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WHY BIBLICAL
COUNSELING?
By Dr. Craig Rowe
1. WHAT IS THE PRIMARY ISSUE IN
COUNSELING?
The central issue in counseling is worship. Who
or what is controlling the counselee's life, such as his emotions,
thoughts, and activities? Are his wants those which please God? Is
he observing the two great commandments to love God with his whole
heart, soul and mind, and his neighbor as himself? Who or what is
the counselee worshiping?
It is not enough just to deal with the person's
ability to function. It is possible to help a person function
better in his rebellion against God. To do so is to encourage a
hardness of heart in which he says, "I don't need God." Such an
approach only gets the person deeper into his sinful
patterns.
For example, if a life guard on the east coast
discovers a swimmer with a poor stroke swimming due east from New
Jersey to France, what does he do? If he rows his lifeguard boat up
next to him and says, "Listen mister, I hope you don't mind my
saying so, but you have a lousy stroke. Let me teach you how to
function better in the water." So he hops in and a half hour later
the man has a beautiful stroke and the life guard says, "Take care
and good luck on your journey." Has the life guard helped the
swimmer? Obviously not. What he has done for
the swimmer is to teach him how to get himself even farther from
safety. What he needed to say is, "Mister, you not only have a sad
stroke, but you are headed in the wrong direction. If you don't
turn your life around you are going to die."
The ultimate issue of life is not how I can
function best in an effort to reach goals apart from God and His
will. That was the very attitude that got Adam and Eve in trouble
in the Garden. Man's purpose is to honor the Lord as God and give
thanks (Rom 1:21). Anything short of that brings God's ultimate
judgment.
Any system of counseling that fails to see
worship as its basic goal is deficient in its understanding and
unworthy of Christ's name. It will fail to teach the counselee a
proper view of life and the world in which we live. Every thought
is to be taken captive (2 Cor 10:5), even the thought patterns
associated with sexual perversion, stealing, treatment of spouses,
fears, and eating disorders. While biblical counselors are
practical, they are not pragmatists. Life is more than the sum
total of our daily functions.
The goal of counseling must be to help the person
grow "in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Lk
2:52). This wisdom begins with a proper fear of God (Prov 9:10).
The foolishness evident in much secular counseling today is the
result of idolatrous worship.
Roman 1:18-32 describes the degeneration of
knowledge and wisdom as man turned from God to worship the
creation. The result was that people became "futile in their
speculation ... professing to be wise they became tools" (21:22).
This change of focus in worship led to change in sexual behavior
that most today would regard as unrelated to worship. The shift in
worship that resulted in homosexual behavior demonstrates the
necessity to counsel from a biblical model. To counsel a homosexual
apart from the question of worship is to completely miss the heart
of the issue to miss the heart of the person.
Our approach at the Biblical Counseling Center
recognizes that the nature of God and His Truth is foundational in
all of counseling. We see the context of counseling as worship. A
person's motives and attitudes (issues of worship) are equally as
important as his behavior (Prov 16:2, Heb 4:12). "For as he thinks
within himself, so he is..." (Prov 23:7). "Watch over your heart
with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life" (Prov
4:23).
2. IS THE BIBLE INTENDED FOR
COUNSELING?
Yes. The Bible was written to address man's heart
issues that grew out of his fall into sin. Many today refer to
these as mental health problems. The Bible was written to define
life for man, the nature of his problems, his purpose in life, and
the solutions whereby he could know peace, fulfillment, and joy.
Through Scripture man learns of his one true need, fellowship with
God. He also learns how this need can be met, repentance and faith
in Jesus Christ. Every counseling issue can only be adequately and
properly addressed from this foundation.
Some have argued that the Bible is no more a
counseling textbook than a chemistry or math textbook. This is not
true; consider the Bible's own testimony. "All Scripture is
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training
in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for
every good work" (2 Tim 3:16, 17). Referring to the Scripture,
Peter said, ". . . His divine power has granted to us everything
pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him
who called us . . ." (2 Pet 1:3). Scripture was given for the
expressed purpose of addressing man's spiritual (his non-organic)
problems. It was not given to teach chemistry or math.
3. DOES THE BIBLE ADDRESS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
PROBLEMS WE FACE TODAY?
Yes. The confusion arises from the fact that
Christians have allowed the secular community to define the
problems. For example, what is a "dysfunctional family?" The term
does not appear anywhere in Scripture. It is necessary to go beyond
the descriptive term and look at the characteristics of the family.
"Dysfunctional" describes a family in which the roles of husband
and wife are confused, communication has broken down, anger and
unresolved bitterness abound, and shouting and verbal abuse are
common. This description may also involve sexual or physical abuse
as well. The Scripture does address all of these
issues.
