Owen Strachan led a discussion at our Difficult Issues Series on how to answer the person who asks how there can be truth that is true for everyone. This is a frequent question at Exploring Christianity, but more importantly, our culture is beginning to embrace the idea that there is no such thing as absolute truth. The following excerpts are from Owen’s publication. You can find Owen Strachan’s talk, outline, and full transcript on, “How Can There Be Truth That Is True for Everyone?” at crosswayonline.org
In the third installment of Star Wars, the virtuous Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi battles his protégé, Anakin Skywalker, in a sad fight to the death. At one point in the epic duel, Kenobi shouts to Anakin, who has become something of an evil demi-god on the side of the Siths (the bad guys), that “only a Sith speaks in absolutes.”
This comment, made without irony in the middle of a light-saber duel, of all things, captures very nicely what many people in the broader culture think about truth. Only evil, repressive, hostile people believe that truth and statements about truth are binding upon everyone.
What Postmodernists Say and How Christians Can Respond
First, help them to understand that truth must have a foundation. If it does not, the postmodernists are right—truth has no basis.
Second, note that this foundation must be absolute and totally trustworthy. If the foundation is anything less than transcendent and normative, truth cannot be true for everyone.
Third, find the location for the wisdom and direction of this foundation. So you’ve got a foundation—great! Now, what is it? What does it say? Christians find their source for truth not in themselves, but in the Word of God.
Fourth, discover the truth laid out by this source. This must be done by trusting the evaluation of literal statements. You can’t pick and choose what you like and do not like.
Fifth, point out that people cannot be the source of absolute truth. People are not absolute and transcendent; they are contradictory and finite.
Sixth, point them to the truth of God’s Word. Unlike postmodernists, who have no ground for truth and life and ethics and hope, we have a sure ground, for we trust in the God who has spoken and whose very Word is life.
To summarize, the Lord speaks the truth; what He says is right. He has most fully revealed truth in the person of His Son. Jesus Christ is the very flesh and bones of truth. People, however, deny this truth in both an intellectual and a moral sense. Repentance, then, involves a total transformation of heart and mind. Thus we see that the Bible speaks clearly and helpfully about truth and its relation to our lives.
Points to Remember
We need to tie all that we have studied together. Here are some overarching matters to keep in mind as you answer this question in real life.
Realize that there’s probably a lot more behind the question, “How can there be truth that’s true for everyone?” than you can see—ethical issues, the desire to stick with a sinful lifestyle, and so on. Morality often drives philosophy.
Share the gospel. Communicate that questioning God’s truth is a sin, even if not done so out of a hostile mindset. Remember that even if you cannot convince someone intellectually of the power and coherence of the Christian worldview, it is not your words that save lost sinners, but the gospel.
Also, speak, think, and live in confident terms: not “I believe” but “God says.” This will get attention and, more importantly, honor God’s true Word. Because I know that the Word is truth, I am freed up to speak the gospel boldly. As Christians, we possess rock-solid ground from which to evangelize. Know the Word, study it, and watch your faith increase and your evangelism grow in boldness and clarity.
Finally, know that truth is not meant to be lived out by just one person. It is meant to drive and shape the life of the Christian community, who together stands as a shining city on a hill, a light in the dark. The Christian community gathered in the form of the local church is the chief way that Christians testify to absolute truth. We are not “lone rangers” sent out in isolation; we are meant to be a body that together speaks and demonstrates and proves the truth of God’s Word.
In the third installment of Star Wars, the virtuous Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi battles his protégé, Anakin Skywalker, in a sad fight to the death. At one point in the epic duel, Kenobi shouts to Anakin, who has become something of an evil demi-god on the side of the Siths (the bad guys), that “only a Sith speaks in absolutes.”
This comment, made without irony in the middle of a light-saber duel, of all things, captures very nicely what many people in the broader culture think about truth. Only evil, repressive, hostile people believe that truth and statements about truth are binding upon everyone.
What Postmodernists Say and How Christians Can Respond
- "There is no objective view of reality." This is an objective view of reality.
- "Because we are cultural, we cannot judge another culture." This is a cultural judgment.
- "There are no facts, only interpretations." (Nietzsche) This is stated as a fact.
- "History is fiction…written from the bias of the writer." (Foucault) So this statement is fiction, too?
- "Knowledge is power. Truth-bearers want to further their own interests." (Foucault) So you, Mr. Foucault, are furthering your own interests in this statement.
- "Ethical claims are mere sentiment." (Rorty) We’ll be sure to note this the next time Mr. Rorty makes an ethical claim.
- "Deconstruction is justice. We explore contradictions in everything to fight injustice." (Derrida) Let’s then deconstruct this statement in order to fight Mr. Derrida’s unjust ways.
- "Whoever spins best wins." (Fish) You are spinning right now, Mr. Fish!
- Incredulity toward metanarratives. Lyotard: "Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodernism as incredulity toward metanarratives." This is a metanarrative.
- "All language is just word games." (Wittgenstein) So is this statement, then.
First, help them to understand that truth must have a foundation. If it does not, the postmodernists are right—truth has no basis.
Second, note that this foundation must be absolute and totally trustworthy. If the foundation is anything less than transcendent and normative, truth cannot be true for everyone.
Third, find the location for the wisdom and direction of this foundation. So you’ve got a foundation—great! Now, what is it? What does it say? Christians find their source for truth not in themselves, but in the Word of God.
Fourth, discover the truth laid out by this source. This must be done by trusting the evaluation of literal statements. You can’t pick and choose what you like and do not like.
Fifth, point out that people cannot be the source of absolute truth. People are not absolute and transcendent; they are contradictory and finite.
Sixth, point them to the truth of God’s Word. Unlike postmodernists, who have no ground for truth and life and ethics and hope, we have a sure ground, for we trust in the God who has spoken and whose very Word is life.
To summarize, the Lord speaks the truth; what He says is right. He has most fully revealed truth in the person of His Son. Jesus Christ is the very flesh and bones of truth. People, however, deny this truth in both an intellectual and a moral sense. Repentance, then, involves a total transformation of heart and mind. Thus we see that the Bible speaks clearly and helpfully about truth and its relation to our lives.
Points to Remember
We need to tie all that we have studied together. Here are some overarching matters to keep in mind as you answer this question in real life.
Realize that there’s probably a lot more behind the question, “How can there be truth that’s true for everyone?” than you can see—ethical issues, the desire to stick with a sinful lifestyle, and so on. Morality often drives philosophy.
Share the gospel. Communicate that questioning God’s truth is a sin, even if not done so out of a hostile mindset. Remember that even if you cannot convince someone intellectually of the power and coherence of the Christian worldview, it is not your words that save lost sinners, but the gospel.
Also, speak, think, and live in confident terms: not “I believe” but “God says.” This will get attention and, more importantly, honor God’s true Word. Because I know that the Word is truth, I am freed up to speak the gospel boldly. As Christians, we possess rock-solid ground from which to evangelize. Know the Word, study it, and watch your faith increase and your evangelism grow in boldness and clarity.
Finally, know that truth is not meant to be lived out by just one person. It is meant to drive and shape the life of the Christian community, who together stands as a shining city on a hill, a light in the dark. The Christian community gathered in the form of the local church is the chief way that Christians testify to absolute truth. We are not “lone rangers” sent out in isolation; we are meant to be a body that together speaks and demonstrates and proves the truth of God’s Word.
