From Jay Adams to Larry Crabb, then Paul Tripp and David Powlison, Biblical counseling has grown from a small niche into a mainstream Christian ministry. Jay Adams initially called it “Nouthetic” counseling based on the Greek word for exhortation.
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing [nouthetountes] and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28, NIV
This is the goal of Biblical counseling: to help one another grow to full maturity in Christ. Therefore we define Biblical counseling simply as intensive personal discipleship. It is a more mature follower of Jesus coming alongside one who is struggling to provide encouragement and exhortation in the Lord.
After thirty years of Christian counseling, Larry Crabb wrote the book Connecting as a charge to believers to obey the “one another” commands in Scripture. As gospel-transformed, Spirit-filled, Christ-centered believers, the everyday Christian has all the resources needed to help another believer through the various challenges of life. Of course Crabb did not deny the important role of professional counseling, but he wisely argued that if the church would function as it is designed to function there would be far less need for professional Christian counseling.
“It is the actual life of God, the energy with which the Father and Son relate to each other, a set of inclinations put in our hearts by the Spirit and kept alie by his presence. It is a power that is most fully released as we develop a compelling and awe-inspiring vision of who another person is and what he or she could become because of the gospel.” Larry Crabb, Connecting, p. 66
Our Trinitarian God is the God of connection. He is defined by unified relationship and pours that life-giving love into us as He shapes us into His own image. At the center of God’s plan is the creation of a called out community that will increasingly reflect this relational unity and love. Biblical counseling is simply us loving one another as God loves us. As Max Lucado so beautifully said: “God loves you just the way you are. But He loves you too much to leave you that way.”
As we enter the discipline of counseling, it is vital that we distinguish Biblical counseing from secular counseling, because the two are absolute opposites. Consider the stark contrasts:
| Secular Counseling | Biblical Counseling | |
| The Problem | Outside of you | Inside of you |
| The Solution | Inside of you | Outside of you |
| The Process | Reflective Listening | Bibical Exhortation |
| The Message | Believe in yourself | Trust & Obey Jesus |
| The Product | Greater Self-Esteem | Worship & Service |
The assumption of secular counseling is that the answers are inside of you and the counselor’s job is to draw them out by asking questions and inviting personal reflection. The doctrine of sin is rejected as one of many forces outside of you that cause harm. Religion is considered dangerous and harmful, one of societies many systems designed to oppress and suppress the “good” human spirit. Secular counseling is the product of the enlightenment and an expression of humanism, which asserts the basic goodness of the person.
Not all secular counseling is bad – some can be helpful. But the philosophy and approach run exactly counter to Biblical truth. On the other hand, not all counseling offered under the banner of “Biblical” is good. In an effort to refute secular practices, some have applied an overly simplistic approach to counseling that applies a “Bible Band-aid” to any problem with the command to “Just believe it. Just obey it.” Certainly we all need to believe and obey God’s Word, but our issues and struggles are as complex as each individual and good counselors need great wisdom and growing skill.
This is why we are offering a class in Biblical counseling – to provide wisdom, perspective, encouragement and resources so we can all grow in how we minister to one another. The more we understand counseling as discipleship, the more we can help one another believe and apply the gospel, the more we commit to personal sanctification in loving community with other believers (join a Huddle!), and the more tools we gather in our counseling toolbox, the more we will be able to offer hope and help to the hurting around us.
January 30 – April 6, from 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. we will offer 10 weeks of discussion-based training on Biblical counseling. At the same time a class will study and discuss the Gospel of Matthew – another way to encourage and lovingly exhort one another! Come learn and grow with us!