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Welcome to Part 2 of a three-part blog mini-series on Discussing and Applying Jeremy Lelek’s Biblical Counseling Basics.

If you would like this three-part mini-series all in one free PDF download, go here: Discussing and Applying Jeremy Lelek’s Biblical Counseling Basics.

For blog post, Part One, go here: Discussing and Applying Jeremy Lelek’s Biblical Counseling Basics, Part 1.

For blog post, Part Three, go here: Discussing and Applying Jeremy Lelek’s Biblical Counseling Basics, Part 3.

Discussing and Applying the Beliefs of Biblical Counseling Basics (BCB) 

After analyzing the history of biblical counseling, Dr. Lelek begins to explore the beliefs, teachings, and theology of biblical counseling. He starts by presenting a strong contrast between biblical counseling and secular psychology.

“The epistemological differences are clear. While secular models are rooted in theory, biblical counseling is rooted in theology. I would submit that one of the most prominent goals to which biblical counselors must aspire is to set their hearts on becoming experts in systematic and practical theology. If biblical counselors are going to counsel others biblically, then right theology will be viewed as an absolute priority” (39, emphasis added).

“The Bible is about what counseling is about” (43).

“Scripture itself is God’s divine counsel to mankind. His revelatory counsel offers humanity knowledge about himself and is infused with divine power that grants to believers ‘all things’ pertaining to ‘life and godliness’ (2 Peter 1:3)” (43).

PDQs for Dr. Lelek: In our modern biblical counseling world, are there specific areas where you perceive a theological deficit? How could biblical counseling leaders equip biblical counselors to become “experts in systematic and practical theology”?

PDQs About the Sufficiency of Scripture 

In chapter 4, Lelek builds a powerful case for the supremacy and sufficiency of the Bible.

“The Bible is the ultimate source of knowing (not science, as is the case in secular psychology)” (49).

“The Bible is the epistemological basis from which biblical counselors develop their presuppositions regarding all that is counseling” (49).

“Scripture provides God’s perspective on all of reality. Therefore, the Bible is essential ‘if we are to interpret natural revelation rightly’ since there are no ‘neutral facts, for facts are God’s facts’” (50).

“As Christians, if our conceptual lens is not thoroughly shaped by the Bible, then no matter how well trained we may become in brain research, psychological theory, or counseling methodology, we will inevitably miss the mark in developing a psychology that properly reflects a biblical understanding of creation” (50-51).

PDQs for Dr. Lelek: In your counseling practice at Metroplex Counseling, because you follow the Bible’s teaching that we are embodied-souls, you center on the inner life spiritual components, while also incorporating biological interventions. As you oversee your team, how do you assure that they are looking at and evaluating science and neuroscience through the conceptual lens of the Bible?

PDQs About the Superiority of Scripture and Descriptive Research 

Lelek continues to present a persuasive case for the superiority and sufficiency of Scripture.

“Biblical counselors must be discerning. Psychological data does not exist in a vacuum, but it always bears the weight of presuppositions and assumptions that must continually be considered and analyzed from a biblical frame of reference. Such considerations often requires a complete reinterpretation of that which the secular establishment deems as truth” (65).

“So are biblical counselors forced to completely discard the descriptions offered by psychiatry? No. These descriptors will likely prove helpful. However, they only articulate symptoms; they do not offer a cure. This is where the Bible brilliantly displays its superiority—it boldly offers rich understanding on symptoms, cause, and cure” (67).

PDQs for Dr. Lelek: As you note throughout your book, the use or non-use of descriptive research continues to be a controversial topic in the modern biblical counseling world. What are some specific ways that we can biblically assess psychological data? Are there examples you would share about how you have taken psychological data and descriptive research and done “a complete reinterpretation” of that data biblically, so that it is useful in being a soul physician to embodied-souls? Are there examples you would share where you’ve perceived the research data to be so anti-biblical that you’ve chosen not to use suggested biological interventions?

PDQs About the Use of Scripture 

In chapter 5 on Counseling and the Use of Scripture, Dr. Lelek teaches readers how to study the Bible for biblical counseling. He focuses on understanding the grand narrative of the Bible, so that counselors avoid proof-texting and taking Scripture out of context. He teaches biblical counselors how to use hermeneutics and exegesis as they study the Scriptures. Lelek quotes Welch and Powlison explaining that:

“Within our own tradition there have certainly been forays into proof-texting, examples of shoddy exegesis, and times when we have been too dependent on a concordance. But the goal is to understand Scripture in context in order to apply it to people in context” (73).

Dr. Lelek then uses a specific case study relating to anxiety, and contrasts the weakness of a proof-texting approach to anxiety with the strengths of a comprehensive gospel-centered approach to anxiety.

PDQs for Dr. Lelek: When you are supervising counselors, how to you help them to recognize the difference between proof-texting and gospel-centered counseling? How do you equip novice biblical counselors to grow in their use of Scripture in counseling?

PDQs About God-Centered Biblical Counseling 

Chapter 6 focuses on Counseling with God in Mind. Here, Dr. Lelek emphasizes a Theo-centric view of biblical counseling.

