COMPETENT TO COUNSEL BIBLICALLY

part four

Footnote: I like Union Mills Doughnuts......

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE IN GIVING BIBLICAL COUNSEL

So how are we to address our problems and issues and needs in life?
The term that is used is "Nouthetic confrontation." Let’s look at the meaning of the term.
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All Christians should engage in it. "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and (for the moment we shall simply transliterate the next word) confronting one another nouthetically." Colossians 3:16.
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Paul wrote in Romans 15:14: that all Christians must teach and confront one another in a Nouthetic fashion. "Concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to confront one another nouthetically."
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Here is the point. Paul sees Christians meeting in nouthetic confrontation as normal every day activity. If they are filled with goodness and knowledge, they should be qualified and equipped to confront one another nouthetically. So in truth, you don’t need to be a preacher to counsel. The idea is that all Christians should be involved in this counsel.
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I also realized that public preaching, confronting people with their problems is a part of the preacher’s activity, but it’s not all he is to be engaging in. Public ministry is important, but so also is private ministry to individuals. While you would like to go home on Sunday Morning and watch NASCAR, or play golf during the week, there needs to be time when you confront individuals one on one.
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Note what Paul said about his ministry to the Ephesians: "Remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to confront each one nouthetically with tears."
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It seemed that I was confronting individuals every day in the Word.

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A part of ministry is daily, night and day, talking to people biblically about their life. Pastoral work is more than just getting ready for Sunday and Wednesday sermons. It’s that of course, but more it’s being involved in nouthetic activity. It’s the real work of pastoral work to engage in nouthetic activity.

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When you read Paul’s letters, you notice that he mentions a number of individuals in whom he invested a number of hours of work with. Paul not only preached on Mars Hill, but he dealt with people as individuals, as groups, and as families, and he confronted them nouthetically.
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Proof read by Charity Whisnant