The Three Stages to Truth: A Biblical Philosophy of Education

Ours is an educated era. Yet we seem to be filled with facts while remaining ignorant of true understanding. In these texts the greatest teacher we have ever known, Jesus, demonstrates an educative scheme designed to fill our hearts as well as our heads, and destined to get our feet moving along with our minds.

The texts examined this week demonstrate the biblical understanding of Truth (aletheia in Greek) as "nonconcealment," the disclosure of the "full or real state of affairs." Two days after the crucifixion, Cleopas and another disciple (a friend or his wife?) are leaving Jerusalem for Emmaus when they are joined by a stranger who appears to be a rabbi. Later the teacher, now revealed as Christ, appears to the disciples in Jerusalem and continues his lessons. Peter himself serves as teacher in the temple portico, providing salvific knowledge to the Jews gathered there.

Robert McAfee Brown has examined the Emmaus Road experience in particular to illustrate the unique, powerful method of teaching employed by Jesus in order to convey the truth of a revolutionary new reality to his followers. Brown's analysis lends itself to all the teaching texts for this week. It also suggests a way for us to use Jesus' methods to transmit revolutionary messages of truth in our own day with power and...