2010 National Conference on Christian Apologetics
Gilson: Christians do not hold
the truth; the truth holds us
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman, October 19, 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – “The greatest language barrier in North America today is the word ‘truth’” Tom Gilson told those attending his workshop at the 17th annual National Conference on Christian Apologetics.
When Christians talk about having the truth, Gilson said, “We must talk about it as a thing that we don’t own, we don’t hold, we didn’t make up … We don’t hold the truth, the truth holds us,” he said.
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He said Christians need to be sensitive to the way non-Christians hear talk of the truth.
“This is what we need to communicate,” Gilson said. “The truth exists, I must support it, live by it, yield to it. It is there, I don’t have a choice … Thank God, it is a good truth. … The truth holds us, we don’t hold the truth in the way the world thinks of it.”
The “Defending the Faith and Family” conference, sponsored by Southern Evangelical Seminary along with North Carolina Baptists, Breakpoint, Summit Ministries, the American Family Association and World Magazine, was held Oct. 15-16 at Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C. More Information
Video and audio from the National Conference on Christian Apologetics, including this presentation, are available. Visit the Conference on Christian Apologetics Web site for pricing and availability.
Gilson is an author and missions strategist with Campus Crusade for Christ. He is currently on special assignment to Breakpoint working in the area of worldview ministry strategy. He hosts the Thinking Christian blog and also writes for the First Things Evangel blog.
In modern times, Gilson said, “We have lost track of any sense of truth,” especially in ethics and religion.
“Is there ‘true’ truth?,” he asked. “Can 2 + 2=5?”
Gilson said in today’s society, many think that truth is relative and that people choose their own truths. “Biblically and logically, it is just wrong,” he said. “It is absurd to think that 2 + 2 = 5.”
He quoted from Isaiah, “I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. (Isaiah 45:19, esv).”
“Not only is there truth,” he said, “there is communication of truth, so we have knowledge of the truth … The truth can be acquired through the grace of God.”
Other Scripture texts used by Gilson to illustrate his point that the truth can be acquired include:
- In the book of John, Jesus says “Truly, Truly, I saw to you,” 25 times.
- “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. … For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:14, 17, esv)
- “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13, esv)
- “Then Pilate said to Him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38, esv)
Gilson asked “If there is truth, can Christianity be one truth among many?”
He used the illustration of a circle of religions – the circle being all of the Earth’s “nice ideas,” Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc., – or ways a person may think they can come to God.
“And then you have the cross … where Christ died for us,” he said. “The cross was not ‘good’ unless it was the only way.
“Christianity is exclusively true or it is exclusively wrong,” Gilson said. “Christianity cannot be just one truth among many.
“We don’t hold the truth the way the world holds the truth,” he said. People can’t live without some sense of truth, so they will “work up” a truth that works for them.
When Christians say “we have the ‘true’ truth, we have to say that in a way they can understand,” Gilson said. “We say one God, one truth, for all times … so they hear ‘you think your truth is better than anyone else’s.’”
Christians need to be sensitive to the way non-believers hear the message.
“This is what we need to communicate. This is not ‘our’ truth,” he said. “I do not hold the truth, the truth holds me.”
Gilson said that it can be hard to be humble when you claim to “hold the truth. … It depends on whether you hold the truth or the truth holds you.”