COMPETENT TO COUNSEL BIBLICALLY

REVIEW:

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.

The term that is used is "Nouthetic confrontation." Let’s look at the meaning of the term.

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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There are at least three basic elements according to Jay Adams.

• 1 "to teach" The term "didasko" does not imply any problem, but simply suggests the communication of data (teaching); making information known, clear, understandable and memorable.


• "to admonish". Here is the idea: the sense of admonishing with blame, and to rebuke. That is never well liked. The idea of "nouthesis" gives the idea, there is going to be some kind of confrontation in which the objective is to effect a character and behavior change in the person you are talking to one on one.

Today:

THIRD POINT: 3 "for correction." I Corinthians 4:14. Paul wanted to confront but with care, because you are my beloved children.. He wanted to correct with the intent to benefit the person.

Paul would get his point across without screaming at them. He didn’t want to "exasperate" them. He would confront them as a "brother". II Thessalonians 3:15.

The third point of nouthetic counseling suggests changing that in his life which hurts the counselee. The idea is not to punish them but to help them. How often have I seen how the "what" they were doing in their life was only hurting them. Their behavior was hurting them, their thinking was hurting them. Their life was a mess. When they came for counseling, they were in trouble.

Generally I would counsel those in our church family, those who were our dear friends. I cared for each member of our church family. I was deeply concerned for their well being. Nouthesis is motivated by love and deep concern, in which you are willing to give advice, admonish, warn, do what you could to bring about change of behavior and change of mind. I often had strange ways of doing this very idea.

As Paul said in Colossians 1:28, in order that every man may be presented to Christ mature and complete. And the best way that can be done is to apply the principles of Scripture.

Scripture in II Timothy is used nouthetically. Reproving, teaching, correcting, and training men in righteousness. I believe scripture can instruct us in the manner that Christ would have us to think, behave, and believe about how to live life.

We get into the "what’s" of life because we are not personally confronted with the Scriptures.

We get into bad behavior and bad thinking when we are not confronted with Scripture. We get into the "why" when we don’t have a clear understanding of Scripture.

2 Timothy 4:21 "Preach the Word." I heard that a lot. "be ready in season and out of season," in the pulpit, in the foyer, in the class room, in the home, at the ball park, just about anywhere "reprove, rebuke, exhort", but note "with great patience and instruction." (I did have a little trouble with patience, and tactful instruction.).

I believe it’s a balance. Some preachers push people to guilt for wrong living and behavior with Scriptural teaching. Others will preach or teach scripture without any confronting.

There is a difference between how preachers and preachers versus how John MacArthur preaches.

Paul thought of bringing God’s word to press upon people’s lives in order to uncover sinful patterns, to remedy what is wrong, and to set new ways of life of which God approves.

John MacArthur said, I preach with the authority of Scripture, I want to push people back up against the wall as it were, and confront them with the principles of Scripture and the will of God, and force then to face life in the light of Scripture. Getting them to understand the "what" they are doing, is either right or wrong biblically, and help them know the "why" they are giving is not biblical, nor for their best interest, or for the glory of God. ( a very loose paraphrase of what John was saying)
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