PRESENT TRUTH OF THE LIVING AGE
By J. O. C.
Historic Truth of Past Ages—A Living Truth for To-Day WHAT is present truth? The proper answer to this peculiar question requires that another query should precede it. To say nothing at first of whether a matter may be past or present truth, it is well at the outset to consider the question of truth in general. As used in the Old Testament, the word comes from a root which means steadfastness, or stability. For example, Jehovah, who declares that He does not change (Mal. 3: 6), is called “a God of truth” (Deut. 32: 4), and so uttered an oath of fidelity to David in His truth. Ps. 89: 49. The New Testament gives the same weight to the word, as shown in this statement from Christ, who is “the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever” (Heb. 13: 8): “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14: 6. TRUTH A FOUNTAIN OF LIGHT
So it may be safely declared that truth is light, both in and of itself. It therefore needs no artificial diffusion of luminous rays to increase its radiance. Indeed, truth being the “fountain of light,” any substituted illumination can at best be only a reflection. One may present Bible truth in words of imagery, by way of illustration, to draw thoughtful attention to it; but after all, the Word itself must be the lamp of fire to lighten the path of the searcher for truth. Its entrance to the mind is the only true source of light. Ps. 119: 105, 130. Furthermore, truth does not require to be proved, but simply to be placed on exhibition, in a form to be seen, without any attempt at proof. Thus presented, its own native, inherent light will penetrate convincingly to the senses in a most satisfying way. But in the presentation of truth to a densely benighted intellect, it must be by a soul that sees and feels for himself its living power, or it falls inert, as a mere lifeless dogma. Unless one has enough spirituality to catch fire from the great themes of the truth, and vivacity enough to overflow with fervor in discoursing upon it, he has no mission in such work. The preacher should be the truth in radiation, shining out through language, voice, gesture, facial expression, and spiritual fervor. The great apostle declared that he had been called as a preacher to make all men see the fellowship of a great mystery. Eph. 3: 9. Not all men reason, but all men can see. Imagination is strong, even in the untutored savage. The same may be said of the little child. For this very reason, Christ’s appeals were directed to simple minds. Matt. 18: 3-6. As the Son of man, He spoke to men in their own simple words of truth. His mission was to engage men to see, and therefore to know God. For this reason the Word was made flesh, that through that flesh humanity might be touched by the Eternal. Facts and information may be conveyed in bare words, but the truth of God cannot be thus fully made known; it must appear in His own image. Heb. 1: 3. So because God’s truth could not be entirely expressed in mere words, He made His word flesh, to mingle with fleshly men, and so uncover to them the true nature of Divinity. The incarnation alone could supply this need, since the image of God in the first man had been lost through sin. Christ was therefore not to be a mere simile to the world; He was the real image, in character, of what man had been, and that God wants him to be. Through sin, man had lost his life sustenance, the one essential of God’s image. When Christ appeared, He said, “I am the bread of life.” He did not say, “I am like that bread,” but, I am that very bread. Thus an image rises out of the word “bread,” which sinks into the soul of man, giving him an understanding of the mission of God to humanity through His only-begotten Son. In this way, all the teaching of Christ wrought upon the imagination. Bushnell has well said that the gospel is pictorial. He further said, in substance, that all the truths of religion are rendered through imagery to the imagination, as was intended by the rites and ceremonies of the sacrificial age, which failed to impress the intellect properly, because of sin darkness in the mind. It was therefore necessary for a more striking metaphor to be used, which came forward in the person of Christ, who is the express image of God’s person; and so the knowledge of God’s glory was shown in the face of Jesus Christ, for the enlightenment of fallen humanity. 2 Cor. 4: 6. JESUS EXHIBITED THE FATHER
In olden times, men were taught that the heavens declared the glory of God. They did, and do now, reveal His infinite power to guide the stars in their courses; but as with a beautiful and accurate timekeeper carried in one’s pocket, the mind may concede the constructor’s scientific ability, yet not know him personally. So nature provides similitudes of both time and eternity. Seasons reveal change, and the mountains mirror thoughts of stability. But man needs more to round out his knowledge of Jehovah, and beget appreciation of His attributes. None but Jesus, the Son of the Most High, could possibly supply this need. This He did by exhibiting the Father in His own personal life among men. Those to whom and for whom the Saviour came, had believed in God as the Almighty. They believed the history of all His dealings with the children of men. The creation, the Flood, the leadership of Moses, the giving of the law from Sinai, and the Babylonian captivity, were all received as historical truth. But these incidents were all past events of truth, which could not avail to reveal God’s truth for their present emergencies. Those truths were once present necessities in the accomplishment of God’s purpose; but truth is ever progressive, in that various phases of it appear in succeeding generations, to meet the exigencies of the times. These distinctive aspects coming forward at such times are present truth in the broadest sense, and like the Noachic message, must be recognized as such, and obeyed as the voice of God proclaiming His will for that specific time. Nothing is more certain than that the arrival of prophetic periods for which have been predicted the advent of positive crises, must be accepted as present truth, if one would learn the will of God for that particular time. It matters not what grand truths he has before held, though the last one does not supersede the first, it will add to and enhance its already lustrous beauty. The twentieth century, like the preceding ages, must have a present truth to meet the needs of its setting in the prophetic foresight. What that truth is, can only be fully known by the study of the prophetic Word, and its application to the decisive present.