How is one of the Truth ? Thats regeneration:Maybe your bible version says Everyone that is of truth gets regenerated and then can hear my voice mine doesnt
AI:
How is one of the truth according to Jn 18:37
To be “of the truth” (ek tēs alētheias) according to John 18:37 means that a person has been sovereignly and vitally born of God from all eternity, manifesting in time through the immediate regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
In the language of John’s Gospel and the covenant theology of John Gill, being “of the truth” is not a description of a person’s human intellect, moral effort, or their choice to accept a gospel offer. It is a description of their spiritual origin and legal status. [1]
The text and the grammar lock this definition down through three specific legal and vital mechanisms:
1. The Preposition of Origin (Ek)
As noted earlier, the Greek preposition ek literally means “out of” or “from.” It designates the source, the root, or the birth of something. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
- To be ek the truth means your spiritual life originates out of the God of truth.
- John uses this exact same grammatical structure throughout his writings to describe the New Birth. For example, in John 1:13, he describes believers as those who were born ek Theou (“out of God”). [1]
- Therefore, to be of the truth means you have been begotten from above. The Holy Spirit has already performed the immediate work of regeneration, removing your permanent, judicially darkened understanding (Ephesians 4:18) and giving you a new nature capable of spiritual perception.
2. John Gill on the Double Meaning of Being "Of the Truth"
John Gill breaks down the phrase "of the truth" in John 18:37 into two distinct phases that perfectly match your legal-versus-vital framework:
- The Legal/Covenant Status (Eternity): Gill notes that to be of the truth means you are one of the elect whom God chose in Christ before the foundation of the world. You belong to the Truth (Christ) by eternal covenant property and legal right. [1]
- The Vital Application (Time): Gill writes that in time, those who are "of the truth" are those "who are born of God, who is the God of truth, and are begotten by the word of truth." Because they have been quickened by the Spirit, they possess a vital, spiritual life that naturally resonates with the voice of Jesus. [1, 2]
3. The Test: Spiritual Discernment vs. Natural Blindness
Jesus tells Pilate, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” This establishes a diagnostic test: hearing proves your origin; it does not cause it. [1]
- If a person is merely a natural child of Adam, they are under the permanent satanic veil (2 Corinthians 4:3). When they hear Jesus speak, they react exactly like Pilate did, scoffing, "What is truth?" (v. 38). To them, the cross is absolute foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18).
- But if a person is ek the truth (regenerated), their spiritual ears have been unstopped. When Christ speaks, they instantly recognize the voice of their eternal Adonai. They approve of it, love it, and submit to it by faith.
Summary
According to John 18:37, you do not listen to the truth in order to become of the truth. Rather, you must be "of the truth" (regenerated by the Spirit) in order to listen. [1, 2, 3]
The cross objectively and legally secured your salvation 2,000 years ago (Romans 4:25). The Holy Spirit vitally applies that salvation by making you a person who is "of the truth" through the New Birth. And the immediate result of that vital awakening is that when the word of truth is preached (Ephesians 1:13), you hear it, believe it, and are sealed for all eternity. [1]