DO YOU POSSESS THE TRUTH OR DOES THE TRUTH POSSESS YOU?

From the West Meadow
By Pastor Wesley Higgins

I have a question for you. Do you possess the truth, or does the truth possess you? This is not a trick question, nor is it double talk. This question was posed recently in a lecture given by Dr. Richard Bauckham, Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Scotland.

At its very root lies the degeneration of fellowship and the splitting of churches. The more doctrinally-based a church or group is, the more likely it is to have problems with this question.

Remember the Pharisees? They were one of the leading religious groups in and around Judea in the first century A.D. They claimed to “sit in Moses’ seat” (Matthew 23:2). They believed they possessed the truth. “...They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and ley them on men’s shoulders...they love the best places...and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi...’”– that is, teacher. (Matthew 23:4-7)You know what Jesus called them? “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:13) The Pharisees had some truth, but they thought they possessed it all and could do no wrong. They believed their oral traditions superceded the Law (Matthew 15:1-9).

Simon Peter is another example of someone who held some truth, a very special God- given truth that at one point caused him to believe he had infallible truth. The story can be found in Matthew chapter 16. Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “Blessed are you...for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-17)

But the story doesn’t stop there. Peter apparently thought he was now on par with Jesus, holding special knowledge and understanding all things. Notice that when Jesus started talking about His death, “...Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him...’this shall not happen to You!’” Jesus’ response to Peter? “Get behind Me, Satan!...you are not mindful of the things of God...” (Matthew 16:22-23) Jesus told Peter, in effect, “Just because you have some special revealed knowledge doesn’t mean you have all understanding.”

This brings us back to the opening question: do you possess the truth, or does the truth possess you? When we believe we possess the truth we become exclusive, cutting ourselves off from the fellowship of other believers. We even hamper our own continued growth “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 3:14- 18)

But when the truth possesses us we are open to revelation from God through the scriptures, open to prompting from the Holy Spirit. We allow the Biblical principle of fellowship where “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17).

The truth possessed Peter when it revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. When Peter believed that he possessed the truth, he became bold enough to rebuke Jesus’ revealed truth. It is Jesus who is “the way, the truth and the life”. (John 14:6)

When you hear someone say he or she possesses special truth that you need for salvation–take it with a grain of salt. No one person or religious group or denomination on this earth possesses all the truth. That can only be found in the presence of God.

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