We hear of such secular counseling systems as "Freudian counseling," "Rogerian counseling," "reality therapy" and "rational therapy." Others speak of nonsecular counseling by names such as "Christian counseling" or "biblical counseling."

If secular counseling is based on science, then there should be only one kind of secular counseling. However, some say that there are several hundred distinctly different types of secular counseling. Will there be fewer types in years to come? Or more?

If biblical counseling is based on the Bible, there should be only one kind of counseling that is called Christian or biblical. However, in the profusion of books that are being written, it appears that there is much difference of opinion as to what constitutes Christian counseling or biblical counseling.

What position should Christians and the Church take with regard to counseling? Certainly, the first thing is to obtain a clear understanding of biblical counseling and of the differences between biblical counseling and secular counseling.

The most effective way to understand biblical counseling is to compare, or to contrast, biblical counseling (both as a system and as a method of doing counseling), with secular counseling systems and methods of doing secular counseling.

However, there are many--probably hundreds--of distinctly different types of secular counseling systems, some of which are based upon diametrically opposite and mutually contradictory presuppositions.

Thus, any generalized statement about secular counseling systems may not be true about all secular counseling systems. Further, any generalized statement about methods of doing secular counseling may not apply to all secular counselors--and particularly not to all secular counseling done by Christians.

However, since there is such diversity among the various secular counseling systems, there is no other way to compare secular counseling to biblical counseling other than to make generalized statements about secular counseling.

To understand the differences between biblical counseling and secular counseling, we should first consider sources of "truth." All counseling systems must have a source, or sources, of "truth."

The sources of "truth" for a secular counseling system may include: 1) the original and creative thinking of the developer of the counseling system, 2) pragmatic selection of those principles or methods that, for the moment, seem to work better than other principles and methods, and/or 3) the results of various areas of psychological endeavor, including research on man and/or animals.

Each developer of a secular counseling system determines the "truth" of his counseling system as he selects, rejects or modifies the "truth" of others. Whatever he believes to be "truth," becomes the "truth" of his counseling system.

Further, each counselor determines "truth" as he accepts, rejects and modifies "truth" of a counseling system in accordance with his creative thinking, his pragmatic selection of principles and methods, and/or his acceptance or rejection of new results of various areas of psychological endeavor.

Thus, the "truth" of secular counseling systems is ever subject to change or to contradiction by new "truth."

In contrast to the mutually contradictory and changing sources for, and authorities of, "truth," of secular counseling, biblical counseling recognizes the Scriptures and their claim of sufficiency for counseling.

Paraphrased, 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says in part, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable . . . for structuring mind and behavior in righteousness (for instruction in righteousness, KJV): that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

With the God-breathed inspiration of the Scriptures as the source of truth for biblical counseling, one truth of biblical counseling cannot be replaced by another truth of biblical counseling, except as further study of the Scriptures reveals a previous error in human understanding of a passage or a verse of scripture.

Therefore, as opposed to the mutually contradicting and ever-changing sources of "truth" of secular counseling systems, biblical counseling has a unified, inerrant and unchangeable source of truth.

Next, we should consider philosophies of life. Everyone has a philosophy of life--a way in which one views life and the world. More particularly, each person's philosophy of life is either man-centered (anthropocentric) or God-centered (theocentric).

Generally, secular psychologists see the world as the product of evolution in which man is the center of the world and everything revolves around man. They theorize that man started out as "a wiggly spot in the water," and man, by his own efforts, is working his way to perfection.

Thus, as could be expected, secular counseling systems are man-centered, and secular counseling is man-centered unless dictated otherwise by the secular counselor.

In contrast, biblical counseling, both as a system and as a process of doing counseling, is God-centered. It is inherent that biblical counseling is God-centered; because the source of truth for biblical counseling is the Scriptures; and the Scriptures teach that God is the Creator, man is the creation of God, and man is responsible to God.

The third thing to consider is differences in the goals of biblical and secular counseling. All counseling systems have goals of bringing about changes in the counselee, whether it be in his feelings, his thinking, his beliefs or his behavior.

The goals of a counseling system will be determined to a large extent by the philosophy of life of the person who develops the counseling system--whether it be man-centered or God-centered.

A philosophy of life that is man-centered usually will result in a counseling system that has the greatest pleasure or personal happiness of the counselee as its goal; however, a system developed from a man-centered philosophy of life may have the good of society, as seen from a man-centered perspective, as its goal.

In contrast, biblical counseling, both as a system and as a process, has the glory of God as the primary goal. This primary goal flows directly from the revealed truth of the Scriptures (Isa. 43:7). Happiness, joy, peace and contentment for the counselee are secondary goals and by-products of a life that is pleasing to God.

If a goal of counseling is to change the counselee, it is imperative that we understand his nature. There are two secular concepts with regard to the nature of man. One is that man is a god. This is the underlying philosophy of secular humanism. The other is that man is an animal. This is the philosophy of behaviorism.

Whether man is considered to be an instinctive animal, as some believe, or as a conditioned animal, as others believe, the two secular concepts of man--man a god or man an animal--are diametrically opposite.

In contrast, the Scriptures teach that man was created in the image of God but now has a fallen nature, and that regenerate man has two natures, the old nature and the new nature. It is upon this God-revealed concept of the nature of man that biblical counseling, both as a system and as a process of doing counseling, is based.

How is man to be changed, and by whose moral authority? Whenever the source of moral authority of counseling is determined apart from God's written Word, then either the developer of that counseling system, the individual counselors, and/or the counselees determine "morality."

Thus, "right and wrong" is determined by the shifting sands of the mores of society, by situational ethics, or by what seems right in the eyes of the individual counselor and/or in the eyes of the individual counselee.

Some secular counselors are Christians, and many of them apply biblical morality to their counseling; but some secular counselors give the counselee the choice of whether he wants to quit his sinful behavior, or whether he merely wants to quit feeling guilty about it.

In contrast, by accepting the authority of the Scriptures, biblical counseling and biblical counselors accept the fact that there is a God who has created all things, who has decreed moral values in His Word, and who will judge all men.

It has been shown that biblical counseling is inherently superior to secular counseling in five major areas: a unified and unchangeable source of truth; a God-centered view (philosophy) of life; counseling goals that bring glory to God; a biblical understanding of the nature of man; and an unchangeable source of moral authority.

Next month, four more inherent superiorities of biblical counseling will be shown. These additional inherent superiorities are even more striking than the five that have been presented here.

How should the knowledge of these nine inherent advantages be used in your Christian life? In your ministry? The answer to these questions will be included in the concluding part of "Counseling, Christians and Christianity" next month.

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