Correcting a Gospel Half-truth

FEW SAYINGS OF JESUS are better known or more widely quoted than this: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) These memorable words, prominently incised on the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., hold a cherished place in our Western culture. Unfortunately, they often are misplaced in our Christian thinking. To better apprehend them we need to return to the original Jewish matrix in which our Messiah operated.