Ad Fontes: 5 Thoughts on the Supremacy of Scripture

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

Ad Fontes

Ad Fontes is Latin for “(back) to the sources” or “to the fountains”. It was a rallying cry of both the Renaissance and the Reformation. Its purpose was to encourage people to go back to the original writings (in the case of the Reformers that meant the Bible – especially the original Greek and Hebrew). 

“The idea in both cases was that sound knowledge depends on the earliest and most fundamental sources.” Wikipedia

As Os Guiness has said: 

“The Church always goes forward best by going backwards. The surest way to go forwards is always to look back to the thing that gave you your life in the first place.” As the Church we are always to look to Jesus Christ, the Scriptures and the Gospel written therein. 


Psalm 42

Interestingly, this phrase, “Ad Fontes”, appears in Psalm 42 of Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible:

“As a deer pants for flowing streams (is drawn unto the sources), so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1 ESV

In fact, there is some evidence that suggests that the Spanish Renaissance actually got the expression from Psalm 42!


The Renaissance

In his book “How Should We Then Live?” Evangelical author Francis Shaeffer (1912-1984) talks about the Renaissance and the Reformation. 

“Boccacio… learned Greek in order to study the classics better. His translation of Homer was one of the foundation stones of the Renaissance, reviving Greek literature after seven hundred years of neglect.” p.60

Shaeffer points out that while the Renaissance started out promising with its Ad Fontes mentality, it eventually led to nothing more than the false notion of secular humanism (where man was the centre of the universe and within him lay all that which was needed to perfect society). In contrast, the Reformation took its Ad Fontes mentality back to the Bible upon which it founded all teaching, morality and meaning. 


The Reformation 

The Reformation officially began when Martin Luther nailed his “Ninety-five Theses” to the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany on October 31, 1517. As the Renaissance in the south of Europe was closing, the Reformation in the north of Europe was about to explode. 
One of the tenants of the Reformers was Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). Shaeffer explains a bit what this means:

“That is, man needs not only a God who exists, but a God who has spoken in a way that can be understood.” p.81

“To the Reformation thinkers, authority was not divided between the Bible and the church. The church was under the teaching of the Bible – not above it and not equal to it. It was Sola Scriptura…” p.82

Some of the great artists who were to be strongly influenced by the Reformation include Rembrandt, Handel, Bach and Albrecht Durer. Durer, in fact, was so concerned about applying Ad Fontes and the Bible he wrote in his diary that “… the delicious Word of God is wrongly exegeted (or interpreted) or not at all taught in many places.” p..95

Durer goes on to write this prayer:

“Oh God in heaven, have mercy on us. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, 

pray for your people, deliver us at the right time, preserve in us the right true Christian faith, gather your widely scattered sheep by your voice, which is called the Word of God in Scripture.” p.95

“The Descent from the Cross” (c. 1508-1510), Albrecht Dürer, woodcut from “The Small Passion”

The Reformation was far from perfect but, like Durer, it recognized that the true Christian faith will always line up with the Holy Scriptures. 


An Important Caveat

As Reformed Theologian Robert Letham reminds us:

“[There is a] false notion, held widely, that the slogan sola Scriptura means that the Bible is the only source for theology. . . When the slogan [sola Scriptura, Scripture alone] was devised, it was never intended to exclude the tradition of the church.” 

The Reformers did not mean to do away with this “church tradition” but rather to make sure it was subordinate to and in agreement with Holy Scripture. This is exactly what the Bereans did when they heard Paul:

“Now these Jews (in Berea) were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed…” Acts 17:11-12a

To clarify, here the idea of the “tradition of the church” is not meant to refer to man-made traditions such as the Apostle Peter refutes (1 Peter 1:18) but rather the body of theology, doctrinal creeds and confessions (i.e. statements of faith) and collective wisdom that the Church has cultivated over 2000 years. We must remember that it was the early church with whom God entrusted the discovery and compilation of the canon of the New Testament itself! 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

The Bible is always our supreme source and it has the final say on all matters -  but to ignore these other things, and the men and women of God who went before us, is both arrogant and unwise. 

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:1-2

5 Thoughts on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy & the Bible (Depression & Anxiety)

A pastor friend of mine has a favourite Bible verse that he reminds his congregation of often:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

The principle of guarding what one lets in and out of one’s heart (and/or mind) is a recurring theme in the Scriptures and it just so happens that psychology agrees with that principle in at least one area – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). As a person who has suffered severely from both depression and anxiety, CBT has been a huge blessing in my life and I would love to share the basics of it with you. 

If you would like to read or hear my personal story please click here.

To read the Antidepressant Skills Workbook (which inspired this article) click here. 

