Want the Truth?
(Condensed from the free video “Want the Truth?)
“If you want to tell people the truth, you’d better make them laugh or they’ll kill you”… According to quoteinvestigator.com, the earliest strong match for that quote located by QI appeared in a 1951 article in “The Saturday Review” by critic and film historian Cecile Starr, who ascribed it to George Bernard Shaw. But others have used this saying, or have been credited with using this saying somehow. This is considered a Hollywood saying.
Sometimes Hollywood actually gets it right—look what happened to Jesus!—look what happened to almost all of His twelve closest disciples! They wouldn’t have given their lives if they didn’t know Jesus was telling the truth! They heard Him speak, and witnessed countless supernatural miracles! They followed the truth to the death.
Jesus’ mission in life was truth. While Pilate was deciding Jesus’ fate, investigating rumors of kingship claims, the Bible says, 36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him. John 18:36-38.
Christ’s mission of truth is supported by secular historians. Among other examples is this one from Wikipedia, and others, on the subject of Josephus on Jesus: Josephus said, “About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ.”
Jesus had told people the truth about important subjects of life, including the fate of their eternal souls. The Bible says, 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.” John 14:6-7. People still don’t want to hear that.
In some countries, and among some religions, people who share the good news, and tell the truth about salvation through Jesus alone, are considered animals to be slaughtered. The Bible says, 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37. According to opendoorsus.org, Jan 30, 2024, “On average, more than 13 Christians are killed each day for their faith. That means almost every two hours, a believer is killed. And it’s roughly 5,000 people each year.”
And that doesn’t include other forms of persecution. According to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List: What Persecution Christians Face (sobering content), Wednesday, January 18 2023, by Richard D. Hunt, “Globally, more than 360 million Christians suffer at least “high” levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.” That should be sobering.
All that should tell us something. There is something to Christianity. It is either important truth many don’t want spread, or else cunningly devised fables, with miracles somehow. I believe it is as the Hollywood saying; Christianity is the truth. It sorts out those who want the truth from those who don’t, or are unaware of it. The Word of God is truth. Here is just some of it:
15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15
17 For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him. 31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:30-32
6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Psalms 51:6
6 Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, Exodus 34:6
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil. Proverbs 16:6
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth. Proverbs 16:13
23 Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23
16 These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, Zechariah 8:16
14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
40 But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. John 8:40a
16 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. John 14:16-17
17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. John 17:17
35 He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe. John 19:35
16 For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 2 Peter 1:16-18
16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17 For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. Romans 1:16-19
25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:25
4 Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, 5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
16 So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? Galatians 4:16
13 In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13
15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, Ephesians 4:15
21 if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: Ephesians 4:21
25 Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another. Ephesians 4:25
8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; 12 that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own times, 7 to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-7
3 For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4
18 Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. James 1:18
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8
And there are those who are “willfully forgetful”. They just don’t want to face the truth. The Bible says, 3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God, 6 by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, perished. 7 But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:3-7
Want the truth? I have told the truth. Please don’t kill the messenger. Read the Word of Truth, the Bible—and learn from Christians. Ask your questions. And May God Bless You!