What Makes Biblical Counseling Truly Biblical?
Until heaven, we will always have debates about what makes biblical counseling truly biblical. I’ve sought to address my convictions about biblical counseling in my post:
6 Biblical Counseling Convictions
A Thread on Biblical Counseling
Today, I summarized this post in a Twitter/X thread. Here’s the thread.
Here’s my 18-word description of my model of biblical counseling. Biblical counselors are:
Gospel-Centered/Christ-Centered, Theologically-Saturated, Relationship-Focused, Church History-Informed, Research-Aware Soul Physicians of Embodied-Souls 1/
Conviction #1: Gospel-Centered Biblical Counseling (GCBC)
GCBC Conviction 1A: We must build our model of biblical counseling on the gospel of Christ’s grace (Jn 1:14; 8:31-32; 10:10; 14:6; 17:17; Rom 1:16-17; Gal 1:6-9; Col 1:3-2:23; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pt 1:3). 2/
GCBC Conviction 1B: (Wording from the Biblical Counseling Coalition Confessional Statement): Wise counseling centers on Jesus Christ—His sinless life, death on the cross, burial, resurrection, present reign, and promised return. Through the Gospel, God reveals the depths of sin, the scope of suffering, and the breadth, length, height, and depth of grace. We point people to a person, Jesus our Redeemer, and not to a program, theory, or experience. 3/
Conviction #2: Theologically-Saturated Biblical Counseling (TSBC)
TSBC Conviction 2A: It is my conviction that before we seek to be research-informed or research-aware, we must first be theologically-saturated and theologically-informed (Col 1:15-23; 2:2-15). 4/
TSBC Conviction 2B: God’s sufficient, authoritative, rich, robust, relevant, inerrant Word provides all we need to build our prescriptive biblical counseling theology of people (Creation) problems (Fall), and solutions (Redemption and Consummation) (Rom 15:14; Phil 1:9-11; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pt 1:3). 5/
Conviction #3: Relationship-Focused Biblical Counseling (RFBC)
RFBC Conviction 3A: Truly biblical counseling must embody truth-in-love. Because the greatest commandment (Mt 22:35-40) is to love God and others, the goal of our counseling is Christlike love (2 Cor 1:3-9; 6:11-13; Gal 4:19; Eph 4:15; 5:1-2; Phil 1:9-11; 1 Th 2:7-8; 1 Tim 1:5). 6/
RFBC Conviction 3B: It is my conviction that God designed us as relational beings (Mt 22:35-40; 1 Cor 13:1-8). We are spiritual beings designed for a worshipful, trusting, grace-saturated, forgiven, reconciled, shalom, blessed, loving relationship with God (Ps 8:1-9; Ps 42:1-2; Acts 17:24-31; Jn 3:16; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 1:3-14; Col 1:9-23). We are social beings, designed for mutual interdependent loving relationships with one another (Gen 2:18-25; Ps 42:3-4; Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 12:24-27). We are self-aware beings, designed to reflect on our own existence and meaning in relationship to God and others (Ps 8:3-8; Ps 42:5; Ps 139:13-18; Rom 12:3). 7/
RFBC Conviction 3C: At times biblical counseling can become “truth-only counseling” where the counselor “teaches at” the counselee. According to passages such as Mt 22:35-40; 2 Cor 1:3-9; 2 Cor 6:11-13; Gal 4:19; Eph 4:15; 5:1-2; Phil 1:9-11; 1 Thess 2:7-8; 1 Tim 1:5; God calls us as biblical counselors to exhibit and express Christlike shepherding love as we relate soul-to-soul with our counselees. 8/
Conviction #4: Church History-Informed Biblical Counseling (CHIBC)
CHIBC Conviction 4A: Comprehensive, compassionate biblical counseling is best developed when we listen to that great cloud of historical Christian witnesses who teach us how the church has always applied gospel truth in Christlike love to sustain, heal, reconcile, and guide saints who face suffering and battle against sin on their sanctification journey (Dt 32:7; Jer 6:16; Rom 14:19; 15:14; 1 Thess 5:11, 14; 2 Thess 3:15; Col 3:16; Heb 12:1). 9/
CHIBC Conviction 4B: Biblical counseling is weakened when it is built predominantly upon one biblical word, any one individual’s views, any one group’s perspective, any one culture, or any one era of church history. Today’s biblical counselors demonstrate wisdom and humility by learning from historical biblical counseling which began with the OT, continued throughout the NT, and has a 2,000-year history from the early church to the church today (Gen 1-3; Ps 1; Prov 1; Is 9:6; Jn 14:6; Acts 20:20; Rev 7:9). 10/
Conviction #5: Research-Aware Biblical Counseling (RABC)
RABC Conviction 5A: It is my conviction—based upon theological categories such as common grace, the imago Dei, the Creation/Cultural mandate, the noetic effect of sin, natural revelation, special revelation, total depravity, a biblical theology of the role and place of science and research—that awareness of research findings can provide potentially helpful contributions (secondarily to Scripture and assessed under the lens of Scripture) to our understanding of the impact of various physical, cultural, and societal experiences in our fallen world of sin and suffering, tragedy and trauma (Gen 1:26-28; Ps 19:1-14; Rom 1:18-25; 2:14-15; 3:1-23; Heb 1:1-3; 1 Pt 3:8-22). 11/
RABC Conviction 5B: It is my conviction, as described in the Biblical Counseling Coalition Confessional Statement, that “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.” 12/
Conviction #6: Biblical Counselors Are Soul Physicians of Embodied-Souls (BCSPES)
BCSPES Conviction 6A: Biblical counselors are soul physicians of embodied-souls, and thus, truly comprehensive and compassionate biblical counseling must understand the Bible’s Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation teaching on the complex interrelationship of body and soul (embodied-soul), and can benefit from awareness of neuroscience research assessed under the lens of Scripture. 13/
BCSPES Conviction 6B: Biblical counselors—as under-shepherds (Genesis 1:26-28)—will develop and follow a “theological anthropology”—a rich and robust biblical understanding of embodied souls that leads to relevant and practical counseling that ministers to people comprehensively—as relational (spiritual, social, self-aware), rational, volitional, emotional, and physical beings—embodied-souls. 14/
BCSPES Conviction 6C: Biblical counselors—as under-scientists (Genesis 1:26-28)—will use the lens of God’s sufficient Scriptures to carefully assess and evaluate neuroscience research regarding the brain/body connection and then will potentially discerningly implement interventions that specifically address our embodied nature. 15/
Join the Conversation
- How would you word and summarize your convictions about biblical counseling?
- If you had ten-to-twenty words to describe your model of biblical counseling, what would your description be?
- Where do you agree or disagree with any of my biblical counseling convictions from today’s post?