If you are interested in how CBT can help people with 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder click here. 

1) What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (or CBT) is a scientifically proven therapy for helping people with depression, anxiety and other issues. You’ll find that it is really quite practical and based in common sense. What you’ll also find (maybe to your surprise) is that it is very Biblical. It’s not that psychological researchers set out to form a therapy based on the Bible but rather that the Bible, being God’s instruction book to those He created, is eminently practical. In short – the teachings of the Bible work in real life (and also into eternal life). 

CBT works on the basic principle that: Thoughts create Feelings, Feelings create Behaviours and Behaviours reinforce Thoughts and on the cycle goes. 

This cycle, of course can be positive or negative, depending on what you let in to your mind and heart. A wonderful workbook for Antidepressant CBT can be found for free online (link at top of the page) and I heartily recommend you take advantage of it for your personal gain as well as to help others. We’ll look at how CBT works and how it aligns with Scripture in a moment but first let’s answer another question…

2) What Causes Depression and Anxiety?

There are different types of depression and anxiety (D/A) and also different causes. Everyone experiences depression and anxiety to some degree and therefore, Mental Health is everyone’s business and CBT can be for everyone’s benefit. However, it is when depression or anxiety began to cripple your normal daily life that they are taken more seriously and should be addressed accordingly*. 

Some causes of D/A are circumstantial, that is, based on your life experience. Such causes could include trauma, financial stress, relationship conflict or loss of a loved one. The other kind of cause is more biologically based such as a chemical imbalance in the brain. In this case, your life could be going wonderfully but you would still feel D/A for no apparent reason. And, of course, D/A can be a combination of these two types of causes. 

For me, one of the most important realizations about my own dealings with depression and anxiety was that I must work to separate the thoughts and feelings that D/A can produce from the reality of who God is and how He feels about me as an individual. God is good and He loves me which is shown by the fact that He both created me and redeemed me. He is not the “voice” in my head that is angry and disappointed with me all the time – that is D/A **. 

Now let’s look at the three parts of CBT: Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours. 

3) Thoughts

People who suffer with D/A often have a distorted way of viewing life. In the Antidepressant Skills Workbook this is described as The Negative Triad: “…thinking in an unfair and unrealistic, negative way about your current situation, yourself, and your future.”

I think it is important to clarify here that CBT is not the same thing as “The Positive Thinking Secret” or “The Law of Attraction”. CBT is based on scientific research and rationality. It focuses on fair and realistic thinking as opposed to either overly negative or overly positive thinking. 

When we turn to the Bible to see what it says about our thoughts we see verses like Proverbs 23:7 which can be translated as “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” That pretty much sums up CBT where thoughts turn into feelings which turn into behaviours which reinforce the original thoughts.

Another fascinating passage of Scripture that reinforces a positive mindset is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church:

“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.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”   Philippians 4:8-9

4) Feelings

Feelings are valid but they are not trustworthy. They matter but they are not a good indicator of truth or reality. The Antidepressant Skills Workbook puts it this way:

“It may be hard to think about emotions as unrealistic. But imagine a person who firmly believes that airplane travel is extremely dangerous and that planes are falling out of the sky frequently. That person will feel very frightened when flying. This fear, however, is based on a false belief about airplane safety and is, therefore, unrealistic and inappropriate to the situation. Similarly, depressed individuals often have beliefs about the world and themselves that are unrealistic and lead to unrealistic, negative emotions.” 

Jesus (in Luke’s Gospel 6:45) describes the principle of how the thoughts and feelings we have inside of us eventually come out. 

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” 

It is not a stretch to realize this principle applies to behaviors as well as words. 

5) Behaviours

We just read how thoughts and feelings come out as behaviours (whether positively or negatively). CBT tells us that our behaviours reinforce the original thoughts we had and therefore continue the cycle. If we are in a negative cycle how can we help break it by positive behaviours? 

The Antidepressant Skills Workbook describes 4 areas of behavior that negatively affects us:

1) Not doing rewarding activities. We cease to engage in the simple things of life that we normally enjoy. 

2) Not taking care of yourself. Sleep, diet, exercise and personal hygiene can all fall into negative patterns. 

3) Not doing small duties. We often have the mindset that if we can’t do it “all” or “perfectly” then don’t bother at all. For the person with D/A it is imperative to realize that we must start with small duties (or “Tiny Tasks”) and build on them to get healthier day by day. 

4) Withdrawing from family and friends. This isn’t just about being an introvert but rather confining oneself to social isolation. From a Christian perspective, it is important to remember that the way that the “Wolf” destroys the “Sheep” is by separating it from its Shepherd and its flock. Don’t let yourself fall into this trap! 

