ABSTRACT
A correspondence notion of truth is often brought to the reading of biblical material, and it frequently frames questions of biblical truth. It is too simplistic to claim that all the notions of historical truth can be reduced to the mere reportage of facts. To illustrate the way a historical fact can be invested with meaning and significance, think about a specifically Christian claim: Jesus died on a cross for the redemption of the world. The accounts of Jesus' birth in Matthew and Luke are another example of the relationship between myth and truth. In light of the Christian gospel itself, the consequences of this rather direct Matthean implication seem to be suspect, if not altogether devoid of truth value that is if the Christian gospel is in fact good news and not bad news. Moral considerations may not finally settle questions of biblical truth; nonetheless, these considerations ought to be part of the interpretive enterprise.
