Here in 1 John 1:6 aletheia denotes the revealed reality of God in its aspect of the divine light. It is the issue and realization of the divine light in verse 5. The divine light is the source in God. Truth is its issue and realization in us. When we abide in the divine light, which we enjoy in the fellowship of the divine life, we practice the truth—what we have realized in the divine light. When we abide in the source, its issue becomes our practice.
I believe that after a period of time, perhaps another ten years, the truth in the Lord’s recovery will be very prevailing. We do not care for numbers. But if several thousand saints can be trained with the truth, the prevailing truth will accomplish much for the Lord’s purpose.
Let us now consider certain verses in the Epistles where the word truth is used. In Romans 1:18 Paul says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold down the truth in unrighteousness.” What is the truth in this verse? In order to answer this question, we need to read verses 19 and 20: “Because that which may be known of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested it to them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, being apprehended by the things made, are clearly seen, both His eternal power and divinity, for them to be without excuse.” According to these verses, the truth in verse 18 means all that God is and all the things concerning God and His existence and the knowledge of them. Therefore, with Romans 1:18-20 as the basis, we may say that truth denotes the reality concerning God, the universe, and man. Because this truth has been manifested, man is without excuse.
Paul goes on to speak further concerning the truth in chapter two of Romans: “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth upon those who practice such things” (v. 2). What is the truth in this verse? Truth here means the actual situation and condition of man. No doubt, it also refers to the truth in Romans 1:18-20, the truth concerning God’s reality being manifested. Those who hold down this truth will one day be judged by God according to it.
In Romans 1:18 truth refers to what God is. According to Romans 1:19 and 20, this truth, this reality, can be known through God’s creation. We need to hold to this truth. One day, God will judge according to this truth all those who hold it down.
In Romans 2:20 Paul goes on to say, “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.” The law here refers to the Mosaic law. In the Mosaic law there is a certain amount of the divine truth. All human beings should act according to this truth. Otherwise, God will judge them according to it.
I use these verses from the book of Romans to illustrate the fact that in the New Testament the word truth signifies different things. The point concerning the truth we have considered in Romans 1 and 2 is very different from the meaning of truth in the Gospel of John. According to the Gospel of John, God is incarnated to be the truth, Christ is the truth of the divine life, and the Spirit is the truth, the reality, of Christ. All these matters, of course, concern the Trinity. But the truth in Romans 1 and 2 does not concern the Trinity. Rather, the truth in these chapters is related to what God is, as revealed through creation. Whatever is revealed concerning God through creation is a truth, a reality, and we need to hold on to this truth. Furthermore, truth in these verses from Romans denotes the reality concerning God, the universe, man, man’s relationship with God and with others, and man’s obligation to God, as revealed through creation and through the Scripture.