Jesus, Truth, and the Word of God

by Hugh DeLong

While reading Matthew 15, I took a piece of paper and made some observations. It should be obvious, but such observations do not exhaust our understanding of this text. So here are my scribbles:

• God commanded and said - (Matthew 15:3-4)
  • There is a God.
  • God has expectations of men.
  • God revealed such expectations.
• God commanded in His word – (Matthew 15:6).
  • God's revelation of His will was in verbal communication.
  • God chose to communicate with man!
• God chose to have such communication preserved in written form:
  • The written Word of God is as much the word of God as the spoken.
  • That revealed through the instrument of men (prophets and apostles) is still the
    Word of God.
• Such revelation can be understood. Jesus expected such of his disciples (Matthew 15:10, 16).
  • God’s transcendence does not invalidate His ability to communicate!
  • The purpose of communication is to be understood!
• People err in their understanding.
  • Those who are religious can and do err.
  • Those who err do not have everything wrong!·
  • On another occasion, "You do err not knowing" (Matthew 22:29)

As I continued to ponder Matthew 15, I continued with notes.

• Truth does offend some people (Matthew 15:12).
• People being offended by truth does not make truth untruthful!
• Because some don't understand does not invalidate the truth.
• Truth is not determined by man's thoughts in agreeing, liking, or rejecting it. Truth is truth.
• Truth is filtered through each man's conscience! How else do we understand anything?
• Showing inconsistency or error in others does not prove consistency or truth in you.

In the end, God will bring all of us to judgment (Matthew 15:13). Thus, we need to take a hard look at the Bereans who “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men” (Acts 17:11-12).

What is your attitude toward God, toward God’s word, and toward the study of God’s word?