Another example is bulimia. Again, this is a
descriptive, not a diagnostic name. It is not found in the Bible,
but Scripture does talk about being judgmental, vain, lying,
deceitful, legalistic, self centered, and full of self love, all
characteristics of a bulimic person.
The problem leading to confusion is two-fold.
First the church has been wooed by the descriptive abilities of the
secular psychological community, an ability at which they excel.
Many Christians come away saying, "He really understands me." It is
easy to confuse descriptive ability with diagnostic and
prescriptive ability. The ability, for example, to clearly describe
an automobile does not make a person a good
mechanic.
Secondly, the understanding of sin has been
depreciated to the point where any problem beyond a mild response
of anger or impatience is thought to have something other than a
spiritual cause. Sin can and does lead to bizarre behavior. The
total depravity of man is nearly limitless in its expression. A
five year old boy may throw a glass. At fifteen he may throw a
punch. At twenty five, he might shoot everyone in a family. All
three may be a sinful response to the girl next door scorning him.
Only Christ as revealed in Scripture is able to address the "deep"
issues at their root -a sinful heart. Usually when people refer to
"deep" issues they are speaking of issues of the "unconscious" as
defined by Freud. Freud's "unconscious" was his attempted to
address the question of motivation by redefining in secular terms
the biblical concept of the heart. The confusion and fruits of
psycho therapy are testimony enough of his failure.
4. CAN SECULAR PSYCHOLOGY BE INTEGRATED WITH
SCRIPTURE?
Can the Christian community borrow from the best
of the secularists and integrate it with Scriptural truth? Is there
a large central pool of information, methods, and facts that are
neutral? Can those on the left and those on the right both drink
from a common spring? Can two systems of thought, both claiming to
address the same issues yet contradictory, be
compatible?
No, they can not. "The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9:10). Just as all of life is spiritual,
all understanding is the product of a person's moral persuasion.
All perceived wisdom and knowledge is the result of a person's
evaluation and interpretation of what he observes. Interpretation
is more than a biological function of the brain. It is the work of
the mind which Paul says we are to "renew." The "mind" in Scripture
is the heart out of which flow the issues of life. It is not some
emotive organ relegated to the domain of Cupid. "The fool says in
his heart, there is no God" (Ps 14:1). The one who may dwell on
God's holy hill is the one who "speaks truth in his heart" (Ps
15:2). ". . . the heart of fools proclaims folly" (Prov 12:23).
"The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart" (Matt 12:34).
God judges the "thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12).
The father of a virgin must do what he "has decided ... in his own
heart" (1 Cor 7:37). Our speech and thinking process, which we
associate as a function of the mind, is in Scripture associated
with the heart.
A striking feature of the NT is the essential
closeness of kardia to the concept nous, mind. Nous can also have
the meaning of person, a man's ego. Heart and mind (noemata) can be
used in parallel (2 Cor 3:141) or synonymously (Phil 4:7).... Thus
it is the person, the thinking, feeling, and willing ego of man,
with particular regard to his responsibility to God that the NT
denotes by the use of kardia... (The New International Dictionary
of New Testament, 2-182)
How can two learned scientists look at the same
information and reach opposite conclusions about the existence of
God and the origins of the universe? It is because "the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov 1:7). It is a heart
issue. A person's beliefs cannot be separated from his conclusions,
nor his methods separated from his convictions.
How do you discipline your children? Why do you
do what you do? Why do you think some methods are right and others
are wrong? Why do you believe in fidelity in marriage while others
do not? Why do you believe the husband should be the head of the
home yet many others are appalled at the thought? It is because of
what you believe.
There is no neutrality. Jesus' statement, "He
that is not with me is against me" (Matt. 12:30), reflects the
absence of neutrality Paul carries this thought over into the area
of knowledge when he says, "We are destroying speculations and
every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we
are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ..." (2
Cor 10:5). The Lord asked through Amos, "Can two walk together
unless they be agreed?" (3:3).
When a secular psychologist moves beyond
observation to explanation he has entered spiritual territory for
which he has no map. In fact he denies God, the only One who is
able to give us a proper understanding. It is like trying to
explain the behavior of a boat while denying the existence of the
very water in which it floats.
You cannot take two systems with warring
definitions of life, truth, and reality and integrate them into one
coherent system. Definitions of problems, methods used, and goals
set are all the product of a person's beliefs. Paul asked, ". . . -
what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what
fellowship has light with darkness" (2 Cor 6:14)?
5. CAN YOU SEPARATE A COUNSELOR'S METHODS FROM
HIS BELIEFS?
