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Is the Correspondence View of Truth Biblical?

3/9/2014

8 Comments

 
The concept of biblical inerrancy is based on the law of non-contradiction and the assumption of truth (aletheia) as correspondence to reality. But one of the arguments against inerrancy is that we are reading a modern view of truth back into Scripture when the Bible itself does not subscribe to such a strict standard for truth. I’d like to respond to this argument.

The simple version of the correspondence view of truth is that truth is that which corresponds with reality. In other words, a statement is true if and only if it matches the way things really are. Implied in the correspondence view are the fundamental laws of thought: 1) Something is what it is.  2) Either something is or it is not. And 3) Something cannot both be and not be at the same time and in the same respect (the law of non-contradiction). The correspondence view of truth assumes this law of non-contradiction (and the other related laws) and insists that a statement is false if it does not correspond with the way things really are. If two statements absolutely contradict one another, they cannot both be true (they cannot both match the way things really are), and they both could be false -- if neither of them correspond to reality.

This correspondence view of truth is implicit throughout Scripture, beginning in Genesis. The very first lie in the Bible (the serpent telling Eve, “Ye shall not surely die”) was a lie because it contradicted reality.  Eve, and Adam, actually died from eating the forbidden fruit.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 taught the Israelites that they could test prophets according to whether or not their prophecies came to pass. If a statement (the prophecy) matched the reality (the event predicted actually occurred in time and space), then the prophet passed that test. If the prediction did not match reality, then the prophet was considered false. The truth was determined by its correspondence to reality.

The truth of Christianity hinges on whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead. If his body still lies in the grave, then we have been deceived into following a false religion. The apostles knew that their claim that Jesus rose from the dead had to match reality. Paul confessed that he would be a false witness (a liar) if his truth claim didn’t match reality (I Cor. 15:15). The correspondence view of truth is assumed here.

Jesus himself warned us of false prophets and false Christs, and said that they would deceive many (Matthew 24:11). He was concerned about what people believed. If one believes that a particular person is a Messiah when in reality the Messiah is another person, he will lose his soul for putting his faith in the wrong person. The correspondence view of truth is implicit in this teaching of Jesus.

I have shared just a few examples of a multitude of indicators that the Bible assumes the correspondence view of truth. This understanding of truth culminates in the claim of Jesus to be the Truth -- the disclosure of Ultimate Reality, the Source of anything else that is real.  Christ embodies that Reality as a Divine Person.
8 Comments
Peter Casalino, Jr.
3/10/2014 12:35:08 pm

Thanks for sharing Bro. Bird. I appreciate your insight and ministry.

Reply
Michael Nelson
9/8/2014 05:56:45 am

Hi Dr Bird, you said "This understanding of truth culminates in the claim of Jesus to be the Truth -- the disclosure of Ultimate Reality, the Source of anything else that is real. Christ embodies that Reality as a Divine Person." You chose and excellent way to put into words describing Jesus as "ultimate reality." And of course this makes perfect sense because we have no reference point without the Creator.

Reply
Sarah Sproles
11/5/2014 04:30:56 am

I like the correspondence argument for the validity of the Bible and our beliefs. People, in general, want to base their beliefs in something that is logical and sensible. Sometimes they convince themselves that some illogical things do make sense, but these can be disproved with evidence and reality. I like the paragraph about the Apostles knowing that what they believed in corresponded with the reality of the resurrection. People do not willingly give their lives for what they know is false. Therefore, the Apostles must have known for a fact that the resurrection is reality. The correspondence argument can be used with many different subjects, and I believe is very effective in helping people confront erroneous ideas.

Reply
Benjamin Highley
12/13/2014 03:22:44 am

If what is true is something other than what corresponds with reality, how can anyone truly know anything?

It seems illogical to me that people should even waste time debating what truth is if they don't agree that reality is the foundation thereof.

Not only is the correspondence view the correct view of truth, I find other views of truth to be unsupportable nonsense.

Reply
Paul
12/19/2014 02:57:25 am

Although people may deny truth as correspondence to reality in their worldviews and philosophies, they never deny it in their everyday lives. We see a chair, believe it to be real, and sit upon it believing it strong enough to hold us up. If someone tells us they will do something, we assume they will either do it or not but not both at the same time.

It is only in our vain philosophies that we would claim all roads lead to God. For no one would claim all roads lead to New York when we know continents exist!

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Bobbie Jo King link
12/10/2015 11:18:51 am

Thank you Mr. Bird for sharing with us the correspondence view of biblical truth, which states that the truth always corresponds with reality.
I think one needs to first believe in an absolute truth before they can truly embrace the correspondence view. Until one believes in an infinite, eternal, all knowing and Sovereign Being, I think it would be difficult for them to believe in the inerrant Word of God.

It is true that absolute, inerrant truth never contradicts itself. I believe this is due to it being "God breathed" as "all scripture is given by inspiration of God..." God Himself is truth, and everything He does or says is the absolute truth, thus as the bible is the Word of God, then it is the Word of truth to us which will always match reality.

This shed new light on lying for me in stating that truth is that which corresponds with reality and authenticity, then lying corresponds with fantasy and falsehood. Many people today who claim that everything is relative live in a contradictory world, living a life of fantasy, deceiving with false reality which is connately shifting and changing giving no foundation for actual, satisfying and fulfilling life to occur.

The reality of God and biblical truth offers a foundation of absolute truth, which brings fulfillment, safety and security in knowing one's God, one's boundaries, which helps differentiate between truth and fiction.

If we do not stand on the absolute truth and inerrancy of God's word we do not stand at all and we will fall into the trap of deceit only to wake up in an eternity separated from the holy love of God, in hell.

Reply
Joshua Wilson
11/10/2016 09:32:08 pm

Thank you Dr. Bird for this concise article on the correspondence theory. I think this is important if not vital to establish. If what we believe does not correspond to reality then we should as much believe in a unicorn that is standing in front of us. Everything we believe must stand up to reality if it is to stand up to the rest of the world.

I especially like your example of correspondence in both the Old and New Testament. I think seeing how the correspondence theory correlates with scripture is vital to the argument that correspondence with reality is truly a necessary part of scripture.

Reply
Blake Spangler
6/28/2019 06:20:13 pm

I really like this example of proving the Bible's innerrancy. However, I think there is a problem with many people in today's culture, because they reject reality as it is and decide they want to believe anything they choose.

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    Mark Bird teaches Systematic Theology and Apologetics, among other subjects, at God's Bible School and College, a regionally accredited Bible College in Cincinnati, OH.

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