Does Truth Change Over Time Or Is It Grounded In An Unchanging Reality?

Introduction

The question of whether truth remains solid and objective or shifts according to changing cultural and linguistic conventions has challenged many philosophies and worldviews. Some argue that truth is simply a human construct, dependent on social and historical context. Others maintain that truth transcends cultural shifts and remains the same across all time periods. In Christian thought, truth is rooted in the character of God, who is described as unchanging and utterly dependable. In one scriptural passage, a writer declares, “Every word of God proves true” (Proverbs 30:5). This conviction stands diametrically opposed to the view that all meaning is merely a product of human convention. Those convinced of a biblically grounded approach believe that there are unchanging realities established by Jehovah, who is “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2). Such firm truths do not fade away with the passage of time.

The Roots Of Conventionalism

Conventionalism posits that meaning and truth emerge from cultural or communal agreements rather than any objective foundation. Certain historical figures, such as Ferdinand de Saussure (d. 1913), Gottlob Frege (d. 1925), and Ludwig Wittgenstein (d. 1951), influenced discussions on the nature of language, insisting that symbols are relative to a given community’s shared understandings. This view argues that words refer to concepts in a way that is essentially arbitrary: for instance, the word “down” can indicate a soft bird’s feather, a direction toward the south, or a lowering of position, depending on the agreed usage in any given moment.

In this way, conventionalists hold that language itself does not convey a stable essence but rather depends on changing communal contexts. Within a strictly conventionalist framework, no statement carries an intrinsic truth across all cultural situations. Every phrase would be reinterpreted based on localized factors, leaving no permanent anchor for any concept to be recognized as unfailingly true. The radical extension of this view suggests that statements about God, morality, or reality itself are fully contingent upon the conventions of the language used to speak about them. This perspective collides forcefully with the Christian conviction that some claims genuinely stand above cultural boundaries and remain secure.

Christians assert that God exists beyond any purely human construct. Moses proclaimed regarding Jehovah, “He is the Rock; his works are perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4). This description declares that the Creator’s works are “perfect,” independent of society’s attempt to define them. The “faithfulness” and “justice” of Jehovah are not malleable concepts that can be shaped to fit each cultural context. Rather, they rest in God’s eternal nature, reflecting an absolute reality that human language strives to describe.

Christian Perspective On Absolute Truth

Believers in an absolute, God-centered truth underscore that certain statements are valid for all humanity, regardless of linguistic or cultural contexts. Though one might switch from one language to another, the underlying truths remain firm if they accurately represent reality. Scripture identifies God as a Being of complete trustworthiness: “God is not man, that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19). Jesus also declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). In the Christian worldview, these words indicate that ultimate truth is anchored in the nature of God, not in shifting cultural conditions.

Some biblical passages speak directly about the permanence of divine words. The psalmist wrote, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). If truth is firmly settled in God’s eternal character, it does not dissolve when cultures evolve. Instead, it remains the yardstick by which any claim is measured. The Christian commitment to absolute truth also resonates with the notion that Jehovah consistently works according to his steadfast, righteous nature, a concept at odds with radical forms of conventionalism, which reject any unchanging standard that transcends culture or context.

The Logical Incoherence Of Extreme Relativism

Those who advocate the most extreme forms of conventionalism assert that all statements are merely cultural inventions. This line of reasoning quickly encounters difficulties if it attempts to claim that “all linguistic meaning is conventional” as a final, all-encompassing truth. If everything is simply a convention, then the statement itself is subject to the same relativity, so it cannot claim universal validity. It would deconstruct itself by asserting that there is no permanent meaning while expecting its own words to be permanently true.

A familiar example illustrates the problem. One can say that “All triangles have three sides,” and this claim remains valid in every language that possesses the concepts of “triangle,” “three,” and “side.” Replacing these words with different sounds does not negate the reality described. The shapes labeled as triangles always have three edges, regardless of the cultural lens through which a particular community sees them. Similarly, “3 + 4 = 7” does not depend on cultural consensus to be correct. Mathematics and the basic rules of logic reveal that certain truths hold regardless of human context. If someone argued that arithmetic’s correctness is only a matter of communal usage, they would still need to rely on the unchanging principles of logic to express that argument.

Additionally, there are fundamental axioms in logic, such as the law of noncontradiction, which states that a claim and its direct negation cannot both be correct in the same sense and at the same time. If everything were merely a social construct, then this basic principle would also be up for debate. Yet those who deny it necessarily assume it to be valid when they set out to articulate their denial. That is because a claim such as “The law of noncontradiction is not valid in every context” tries to uphold a stable meaning that something is “not valid,” inadvertently relying on the stable law of noncontradiction for that statement to make sense.

The Importance Of Language In Conveying Truth

People often confuse the nature of language symbols with the nature of the reality those symbols represent. It is true that words are flexible. The same collection of letters can carry radically different meanings in various cultures. The arrangement of letters for “down” in one language could refer to something completely unrelated in another language. These symbolic variations show that human languages are indeed subject to enormous creativity and change. That observation, however, must be carefully separated from whether the underlying reality remains stable.

Scripture, acknowledged by Christians as inspired, conveys the notion that what God reveals about Himself and the created order reflects an authentic, unchanging reality. The apostle Paul pointed to the natural world as a signpost to the Creator: “His invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20). This remains applicable in every century, with or without the complexities of language. Creation points to a power beyond human boundaries, just as a painting points to a painter even if people of different languages name that painting differently.

Conventionalists sometimes try to bridge the gap between words and concepts by distinguishing the surface grammar from a deeper grammatical structure that supposedly holds some stable meaning. Yet this proposal encounters the same predicament if the deeper grammar itself is also said to be fully constructed by cultural norms. One cannot stand outside all conventions to judge between them if there truly is no vantage point beyond culture. By contrast, Christians believe there is a vantage point above cultural perspective: the mind of Jehovah, who declares, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). That foundational reality is not contingent upon human interpretation but is simply the way things are.

Conclusion

Conventionalism, when it drifts into all-out relativism, faces its own undoing. The statement “All truth is relative” cannot escape the demand for a truth that is not relative. Language is undeniably fluid in its use of symbols, and words themselves vary from one community to another. However, that observation does not necessitate that the underlying realities signified by language are equally unfixed. Distinguishing between the symbol and the truth it aims to communicate is crucial.

Christian apologetics maintains that God’s existence and moral nature stand on an immovable foundation. The Scriptural assertion, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), aligns with the understanding that even though the expressions of language may shift, the truths communicated within God’s revelation do not erode. Rather than concluding that human language inevitably seals us within cultural limitations, the Christian position views language as a capable bridge that, when used rightly, carries us toward timeless realities anchored in the eternal character of Jehovah. Believers look forward to the ultimate vindication of truth in the sight of the One who cannot lie and whose purpose is established forever. Followers of the God of the Bible find comfort in the promise of stability, trusting that no human convention can overthrow the consistent truth expressed by the One who said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). That statement was an objective claim from Jehovah, not merely a product of social circumstance. It was a command that looked beyond cultural norms, insisting on absolute devotion to an absolute standard. For those who hold to the authority of Scripture, that standard remains as relevant now as it did in the days of Abraham.

You May Also Enjoy

Is Classical Apologetics the Most Reliable Approach to Defending the Christian Faith?

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).