This character is remembered for many reasons and in particular because of one of the most thought provoking questions ever asked.
Although the event is recorded in Matthew 27:1-2; 11:24; Mark 15:1-5; and Luke 23:1-5; only John 18:38 has the specific words of his inquiry.
What
is
TRUTH?
Many of us have no doubt asked the same question at some point in our lives.
Hebrew word for truth is Emet
Strongs 571 emeth: firmness, faithfulness, truth
Original Word: אֶמֶת
Part of Speech: noun feminine; adverb
Transliteration: emeth
Phonetic Spelling: (eh’-meth)
Greek word for
TRUTH
is: a-lethe-ia – alí̱theia – αλήθεια
Greek Alphabet
Latin word for Truth is
Veritas/Verity/verily as in John 5:24 Verily, verily, (Truly Truly), I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
The question in full context:
36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the TRUTH.
Every one that is of the TRUTH heareth my voice.
38Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
It was not as the Son of God that Jesus/ Yeshua said this, but as the Son of Man.
It would not have been strange to say that as the Son of God He should have been ‘a King;’ of course He was, and much more than ‘a King.’
However even as a seemingly rejected, despised man, standing there before Pontius Pilate, He was ‘a King.’
Pontius Pilate served as the Roman governor of Judea between 26 and 36 CE. Unlike Herod the great, who was also of Jewish descent and made an attempt to honor the Jewish culture, Pilate often provoked and disrespected the people he was appointed to govern.
Known for both corruption and violence, he had a strong interest on maintaining order in Jerusalem. In 36CE, he was recalled to Rome for excessive cruelty.
This makes his desire to free Jesus/Yeshua all the more noteworthy.
Jesus/Yeshua had already declared in John 14:6
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
ANI HU ha DEREKH, ha EMET, ha Chayim –
I am the way and the truth and the life:
no man cometh to the Father, but by me.(John 14:6)
I am the way the truth and the life.
Ani ha’emet vehakhayyim
(אני האמת והחיים)
Torah Scrolls in Jerusalem
Hebrew tradition is filled with the sages’ reflections on the way (derekh) and the truth (emet) and the life (chayim) of the Jew. Each of these special words represents a universe of meaning to one who studies and reveres the Torah of the God of Israel.
In this verse from the Brit Chadasha (New Covenant), Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua the Mashiach, states that these vital words all refer to Him –
He is the beginning (Alef) and ending (Tav) of their true fulfillment and significance.
It is in Jesus/Yeshua Himself that we see the way and the truth and the life of God.
It is in the Jesus/Yeshua that we can find the fulfillment and significance that our hearts truly seek; and
it is in the Jesus/Yeshua that we find our means of drawing near to the heavenly Father.
Jesus/Yeshua states that no man will come to the Father without the means of His hand — implying that it is solely by His sovereign election and grace…
(by means of His own “outstretched hand”) that a soul can be admitted into the very presence of the Father. Thank God for the way and truth and life of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua our Savior!
V’ha-chai-yim v’hamet ha-de-rekh a-no-khi
And the life and the truth the way I (am)
ya-di ‘al bal-ti ha-av el ya-vo lo v’ish
by my hand without the Father to will come no and man
Jesus/Yeshua is the Truth, and He is also TRUTH itself.
This is eternal life and spiritual abundance. Luke 12:15, 14:33
Through the WAY of Yeshua/Jesus which is obedience to the Father; doing (as He did), only what we see the Father doing.
It means walking in the Spirit of all scripture. 2Tim.3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
But not being legalistic, simply focusing on the father.
Truth is the Word of God.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
It is very clear that they are inseparable, Yeshua/Jesus is not only the TRUTH, He is also the WORD made flesh.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Truth is how things really are, not as we often perceive them to be. It is often far from being comfortable, so comfort is no test of TRUTH.
The Word of scripture tell us we see through a glass darkly, it is referring to looking into a mirror and what we see reflected back is always reversed, it’s back to front.
We do not see ourselves as others see us.
Which is why we almost never like photographs of ourselves because that’s not what we see and perceive how we look!
To see through a glass — a mirror — darkly, is to have an obscure, distorted or imperfect vision of reality.
Because of this we are to learn to see ourselves as our Heavenly Father sees us. He sees us so differently from the way we see ourselves and the way others see us.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.” 2 Cor. 5:17
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share with His glory.” Rom. 8:17
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
The expression through a glass darkly, comes from the Apostle Paul’s writings; he explains that we do not now see clearly, but at the end of time, we will do so.
1 Corinthians 13:12 . KJ21. For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known.
What ever we choose to believe
– it will never change TRUTH.
Truth can be relied upon for it is an absolute, its parameters never move . Truth is not based on feelings that ebb and flow like the tide.