If you look back at the “Thoughts” segment and read Philippians 4:8-9 again you will see that at the end, the Apostle Paul urges us to not only think about positive things but then to put them into “practice”. Our behaviours can alter the way we think and feel and stop the negative cycle of depressive or anxious thinking. 

I hope and pray that this introduction to CBT (and the Bible’s teachings) will be a real blessing to you and to those who come across your path.  

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal 

of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, 

what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

*For more serious and long lasting cases of depression and/or anxiety one should seek out professional help and diagnosis immediately. That could mean your family doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist. In addition to CBT, your doctor may also recommend medication which is perfectly acceptable.

** Christians also recognize a separate but overlapping reality of what we call “Spiritual Warfare”. This is when the Devil wars against our minds and hearts as well. For more on how to deal with this type of attack please read Ephesians chapter 6. However, please understand that spiritual warfare is a separate thing from clinical depression or anxiety that is caused by a biological root such as a chemical imbalance in the brain. 

Philip Yancey on Forgiveness

"The only thing more difficult than forgiving is the alternative."

Here is an excerpt from a book by Philip Yancey called "What's So Amazing about Grace?". It has really hit home with me and is well worth a quick read.

First he quotes Henri Nouwen:

"I have often said, "I forgive you," but even as I said these words my heart remained angry or resentful. I still wanted to hear the story that tells me that I was right after all; I still wanted to hear apologies and excuses; I still wanted the satisfaction of receiving some praise in return - if only the praise of being so forgiving!

But God's forgiveness is unconditional; it comes from a heart that does not demand anything for itself, a heart that is completely empty of self-seeking. It is this divine forgiveness that I have to practice in my daily life. It calls me to keep stepping over all my arguments that say forgiveness is unwise, unhealthy, and impractical. It challenges me to step over all my needs for gratitude and compliments. Finally, it demands of me that I step over that wounded part of my heart that feels hurt and wronged and that wants to stay in control and put a few conditions between me and the one whom I am asked to forgive."

Yancey follows this up: "One day I discovered this admonition from the Apostle Paul tucked in among many other admonitions in Romans 12... "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord."

At last I understood: in the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God's hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy."

Photo: Rembrandt's 'The Prodigal Son"

She Travels Outside of Karma: 5 Thoughts on Grace

“For the law was given through Moses; 

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

What is grace? It is difficult to define grace and all that it encompasses. It is a theological term for how God views us and treats us. In its simplest form it means “unmerited favour”; in other words, receiving something we never earned and quite frankly don’t deserve. The 19th century writer, Andrew Murray, defined grace this way:

“The redeeming work of Christ and the righteousness He won for us, equally with the work of the Spirit in us and the power of the new life He brings, are spoken of as “grace”.  

However, to get from a head knowledge of grace to a heart knowledge of this unique and beautiful concept can take years - if it happens at all. Oh but the journey is worth it. God’s grace is the most unexpected, breath taking thing I have ever experienced.

Grace, She Travels Outside of Karma

Like him or not, Bono, the leader singer of Irish band U2, seems to have an uncanny understanding of grace. He shows this in the gentle but profound song aptly named “Grace”. Here is one sample of the lyrics: 

“She travels outside of karma

When she goes to work

You can hear her strings

Grace finds beauty

In everything”

While grace is something humans find perplexing, karma is all too relatable. People are eager for someone who has wronged them to get their karma or “payback”. Karma is an ancient belief in the spiritual form of “Cause and Effect”, that there are consequences for your actions. And, of course, there is truth in this idea. Even the Bible talks about the concept:

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, 

that will he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

However, when one inspects Karma further, we realize how brutal it can be - even to the point of believing people were born into certain societal “castes” because of a misguided previous life. But the Gospel of Christ interrupts this whole cycle of cause and effect with a radically different idea – Grace. 



What Grace Is Not

It often helps us to understand something by examining what it is not. For example, many people, Christians included, fear that grace will only lead to lawlessness. If we do not receive punishment for bad behavior how will we ever learn? How will the world keep on spinning? But grace is not the lack of law or justice (sometimes referred to as antinomianism). If anything God’s grace motivates and empowers us to keep law and seek justice. God’s grace is meant to enable us to obey God. If we’re not obeying God then something has gone wrong. Either we have failed to fully embrace and rely on God’s grace or we are simply abusing it.   

Others will undoubtedly bristle at the thought of “receiving something we never earned” – especially in this day and age of participation trophies and the like. But what we have to understand about God’s grace is that although we did not earn it, Jesus did. Grace is a lot like a gift card. We did not earn the money on the card but the giver of that card did and they want to bless us with it because they love and appreciate us. 

