| There is no shortage of advice-givers in
| |
| | that truth be applied without having more
|
| today's society. Actually, it seems no
| |
| | than a Sunday school knowledge and
|
| matter where you turn, you hear someone
| |
| | understanding of God's word? How can the
|
| giving advice or counsel on one issue or
| |
| | counselor provide the lamp and light if
|
| another. Frequently it's hard to try and
| |
| | he doesn't know its whereabouts? Richly
|
| avoid those wanting to give advice. To
| |
| | implies he should not only possess the
|
| prove my point, simply express to others
| |
| | word, but it should have a significant
|
| a dilemma you have, and watch folks
| |
| | place in the counselor's life. The
|
| stumble over themselves to give their
| |
| | counselor should be engaged in frequent
|
| opinion. Some counsel you hear is good,
| |
| | reading, hearing, and meditation on the
|
| little is from a biblical worldview, and
| |
| | word.
|
| much counsel is simply bad and ungodly.
| |
| | Next, the counselor should possess
|
| With that in mind, who are capable to
| |
| | wisdom. James Strong defines wisdom as
|
| provide counsel or give advice? Are
| |
| | "devout and proper prudence in relations
|
| Christians competent to counsel people
| |
| | with men including the skill and
|
| with problems? What actually constitutes
| |
| | discretion in imparting Christian truth."
|
| competency? What are the qualifications
| |
| | The counselor must learn how to discover
|
| for a counselor?
| |
| | the facts about the problems to which he
|
| Biblical counselors frequently quote
| |
| | must find biblical solutions. Psalm
|
| Romans 15:14 to support the position that
| |
| | 111:10 states where one should start in
|
| Christians possess adequate ability
| |
| | obtaining wisdom, "The fear of the LORD
|
| (competency) to counsel: "I myself am
| |
| | is the beginning of wisdom; all who
|
| convinced, my brothers, that you
| |
| | follow his precepts have good
|
| yourselves are full of goodness, complete
| |
| | understanding."
|
| in knowledge and competent to instruct
| |
| | Finally, the counselor should speak with
|
| one another." Colossians 3:16 is
| |
| | boldness. He should reprove, advise, and
|
| considered the comparable verse to Romans
| |
| | exhort without dread or fear. 2 Timothy
|
| 15:14, "Let the word of Christ dwell in
| |
| | 4:2, "Preach the Word; be prepared in
|
| you richly as you teach and admonish one
| |
| | season and out of season; correct, rebuke
|
| another with all wisdom,...." Continuing
| |
| | and encourage--with great patience and
|
| in Romans, Paul makes the case for
| |
| | careful instruction."
|
| boldness: Romans 15:15, "I have written
| |
| | Having stated the biblical prerequisites
|
| you quite boldly on some points, as if to
| |
| | for what constitutes a competent
|
| remind you of them again, because of the
| |
| | counselor, what then constitutes an
|
| grace God gave me." Each of these verses
| |
| | incompetent counselor? One might assume
|
| contains the necessary characteristics or
| |
| | it would be just the antithesis of what I
|
| prerequisites required of a competent
| |
| | just stated. However, since all
|
| counselor. Counselors are to be, "full of
| |
| | Christians possess the key competent
|
| goodness," "complete in knowledge," the
| |
| | attributes in some degree (albeit many in
|
| word of Christ should dwell in them
| |
| | extremely small amounts), there is more
|
| richly, they should be full of wisdom,
| |
| | to what constitutes incompetency. The
|
| and they should speak boldly.
| |
| | strength of biblical counseling begins
|
| First, counselors should be full of
| |
| | with its presuppositions. In other
|
| goodness. This is not goodness that is
| |
| | words, it accepts on faith that God
|
| natural within us, but is from the Spirit
| |
| | exists and the Bible is true, and
|
| of God whose fruit is goodness, Galatians
| |
| | understands the implications of adhering
|
| 5:22. Being full of goodness denotes an
| |
| | to it.
|
| abundance of grace consisting of
| |
| | What are some of the key presuppositions
|
| benevolence, humaneness, and an
| |
| | in biblical counseling? To start,
|
| understanding to fellow Christians in the
| |
| | counseling issues are theological issues
|
| spirit of Galatians 6:1, "Brothers, if
| |
| | because our life is lived before God.
|
| someone is caught in a sin, you who are
| |
| | That is the exact opposite of
|
| spiritual should restore him gently."
| |
| | psychology's main presupposition of there
|
| Second, counselors should be complete in
| |
| | is no God. If there is one single
|
| knowledge. This is spiritual knowledge
| |
| | difference that makes the two counseling
|
| relating to: 1. God, His nature and
| |
| | models stand out, it's the fact that one
|
| perfections, His mind and will, 2. Christ
| |
| | acknowledges God and the other does not.
|
| and the work of redemption, 3. The Holy
| |
| | Also, the heart drives behavior and all
|
| Spirit and how He operates, 4. The Gospel
| |
| | counseling issues are heart issues. This
|
| knowledge necessary to salvation. If a
| |
| | establishes that all behavior is
|
| counselor is to have an understanding of
| |
| | righteous or unrighteous, not healthy or
|
| the biblical issues relating to human
| |
| | unhealthy; and certainly not the
|
| nature and behavior, the study of the
| |
| | psychological heresy "feelings are
|
| scriptures will be fundamental to his or
| |
| | neither good nor bad, they just exist."
|
| her qualifications and effectiveness. It
| |
| | Furthermore, one's view on the nature of
|
| would be paradoxical for someone to say
| |
| | man is critical in understanding behavior
|
| they counsel biblically, yet lack the
| |
| | and offering biblical solutions. If man
|
| wherewithal or inclination to provide
| |
| | is depraved and his behavior is the
|
| biblical explanations to issues and
| |
| | result of sin, the biblical counselor can
|
| problems. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Do your best
| |
| | offer solutions, hope, and a cure. If
|
| to present yourself to God as one
| |
| | there is no sin, reductionism becomes the
|
| approved, a workman who does not need to
| |
| | presupposition and all behavior is
|
| be ashamed and who correctly handles the
| |
| | reduced to chemical imbalances, diseases
|
| word of truth."
| |
| | or other ambiguous impulses. Doctors
|
| Third, the word of Christ should dwell
| |
| | David Tyler and Kurt Grady explore this
|
| richly in the counselor. The counselor
| |
| | further in their book, "Deceptive
|
| should understand the scriptures,
| |
| | Diagnosis: When Sin is Called Sickness."
|
| especially those which speak of Christ
| |
| | Dr. Dr. Ed Bulkley comments from the
|
| and testify of Him, teach pardon by His
| |
| | forward of the book are most appropriate:
|
| blood, justification by faith, and
| |
| | "The church has a growing tendency to
|
| salvation. He must know the Bible
| |
| | pathologize every form of spiritual
|
| thoroughly and how to use it practically.
| |
| | discomfort..., instead of seeking God's
|
| I would seriously question the motives
| |
| | definitions and explanations of human
|
| and presuppositions of a biblical
| |
| | behavior, more and more pastors, elders,
|
| counselor who lacked the willingness or
| |
| | and congregations are accepting a secular
|
| desire to study and learn the doctrines
| |
| | world-view which is based on humanistic
|
| central to the work of a true biblical
| |
| | psychology rather than the Bible. The
|
| counselor. If a counselor believes "Thy
| |
| | result is an increasingly weakened
|
| word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light
| |
| | Church, no longer certain of its message,
|
| unto my path," Psalm 119:105, how can
| |
| | mission and calling.
|
