Torch, Spring 1998

expressed in the Copernican view. In this last sentence we used the term truth to refer to reality as it is independent of our perceptions or beliefs. Now consider the second usage of the term truth. In this case we refer to a property of propositions. Propositions are the intended meaning of declarative sentences. When the propositions we intend to express by means of declarative sentences correspond to reality, to the facts, to what is the case, we attribute to them the property of truth. We may then declare that some particular proposition is true. That is to say, the proposition (or the sentence) has the property of being true. Statements as simple as "the sky is blue" or as complex as Einstein's theory of relativity, as expressed in the famous equation E=MC 2 , are examples of this usage of the term. This usage of truth is what we usually mean when we ask our children to tell the truth or when we expect witnesses in a court of law to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Finally, we use the term truth to refer to a set of true propositions. We refer to one member of that set as a truth. The College theme for the academic year, "Timeless Truth for Contemporary Culture," exemplifies this usage. The College is using the theme to refer to a set of true statements. This brings us to an important distinction- the distinction between absolute (timeless) and relative truth. In his chapel series, Dr. Dixon reminds us of truths– truths which hold not only at all times but also at every place. These truths are absolute, not relative, truths. For example, the statement "Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit" is a truth, but a relative truth. The statement is not true on top of Mount Everest. The altitude difference affects the temperature at which water will boil. Thus this statement is not an absolute truth. Conversely, "Murder is morally wrong" was as binding in fourth-century Europe as it was in twelfth-century Japan or is on a twentieth-century, Midwestern, middle-school playground. "Pride is a grievous sin" is as applicable today as it was in Nebuchadnezzar's day. "God despises idolatry" is as binding here and now as it was when God spoke through Moses and the prophets. These are all timeless or absolute truths. So the answer to Pilate's question is, truth is reality, a property of propositions, or a set of propositions, depending on how Pilate intended to use the term. If he intended to use the term truth to refer to reality, then the deeper answer is that Jesus is the Truth, for "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2:9). Regardless of our perceptions or beliefs, the truth of propositions in areas as diverse as .mathematics, science, social science, morality, law, and life and death, depends on the Living God of the Bible. .IJ D r. Walter Schultz, assistant professor of philosophy, has combined a love of philosophy with a varied business background and is completing his first year of teaching at Cedarville. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Clair and the University of Minnesota. His wife, Mary, and daughters Jennifer and Rebecca accompanied him to Austria where he delivered a paper at the 15th International Wittenstein Symposium. Dr. Schultz enjoys "silent" sports, such as cross country skiing, running, trout fishing, and gardening with his wife. Torch 5