Introduction

Authority for truth is the right to determine what the truth is.

1.  WHAT IS TRUTH? (John 18:37-38 [37] Pilate 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. [38] Pilate 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.
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1. An exact and faithful expression of the facts.  ILLUSTRATION: On the witness stand – “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
2. The standard by which to judge all else; a final authority  
3. The real answers to the real questions; those thing that remain (Hebrews 12:26-28 [26] Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. [27] And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. [28] Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
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2. WHY DO WE NEED THE TRUTH?
1. Man is Unfulfilled Without the Truth – He is to:
1. Seek the truth (Jeremiah 5:1Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
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2. Buy the truth (Proverbs 23:23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
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3. Know the truth (John 8:31-32 [31] Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; [32] And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
   See All...)  NOTE: knowledge of the truth must therefore be possible
4. Serve in truth (1 Samuel 12:24Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
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2. Truth is Often Disregarded by Man
1. Truth is fallen in the street (Isaiah 59:14-15 [14] And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. [15] Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
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2. Men are not valiant for the truth (Jeremiah 9:3And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
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3. There is no truth in the land (Hosea 4:1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
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4. Men turn their ears away from the truth (2Timothy 4:4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
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3. CAN WE KNOW THE TRUTH?
1. God is the Source of Truth
1. God the Father is truth (Psalm 31:5Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
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2. God the Son is truth (John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
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3. God the Holy Ghost is truth (John 14:17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
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2. God has Promised to Reveal the Truth – His Truth is:
1. To endure to all generations (Psalm 100:5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
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2.  To be known with certainty (Proverbs 22:21That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
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4. WHAT ARE THE ENEMIES OF TRUTH? (Genesis 3:1-5 [1] Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [2] And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
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1. Philosophy: the authority of man’s greatest wisdom (Colossians 2:8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
   See All...; Acts 17:18Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
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2.   Tradition:  the authority of man’s long-time practice (Colossians 2:8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
   See All...; Matthew 15:1-9 [1] Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, [2] Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. [3] But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? [4] For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. [5] But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [6] And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. [7] Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, [8] This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. [9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
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3. Science: the authority of observable facts and repeatable physical laws (1 Timothy 6:20O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
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4.  Scholarship: the authority of academic learning and agreed upon knowledge (2 Timothy 3:7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
   See All...; Isaiah 29:9-12 [9] Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. [10] For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. [11] And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: [12] And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
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5. Pragmatism: the authority of what brings the desired results (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 [18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. [20] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? [21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. [22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; [24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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6. Experience: the authority of personal experience (Romans 10:2-3 [2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. [3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
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5. WHAT IS THE AUTHORITY FOR TRUTH?
1. The word of God: the only God-given authority (John 8:31-32 [31] Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; [32] And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
   See All...; John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
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2.  Called the word of truth (John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
   See All...; 1Thessalonians 2:13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
   See All...; 2 Timothy 2:15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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3.  The authority a person accepts when two authorities disagree becomes his supreme authority
1. Theistic evolution (Bible versus Science)
2. “Praying through” for salvation (Bible versus Tradition or Experience)
3. Concerts and Drama (Bible versus Pragmatism)
4. Only an absolute authority can give absolute truth; all other truth is relative and changeable (Psalm 119:128Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
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