The Truth Will Set You Free

Jesus answered, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”  -John 18, 37-38

Pop Quiz:

1. Would you be surprised to learn that most of our oldest and most prestigious American universities were founded in the name of Jesus Christ for the purpose of spreading the Gospel in the Colonies?

2. What is the Harvard University Motto? If you answered “Veritas” (Truth), you are right. How about the Johns Hopkins University Motto? “Veritas vos liberabit” (The Truth Will Set You Free).

3. What does one have to do with the other?

The Founding of “The Ivies”

Harvard was founded by the Massachusetts Puritans in 1636, a mere 16 years after they landed at Plymouth Rock. An etching on the Johnston Gate entrance to Harvard Yard still reads:

“After God had carried us safely to New England, and we had built our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, reared convenient places for God’s worship, and settled the civil government; one of the next things we longed for, and looked after was to advance learning, and perpetuate it to posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches, when our present ministers shall lie in the dust.”

Yale University (motto: “Lux et veritas” -Light and truth) was founded by the leaders of the New Haven Puritan Colony in 1701 “To establish a theocracy and a college to educate its leaders.” Many of those leaders felt the spiritual foundations at Harvard were already being co-opted. Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, and others followed with similar goals. In fact, nearly every American University founded prior to the Revolution was established by Christians to spread Christianity.

Johns Hopkins University was founded nearly a century later and named for its benefactor, a Quaker abolitionist and entrepreneur. According to his 1873 obituary, his life-long mission “was to destroy sectarianism and cement into one the various Christian sects.” The school was founded three years later and its motto (“Veritas vos liberabit” – The Truth will set you free) was officially adopted in 1885.

The world, in all its diversity, is eager to be guided towards the great values of mankind, truth, good and beauty; now more than ever. – Educating Today and Tomorrow (2014-Congregation for Catholic Education, emphasis added.)

Whose Truth?

Moral Relativism is the belief that there are no objective truths, and that our personal preferences dictate our individual realities. We often hear things like, “That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me,” or “everyone’s truth-claims are equally valid.” Objective truth, that which leads us to the good and the beautiful, is sacrificed at the altar of pluralism. This is markedly illustrated by the Harvard motto. In 1692 Harvard College adopted a seal with the motto, “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae” (Truth for Christ and the Church). Sometime in its history, Harvard  decided to remove Christ and the Church from their seal and motto. The Christian Graduate Student Community at Harvard describes what was lost:

“This [original motto] was embedded on a shield as shown to the right, and can be found on many buildings around campus including the Widener library, Memorial Church, and various dorms in Harvard Yard. Interestingly, the top two books on the shield are face up while the bottom book is face down. This symbolizes the limits of reason, and the need for God’s revelation. With the secularization of the school, the current shield now contains only the word “Veritas” with three open books.” (emphasis added)

In our postmodern society, the current Harvard motto is meaningless. What truth? Whose truth?  Johns Hopkins University’s motto is based on Biblical truth, but the motto (“The Truth will set you free”) is sadly incomplete. Here are the actual words of Jesus from John 8:31-32;

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, [then] you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (emphasis added)

What is Truth?

In John 18, when Jesus tells the Roman governor Pontius Pilate that He came to testify to the truth, Pilate asked a question that echoes all these centuries later. And Jesus’ answer was…

We’ll never know, as the question was not asked sincerely, but cynically. “Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he again went out.” He asked the right question to the right person – the Creator of the Universe – but he did not even wait for the answer. Christians believe that the Bible is God’s direct revelation to His people, and contains the fullness of truth. It is our owners’ manual direct from the Manufacturer, and if we follow His precepts they lead us into the fullness of joy in this life and eternal happiness in the next. What is your truth source?

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. -John 14:6

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  -John 16:13

Father, consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. –John 17:17

If we say “We have fellowship with him” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. -1 John 1:6

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. -3 John 4

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8