“Counseling is about God” (83).

“Glorifying God is biblical counseling’s primary goal” (84, italics in original).

“The universal variable that all secular theorists miss is the failure to consider God’s glory in their constructs of wellness or health” (86).

“Biblical counseling, like no other form of soul care, recognizes that if people fail to consider God first, then it becomes impossible to understand themselves psychologically (human nature and motivation), ontologically (the nature of being and becoming), and existentially (the purpose and meaning of existence). Accurate self-knowledge becomes illusory when the purpose of counseling—the glory of the Creator—becomes entangled with the man-centered ideology of self-comfort” (87).

“The existence of God is the great presupposition of biblical counseling. Embracing this view orients the counseling process around a person. That person is not the counselee or the counselor, but the God of the Bible who deserves glory. The practice of biblical counseling, therefore, is primarily inclined toward the glory of God. It conceptualizes individuals, their circumstances, the process and aim of counseling with a mindfulness of God’s character” (96).

PDQs for All of Us: As you and I counsel, how can we be sure that we orient our counseling not around ourselves, not even around our counselee, but around God and His glory? Practically, how do you help hurting counselees to begin to draw their attention to the goodness and glory of God?

PDQs About God and Our Emotions

Lelek next begins to explore what is God up to in counseling. He draws a profound conclusion.

“Emotional difficulties like depression are not diminished to the psychiatric fallacy that such things are exclusively disorders in need of cure. Instead, they are conceptualized as divine taps on the shoulder through which the Holy Spirit calls people to find rest in God alone. Emotional suffering, like everything people experience, can serve as a potent means to draw them closer to the Prince of Peace, the Healer of souls” (108, emphasis added).

PDQs for All of Us: As compassionate biblical counselors, how do we gently help counselees to move from a focus on “fixing my feelings,” to a focus on drawing near to their sympathetic High Priest?

PDQs About the Person and Work of Christ 

Having introduced readers to biblical counseling and God the Father, Lelek next discusses biblical counseling and God the Son. He explains how the Person and work of Christ is foundational for biblical counseling.

“In Christ, perfect psychological functioning is exhibited, and it is through his finished work that the Holy Spirit is progressively conforming believers into his perfect image. It is incumbent upon biblical counselors, therefore, to consider how they may present Jesus and his accomplished work to those tormented by the horrors of mental, emotional, and relational anguish” (112).

“The Gospel of Christ reorients counseling away from mere behavior modification or modifying a family system or improving an emotional state. It orients counseling around worship—worship centered in the Christ of the gospel” (119).

“Being transformed into glory is not primarily about methods but about beholding the glory of God. If counselors fail to bring the splendor of God’s activities to the awareness of counselees, then they will differ little from their secular counterparts. The process of change cannot be finally about counselees but about the God who created them. Paul emphasized the significance of God in people’s transformation (see 2 Corinthians 3:17-18)” (124).

PDQs for Dr. Lelek: Counselees come to us in pain, wanting their behavior modified, their family system changed, or their emotional state improved. How do we empathetically care about those real life issues, concerns, and pain, while also gently helping counselees to move toward the deeper goals of conformity to Christ, worship of Christ, and the glory of God?

PDQs About Biblical Counseling and Humanity 

If you trace Lelek’s development theologically, you’ll see that he started with bibliology (the study of Scripture). He then moved to theology proper (the study of God the Father), Christology (the study of God the Son), and pneumatology (the study of God the Spirit).

Next, Lelek begins to study biblical anthropology—the study of humanity as created by God. He first exposes the fallacies of secular anthropology—of the secular psychological understanding of humanity.

“By and large, the theories of personality within classic secular psychology as well as more recent developments within neuropsychology tend to operate from a materialist perspective that is overwhelmingly influenced by the presuppositions of Darwinian evolution and humanistic philosophy” (128).

“Since their researchers and theorists embrace materialistic presuppositions about people, their interpretation of data and conclusions about human nature will be shaped by a philosophy that opposes biblical teaching (128-129).

PDQs for Dr. Lelek: You discuss this further in later chapters. Since counseling theory and neuropsychology build upon a materialistic perspective, should biblical counselors even attempt to glean from these fields? If so, how do biblical counselors discern truth from error? How do biblical counselors discern which, if any, insights from these fields are appropriate to use?

PDQs About Biblical Anthropology 

Moving from secular anthropology to biblical anthropology, Lelek shares:

“The issues of human nature are critical for developing a model of counseling because it guides a person’s diagnostic framework and prescriptive methods” (129).

“The Scripture’s robust insights on the heart help the Christian orchestrate an understanding of human nature unlike any model found within secular literature” (137, emphasis added).

“The Bible offers beautiful insights into human nature and existence not found within the secular literature” (137).

“Scripture is the supreme source for revealing people’s truest nature” (137).

PDQs for All of Us: To what extent do you build your diagnostic framework (your understanding of problems) and prescriptive methods (your understanding of change) on what the Bible teaches about human nature?

The Rest of the Story 

For blog post, Part 1, go here.

For blog post, Part 3, go here.