There are many things that are true, however, they are not always THE truth. And a half truth is a lie.
Perception alters truth and confusion distorts it.
Truth is the opposite of false.
Truth exists, only lies are invented.
Truth is reality revealed to a spirit attuned with the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh of the living God.
The Believers spiritual protection listed in Ephesians begins with the belt of TRUTH…
It was not a thin belt with which we are familiar today it was very elaborate
and very effective as defensive armor.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Truth will make you free, truth will set you free, truth deliver you from all bondage.
However it is only the truth that you
hear,
receive,
believe
and act upon
that will result in that freedom.
Truth not acted upon will not produce results.
Truth is Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah.
He is the Word/Torah who became flesh and restored the broken fellowship with the Father.
He redeemed us from the curse of the law of sin and death, unto everlasting life for all who will believe and receive His truth.
I AM – Anochi the TRUTH – EMET.
Emet, truth = firmness, stability.
Matthew 1:21 She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua,Yehoshua/Yeshua which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from [a]failing and missing (the mark,) the true end and scope of life, which is God]. (AMPC)
The Torah
and the Prophets
and the Writings
and the New Testament
are the written Word of God.
There are extra Biblical writings some were removed in the early centuries by men of the church of Rome and were collectively called the Apocrypha.
The biblical apocrypha (from the Ancient Greek: ἀπόκρυφος, translit. apókruphos, lit. ‘hidden’) denotes the collection of apocryphal ancient books found in some editions of Christian Bibles.
These apocryphal books were positioned in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments or as an appendix after the New Testament.
(It also contained maps and geneologies). The apocrypha was a part of the KJV for 274 years until being removed in 1885 A.D.
There are also writings by the early church fathers who were getting started and becoming grounded in the teachings and passion of Jesus Christ, early Christian theologians studied Jewish thought, Greek philosophy, and Greek and Latin vocabulary in their endeavor to explain complex Christian theological concepts.
The early church fathers fall into three basic categories:
apostolic fathers,
ante-Nicene church fathers,
and post-Nicene church fathers.
The apostolic church fathers were the ones like Clement of Rome who were contemporaries of the apostles and were probably taught by them, carrying on the tradition and teaching of the apostles themselves.
Linus, mentioned in 2 Tim. 4:21, became the bishop of Rome, and Clement took over from Linus. Both Linus and Clement of Rome, therefore, are considered apostolic fathers. However, there appear to be no writings of Linus that have survived, while many of the writings of Clement of Rome survived.
The apostolic fathers would have largely passed from the scene by the beginning of the second century, except for those few who might have been disciples of John, such as Polycarp. The tradition is that the apostle John died in Ephesus around A.D. 98.
The ante-Nicene fathers were those who came after the apostolic fathers and before the Coincil of Nicea in A.D. 325. Such individuals as Ireaneus, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr are ante-Nicene fathers.
The post-Nicene church fathers are those who came after the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325.
These are such noted men as Augustine, bishop of Hippo, who is often called the father of the [Roman Catholic] Church because of his great work in Church doctrine; Chrysostom, called the “golden-mouthed” for his excellent oratorical skills; and Eusebius, who wrote a history of the church from the birth of Jesus to A.D. 324, one year before the Council of Nicea.
He is included in the post-Nicene era since he did not write his history until after the Council of Nicea was held. Other post-Nicene fathers were Jerome, who translated the Greek New Testament into the Latin Vulgate, and Ambrose, who was largely responsible for Augustine’s conversion to Christianity.
So, what did the early church fathers believe?
The apostolic fathers were very concerned about the proclamation of the gospel being just as the apostles themselves proclaimed it. They were not interested in formulating theological doctrine, for the gospel they had learned from the apostles was quite sufficient for them. The apostolic fathers were as zealous as the apostles themselves in rooting out and exposing any false doctrine that cropped up in the early church. The orthodoxy of the message was preserved by the apostolic fathers’ desire to stay true to the gospel taught to them by the apostles.
The ante-Nicene fathers also tried to stay true to the gospel, but they had an additional worry. Now there were several spurious writings claiming to have the same weight as the established writings of Paul, Peter, and Luke. The reason for these spurious documents was evident. If the body of Christ could be persuaded to receive a false document, then error would creep into the church. So the ante-Nicene fathers spent a lot of their time defending the Christian faith from false doctrine, and this led to the beginnings of the formation of accepted church doctrine.
The post-Nicene fathers carried out the mission of defending the gospel against all kinds of heresies, so more and more the post-Nicene fathers grew interested in methods of defending the gospel and less interested in transmitting the gospel in a true and pure form. Thus, they began to slowly fall away from the orthodoxy that was the hallmark of the apostolic fathers. This was the age of the theologian and endless discussions on secondary topics.
