In 2025, I celebrated five years of connecting fandoms of all shapes and sizes with the God I know and the Word I love. One of the verses that has inspired me the most in this ministry/passion project/hobby is Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
A few months ago, I started looking into the meaning of each key word in this verse, and I loved what I found so much! Truly there is much depth and richness to be found in this verse, and its a great way to examine the media we consume and the thoughts we engage with as believers.
So I thought we could start out 2026 with a brief study of each word in Philippians 4:8, starting with “True,” which in the original Greek is aletheo. Here’s a brief definition of the word in Greek/English (from Oxford English Dictionary):
True, loving the truth, speaking the truth, truthful; in accordance with fact or reality; accurately or without variation; loyal or faithful
I especially appreciate the “in accordance with fact or reality” part of this definition, as it seems to speak to our (Western) culture’s claim that truth is a relative thing, dependent entirely on personal belief or opinion. But when it comes down to it, most people will admit that there are certain unalienable realities that are, in fact, true about the world—things like gravity, or the fact that life will one day end. And I happen to believe that the Bible tells us a lot of what is true as well.
Here are a couple of key verses that use the same Greek word:
Whoever receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure. John 3:33-34
The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:8
In the first passage, Jesus is the speaker, “He whom God has sent.” He is claiming that He has the Spirit, and will give it to anyone who “sets his seal” to, or puts their faith in, who Jesus is. This passage also speaks to the “loyal, faithful” definition of our word of the day, as it proves that God keeps His promises. Jesus is the Messiah that was promised throughout the Old Testament, and now, the living Word of God has arrived. these verses are also located soon after the most famous verse in the Bible: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Our second verse of the day comes from a letter that John, an apostle who walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry, wrote. This is a message of hope for the first believers in the early Church and for us today. Quite simply, the true light, aka Jesus, is here in the world through the Holy Spirit’s work in believers. And as John says in John 1:5, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
I thought of one more key verse to go with this word:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow du to change.” James 1:17
This verse points to the “accurately or without variation” definition of “true.” It shows that God, is loyal, faithful, and without variation. He is trustworthy and good, worth putting our faith in. He is also the foundation of everything that we call “true” in this world, from the observation that a dropped pencil will fall to the ground to the feeling that stealing is inherently wrong. Today, I’m reflecting on this fact, and looking t o praise God whenever I encounter an example of honesty, loyalty, and faithfulness in humans and the stories/songs they create.
How are you celebrating this new year? Do you have a word of the year? I’d love to know!
Happy new year, amigos!