We have seen that truth is the real content of doctrines, but we must also see that truth is nothing less than God Himself. In Galatians 2:14 Paul says that Peter and the other Jewish believers who refused to eat with Gentile believers “were not walking in a straightforward way in relation to the truth of the gospel.” We sometimes speak of certain truths, such as the truth of the church, the truth of the kingdom, or the truth of baptism. According to this usage, the truth means a doctrine or teaching. However, the truth of the gospel is the reality of the gospel—God revealed and realized. Christians who emphasize doctrinal teaching may argue that the truth of the gospel in Galatians 2 is that, according to the New Testament gospel, the Gentile believers can eat with the Jewish believers. This argument is apparently right, but it is shortsighted—it not the truth but a doctrine. The truth of the gospel is God revealed and realized because it is not a matter of whether the Gentiles can eat with the Jews but a matter of whether the Gentiles can enjoy God. In the Old Testament economy the Gentiles were alienated from enjoying God, but in the New Testament economy the Gentiles are allowed to enjoy God with the Jews. This is the truth of the gospel. We must come to God Himself as the truth.
Ephesians 1:13 says, “In whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation.” In this verse the word of the truth and the gospel of your salvation are synonyms. Therefore, the truth is not a doctrine but salvation, which is the Lord Himself. When we touch the content of any doctrine, if we do not touch God Himself, we still do not have the truth. Most Christians think that we have the truth when we understand the contents of the doctrine. However, that is not truth but still doctrine. When we touch God, we have truth.
Ephesians 4:24 says, “Put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality.” It is crucial to see what the reality is here. Some versions translate “righteous and holiness of the reality” as “righteousness and true holiness” (e.g., KJV). However, in Greek the definite article is emphatic, indicating a noun. The reality is not a small thing, for the new man was created in righteousness and holiness of the reality. In this verse the words according to God reveal that the reality is God Himself. According to the factors in John, the reality, the truth, is God as the Word, as the Father embodied in the Son and the Son realized as the Spirit to be life, light, and grace for our enjoyment. It was in the righteousness and holiness of such a reality that the new man was created.
Some Christians argue a great deal about matters such as whether to use wine or grape juice at the Lord’s table. They call their teachings the truth, and they say that others who teach differently do not have the truth. Actually, the teachings that they insist on are not the truth but doctrines, for the truth is God Himself. Other Christians stress matters such as the form of baptism, head covering, and the timing of the rapture. Such doctrinal teachings are not truth, because they are not God. Nevertheless, the revelation in the Bible concerning baptism, head covering, and the rapture does convey God as the truth. Brother Watchman Nee never introduced a teaching without God as the content. Whatever he taught was the truth, for it was full of God.
In our study of the Bible and Christian literature, we should not merely collect doctrines without God. Teachings emphasizing outward forms are vain doctrines. Truth is God revealed and realized in His many aspects, such as the basic factors we have seen in the Gospel of John. A teaching that does not convey God is not truth but a mere doctrine. Whether a teacher ministers truth to us or merely doctrine depends on whether his teaching ministers God to us. If God is ministered in his teaching, what he speaks is not merely doctrine but truth. Although he may be an eloquent and knowledgeable scholar, if his speaking does not minister God, it is not truth but mere doctrine.
The “holiness” people, such as the Amish, teach that Christians should wear only certain colors and styles of clothing. They have some scriptural basis, because 1 Timothy 2:9 says that women should “adorn themselves in proper clothing with modesty and sobriety.” However, their teachings about clothing are not the truth, because they do not convey God. Therefore, such teachings are not much different from the teachings of Confucius. We should not teach in this way. Even in teaching the sisters to wear modest apparel, we must minister God in Christ as life, light, and grace for their enjoyment. When we enjoy the living Christ, He will tell us what to wear.
If we are not clear about what the truth is, we may be divided by disagreements over doctrines. The real truth, Christ Himself, will prevent such division. We should not argue about matters such as the proper way to immerse people when we baptize them. As long as we baptize them in the power of the Spirit to transfer them into Christ, the way they enter the water does not matter. The truth stops different opinions. Without the truth, the more we discuss such matters, the more we are loaded with vain and divisive doctrines. The Brethren were divided mainly by disagreements over so-called truths related to matters such as the timing of the rapture. When we touch the matter of rapture, we should care only to minister Christ as life, light, and grace. When we minister Christ into the saints, He will be the nourishment that causes them to grow. This will produce the maturity that is necessary to be raptured.
We do not care for doctrinal arguments about matters such as the timing of the rapture, because they do not convey the reality of God. However, we do care for the proper doctrines, which convey the truth. All teachings, including those printed in our books, are doctrines, but not all doctrines are the same. Doctrines that convey Christ as reality are like grain, but doctrines that do not minister Christ and only lead to division are like chaff. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching.” The proper teaching of the Scriptures ministers Christ as the reality. If we know what the truth is, we will not be deceived by empty doctrines. The doctrines in the Bible convey the truth, which is God Himself in many aspects.