It may surprise us to see that all the denominations can be traced back to the Roman Catholic church.
The early church fathers are an example to us of what it means to follow Christ and defend the truth. None of the early church fathers were perfect, just as none of us are perfect.
Some of the early church fathers held beliefs that most Christians today consider to be incorrect.
What eventually developed into Roman Catholic theology had its roots in the writings of the post-Nicene fathers.
While we can gain knowledge and insight by studying the early church fathers, ultimately our faith MUST be in the Word of God, not in the writings of early Christian leaders.
4th c. papyrus manuscripts discovered in Egypt – written in Coptic – the language of the Egyptian Christian Church.
45 titles including the Gnostic Gospels and writings attributed to Jesus’s followers including: The Gospel of Thomas.
The Gospel of Phillip.
The Gospel of Mary.
The Gospel of Truth.
The Gospel of the Egyptians.
The Apocalypses of Paul, James, and Peter.
It was on a December day in the year of 1945, near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, that the course of Gnostic studies was radically renewed and forever changed.
An Arab peasant, digging around a boulder in search of fertilizer for his fields, happened upon an old, rather large red earthenware jar. Hoping to have found buried treasure, and with due hesitation and apprehension about the jinn, the genie or spirit who might attend such an hoard, he smashed the jar open with his pick.
Inside he discovered no treasure but books: more than a dozen old papyrus books, bound in golden brown leather.
Little did he realize that he had found an extraordinary collection of ancient texts, manuscripts hidden upwards of a millennium and a half before (probably deposited in the jar around the year 390 by monks from the nearby monastery of St. Pachomius) to escape destruction under order of the emerging orthodox Church in its violent expunging of all heterodoxy and heresy.
Only God’s Word is the infallible guide for faith and practice.
For the Jewish People there are also extra biblical writings and literature that are NOT part of Torah and Tanach.
Torah (sometimes called the Five Books of Moses)
Nevi’im (the books of the Prophets)
Ketuvim (or Writings.)
They include the Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalah.
Bible (Tanakh, ta-NAKH) Tanakh –
Hebrew acronym for the 3 sections of the Bible: Torah (5 Books of Moses) + Nevi’im (Prophets) + Ketuvim (Writings)
To the Christian world, the Tanakh is the Old Testament.
Since Judaism recognizes the Christian New Testament as a historical, not religious text, the term Old Testament is not used. Instead it is preferable to use the term, Hebrew Bible.
Mishnah (MĬSH-nuh)
Jewish tradition holds that when God gave Moses the Torah (the Written Law) on Mt. Sinai, he simultaneously provided him all the details of the Oral Law.
The Oral Law explained how the commandments in the Torah were to be carried out.
It is believed that Moses subsequently transmitted that Oral Law to his successor, Joshua, who transmitted it to his successor, in a chain that is still being carried on.
Mishnah (Hebrew for instruction ), c. 200 C.E. is the written form of the Oral Torah created at the end of the second century.
Arranged topically, it was composed of discussions & decisions by rabbis that became the authoritative source of Jewish Law. Gemara (gə-MAR-ə) (also Gemora) (Aramaic for to study ), c CE –
The part of the Talmud that contains rabbinical commentaries and analysis of its predecessor, the Mishnah.
Talmud (TAHL-mud)
The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (c. 200 C.E.), the first written compilation of Judaism’s Oral Law, and the Gemara (c. 500 C.E.). It is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history.
In Jewish life the terms Gemara and Talmud are often used interchangeably.
Midrash (MĬD-räsh)
The word Midrash is based on a Hebrew word meaning interpretation.
Midrash consists of legends and stories, both educational and entertaining, which complement rabbinic theology and allows the rabbis to explain and expand on the Torah.
Prayer Book (Siddur, sĭd-OOR) Most siddurim (plural) contain the prayers, arranged in a specific order, that are used for religious services. These prayers express the beliefs, hopes and yearnings of the Jewish people for a world ruled by justice and compassion.
The Talmud, the primary source for Jewish religious traditions and laws.
The Midrash
At Pentecost- Shavuot, the giving of Torah is remembered.
Rabbinical Judaism believes that 2 Torahs were given to Moses at that time the written Torah and the Oral Torah Torah she’bal peh. (In Kabbalistic traditions there is even a 3rd or hidden torah as revealed in the Zohar.)
The Zohar is a Kabbalistic commentary on the Hebrew Bible.
The Hebrew Scriptures.
The Writings (Kethuvim)
The Law (Torah)
Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy
The Prophets (Nevi’im)
Poetical Books. Psalms. Job. Proverbs.
Five Rolls (Megilloth) Ruth. Song of Songs. Ecclesiastes. Lamentations. Esther.
