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