Using metaphors and symbols, as in Christ’s words about “the way, the truth, and the life,” allows one to view spiritual reality through the lens of multifaceted experience that goes beyond literal understanding.

Decoding the Divine: The Role of Metaphors and Symbols

Using metaphors and symbols, as in Christ’s words about “the way, the truth, and the life,” allows one to view spiritual reality through the lens of multifaceted experience that goes beyond literal understanding. Such images are not confined to narrowly defined concepts; they unite both the path of life and the criteria of truth and the measure of existence, representing a holistic image of divine-human reality.

For example, one source states:
"The way, the truth, and the life in Him are one and the same reality, a trinunity and indivisible mystery.

What is meant by Christ being 'the way'?

It means that, as the way, He reveals to us His way of life, among us and for us, His divine-human work, His divine-human practice... The truth revealed in Him, made visible and tangible by its nature, is divine-human Truth: the Truth about the true human and about the true God..." (source: link txt).

This highlights that the metaphor serves not merely to embellish speech, but as a means of conveying the full depth and complexity of spiritual experience. Christ’s words become a measure by which a believer can grasp not only the moral path but the very essence of existence, where human life and the nature of Divinity are inextricably intertwined.

Furthermore, another source shows that the structure of the phrase “I am the way and the truth and the life” is itself full of multiple meanings:
"How is the concept of the way connected with the idea of life—a life that will not be lost but, on the contrary, acquired? ... Sometimes it is said, with reference to this verse: Christ is the incarnation of truth... But in the Gospel text, not everything is as simple as it appears at first glance." (source: link txt).

The repetition of a single conjunction creates a rhythmic and semantic structure in which each component—the way, the truth, and the life—is inseparably connected. This emphasizes that the apprehension of spiritual truths occurs through a holistic perception of reality rather than through isolated, systematically considered aspects.

Finally, the concept of the symbol itself plays an important role. As one source notes,
"A symbol, according to Florensky, is fundamentally antinomic, i.e., it unites elements that exclude each other from the standpoint of one-dimensional discursive thinking. Therefore, its nature is difficult for a person of the new European culture to comprehend." (source: link txt).

Thus, the use of metaphors and symbols allows the believer not simply to accept predetermined dogmas, but to immerse oneself in the profound process of searching for and experiencing truth. These images form a bridge between ordinary understanding and deep spiritual realities, awakening an intuitive and emotional perception of higher truths that may be inaccessible through direct, literal interpretation.

Supporting citation(s):
"The way, the truth, and the life in Him are one and the same reality, a trinunity and indivisible mystery. ... The truth revealed in Him, made visible and tangible by its nature, is divine-human Truth: the Truth about the true human and about the true God, i.e., about the Divine-Human." (source: link txt)
"How is the concept of the way connected with the idea of life—... But in the Gospel text, not everything is as simple as it appears at first glance." (source: link txt)
"A symbol, according to Florensky, is fundamentally antinomic, i.e., it unites elements that exclude each other from the standpoint of one-dimensional discursive thinking. ..." (source: link txt)