Historical Books. Daniel. Ezra-Nehemiah. Chronicles.
Former Prophets. Joshua. Judges. Samuel. Kings.
Latter Prophets. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Ezekiel. The Twelve.
.
The Mishnah
Mishnah refers to a collection of decisions and traditional laws embracing all aspects of civil and religious legislation. This code, which several generations of masters called Tannaim worked on, was given its final form by Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi, around the second century CE.
It is divided into six parts (or orders), which are in turn subdivided into tractates, chapters, and paragraphs.
The part is called Seder,
the tractate Masekhet,
the chapter Perek;
the smallest paragraph of the collection bears, like the collection itself, the name Mishnah.
In all, there are 63 Mishnah tractates, which contain a total of 524 chapters.
These are not actual scripture they are commentaries written by men. The orthodox Jews include the Pharisees who put heavy emphasis the added laws and traditions of men.
The other texts which are now more commonly referred to, are the Zohar and the Kabbalah.
These are the mystical texts which have roots in Babylonian alchemical Magic and sorcery and are connected to the ancient schools of esoteric mysticism, which is forbidden knowledge. (Possibly refers to the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Kabbalists strongly rely on the use of numbers within written context, using them to prove and align people, places and things which support their interpretations. The Bible Code is apparently somewhat connected to this.
They have developed a tree of life and herein are the roots of new age movement with such esoteric mystical qualities which have become more and more accepted by the mainstream.
The mystic kabbalah schools are NOT where we will find the TRUTH of Jesus/Yeshua. He is the ETZ – TREE of TRUTH and LIFE.
There may be ‘truth‘ within the knowledge, however, it is not the WAY of Jesus/Yeshua. It is not THE TRUTH of Jesus/Yeshua. It’s not the Truth and life we are to follow. He said Follow ME.
When references are included within posts, they are to show the various concepts and thinking, not to advocate compliance or adherence to those concepts or teachings. The Kabbalistic mystics use the 4th level of Pardes concerning the understanding of Scripture to an extreme degree within the mystical hidden occulted knowledge of spiritual power. This dips into the knowledge imparted by the fallen angels, evil spirits and demonic entities, which the scripture calls Doctrines of Demons.
But even so, the Spirit very clearly tells us that in the last times some will abandon the (TRUTH) true faith because of their devotion to spirits that have been sent to deceive and sabotage, and mistakenly they will end up following the doctrine of demons.
There has been a recent move towards a one world religion and even as we study the Hebrew and Greek/Latin language from the original texts; we are not to think we have to become Jewish, or any specific religious group or denomination.
There is no scripture where Jesus/Yeshua tells us to do that. He said, ‘Follow Me’.
We are believers in Jesus/Yeshua as Messiah and Savior.
MMM focus is on the Bible and on the Hebrew translation, in that, we have missed some understanding through the translation and the meaning of the words in the text.
We have a lack of knowledge concerning Hebrew idioms and the Hebraic thought processes as well as the mindset of a culture which is so opposite to our western way of thinking, which at its roots is primarily Greek.
As believers in Jesus as Messiah Yeshua HaMashiach we are
The closeness of a peace treaty in the middle east, the talk of building a third temple in Jerusalem, should stir us to realize the times in which we are living. The ultra orthodox Jews who want to build this temple are of the same spirit as in Jesus/Yeshuas day.
There is no need for a physical temple, we are the dwelling place of His spirit now. There is no need for anymore daily sacrifices, Yeshua/Jesus was the Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice.
However all these things must come to pass so that the scriptures will be fulfilled. Our place is to pray for their spiritual eyes to be opened and understand that our redemption is close as His return is near.
The
TRUTH
will make you free and will keep you in the WAY of LIFE
Derech HaYeshua/Yahusha – this is a blessing to the Lord for our salvation: Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who gave to us the way of salvation through the Messiah Yahusha/Yeshua.
Jesus/Yeahua is the fulfillment of Torahs inner meaning and message.
Many people think of Judaism as the religion of cold, harsh laws, to be contrasted with Christianity, the religion of love and brotherhood. This is an unfair characterization of both Judaism and Jewish law.
Love and kindness have been a part of Judaism from the very beginning.
Thus, Torah compels us to continual, God based, self-improvement.
It’s the ultimate self-help book.
The core mitzvah of emulating Adonai/The Lord – The Name/Hashem, is “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Indeed, Rabbi Hillel famously taught that this mitzvah is the whole Torah.
Which was in fact Yeshuas’ words
He IS
So we have our answer to the Pontius Question!
Now we have the roots
of
TRUTH
and the
TRUTH
of our roots.
The Truth is that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not human beings having a spiritual one!
Shalom alecheim!
