Lexical Summary alétheia: Truth Original Word: ἀλήθεια Strong's Exhaustive Concordance truthFrom alethes; truth -- true, X truly, truth, verity. see GREEK alethes HELPS Word-studies 225 alḗtheia (from 227 /alēthḗs, "true to fact") – properly, truth (true to fact), reality. [In ancient Greek culture, 225 (alḗtheia) was synonymous for "reality" as the opposite of illusion, i.e. fact.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom aléthés Definition truth NASB Translation certainly* (2), most (1), rightly* (1), truly* (2), truth (104). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 225: ἀλήθειαἀλήθεια, (ας, ἡ (ἀληθής) (from Homer down), verity, truth. I. objectively; 1. universally, what is true in any matter under consideration (opposed to what is feigned, fictitious, false): James 3:14; ἀλήθειαν λέγειν, έ᾿ρειν, John 8:45; John 16:7; Romans 9:1; 1 Corinthians 12:6; 1 Timothy 2:7; εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τήν ἀλήθειαν, everything as it really was, Mark 5:33 (so in classics); μαρτυρεῖν τῇ ἀλήθεια to testify according to the true state of the case, John 5:33; in a broader sense, λαλεῖν ἀλήθειαν, to speak always according to truth, Ephesians 4:25; (ἀληθείας ῤήματα ἀποφθέγγομαι, as opposed to the vagaries of madness, Acts 26:25); ἀλήθεια ἐγένετο, was shown to be true by the event, 2 Corinthians 7:14. ἐν ἀλήθεια, in truth, truly, as the case is, according to fact: Matthew 22:16; John 4:23f (as accords with the divine nature); 2 Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 1:6; ἐπ' ἀληθείας a. truly, in truth, according to truth: Mark 12:32; Luke 4:25 (Job 9:2 the Sept.; Philo, vit. Moys. i., § 1). b. of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly: Mark 12:14; Luke 20:21; ( 2. In reference to religion, the word denotes what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, (`moral and religions truth'); and that a. with the greatest latitude, in the sceptical question τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια, John 18:38; b. the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention: Romans 1:18; also ἡ ἀλήθεια Θεοῦ the truth of which God is the author, Romans 1:25, cf. 19 (ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Ev. Nicod., c. 5, 2; accordingly, it is not, as many interpret the phrase, the true nature of God (yet see Meyer at the passage)); truth, the embodiment of which the Jews sought in the Mosaic law, Romans 2:20. c. "the truth, as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man," opposed alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and to the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians: ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ εὐαγγελίου the truth which is the gospel or which the gospel presents, Galatians 2:5, 14 (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 34, 3 a.); and absolutely ἡ ἀλήθεια and ἀλήθεια: John 1:14, 17; John 8:32, 40; ( II. (subjectively) "truth as a personal excellence; that candor of mind which is free from affectation, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit": John 8:44; sincerity of mind and integrity of character, or a mode of life in harmony with divine truth: 1 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Corinthians 13:6 (opposed to ἀδικία); Ephesians 4:21 (see I. 1 b. above); Strong’s Greek 225 underlies the New Testament’s rich portrait of “truth,” a concept that embraces factuality, moral rectitude, covenantal faithfulness, and ultimate reality as revealed in God Himself. Used 109 times, the noun permeates every major theological theme—from the nature of God to the believer’s daily walk—forming a golden thread that binds the Gospel narrative, apostolic doctrine, and practical discipleship. The Divine Attribute of Truth God is repeatedly declared to be true, faithful, and incapable of lying (Romans 3:4; Titus 1:2). “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Truth therefore is more than accuracy; it is the very moral and ontological integrity of the Creator. Because God is true, His Word is trustworthy, His promises are sure, and His judgments are righteous (Romans 2:2; Hebrews 10:26). Truth Incarnate in Jesus Christ John’s Gospel concentrates nearly half of all occurrences, emphasizing that truth is personified in Jesus Christ: “The Word became flesh … full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus’ self-disclosure—“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)—claims exclusive, ultimate authority. Pilate’s skeptical “What is truth?” (John 18:38) is answered not by philosophical abstraction but by the standing presence of the incarnate Son, whose kingdom is advanced “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). Truth and the Holy Spirit The Spirit is “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive” (John 14:17). He proceeds from the Father (John 15:26) and “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The Spirit’s ministry ensures the Church’s continuity in truth, illumines Scripture, convicts of falsehood, and vindicates apostolic witness (1 John 4:6). Truth and the Word of God Scripture is the consecrating agent of truth: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Paul urges Timothy to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and warns of those “always learning yet never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). James states that believers are birthed “by the word of truth” (James 1:18), demonstrating that divine truth both begets and matures the people of God. Truth and Salvation Saving faith rests on accepting the true gospel. “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Election involves belief in “the truth” through the Spirit’s sanctification (2 Thessalonians 2:13), while final judgment falls on those who “refused to love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). Truth and Worship Authentic worship unites inward reality with external form: “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). The Samaritan-Jewish debate over place is eclipsed by a higher demand—alignment with God’s disclosed reality, made possible through Christ and effected by the Spirit. Truth and Christian Conduct Truth shapes ethical living. Believers “have put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Thus they “speak truth each to his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25), celebrate “the feast … with sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8), and demonstrate love “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Walking “in the truth” is the pastor’s joy (3 John 1:4). Truth in Church Ministry The Church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Apostolic labor is marked by “setting forth the truth plainly” (2 Corinthians 4:2) and by refusing to serve with anything “contrary to the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8). Genuine ministers act “in truth” (2 Corinthians 7:14), and missionaries are fellow workers “for the truth” (3 John 1:8). Truth Opposed Satan is “a liar and the father of lies” with “no truth in him” (John 8:44). Humanity suppresses truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and exchanges it for a lie (Romans 1:25). False teachers “oppose the truth” (2 Timothy 3:8), “turn their ears away from the truth” (2 Timothy 4:4), and lead many to “follow sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned” (2 Peter 2:2). Persistent resistance invites divine wrath. Truth and Covenant Faithfulness Paul highlights Jesus Christ as “a servant to the circumcision on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs” (Romans 15:8). Truth thus encompasses God’s steadfast loyalty to His covenants, underscoring the unity of Old and New Testaments. Eschatological Significance of Truth End-time deception is measured against unwavering truth. The man of lawlessness wields “every wicked deception” toward those perishing “because they refused to love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Conversely, heavenly worship in Revelation celebrates God’s “true and just” judgments, amplifying the enduring triumph of truth. Historical Notes In Septuagint usage, the term often translates Hebrew ‘emet, denoting reliability and faithfulness. Greco-Roman culture prized speculative truth, yet New Testament writers redirect the concept toward revelation—truth disclosed, not discovered—challenging both Jewish legalism and Hellenistic relativism. Pastoral and Missional Implications 1. Proclamation: Evangelism must present Christ as the only truth that liberates (John 8:32). Summary Truth in the New Testament is not an abstract ideal but the self-revelation of the Triune God, enfleshed in Jesus Christ, communicated by the Spirit, inscribed in Scripture, and experienced in the redeemed community. To receive, love, and live this truth is to participate in God’s own faithfulness and to enter the freedom for which humanity was created. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 22:16 N-DFSGRK: θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ διδάσκεις καὶ NAS: of God in truth, and defer KJV: of God in truth, neither INT: of God in truth teach and Mark 5:33 N-AFS Mark 12:14 N-GFS Mark 12:32 N-GFS Luke 4:25 N-GFS Luke 20:21 N-GFS Luke 22:59 N-GFS John 1:14 N-GFS John 1:17 N-NFS John 3:21 N-AFS John 4:23 N-DFS John 4:24 N-DFS John 5:33 N-DFS John 8:32 N-AFS John 8:32 N-NFS John 8:40 N-AFS John 8:44 N-DFS John 8:44 N-NFS John 8:45 N-AFS John 8:46 N-AFS John 14:6 N-NFS John 14:17 N-GFS John 15:26 N-GFS John 16:7 N-AFS John 16:13 N-GFS Strong's Greek 225 |
    |