People act on the basis of their beliefs (Prov
4:23). The great thinkers down through the ages as well as today
understand this principle and strive for consistency between belief
and practice. Any belief system, even if it is wrong over all,
gains recognizable strength from internal consistency. The greater
the number of internal inconsistencies a system has, the weaker it
is. If a building that has structural integrity is constructed on
sand, it may remain standing for a long time, although it will
shift and ultimately crack.
Secularists understand the relationship between a
person's beliefs and his methods. For example, Skinner does not
borrow his methods from the Christian community. It is this
relationship of beliefs to methods that fuels conflict, even among
secularists such as Rogerians and Freudians. Rogers described
Freud's view of human nature as "primarily made up of instincts
which would, if permitted expression, result in incest, murder, and
other crimes." He goes on to say, "It seems to me that I have been
very slow to recognize the falseness of this popular and
professional concept" (On Becoming a Person, p.91). Rogers attacked
Freud at the level of his beliefs.
One point of conflict between Freud and Rogers is
that Freud believed the counselee needed an expert who could sort
his life out for him. Rogers was appalled by such an approach. He
said, "There is also a complete freedom from any type of moral or
diagnostic evaluation, since all such evaluations are, I believe,
always threatening (ibid. p.34). The meaning and value of his
experience is in the last analysis something which is up to him,
and no amount of external judgment can alter this" (ibid. p.55).
The different beliefs led them to opposing
methods.
Proverbs 23:7 says "For as a man thinks within
himself, so he is." A man's beliefs will ultimately direct his
behavior, his methods. For example, one method used by those who
follow Freud in dealing with anger is to allow the counselee to
vent his anger on a pillow or a punching bag. They believe man has
an unconscious that is like a tank which needs to be emptied. Drain
the tank of its anger and the problem will be solved.
Biblical counselors on the other hand know that
anger comes from the heart of man. It is not like a tank to be
drained, instead it is like an artesian well that needs to be
Gapped (Prov 16:32). Therefore the methods differ
radically.
6. HOW DO THE SECULARISTS VIEW
CHRISTIANITY?
Abraham Maslow, father of the self esteem
movement said, "Organized Religion, the churches, finally may
become the major enemies of the religious experience and the
religious experiencer. This is the main thesis of this book."
(Religions, Values, and Peak-experience, p.viii)
Carl Rogers believed the counselor was only a
mirror to reflect the counselee's thoughts. "Neither the Bible nor
the prophets-neither Freud nor research-neither the revelations of
God nor man-can take precedence over my own direct experience." (On
Becoming A Person, p. 24)
Sigmund Freud, seeing the Protestant and Catholic
religion as obsessional neuroses from which to be cured, stated:
"If you wish to expel religion from our European civilization you
can only do it through another system of doctrine, and from the
outset this would take over all the psychological characteristics
of religion." (The Future of An Illusion, p.92, trans. by
W.D.Robson-Scott, published by Doubleday)
The church has by and large forgotten that "the
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men" because they "suppress the truth in
unrighteousness." (Rom 1:18) The unbeliever is at war with God.
"There is none who understand, there is none who seeks for God; all
have turned aside . . ." (Rom 3:11-12), yet the church through
psychological theories, invites into her midst those who live "in
the lusts of ... (the) flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh
and of the mind . . ." (Eph 2:3) in an effort to help disciple the
people of God!
The church should be using the "weapons of our
warfare ... for the destruction of fortresses. We are (to be)
destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the
knowledge of God, and we are (to be) taking every thought captive
to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:4-5). Yet many believers have
failed to see the theories of secular counseling psychology as a
fortress of ideas that stand in opposition to the Christian faith.
The grievous thing, as noted above, is that the secularists
themselves have clearly stated their intent to replace the
Christian faith, yet many believers still adopt their unbiblical
theories as the structural framework for their own
counseling.
Ironically, unbelievers better understand the
relationship between beliefs, definitions, methods, and goals than
do many believers. Secular psychologists do not walk in the counsel
of the righteous, nor stand in the path of the redeemed, not sit in
the seat of believers.
7. ENOUGH QUESTIONS!
It is time to shed our naivete'. It is time to
reclaim our birthright of shepherding and discipling God's people.
The impact of psychology and psychiatry is devastating in the
church today. The loss in human and financial resources is
staggering.
The impact is tearing churches apart and burning out pastors. With
the present popularity of "victimization" and a "needs based
philosophy" in counseling, congregations are being converted from
servants to takers and from responsible actors to blame shifting
victims.
Biblical counseling is not an option. It is the
heart of sanctification and discipleship. It is the core of
rebuilding broken lives for service to Christ and His
church.
Dr. Craig R. Rowe
pastors the Gallatin Valley Presbyterian Church in Bozeman,
Montana. He is a Fellow in the National Association of Nouthetic
Counselors (NANC).
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