A Great Question
Someone recently asked me a great question:
“If we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, then why use biblical counseling training materials?
The Sufficiency of Scripture for Biblical Counseling
This question arose after I posted the following comment on my Facebook Gospel-Centered Counseling and Equipping group.
“Since we are committed to the sufficiency of Scripture, no person’s books on biblical counseling, not mine, not Jay Adams’s, not David Powlison’s, are necessary. Potentially helpful, yes, just like the writings from the history of Christian soul care are helpful.”
“Another way to say this: no person’s interpretation of Scripture is sufficient; no person’s model of biblical counseling is sufficient.”
The Sufficiency of Scripture and Biblical Counseling Training Materials
Here’s my response to the good question about why we use human-authored training materials if we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture.
Most of my 24 books are designed to train biblical counselors, so I do believe in training materials.
However, I would not want anyone to say, “I am of Bob Kellemen.” Nor to say, “I am a David Powlison.” Or, “I am of Jay Adams.”
Just like Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:12 did not want anyone saying, “I follow Paul. I follow Apollos. I follow Peter.” He wanted everyone to say, “I follow Christ.”
Human-Authored Books Are Secondary
I use materials of my own and of others in training—all secondary to our direct study of Scripture.
I have students biblically evaluate every book—including my books, identifying strengths and weakness, areas they agree with and disagree with based upon their biblical study.
So, human-authored books can be “helpful,” but are always secondary to Scripture and never “sufficient” since only God’s Word is without error.
A Diversity of Human Authors, Time Periods, and Cultures
Also, it is always wise to use materials from a diversity of human authors so that you are not building, even secondarily, on any one human author (not Adams, not Powlison, not Kellemen, etc.).
That’s one of the reasons I appreciate the MABC from Faith Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana: they use about a dozen different leaders in the biblical counseling world—so students are exposed to a variety of thinking, and not just one person’s model.
It’s also why I use materials from church history so that we are not dependent only on thinking about biblical counseling and soul care just from the past 50 years.
And it’s why I’ve studied and written on biblical counseling from a diversity of cultures, including the African American church—so we are not dependent upon the thinking of any one group.
In Summary
Jay Adams is not sufficient for biblical counseling. Nor is David Powlison. Nor is Bob Kellemen.
The modern nouthetic counseling movement is not sufficient for biblical counseling.
ACBC is not sufficient. ABC is not sufficient. CCEF is not sufficient. RPM Ministries is not sufficient.
Are human authors, groups, and resources potentially helpful. Yes. Especially when we have our Bible in one hand, and we use materials from a diversity of authors, groups, and church history time periods as secondary resources.
Join the Conversation
If we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, then why use biblical counseling training materials?
Bob, I appreciate your writing and wisdom especially on this topic of sufficiency. You say at the end “Are human authors, groups, and resources potentially helpful? Yes. Especially when we have our Bible in one hand, and we use materials from a diversity of authors, groups, and church history time periods as secondary resources.”
Could you consider doing a follow up to this article (or point me to something you’ve already written) on this relationship? How exactly would you say they are “helpful?” I have no hesitation to say everything besides scripture is secondary, but I often have trouble articulating what the relationship then is between a book or curriculum or podcast and the Scriptures.