Truth Values

By F. L. Lemley

[Page 157]

     "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these things you should have done without neglecting the others" (Matthew 23:23). Even a casual reading of this makes it clear that in the mind of Jesus some truths were more important than others.

     Our brethren with a legalistic bent have trouble accepting this fact. They challenge us to go through the Bible and underline the unimportant truths. We must point out the sophistry employed in substituting the word "unimportant" as the antithesis for "more important." The words "less important" are not to be equated with "unimportant." To say that some of the words of God are unimportant could border on blasphemy, but to say that they are "less important" is compatible with the statement of Jesus that some parts of the law are weightier than others. Every truth is important but some truths are more important than others.

     From this we should see that some truths are related to becoming children of God while others belong to the after and progressive edification of the children. Preachers who cannot distinguish between the word which produces children and that which edifies them after they are born would do well to restudy their lesson. There is an irreducible minimum required to produce children of God. It may be summed up in the word gospel. After birth one is expected to grow in grace and knowledge of the truth and this process of growth never ends. As long as one lives he will never reach that maximum portrayed as maturity and stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

     "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). This does not mean one has to know the truth about the shape of the earth (Rev. 7:1) in order to be saved, nor does it mean that the truth about the shape of the earth is equally related to our salvation as is the truth, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). It is time we distinguish clearly the seed of the kingdom which produces children, and the milk, meat, dill and cummin, which nourish and flavor the Christian life.