COMPETENT TO COUNSEL BIBLICALLY


PART TWO:
PREFACE: THE OBJECTIVE OF BIBLICAL COUNSELING:
.

You can see from the assorted disciplines of study that I have a variety of points of view as to how to do Biblical counsel. It’s interesting how MacArthur, Adams, Solomon, Gillham, Mack, Crabb, Gothard and Hawkins have the same Bible and same objectives but have different methods of reaching the goal.
.

Some would say you need many sessions to solve people problem. Some would say a few. Solomon would say, you need about an hour. Some would just use the Bible, others would say read this book. Some would use all Scripture, short and sweet.
.

PERSONAL COMMENT:

• I was in a church for four years, and never once did the pastors want me to do personal counseling at the church. Even when the objective is to train Christians to do biblical counseling. Today, counseling people could bring law suits. If you as a pastor, counsel, you could be held accountable for your counsel.
  
  
• SOME OBJECTIVES TO BIBLICAL COUNSELING
  

A system of biblical truth that brings together people, their problems, and the living God. With the conviction that:

• God’s Word should be our counseling authority
• Counseling is a part of the basic discipling ministry of the local church.
• God’s people can and should be trained to counsel effectively.
  

Do I need to say: "Jesus Christ is at the center of all true Christian counseling"? You would think not, but in many counseling sessions, problems are addressed as if Christ is not the answer from the Bible.

Counseling which does not move from one’s problem to the position of Scripture ceases to be biblical counseling. Scripture is our resource book to discover the direction one could take concerning the counseling of people with personal problems

PERSONAL NOTE:

• Having come back from the Nouthetic Counseling Seminars, I learned that in any counseling session, the first thing is to address the problems from the biblical point of view. I remember at one session saying, "Are you willing to look at your problems from Scripture?" "Are you willing to discover what your problems are as they are presented from Scripture?" "And are you willing to apply Christ’s solution to your problems?" Let’s discover what your problem is biblically and see if Christ has the answer to that issue in your life. I remember that when they said, "Yes." They really had no clue what was going to be revealed about their problems and the biblical solutions. I know that first couple was not ready to hear what the Word said they could do to solve their problems.
  
• Of course I had to learn what the real problem was. What was the root problem and the root cause? Then learn how to address the issue, and learn how to get those who I was counseling to receive what I was saying..
  
• Personally, one-on-one counseling and preaching/teaching on Sunday Morning is totally different I believe. Certainly some preaches in preaching will address every problem people have, and every sin that one has. And people will tune them out. Few people listen to a whole sermon. Few people really know how to apply the principles of Scripture.
  

Most people know the secular terms for their problems but do not know the scriptural term for their problems. Many people who have problems will not go to the Word, they will talk to their next door neighbor before they would talk to a believer. Many will seek out some secular person who might be able to help them. Most people know the humanistic or secular terms but not the spiritual terms.

Charles E. Whisnant

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE IN GIVING BIBLICAL COUNSEL Next