypocrisy, falsehood, deceit.”

Binding of the Truth

Being “of the Truth” always implies a personal participation in the faithful, stable teachings of God that lead to moral excellence and godliness.

Jesus asks God to make his disciples special - set apart (holy) or consecrated with the truth; because he is convinced that his heavenly Father Jehovah God His Word is consecrating truth.

“ Sanctify them in the Truth. Your Word is the Truth.” (Joh 17:17 mhm)

Offspring of truth

Moral excellence and godliness are always the expected offspring of truth – see Ephesians 4:17-25; 2 Peter 1:4-11 and 1 John 2:4-6 for relevant scriptures. But no man or woman by nature has truth perfectly formed in them already. As Jesus himself makes clear, man in his natural state is evil and in great need of redemption, to be renewed in mind and heart. Often man detest the truth and those who tell the truth.

“ The world of humankind never hates you, but me it continues to hate because I testify that its works are wicked.” (Joh 7:7 mhm)

We should be aware that lots of people do not bring the full truth and that many love to bring certain ideas in people their head, which are not according to the real truth.

“20 And he continued: “It is what comes out of a person that defiles a person.21 For it is from the inside, from a person's heart that harmful thinking proceeds: sexual immorality, thievery, murder,22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, loose conduct, evil eyes, blasphemy, arrogance, unreasonableness.23 All of these wicked things issue from within and defile a person.” (Mr 7:20-23 mhm)

Transformation by the Truth

Those who really want to know the truth can ask God for it and look for it in His given Word, the Book of books, the Bible, with its True Gospel. They can trust God that He shall provide with the necessary knowledge.

“ So, you, though wicked know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your heavenly Father gives good to those asking?” (Mt 7:11 mhm)

It is God who works in a faithful follower and believer to bring about this divine character based on “faith working through love”.

“ Because in union with Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumsion is of any use, though deep conviction working together with love is.” (Ga 5:6 mhm)

During the process of being transformed from our natural, lustful way of thinking, God is merciful towards His children’s mistakes and sins as He sees us “strive to enter through the narrow door” through faith in His son, Jesus Christ,

“by a new and living way” (Luke 13:24; Hebrews 10:15-25).

God has great compassion on those who are His, and by definition, “His” are those who by faith obey God’s word, His Truth, as Jesus teaches many times:

• “If you continue in my word you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the Truth (Greek “aletheia” – “what is true in any matter under consideration; the sincerity of mind which is free from pretence, hypocrisy, falsehood, deceit”) and the Truth will make you free.” John 8

• “But he who practices the Truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3)

• “But an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.” (John 4)

• “And the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they know (perceive) his voice.” (John 10)

• “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11:28)

In Christadelphia the members do not follow human dogmas but keep to the infallible Word of God, given to us with the Bible. In that Book of books we can find the real Truth. For Christadelphians the Truth of God is more important than the truth of people. As human beings we are creatures of God and have to seek the real truth.

Life full of Bumpy roads

Even, when our life may be bumpy, we are confronted with many half-truths or things which may sound right, but we always should be very careful what we want to choose as a or the truth.

People should know that God is the Truth.

Truth is the spirit and the word and the way of “the only true God”, the incorruptible immortal God of the Bible. We need Jesus to come to that Truth.

“ Jesus said to Thomas: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one can approach the Father, if not through me.” (Joh 14:6 mhm)

“ But, this is the endless Life–that they may continue to know You, the only True God, and the One whom You sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (Joh 17:3 mhm)

“ Sanctify them in the Truth. Your Word is the Truth.” (Joh 17:17 mhm)

Objective of Truth

Truth in God’s children is that which is faithful, morally excellent and spiritually complete, and produces righteousness. And so the forgiveness of sins, “grace and truth” in Jesus Christ, faithfulness, light and godliness all go hand in hand.

In Christadelphia we try to live with and in the truth, meaning we want to do the right thing by one another, both personally and in our surroundings. As loving siblings under we don’t cook up plans to take unfair advantage of others. In this world we may find lots of people who say so and do such, but we prefer to say and do as it is. We do not want to make life more difficult than it is. Perhaps you may find tht we keep our lives simple, but for us it is most important to keep our lives honest.

“16 These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other; in your courts, administer justice that is true and conducive to peace; 17 don’t plot harm against each other; and don’t love perjury; for all these are things I hate,’ says ADONAI.” 18 This word of ADONAI-Tzva’ot came to me: 19 “ADONAI-Tzva’ot says, ‘The fast days of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months are to become times of joy, gladness and cheer for the house of Y’hudah. Therefore, love truth and peace.’” (Zec 8:16-19 CJB)

Intimate understanding of God

And the objective of Truth: to arrive at an intimate understanding of God and the purpose of His calling, and how Jesus Christ’s true disciples can and must participate in that purpose, “and the outcome, eternal life”.

In our present life the majority of people prefer listening to man. In Christadelphia we prefer to listen to the Word of God as presented in the Holy Scriptures. We have found we don’t have to listen to sin and therefore we are not afraid to tell others we have discovered the delight of listening to God. For us there is the knowledge that God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

In our eyes there is only one truth and that is the truth of the Only One True God, with no gods besides Him, and Jesus Christ, whom Jehovah God has sent.

“22 But, now, having been freed from the sin, you have become enslaved to The God with the fruitage of holiness–however, the end an everlasting life. 23 For the payment for sin is death; but, the gracious gift of The God is everlasting life incorporate in Christ Jesus our Master.” (Ro 6:22-23 mhm)

“ But, this is the endless Life–that they may continue to know You, the only True God, and the One whom You sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (Joh 17:3 mhm)

Choosing for human doctrine or truth

What do you prefer?

Do you prefer to stick to the many false teachings so many denominations in Christendom present to their flock? Or do you want to go for the ideas in Christianity, where people prefer to place their trust in the Holy Scriptures?

The Gospel dispensation opens with a dismissal of fear and a promise of salvation. Do you want to belong to the group of people who believe in that salvation?

Are you also to believe the Bible brings words of truth and warning, and as such you also want to be prepared for more difficult days and a big or great tribulation? Do you want to believe for what shall come, believers in God and Christ shall not have to fear?

Choosing for the truth of God

We should fear Jehovah God and go by His Truth.

Are you willing to come to know that the Son of God came, so we could recognise and understand the truth of God. All people all over the world should come to know that this is a precious gift!

Christadelphians believe they are living in the Truth itself, in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to the True God and Real Life. Therefore, Christadelphians warn others to be on guard against all clever facsimiles.

“20 But we know that the Son of The God has come, and he has given to us comprehension so that we know the True One, in His Son Jesus Christ. This true One is the true God and life everlasting. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from the idols.” (1Jo 5:20-21 mhm)