I Am Telling You The Truth
Recently I purchased the 2003 movie entitled, "The Gospel of John," produced by Visual Bible International. The film follows the gospel word-for-word from the Good News Bible, sometimes using a narrator, and at other times, the actors speaking.
It seems the film has been well put together, setting aside Hollywood theatrics in favour of accuracy. We do not know what the Lord looked like, nor do we know the specifics of His personality, but the actor who portrays Jesus has done well.
I was especially intrigued by the regular use of the phrase "I am telling you the truth." This is the GNB rendering of the Greek "amen" in certain texts. The word is defined as "...firm ...faithful ...surely, of a truth, truly ...most assuredly." (Thayer's)
I like the emphatic nature of "I am telling you the truth." It grabs the attention. It demands that we listen. It says something about the nature of His words - they are true. In fact, Jesus plainly to us that He was the truth (John 14:6)
Consider some of the things which Jesus emphasized to His hearers:
I am telling you the truth: you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man. (John 1:51)This, He said to Nathaniel, who declared Him to be the Son of God, having heard that He saw Him under the fig tree (John 1:48-50). There would be greater things to come in their walk with the Lord. It would be interesting to know if Nathaniel had been reading or meditating about Jacob's ladder (Genesis 28:12) while under the fig tree.
I am telling you the truth, what Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven. For the bread that God gives is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (John 6:32-33)A verse later, the people would ask Him for this bread. He would identify Himself as "the bread of life" (John 6:35). The people grumbled among themselves, for He claimed to be from heaven. They took further offense when He said:
I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. (John 6:53)
“"I am telling you the truth." It grabs the attention. It demands that we listen.”
Shortly after this, many of His disciples turned back and followed Him no more.
I am telling you the truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die. ...I am telling you the truth, before Abraham was born, 'I Am'. (John 8:51,58)Hearing Him declare the saving power of His teachings, the people asked if He was greater than Abraham. Indeed, He is - He revealed Himself to be 'I Am,' a phrase used of God (Exodus 3:14). Again, they would attempt to stone Him.
I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep. (John 10:7)Just verses earlier, Jesus said it was essential for us to enter the sheep pen by the gate - He is the gate. If we desire to be in the presence of God in eternity, then we must do so through Jesus and His sacrifice alone. He is "...the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by [him]."
I am telling you the truth: no slaves are greater than their master, and no messengers are greater than the one who sent them. (John 13:16)In the midst of teaching His disciples to serve and love one another, the Lord made this statement. Just before saying so, He had girded Himself with a towel and washed all their feet. Friend, we need to serve and love one another, as Jesus has taught us.
I am telling you the truth: one of you is going to betray me. (John 13:21)What a disturbing thing for the disciples to hear. They had spent over 3 years together, following Jesus and hearing His teaching. After all this, Judas would betray Jesus to the chief priests.
Jesus always declared the truth; but on these occasions, as well as others, He emphasized His words with this preface, "I am telling you the truth." Some of the things Jesus had to say were perhaps difficult for His hearers to believe; He stressed the truth of His words. May we always acknowledge that the word of the Lord is truth.
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Answering The Atheist
Complaint:
Did God burn to death all of Korah's children? Numbers 16:27-33 says that He did, but Numbers 26:11 says that some of them survived. Is there a contradiction?
Response:
Numbers 16 speaks of the rebellion against Moses and Aaron led by three men, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The end result was that the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were judged, as the earth opened up and consumed them. The question is, did the earth consume them all?
Does Numbers 16 say that all the family of Korah was put to death? Numbers 16:20-21 indicates that God was angry with the whole congregation, and would have destroyed them all, but Moses and Aaron plead for them before the Lord.
The congregation was told to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. We're told
...the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. (Numbers 16:32)
One might assume from the wording that the entire house of Korah was extinguished, but the text does not say this is the case. An assumed contradiction does not constitute a contradiction.
Numbers 26:10-11 clearly reveals that there were offspring of Korah who survived the judgment against his house. Perhaps they were not present at the time the earth opened up; or more likely, they were not of the same mind as Korah, and were also among those who stood clear of his tent when God's judgment came.
There is no contradiction.
This article is in response to Skeptic's Annotated Bible.