Truth

Conspiracy Theories, Fake News, and Truth

Joel Stephen Williams

We have witnessed some amazing and tragic events in recent days that have been the result of people believing conspiracy theories and fake news. Unfortunately, many Christians do not think in a critical and reasonable manner, and they get caught up in believing untruths, obsessing over them, and passing them along in conversations and on social media. Very often Christians want to believe these false narratives, because they dislike certain individuals or groups of people. Instead of checking out a story line, Christians often pass it along, because it supports their bias and prejudice. Not only is this sinful because it goes against the second commandment to love your neighbor but also it is antithetical to the principle of truth. Notice how important truth should be to Christians.

Christianity is a religion of truth, because “the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Eph. 5:9). Christ came to us as one who was “full of truth” (John 1:17). He was and is “the truth” (John 14:6). The “truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and his purpose is to lead us to the truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 5:6). God's word is “truth,” and it is truth which can make us holy (John 17:17, 19; 2 Thess. 2:13) and give us new life (Jas. 1:18). God judges us according to “truth” (Rom. 2:2). Although the world may have little concern for “truth” and may even mock it (John 18:38), “suppress” it (Rom. 1:18), exchange it “for a lie” (Rom. 1:25), “obey not the truth” (Rom. 2:8), “refuse to love the truth” (2 Thess. 2:10), “not believe the truth” (2 Thess. 2:12), be “bereft of truth” (1 Tim. 6:5), “swerve from the truth” (2 Tim. 2:18), “never arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7), “oppose the truth” (2 Tim. 3:8), “turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths” (2 Tim. 4:4), or “reject the truth” (Titus 1:14), nevertheless, “truth” ought to be a high priority for Christians.

Paul preached “the sober truth” (Acts 26:25; cf. 2 Cor. 6:7; 7:14; 11:10; 12:6). He taught that we ought to live according to the “truth” (1 Cor. 5:8). Our ministry should not be “against the truth” but “for the truth” (2 Cor. 13:8; cf. 3 John 8). We ought to “obey the truth” (Gal. 5:7), because our souls can be purified by “obedience to the truth” (1 Pet. 1:22). We should be “established in the truth” (2 Pet. 1:12) and “do the truth” (1 John 1:6). We need to be “walking in the truth” (2 John 4; 3 John 3–4) and make sure that we do not “wander from the truth” (Jas. 5:19). By right living we can make sure that we are “from the truth” and that the “truth is in us” (1 John 1:8; 2:4, 21; 3:18–19). The gospel is “truth” (Gal. 2:5, 14; Col. 1:5), and everyone of us ought to “speak the truth to our neighbors” (Eph. 4:25). “Truth” ought to be as much a part of our lives just as a belt is an essential element to our clothing (Eph. 6:14). The mission of the church is to uphold and proclaim the “truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). We need to “rightly explain the truth” to others (2 Tim. 2:15). Truth is more than sincerity. It is opposed to that which is false. It is the opposite of error. Search for the truth and hold to it, even if you must abandon a traditional belief or suffer opposition or endure persecution. Learn the difference between the “spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6). Follow the truth. Jesus said to his followers, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32).