A Word From Bob
You’re reading Part 1 of a two-part blog mini-series on scriptural sufficiency and counselor competency. Here’s the question we’re addressing:
“While Scripture is sufficient to provide wisdom for every soul issue, does that mean that every biblical counselor is competent to address every soul issue?”
In Part 1, we define our terms: sufficiency of Scripture and counselor competency. In Part 2, we share how to assess our competency and how to assure that competent help is provided for our counselees.
I’ve developed this two-part series from my book: Consider Your Counsel: Addressing Ten Mistakes in Our Biblical Counseling.
A Real Life Issue
I was recently contacted by a lay biblical counselor (let’s call him Jim) who was just beginning his MA degree in Biblical Counseling. Jim was approached by a man who was hearing voices, among several other concerns. Jim explained:
“Bob, I feel out of my league. I’m a rookie counselor at best. But I keep hearing that since the Scriptures are sufficient for all soul issues, therefore every Christian is a competent biblical counselor. The implication I feel like I’m hearing is that since the Scriptures are sufficient, then I should have the faith to take on any counseling issue the Lord sends my way. I feel guilty for doubting whether I’m equipped to take on this case…”
If you’ve counseled at all, then you’ve likely felt like Jim—confident in God’s sufficient Word, concerned about your competency, and wondering whether your concern is wisdom-based or fear-based. This is why as biblical counselors we need to clarify the relationship between scriptural sufficiency and counselor competency.
A Brief Introduction to the Sufficiency of Scripture
To address this practical issue, it’s important that we understand what the biblical counseling movement means by scriptural sufficiency. The first of the twelve statements in the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Confessional Statement highlights scriptural sufficiency under the header of Biblical Counseling Must Be Anchored in Scripture. Here is the succinct (379 words) summary of what sufficiency is and what it is not.
We believe that God’s Word is authoritative, sufficient, and relevant (Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 4:12-13). The inspired and inerrant Scriptures, rightly interpreted and carefully applied, offer us God’s comprehensive wisdom. We learn to understand who God is, who we are, the problems we face, how people change, and God’s provision for that change in the Gospel (John 8:31-32; 10:10; 17:17). No other source of knowledge thoroughly equips us to counsel in ways that transform the human heart (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). Other systems of counseling aim for other goals and assume a different dynamic of change. The wisdom given by God in His Word is distinctive and robust. He comprehensively addresses the sin and suffering of all people in all situations.
Wise counseling is an insightful application of God’s all-embracing truth to our complex lives (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6; Philippians 1:9-11). It does not merely collect proof-texts from the Bible. Wise counseling requires ongoing practical theological labor in order to understand Scripture, people, and situations (2 Timothy 2:15). We must continually develop our personal character, case-wise understanding of people, and pastoral skills (Romans 15:14; Colossians 1:28-29).
When we say that Scripture is comprehensive in wisdom, we mean that the Bible makes sense of all things, not that it contains all the information people could ever know about all topics. God’s common grace brings many good things to human life. However, common grace cannot save us from our struggles with sin or from the troubles that beset us. Common grace cannot sanctify or cure the soul of all that ails the human condition. We affirm that numerous sources (such as scientific research, organized observations about human behavior, those we counsel, reflection on our own life experience, literature, film, and history) can contribute to our knowledge of people, and many sources can contribute some relief for the troubles of life. However, none can constitute a comprehensive system of counseling principles and practices. When systems of thought and practice claim to prescribe a cure for the human condition, they compete with Christ (Colossians 2:1-15). Scripture alone teaches a perspective and way of looking at life by which we can think biblically about and critically evaluate information and actions from any source (Colossians 2:2-10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Thus, by “sufficiency of Scripture” we mean that God’s Word provides comprehensive wisdom for life in our broken world. While other resources can contribute to our understanding of life, only the Scriptures provide the overarching perspective by which we can critically evaluate all other potential sources of truth.
A Brief Introduction to Growing as a Competent Biblical Counselor
In Romans 15:14, Paul states that he’s convinced that Christians have the capacity to become competent to comfort, encourage, confront, and disciple one another. When Paul used the word “convinced,” he chose a word that means an internal conviction based upon external evidence. Here’s the “4C” evidence or résumé from Romans 15:14 of a Christian who is becoming competent to counsel:
- Christlike Character: We are growing in goodness—“full of goodness.”
- Biblical Content (Applied to Life): We are growing in biblical wisdom—“complete in knowledge.”
- Counseling Competence: We are growing in our ability to relate truth to life—“competent to instruct.”
- Christian Community: We are growing in Christian one-another relational ministry—“brothers,” “one another.”
This foundational verse highlighted by the modern biblical counseling movement has embedded within it “markers” that we can use to assess our growing competency. This is why a central hallmark of the modern biblical counseling movement has always been ongoing equipping:
- Ongoing self-counsel and one-another mutual ministry to grow in Christlike character.
- Ongoing reading, training, and education to grow in biblical content.
- Ongoing supervised experience to grow in counseling competence.
- Ongoing connection to the larger body of Christ to grow within the context of Christian community.
So, no Christian is automatically competent to counsel every issue that any person might ever have. Initial and ongoing growth is biblically required. As we read earlier from the Confessional Statement:
Wise counseling requires ongoing practical theological labor in order to understand Scripture, people, and situations (2 Timothy 2:15). We must continually develop our personal character, case-wise understanding of people, and pastoral skills (Romans 15:14; Colossians 1:28-29).
Further, no Christian is self-sufficiently competent to counsel. Our competency is dependent on Christ. Speaking of his ministry—after years of education and ministry experience—Paul states:
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).
We are incompetent to counsel in our own strength and knowledge.
Additionally, no Christian is independently competent to counsel. We are one body made up of many parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). No part of the body can say to another part, “I don’t need you!” (2 Corinthians 12:21). The Scriptures are sufficient; we are not sufficient.
Christians can become increasingly competent to counsel through being equipped by the body of Christ, through humble dependence upon Christ, and through mutual ministry within the body of Christ.
The Rest of the Story
Join us for Part 2 where we explore two issues: 1.) 2 Preliminary Ways to Assess Our Competency, and 2.) 5 Guidelines to Assure That Competent Help Is Provided.
Join the Conversation
How would you answer our core question: While Scripture is sufficient to provide wisdom for every soul issue, does that mean that every biblical counselor is competent to address every soul issue?
