Philippians 4:8 NASB95
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Here is a list of things I have found to be “true“.
I will be adding to this list frequently as a practical and personal way to “dwell on these things“.
Truth:
- The Bible
Truthful:
- This makes me think of someone who is in the habit of telling things as they are
- A synonym might be “Reliable”
True to Fact/Actual/Not Pretend:
- A sincere apology and taking of responsibility for what one has done
- Accurate Biographical Accounts
- Math Solutions
Conforming to Reality:
- Rocket Scientists
Genuine/Sincere:
- An unexpected thank you card
Lawful/Rightful:
- Driving your first owned car
Faithful/Loyal:
- The works of great artists who have captured in paint the beauty of a sunset or the triumph of a great battle
Honest:
Exact/Precise:
- Finding the right word for the occasion
Straight/Right/True:
- When a car manufacturer produces a high quality vehicle with no factory marks or defects
- A plumb line
Study Notes:
G227 “alethes”
From G1 (as a negative particle) and G2990; true (as not concealing): – true, truly, truth.
Vine NT
True
A. Adjectives.
1. alethes (G227), primarily, “unconcealed, manifest” (a, negative, letho, “to forget,” = lanthano, “to escape notice”), hence, actual, “true to fact,” is used (a) of persons, “truthful,” Mat_22:16; Mar_12:14; Joh_3:33; Joh_7:18; Joh_8:26; Rom_3:4; 2Co_6:8; (b) of things, “true,” conforming to reality, Joh_4:18, “truly,” lit., “true”; Joh_5:31, Joh_5:32; in the best texts, Joh_6:55 (twice), “indeed”; Joh_8:13, Joh_8:14 (Joh_8:16 in some texts: see No. 2), Joh_8:17; Joh_10:41; Joh_19:35; Joh_21:24; Act_12:9; Php_4:8; Tit_1:13; 1Pe_5:12; 2Pe_2:22; 1Jn_2:8, 1Jn_2:27; 3Jn_1:2.
2. alethinos (G228), akin to No. 1, denotes “true” in the sense of real, ideal, genuine; it is used (a) of God, Joh_7:28 (cf. No. 1 in Joh_7:18, above); Joh_17:3; 1Th_1:9; Rev_6:10; these declare that God fulfills the meaning of His Name; He is “very God,” in distinction from all other gods, false gods (alethes, see Joh_3:33 in No. 1, signifies that He is veracious, “true” to His utterances, He cannot lie); (b) of Christ, Joh_1:9; Joh_6:32; Joh_15:1; 1Jn_2:8; 1Jn_5:20 (thrice); Rev_3:7, Rev_3:14; Rev_19:11; His judgment, Joh_8:16 (in the best texts, instead of No. 1); (c) God’s words, Joh_4:37; Rev_19:9, Rev_21:5; Rev_22:6; the last three are equivalent to No. 1; (d) His ways, Rev_15:3; (e) His judgments, Rev_16:7; Rev_19:2; (to His riches, Luk_16:11; (g) His worshipers, Joh_4:23; (h) their hearts, Heb_10:22; (i) the witness of the apostle John, Joh_19:35; (j) the spiritual, antitypical tabernacle, Heb_8:2; Heb_9:24, not that the wilderness tabernacle was false, but that it was a weak and earthly copy of the heavenly.
Note: “Alethinos is related to alethes as form to contents or substances; alethes denotes the reality of the thing, alethinos defines the relation of the conception to the thing to which it corresponds = genuine” (Cremer).
3. gnesios (G1103), primarily “lawfully begotten” (akin to ginomai, “to become”), hence, “true, genuine, sincere,” is used in the apostle’s exhortation to his “true yoke-fellow” in Php_4:3. See OWN, SINCERITY.
Note: In the KJV of 2Co_1:18 and 1Ti_3:1, pistos, “faithful” (RV), is translated “true.”
B. Verb.
aletheuo (G226) signifies “to deal faithfully or truly with anyone” (cf. Gen_42:16, Sept., “whether ye deal truly or no”), Eph_4:15, “speaking the truth”; Gal_3:16, “I tell (you) the truth,” where probably the apostle is referring to the contents of his epistle.
C. Noun.
aletheia (G225), “truth,” is used (a) objectively, signifying “the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter” (Cremer), e.g., Rom_9:1; 2Co_11:10; especially of Christian doctrine, e.g., Gal_2:5, where “the truth of the Gospel” denotes the “true” teaching of the Gospel, in contrast to perversions of it; Rom_1:25, where “the truth of God” may be “the truth concerning God” or “God whose existence is a verity”; but in Rom_15:8 “the truth of God” is indicative of His faithfulness in the fulfillment of His promises as exhibited in Christ; the word has an absolute force in Joh_14:6; Joh_17:17; Joh_18:37, Joh_18:38; in Eph_4:21, where the RV, “even as truth is in Jesus,” gives the correct rendering, the meaning is not merely ethical “truth,” but “truth” in all its fullness and scope, as embodied in Him; He was the perfect expression of the truth; this is virtually equivalent to His statement in Joh_14:6; (b) subjectively, “truthfulness,” “truth,” not merely verbal, but sincerity and integrity of character, Joh_8:44; 3Jn_1:3, RV; (C) in phrases, e.g., “in truth” (epi, “on the basis of”), Mar_12:14; Luk_20:21; with en, “in,” 2Co_6:7; Col_1:6; 1Ti_2:7, RV (KJV, “in…verity”), 1Jn_3:18; 2Jn_1:1, 2Jn_1:3, 2Jn_1:4.
Note: In Mat_15:27, KJV, nai, “yea” (RV), is translated “truth.”
D. Adverbs.
1. alethos (G230), “truly, surely,” is rendered “of a truth” in Mat_14:33; Mat_26:73 and Mar_14:70, RV, (KJV, “surely”); Luk_9:27; Luk_12:44; Luk_21:3; Joh_6:14; Joh_7:40; Joh_17:8, RV, “of a truth (KJV, surely); Act_12:11, RV (KJV, “of a surety”); “in truth,” 1Th_2:13; “truly,” Mat_27:54; Mar_15:39. See INDEED, No. 3.
2. gnesios (G1104), “sincerely, honorably” (akin to A, No. 3), is rendered “truly” (marg., “genuinely”) in Php_2:20 (KJV, “naturally”).
Notes: (1) The particles ara, men, and de are sometimes rendered “truly” in the KJV, but are differently rendered in the RV. (2) In 1Co_14:25, KJV, ontos (RV, “indeed”) is rendered “of a truth. See CERTAIN, C, No. 1, INDEED, No. 4. (3) In Joh_20:30, KJV, the particle oun, therefore (RV), is rendered “truly.”
Webster
True
TRUE, a.
1. Conformable to fact; being in accordance with the actual state of things; as a true relation or narration; a true history. A declaration is true, when it states the facts. In this sense, true is opposed to false.
2. Genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit, adulterated or false; as true balsam; the true bark; true love of country; a true christian.
–The true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John 1.
3. Faithful; steady in adhering to friends, to promises, to a prince or to the state; loyal; not false, fickle or perfidious; as a true friend; a true lover; a man true to his king, true to his country, true to his word; a husband true to his wife; a wife true to her husband; a servant true to his master; an officer true to his charge.
4. Free from falsehood; as a true witness.
5. Honest; not fraudulent; as good men and true.
If king Edward be as true and just–
6. Exact; right to precision; conformable to a rule or pattern; as a true copy; a true likeness of the original.
7. Straight; right; as a true line; the true course of a ship.
8. Not false or pretended; real; as, Christ was the true Messiah.
9. Rightful; as, George IV is the true king of England.