Jesus, the Truth, and Modern Philosophies

Posted on by Rob Singleton

It’s been said that there are three sides to every story—your side, my side, and the truth. And if you’ve ever served on a jury, you’ve been tapped to try and decide what the truth is. But there’s a bigger truth—THE truth—that needs to be discussed.

Now, we’re going to dive pretty deep on this one, so please check out my last blog, What is TRUTH? before reading on. I shared some foundational principles about what truth is and isn’t, and you’ll find it helpful as we continue on this discussion.

Truth—It’s Getting a Bad Rap

Truth—it’s abused, belittled, completely made fun of, even marginalized. You might be thinking, “Geez, Pastor Rob, it’s just a concept. You’re acting like it’s a person who got hurt.” Well, that’s because the Bible makes it crystal clear that the truth is a person. Jesus said, in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” According to this verse, Jesus is the truth.

And the stakes of not getting this right are unimaginably high. No one can get there—heaven—by avoiding the truth. And this is increasingly difficult in a culture that continually undermines the truth.

The Offensive Nature of Truth

When the concept of truth is maligned, it’s usually for one or more of the following reasons.

  • Some people say it’s narrow-minded. However, the critic fails to understand that, by nature, truth is narrow. Is a math teacher narrow-minded for holding to the belief that 2 + 2 = 4?
  • Another objection to truth is that it is arrogant to claim that one person is right and another person is wrong. However, returning to the above example with mathematics, is it arrogant for a math teacher to insist on only one right answer to an arithmetic problem?
  • A third charge against those holding to absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a position excludes people rather than being inclusive. Such a complaint, however, fails to understand that truth, by nature, excludes its opposite. All answers other than 4 are excluded from the reality of what 2 + 2 truly equals.
  • Another protest against truth is that it’s offensive and divisive to claim one as truth and someone else’s not. Instead—or better—the critic argues all that really matters is sincerity. The problem with this position is that truth is immune to sincerity. It doesn’t matter how much one sincerely believes the wrong key will fit a door. The key still won’t go into the lock, and the lock won’t be opened.
  • Finally, truth is impervious to desire. A person may strongly desire that their car has not run out of gas, but if the gauge says the tank is empty, and the car will not drive any farther, then no desire in the world will miraculously cause the car to keep going.

Popular Worldviews on Truth

The proponents of postmodernism simply affirm no particular truth. The patron saint of postmodernism has to be Friedrich Nietzsche, and he described truth like this. “What that is truth? It’s a mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms. Truth are illusions, coins which have lost their pictures and now matter only as metal, no longer as coins.” Ironically, although the postmodernist holds coins in his hand that are now mere metal, he affirms at least one absolute truth—the truth that no truth should be affirmed. Like the other worldviews, postmodernism is self-defeating and cannot stand up under its own claims.

Another popular worldview is pluralism, which says all truth-claims are equally valid. Of course, that’s impossible. Could two claims, one that a woman is pregnant and another that she is not pregnant, both be true at the same time? No. Pluralism unravels at the feet of the law of non-contradiction, which says that something cannot be both “A” and “non-A” at the same time and in the same sense.

Also, note that pluralism says that is true, and anything opposed to it is false, which is a claim that denies its own foundational tenet. The spirit behind pluralism is an open-armed attitude of tolerance. However, pluralism confuses the idea that all people may be equal, but not all truth-claims are. Pluralism fails to understand the difference between opinion and truth.

Science & the Truth

Some will admit that absolute truth exists but then claim such a stance is only valid in the area of science and not matters of faith and religion. This is a philosophy called logical positivism. In essence, such people say the truth claims must be either: a) tautologies (i.e., all bachelors are unmarried men) or b) empirically verifiable (i.e., testable via science). To the logical positivists, all talk about God is utter nonsense.

Now those who hold to the notion that only science can make truth-claims fail to recognize that there are many realms of truth where science is impotent. It’s absolutely useless. For example, science cannot prove the disciplines of mathematics and logic because it presupposes them. Science cannot prove metaphysical truths, such as minds other than my own even exist. Science is unable to provide truth in the areas of morals and ethics. You cannot use science to prove the Nazis were evil. (They were, but you can’t use science to prove it.) Science is incapable of stating truths about aesthetic positions, such as the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. Lastly, when anyone makes the statement that science is the only source of objective truth, they have just made a philosophical claim, which cannot be tested by science.

And then there are those who say that absolute truth does not apply in the area of morality, yet the response to the question, is it moral to torture and murder an innocent child is absolute and universal. To make it more personal, those who espouse relative truth concerning morals always seem to want their spouse to be absolutely faithful to them.

Truth Is Important

Why is it so important to understand and embrace the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life, including faith and religion? Because life has consequences for being wrong. Giving someone the wrong amount of medicine can kill them. Having an investment manager make the wrong monetary decisions can impoverish a family. The fact is, the truth matters, and nowhere is this more important than in the area of faith and religion. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong.

