Bible Lexicons

ἀλήθεια, (ας, ἡ (ἀληθής) (from Homer down), verity, truth.

I. objectively;

1. universally, what is true in any matter under consideration (opposed to what is feigned, fictitious, false): James 3:14; ἀλήθειαν λέγειν, έ᾿ρειν, John 8:45; John 16:7; Romans 9:1; 1 Corinthians 12:6; 1 Timothy 2:7; εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τήν ἀλήθειαν, everything as it really was, Mark 5:33 (so in classics); μαρτυρεῖν τῇ ἀλήθεια to testify according to the true state of the case, John 5:33; in a broader sense, λαλεῖν ἀλήθειαν, to speak always according to truth, Ephesians 4:25; (ἀληθείας ῤήματα ἀποφθέγγομαι, as opposed to the vagaries of madness, Acts 26:25); ἀλήθεια ἐγένετο, was shown to be true by the event, 2 Corinthians 7:14. ἐν ἀλήθεια, in truth, truly, as the case is, according to fact: Matthew 22:16; John 4:23f (as accords with the divine nature); 2 Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 1:6; ἐπ' ἀληθείας a. truly, in truth, according to truth: Mark 12:32; Luke 4:25 (Job 9:2 the Sept.; Philo, vit. Moys. i., § 1).

b. of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly: Mark 12:14; Luke 20:21; (); Acts 4:27; Acts 10:34 (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 23, 5 [ET] and 47, 3 [ET]); (cf. Winers Grammar, § 51, 2 f.; Buttmann, 336 (289)); κατ' ἀλήθειαν in accordance with fact, i. e. (according to the context) justly, without partiality: Romans 2:2; εἴτε προφάσει, εἴτε ἀλήθεια, Philippians 1:18; ἐν ἔργῳ καί ἀλήθεια, 1 John 3:18 (Rec. omits ἐν; so Ephesians 4:21 WH marginal reading).

2. In reference to religion, the word denotes what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, (`moral and religions truth'); and that a. with the greatest latitude, in the sceptical question τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια, John 18:38;

b. the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention: Romans 1:18; also ἡ ἀλήθεια Θεοῦ the truth of which God is the author, Romans 1:25, cf. 19 (ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Ev. Nicod., c. 5, 2; accordingly, it is not, as many interpret the phrase, the true nature of God (yet see Meyer at the passage)); truth, the embodiment of which the Jews sought in the Mosaic law, Romans 2:20.

c. "the truth, as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man," opposed alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and to the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians: ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ εὐαγγελίου the truth which is the gospel or which the gospel presents, Galatians 2:5, 14 (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 34, 3 a.); and absolutely ἡ ἀλήθεια and ἀλήθεια: John 1:14, 17; John 8:32, 40; (); ; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 2:4, 21; 2 John 1:1-3; Galatians 3:1 (Rec.); Galatians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 13:8; Ephesians 4:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12; 1 Timothy 2:7 (ἐν πίστει καί ἀλήθεια in faith and truth, of which I became a partaker through faith); ; 2 Timothy 2:18; 2 Timothy 3:8; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14; 2 Peter 1:12; (3 John 1:8, 12); ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας, Colossians 1:5; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:15; λόγος ἀληθείας, 2 Corinthians 6:7; James 1:18; ὁδός τῆς ἀληθείας, 2 Peter 2:2; πίστις ἀληθείας, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (Winer's Grammar, 186 (175)); ὑπακοὴ τῆς ἀληθείας, 1 Peter 1:22; ἐπίγνωσις τῆς ἀληθείας, Hebrews 10:26; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Timothy 3:7; (Titus 1:1); πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας the Spirit (of God) which is truth (1 John 5:6) and imbues men with the knowledge of the truth, John 14:17; (); ; 1 John 4:6; ἐγώ εἰμί ἡ ἀλήθεια, I am he in whom the truth is summed up and impersonated, John 14:6; ἡ ἀλήθεια σου (Rec.) (i. e. Θεοῦ) the truth which is in thee and proceeds from thee, John 17:17; (ἐστιν ἀλήθεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοί, i. e., controls, actuates, me, 2 Corinthians 11:10); εἶναι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας to be eager to know the truth, John 18:37 (see ἐκ, II. 7, and εἰμί, V. 3 d.); to proceed from the truth, 1 John 2:21; to be prompted and controlled by the truth, 1 John 3:19; μαρτυρεῖν τῇ ἀληθ., to give testimony in favor of the truth in order to establish its authority among men, John 18:37; ἀλήθειαν ποιεῖν to exemplify truth in the life, to express the form of truth in one's habits of thought and modes of living, John 3:21; 1 John 1:6 (Tobit 13:6 Tobit 4:6; cf. Nehemiah 9:33; ὁδόν ἀληθείας αἰρετίζεσθαι, Psalm 118:30 ()); so also περιπατεῖν ἐν τῇ ἀλήθεια. 2 John 1:4; 3 John 1:3f; ἀπειθεῖν τῇ ἀλήθεια is just the opposite, Romans 2:8; so also πλανηθῆναι ἀπό τῆς ἀληθείας, James 5:19.

II. (subjectively) "truth as a personal excellence; that candor of mind which is free from affectation, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit": John 8:44; sincerity of mind and integrity of character, or a mode of life in harmony with divine truth: 1 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Corinthians 13:6 (opposed to ἀδικία); Ephesians 4:21 (see I. 1 b. above); ; (); σου ἀλήθεια the truth as it is discerned in thee, thy habit of thinking and acting in congruity with truth, 3 John 1:3; ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Θεοῦ which belongs to God, i. e., his holiness (but cf. περισσεύω, 1 b. at the end), Romans 3:7; specifically, veracity (of God in keeping his promises), Romans 15:8; ἐν ἀλήθεια sincerely and truthfully, 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1. The word is not found in Revelation ((nor in 1 Thessalonians, Philemon, Jude)). Cf. Holemann, Bibelstudien (Lpz. 1859) 1te Abth., p. 8ff; (Wendt in Studien und Kritiken, 1883, p. 511ff.)