Part Three:
Embracing the Legacy of Comforting Biblical Counseling
A Word from Bob
First, I posted this blog mini-series back in 2009. I am thankful for how the modern biblical counseling movement has developed and grown since then, especially in the area that these posts focused on: biblical parakaletic soul care for the suffering.
Second, if you find yourself troubled that I am saying that some biblical counseling is only half biblical, then I would ask you to be sure to read my comments at the end of this blog post. Thanks!
For Part 1, please visit: The Gravity of Grinding Affliction
For Part 2, please visit: Whatever Happened to Sin?
My Premise
Some modern biblical counseling considers the seriousness of sin—sinning, but spends less time equipping people to minister to the gravity of grinding affliction—suffering. When we provide counseling for sin, but fail to provide counseling and counselor training for suffering, then I am of the conviction that such biblical counseling is only half biblical.
The Myth: Dealing with “Suffering” Is Surely “Secular”
Here’s the myth we face when we say that we must deal with suffering as well as with sin:
“Oh, that’s just modern secular psychotherapy.” Or, “That’s obviously influenced by Freudianism.” Or, “No one ever said biblical counseling was about suffering until after the advent of modern humanism.”
Those are each myths.
Our first post in this series highlighted the theological necessity for dealing with suffering—failing to care for the suffering actually minimizes the universal impact of sin.
Our second post pondered just a few of many of the biblical mandates for dealing with suffering—such as Job; John 9:1-3; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Romans 12:15; and the occurrence of parakaleo over 100 times in the New Testament.
We could also add the Lament Psalms, the very character of God as the Father of the fatherless, and the laments of David, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul.
The Reality: Dealing with Suffering Is Certainly Biblical
Dealing with suffering is certainly biblical.
Of course, one could say, “That’s just your flawed interpretation of Scripture.”
Could be. While God’s Word is inspired, perfect, and inerrant, none of our interpretations are.
So I’ve also spent over a quarter-century studying Church history and pastoral counseling. (Added in 2023: For how Martin Luther provided comprehensive pastoral counseling, see Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life. To see how the Black Church in American history provided comprehensive one-another care, see Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction. To see how women in church history provided one-another soul care, see Sacred Friendships: Celebrating the Legacy of Women Heroes of the Faith.)
Then again, we could run into yet another false accusation:
“So, you are saying that tradition is on the same par as inspired Scripture!”
No. Not at all.
I am simply saying that since all our interpretations of Scripture are errant, and since some claim that those who deal with suffering are unknowingly influenced by modern secular psychology, that turning to conservative believers pre-Freud could be a good reality check.
Church History Samplers of Comforting Biblical Counseling for Suffering
I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the great Reformer, Martin Luther. What many do not know is that Luther was also a master pastor. He left us 1,000s of letters of spiritual consolation where he comforted his world-wide parishioners so they could face suffering face-to-face with Christ.
In my 359-page dissertation, 104 pages explore Luther’s work focused on suffering and sanctification. By comparison, 71 pages examine Luther’s work dealing with sin and sanctification. Luther accurately and adequately blended counseling for suffering and for sin. (Added in 2023: For how Martin Luther provided comprehensive pastoral counseling, see Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life.)
In my book Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, we learn from the amazing legacy of Black heroes of the faith. As the title suggests, our brothers and sisters understood that biblical counseling must include comforting the suffering. Yes, they certainly care-fronted the sinning, also. Like we should, our African American great cloud of witnesses did both.
In my book Sacred Friendships: Celebrating the Legacy of Women Heroes of the Faith, we see women like Margaret Baxter, Susana Wesley, Sarah Edwards, Susannah Spurgeon, and 47 others, consistently integrating comfort for the suffering and care-fronting for the sinning.
Since this blog is long enough already, rather than quoting them, I have left links above to my works on Luther, African Americans believers, and women believers. Together this great cloud of witnesses insists that:
True, comprehensive biblical counseling has always been about the business of helping both hurting and hardened people through comforting and care-fronting with the goal of increased Christlikeness.
Where Do We Go from Here?
In Part Four, I’ll provide an even broader Church history study, sharing briefly the works of Clebsch and Jaekle, McNeil, Oden, and other Church historians—who each conclude that comprehensive pastoral care has always dealt with both sin and suffering.
Then in Part Five, I will address the question:
“What then might it look like to train pastors and lay people to be soul physicians and spiritual friends who deal with both suffering and sin?”
Why I Am Addressing This Topic
All who have followed my ministry know that I am about bridge-building and not about wall-building. You might wonder then, “Bob, why blog about something that is surely to be controversial?”
Those who follow my ministry also know that I am about equipping God’s people to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth through comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling and spiritual formation.
Biblical counseling that fails to deal with suffering, fails the test of comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling. I would be a hypocrite to my calling if I remained silent.
Others might wonder, “Are you talking about a particular person, persons, or groups who are writing and ministering today?”
No. I am not. This is not an attack against. These blogs are not directed toward any one person or group.
These blogs are directed to all of us—myself included—who love biblical counseling. They are for all of us—myself included—who need good Bereans (Acts 17) to help us to assess how biblical or unbiblical our approaches to biblical counseling truly are.
I write to help, not to hurt. I write to equip, not to attack. I write to start a conversation, not to finish one.
Join the Conversation
What impact might it have on your thinking about comprehensive biblical counseling, to realize that throughout church history, believers provided biblical counseling for both suffering and sin?