In the same way, Jesus paid the penalty of sin on the cross and now the redemption of our souls is offered to each and every one as a free gift of grace by faith as we turn towards God in repentance. It’s not simply that we are too lazy to earn God’s grace, it is that we are simply incapable of it. It must be a gift or we could never obtain it and in order to enjoy it we must personally receive it. As Philip Yancey put it: “Guilt exposes our longing for grace.”

Just a reminder though -  Our initial salvation (Justification) is by grace alone. However, relying on grace to become more holy (Sanctification) does not mean that we never make an effort. As Dallas Willard reminds us – “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.”

Grace Is Unique

In his book “What’s So Amazing about Grace?” Philip Yancey describes the following:

“During a British conference on comparative religions, experts debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith… the debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among the world religions. Lewis replied, “Oh, That’s easy. It’s grace.” After some discussion, the conferees had to agree.”

Most people, if they believe in God, have the notion that when they die their good deeds will be weighed against their bad deeds. Depending on the life they lived (and their own version of events) they will be admitted entrance into Heaven or they won’t. The vast majority of world religions boil down to this formula but Christ preached grace – a novel idea if there ever was one. Now not all Christ’s follower’s exhibit that grace but, nonetheless, Him whom they profess to follow did. 


Imperatives and Indicatives 

Not long ago I read about the difference between an indicative and an imperative and how it applies to the Christian life (and life in general). 

An imperative means “Authority or command; urgent, necessary” (Webster’s). An imperative is a statement of what one must do (like a commandment). 

An indicative on the other hand is defined as “Designating that mood of a verb used to express an act” (Webster’s). An indicative is not a command but expresses the rationale behind the command. In other words, it provides an explanation of why it’s true and, in the case of grace, it also provides the motivation and empowerment to keep the commandment. At Church, we often hear about the imperatives (what we must do) but we do not always hear about the indicatives (why and how we do it).  

To quote Murray again: "It is not only at conversion… but throughout all our life, at each step of the way, and amidst the highest attainments of the most advanced saint; we owe everything to grace and grace alone.”  

  

As John 1:17 states, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. If we look at truth as an imperative and grace as an indicative, it soon begins to makes sense. We can only live up to the “truth” because we have understood and received the “grace”. Too often Christians view grace and truth as two competing ideas and only one can win. In reality, they are meant to be blended together in a beautiful mixture that should be irresistible to both the believer and the unbeliever. Jesus Christ is the perfect embodiment of this blend. 


My Story of Grace

Now let’s make all of this personal. I was blessed to have become a Christian at a very young age. I seemed to understand that I was saved or forgiven by grace as an initial entrance into Christianity (what some call Justification) but somehow I had no idea that the same grace applied to me trying to live out my Christian life (what some call Sanctification). It took me a very long time to understand at the heart level that grace was not only the vehicle by which I came through the gate but also the vehicle by which I would navigate the road ahead of me. 

After a very ugly mental and spiritual breakdown, the details of which I will not get into here, a profound and spiritually powerful thing happened to me. I remember, very clearly, sitting on my bed in my apartment on Spruce Street in Prince George, BC struggling to understand God. I was reading a book by Andrew Murray, the same beloved Christian author I quoted earlier. I don’t even remember which book it was or the chapter –but he was talking about the difference between the “Old Covenant” (i.e. the Law of Moses) and the New Covenant (i.e. the Gospel of Grace) and how important it was for the believer to understand the difference.

The concept of grace slowly began to sink into my heart. Not just for my justification but also for my sanctification (i.e. becoming more like Jesus, striving for holiness, evangelism and living the Christian life more and more effectively). I kid you not, as this truth slowly saturated into my heart and mind, I felt a powerful force was lifted off of me… chains of bondage were shattered and I was free. I understood (or at least began to understand) grace. 

Although I continue to struggle in daily grasping the concept of grace, that day changed my life forever. Someone once described what I call legalism as “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” That may sound a bit harsh but it certainly described me. When I did not allow God’s grace to penetrate my life I became bitter and proud. I was not just hard on myself but on those I loved as well. Grace changed everything for me…

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

A Psalm of Dark and Light (Hope in Depression)

A Psalm of Dark and Light

(Hope in Depression)

Every corner of my mind hurts 

Every thought wages a war

Every feeling groans in pain 

You understand my thought from afar off 

All my tears are in your bottle, written in your book

Confusion begins to overwhelm

Clarity slips away

O God I am but dust

Your thoughts are not my mine

Your ways are higher, above the hurricane

God you are both my source and my outlet

What is the darkness but a shadow?

The shadow proves the light.