Well, what about God and truth? During the six trials of Jesus, the contrast between the truth—righteousness—and lies—unrighteousness—was unmistakable. There’s Jesus, the truth, being judged by those whose every action was bathed in lies. The Jewish leaders broke nearly every law designed to protect a defendant from wrongful conviction.

They brought everything into this and threw everything against the wall, saying whatever would stick. Pilate quickly detected their superficial deception, and he never even addressed the charge. Jesus, the Righteous, was being judged by the unrighteous. The sad fact is that the latter always persecuted the former. That’s why Cain killed Abel. The link between truth & righteousness and falsehood & unrighteousness is demonstrated by a number of examples in the New Testament. (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, Romans 1:18, Romans 2:6-8, 1 Corinthians 13:5-6, just to name a few.)

So, what is truth? What’s the conclusion? This question Pontius Pilate asked centuries ago needs to be rephrased in order to be completely accurate. The Roman Governor’s remark, “what is truth,” overlooks the fact that many things can have truth, but only one thing can actually be the truth. Truth must originate from somewhere. The stark reality is that Pilate was looking directly at the origin of all truth on that early morning almost 2000 years ago.

Pilate and the Jewish leaders thought they were judging Christ when, in reality, they were the ones being judged. Moreover, the One they convicted will actually serve as their judge one day, as He will for all who suppress the truth.

Pilate never came to a knowledge of the truth. Eusebius, the historian and bishop in Caesarea, records the fact that Pilate ultimately committed suicide sometime during the reign of Emperor Caligula. It’s a sad ending and a reminder for everyone that ignoring the truth always leads to undesired consequences.

Thanks for sticking with me, as I know this has been a long and tough subject. I can promise you one thing, though: it’s been true.

Come back next time as I tackle another sensitive subject: Black Lives Matter, the optics around BLM, and does it go far enough? Until then, be sure to join me on Sunday mornings—in-person or online—for more life-giving truth at The Summit Church.

~Pastor Rob

Aka, “P-Ro”

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year Devotional 

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

The First Three Chapters 

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.


Make It the Best Year Devotional

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

 

Exclusive Live Webinar – “How to Help Your Teen Break Free of Social Media Addiction”

While it might not (yet) be considered a clinical addition, many in society can’t go 5 minutes without checking their phone to see how many likes they have for their latest post, or how many comments people have left. And our teens are especially susceptible. After all, they’ve been all but raised with a device in their hands. How do we help this next generation deal with the debilitating side effects social media can have on us? In this 90-minute webinar, Pastor Rob will discuss the issue and provide practical ways we can help our teens navigate these formative years in a positive way. There will also be a live Q & A session at the end. (A link to the recorded webinar will be provided after the live event.)

Overliked by Rob Singleton is a tome for such a time as this. Even though I work on television, I also make a living through social media. Coincidently, right before I started reading the pre-release copy, I had checked my "Likes'" and numbers on social media! How was I doing? Were my numbers growing? Declining? Did a few drop off?  
 
It's so easy to get our self-esteem and self-worth tied to those likes and numbers.  
 
Through Pastor Rob's book, we learn how frivolous and fake it can all be and ultimately, how it can lead to a miserable and unfulfilled life if left unchecked. The tools, scriptures, and "change of heart" takeaways that Pastor Rob provides at the end of each chapter help considerably shift the focus from there…to in here. He gently, but with statistics and examples, gives us a guide us to live a more authentic life.  
 
In the book, Pastor Rob says, "Honesty is what sets us up for authentic relationships," and isn't that what we really all want? 
 
As a woman over 40 in Hollywood, the expectations have never been higher. Overliked sites that, in one 12-month period, YouTube logged 169 billion views just for beauty-related content. Beauty is good… perfection is lethal. And don't I know it? I am on high-definition TV with glaring set lights, standing next to 20- to 30-year old young women daily; it's a test to stay solid and secure in your own skin.  
 
I was posting perfectly lit and curated pictures of my "Beautiful" (heavily filtered) life; people followed and viewed but scrolled right along. However, when I let down the curtain, turned off the filter, and decided to share my real-life sorrows and struggles with cancer, the comments, words, notes, and numbers flooded. People want to see my honesty and weaknesses because they can relate.  
 
Overliked shows us that when we pretend to be perfect, the only person we are hurting is ourselves.  
 
Pastor Rob's easy and relatable storytelling draws the reader in. We find that our weaknesses become our strengths to help us touch, encourage, and heal others, not just impress them.  
 
Thank you for this very needed and essential book that helps us realize that being real is the only way to have a true connection with our Lord and our friends and family. 
 
In Overliked, through story references of David, we learn the Lord encourages us all to ignore appearance and stature. "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
 
This book is an important message for developing authenticity in our lives, which is far more critical than adding strangers, getting fake followers, and creating a heavily-filtered life experience. I promise you will really "LIKE" it.