Lesson 2 What is our primary focus and authority?

​           (Part of presentation to musicians, artists and worship leaders in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 2017)
Lesson 2.  SOLA SCRIPTURA.  The Bible must be the primary focus and ultimate authority for all aspects of creativity, ministry and life.  
Because the Catholic church believed that the authority of human reasoning could equal or even surpass the authority of the Bible, many teachings were present that did not agree with the Word of God. However, Luther elevated the Biblical text far above all commentators or church fathers and had an overriding passion for the superiority of the Biblical text by itself.
        "He who is well acquainted with the text of Scripture is a distinguished theologian. For    
​          a Bible passage or text is of more value than the comments of four authors”.[1]
 
To better understand the impact of Luther’s questioning and preaching, let us briefly review some important historical information. From the 14th to the 17th centuries, there were two completely opposing answers given to two important questions. What gives unity to life? What gives meaning to life and to morals?
 
In the south of Europe, the Renaissance provided one answer while in the North the Reformation provided another. 

The term Renaissance comes from the Italian word “Rinascenza” which means rebirth.  The rebirth did not refer to the rebirth of man; instead, it referred to the rebirth of an idea about man. There was a change in thinking that put man at the centre of all things. 

The Catholic church believed that the authority of human reasoning could equal or even surpass the authority of the Bible. This belief began around 1270 when Thomas Aquinas, a scholar at the University of Paris, attempted to reconcile Aristotle with Christian faith. He believed that the will was fallen after man had revolted against God but not the mind.   According to Aquinas, humans must use reason to understand “natural law,” which comes from God. This led the Catholic Church to believe that the authority of the Church was equal, and in some cases, greater than the authority of the Bible.
   
The poet Petrarch (1304-1374) was influenced by the teaching of Aquinas. Traditionally called the father of Humanism, he believed Scripture and human reasoning were compatible and inspired a humanist philosophy that led to the intellectual flowering of the Renaissance. Humanism stresses an individual’s dignity, worth and capacity for self-realization through reason. The Renaissance was based on the belief that man was good and that his mind, not Scriptural teaching and supernatural power would present the answers needed for life. The Renaissance’s answer added the teaching of man to the teaching of Scripture and in some cases even surpassed the authority of the Bible. 

The Reformation answered the two great questions of man solely on the basis of Scripture. The Reformers understood that the Bible was God’s inspired word and supplied all the answers to life’s questions. They understood that the Bible is the only source of final authority and that salvation comes only through Christ and his work.  In contrast to Aquinas, the Reformers presented a biblical concept of the Fall that showed the heart of man to be deceitfully wicked.  They believed that when sin entered the world, every aspect of man—his heart, his soul, his mind was tainted.  Therefore man was not capable of thinking for himself. The Reformation believed that Scripture supports the idea of the great potential of man but only AFTER experiencing the rebirth that repentance brings. Even then, the renewed man was seen to be totally dependent on the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

I love music, drama, video, composition, creativity. I have spent my life working with creative artists of many different disciplines. Yet during my life, I have observed—personally and in others—that it is easy to fall into the trap of valuing creativity and the creative output more than faithfulness to the Word of God. At times  it can be difficult to let go of a wonderful creative idea that compromises the truth of Scripture. Certainly the style of music, the presentation, the creative touches, the artistry should be engaging and attract, yet the contents tested for correct teaching.

Is the biblical teaching attractive because the presentation underscores the message or is there a tension between the message of the genre or style and the textual content?  I encourage you to study text separately, then also study carefully what further "teaching" is taking place as a result of the creative artistic touches. Don’t do this alone. Involve people who are students of the Bible. 

​How important is faithfulness to Biblical truth in your creative output?  How do you understand the depravity of man and the redemption of man?  In the arts, the Reformers believed that the creative output of man must be redeemed

Like the Reformers, do you elevate biblical truth far above the comments of worship leaders, song writers, Christian artists, blog writers and authors? Be careful of groups that place ‘prophetic’ teaching at a level equal with, or even above Scripture. Be careful of teachings of popular artists concerning worship that are not rooted in scripture.
 
How do you understand the work of God and the work of the Holy Spirit? The arts can have a powerful effect on people. Do you find yourself trying to accomplish through emotion, beauty and creativity, that which only the work of the Holy Spirit can accomplish? 

When you perform or lead worship, you are teaching and preaching.  Every time.  Look at your songs.  Is Sola Scriptura a landmark of your creative output? May the Bible always be your primary focus and ultimate authority for all aspects of creativity, ministry and life. 

[1] What Luther Says: An Anthology, Vol. 3, p. 1355.