In the last century, one of the facets of the Soviet era was the West’s awareness of Soviet doctoring of photographs to fit better with “official” history. Several examples can be found, including these images of the removal of a water commissar who fell out of favor and of a cosmonaut who died in a training accident.
This desire to remake the truth according to one’s own wishes or ideology is nothing new. The good news about Jesus Christ constantly faced such reconstruction at the hands of those who were mistaken or malicious or both. As we see in our text from II Timothy 3 this Sunday, leaders of the church were constantly encouraged to uphold the truth and oppose any distortions.
We also see the great example of our Savior Himself standing firm on the truth in the Palm Sunday lesson from Luke 19. As the crowd of disciples hails Jesus as the King “who comes in the name of the Lord,” some Pharisees want to edit the picture, silence that acclamation. Jesus refuses in verse 40, with the simple declaration that the truth about Him cannot be edited out or silenced, “if these were silent, the stones would shout.”
There are, of course, many places in the world still where the truth of the Gospel is edited, silenced or distorted. We as Christians need to be ready to stand up against opposition whenever and wherever that happens, even as it occasionally does in the United States. II Timothy 3:16 points to our reliance on Scripture as the cornerstone of our allegiance and commitment to standing for the truth.
However, it would also be well to remember that opposition to our Lord’s truth happens within our own selves. There are parts of the Gospel message which challenge the way we live and treat others, and the temptation to downplay, hide or distort those truths is very real even for us who name ourselves as followers of Christ. The danger of following into the trap of those described in II Timothy 3:5 is always present, “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
So let’s be diligent for the truth in every aspect of our lives, especially insofar as we are speaking and living out the faith we profess. Let’s not edit out the parts that make us uncomfortable or feel difficult. Because, as Jesus said to the Pharisees, the truth will be told, whether we tell it or not.