Examining misquoted, misused, and misapplied Bible verses.

“The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Etched in stone above the main entrance of the Administration-Library Building at the University of Texas in Austin are the words, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The same words were carved in stone on the original headquarters building of the Central Intelligence Agency. The phrase in various forms has been used as the motto of a multitude of universities, colleges, and schools worldwide.

The words are also inscribed on the coat of arms of the Dominican Republic. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted them in his famous “The Other America” speech. Jim Carrey shouted them at the end of his movie Liar, Liar.

“The truth will set you free.”

Over the last few months, we have been looking at the most misquoted, misused, and misapplied verses of the Bible. The words of John 8:32 could easily top that list.

Our world loves to quote John 8:32. For most people today, “The truth will set you free” is an axiom, a statement or principle that is generally accepted as true.

This axiom can apply to many situations in life. It can be an encouragement to be truthful. For example, if you speak the truth, you will unburden yourself. If you speak the truth, you won’t have to suffer the pangs of a guilty conscience or deal with the inevitable entanglements of lies.

“The truth will set you free.”

The phrase can also point to the importance of education. The more knowledge you have, the freer you will be from the institutions, people, or ignorance that oppress you.

“The truth will set you free.”

Though much truth can be found in all those ideas, when Jesus said, “The truth will set you free,” those were not the truths he was trying to communicate. As with most distorted verses from the Bible, the meaning of John 8:32 gets lost when taken out of context.

The context

In John chapter 8, Jesus engaged in extended conversations with his enemies, the Pharisees. They challenged him. They argued with him. They refused to believe in him.

But then, Jesus turned to the Jews who had believed in him and said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31,32).

Jesus wasn’t giving a general encouragement to be truthful. He wasn’t talking about unburdening yourself of a lie. He wasn’t speaking a proverbial truism about how education can free people from ignorance. In John 8:32, Jesus was speaking of a different kind of freedom. He was speaking of the freedom that comes from hearing and believing what he taught.

“The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

What Jesus taught was the truth. The truth is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The truth is that God so loved the world, he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). The truth is that there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

If you hold to Jesus’ teachings—if you believe his Word and promises—you will know the truth, and that truth will set you free from sin, death, and the devil.

Applying this truth to our lives

On March 31, 20o1, NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal gave an interview following an intense game between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. In speaking of Boston’s up-and-coming young star, Paul Pierce, O’Neal said, “He just gave it to us, and I was like, ‘That [guy’s] the Truth.’ ”

The nickname stuck. From that point on, Paul Pierce became known by the nickname “the Truth.”

Though Paul Pierce was the real deal when it came to basketball, only one person in the history of the world can truly claim that moniker. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through him (John 14:6).

Every word Jesus spoke was true. Everything he did was truth. What Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches about him are unequivocal, eternal truths. Through faith in him and what he taught, you receive what he came to this world to win for you.

Jesus’ teachings free us from the darkness of ignorance. They free us from the chains of sin and death. They free us from the prison of hell.

So hold on to Jesus’ teaching. Cling to what he taught. Read, learn, and chew on his Word regularly. Then you will know the truth.

And the truth will set you free.

For further thought or discussion

Your friend has begun attending a church that teaches that the Bible contains God’s Word but is not completely or literally true. Using John 8:32, what could you say to your friend to help her see that all of the Bible is true and important?

This is the fifth article in a series on misunderstood Bible verses.

Dive deeper into the topic of biblical interpretation with Pastor Andrew Schroer during a live online Bible study at 4 p.m. CDT on August 17. Check out forwardinchrist.net/online-study for further information.

Author: Andrew Schroer
Volume 112, Number 08
Issue: August 2025

Bringing God’s Word into focus

At the 1939 New York World’s Fair, a Swedish innovation in serving food was introduced: a smorgasbord. A Swedish smorgasbord is when you place a variety of food items on a table and allow people to pick and choose what they want. Americans loved this new innovation in dining. By the 1970s, salad bars and buffets had become all the rage in the United States.

Sadly, many Christians today treat the Bible as a buffet. They don’t believe all the Bible is God’s Word or true. They believe it is God’s Word only where God speaks to you. They pick and choose the parts of the Bible they want to believe. However, as God tells us in the last verses of the Bible (Revelation 22:18,19), we have no right to add or subtract from the Bible.

The Bible doesn’t just contain God’s Word. All of the Bible is God’s Word.