COUNSELING, CHRISTIANS, AND CHRISTIANITY PART I=+
Counseling! Counseling! Counseling!=+
It seems that everyone is talking about counseling,=+
writing about counseling, reading about counseling,=+
being counseled or aspiring to do counseling.=+
by=+
Wendell E. Miller=++

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 the different 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.=++

Copyright 1985 by Wendell E. Miller=+
Downloaded from http://www.biblical.counsel.org=++

May be reprinted and distributed in quantities if distributed free or at cost, and if=+
copyright, download, and permission information is included.
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