Biblical counseling is a hybrid of discipleship and biblical friendship. Its occasion is when life seems painful, confusing, or unmanageable, and we turn to the Spirit and the Word for help. This anchors biblical counseling in the ancient tradition of pastoral care, which has now been dispersed to all God’s people (Ephesians 4:11–13). Biblical counseling is not a trademarked school of thought. Instead, it rests in the public domain and grows as we all bring Scripture to the difficult details of life in a way that honors God and is exactly what our souls need.
Biblical counseling is built on a simple, enduring principle: the triune God has spoken to us through the Scripture, and “in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:2). God has revealed mysteries about us and about his ways that are essential for life, which we could not have discovered apart from his words. To be more specific, through biblical history, God’s covenant promises, doctrine, law codes, poetry, songs, which were all reaching for Jesus, God has revealed to us everything we need to know about him, about ourselves, and about the world around us (see 2 Peter 1:3). We have access to everything that Jesus had: “I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15). This means, at least, that Scripture has more riches than we know.
Scripture Speaks with Great Depth
Given that Scripture is revelation, we expect that it speaks with profound depth. Biblical counseling does not simply consist of a counselor finding a few pithy verses in a concordance and telling you to read them each day and pray about your problem (the counseling equivalent to “take two aspirin and call me in the morning”). Instead it is a partnership between people who are seeking God’s wisdom—a wisdom that goes to the heart of the matter. It is a wisdom that can penetrate a person’s inmost being (Hebrews 4:12).
For example, consider a husband and wife who can’t seem to get out of the cycle of quarreling. Scripture alerts us to family influences on one’s style of relating, culturally-derived differences in perceptions of marital roles, medical problems that leave emotions somewhat unpredictable or comprehension difficult, and lack of knowledge in how to communicate and resolve conflicts. Insight or skill development in these areas might be helpful—and God’s Word is adept at offering such things.
But biblical counseling does not end here. While other forms of help can stay only on the surface, the Bible’s counsel is prepared to help this couple get to the heart of conflicts. Its depth is apparent in James 4:1–4. This text indicates that conflicts and quarrels emerge when we love our own desires more than we love God. Even though this couple is probably not aware of it, their constant quarreling is revealing that they are for themselves, against the other person, and against God. In other words, the problem is deeper than an interpersonal quarrel. It is not just people declaring war on each other. Even more, both parties are warring against the God of love, justice, and mercy. This, indeed, is good news. Sin is not good news, but to see sin, have the opportunity to turn from it, and know God’s forgiveness of sins in Jesus, is very good news.
Scripture Speaks with Great Breadth
Scripture is certainly able to speak to common problems we all encounter, such as relationship conflicts, financial pressures, guilt, shame, misery, victimization, our responses to physical health or illness, parenting questions, fears, and loneliness. But it also provides ways for us to understand distinctly modern problems such as depression, mania, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, and modern psychiatric problems. The Bible doesn’t speak to each of these problems as would an encyclopedia. It is neither exhaustive nor formulaic. But through prayerful meditation on Scripture, a knowledge of people and their struggles, and the wise help of others, we find that the biblical teaching on creation, the fall, and redemption provide specific, critical insight into all the issues of life.
Too often, our attempts to apply God’s words come to an end when we do not find key words in Scripture. Depression, for example, is not identified by name in Scripture, so we tend to look somewhere else for help. The problem is not so much that we look for help from sources outside Scripture. Biblical counseling is always interested in reliable observations. The problem is that Scripture seems silent, which would leave depression isolated from the hope of the gospel.
Biblical counselors begin by knowing the person. Know the person, then listen to God’s good words—back and forth, with Scripture getting the final word. That is the movement of biblical counseling. When you listen to the depressed soul, you will hear someone who has found themselves in the valley of the shadow of death where everything good seems to have vanished. God himself seems to have left. This is only a first step in knowing the person, but, already, the back and forth can begin.
Misery is unmistakable, and, here, God’s Word is certainly rich. “Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!” (Psalm 130:1). The Psalms invite us to speak our misery to the Lord. This, of course, is much more difficult than it seems. Perhaps we need more persuading; we cannot imagine that God wants to hear. So we consider a psalm of lament, and then another. “My whole being is shaken with terror. And you, Lord—how long?” (Psalm 6:3). When these invitations are accepted and depressed souls speak, the pain that separated them from God becomes the place where they know the love of the Father, the high priestly compassion of Jesus, and the presence of the Spirit. From this starting point a path through Scripture might stop at fears and anxiety, “absolute futility” (Ecclesiastes 1:2), walking by faith rather than sight, and endurance. Physicians are often involved, and medication is common. These physical treatments, however, can touch the body but they cannot reach the soul. Only God’s words can bring hope to the hopeless.
Our present era suggests that our deepest problems are psychological and psychiatric. This usually means that they are caused by difficult pasts or chemical imbalances. Scripture certainly calls our attention to both of these causes, and here again it goes deeper and allows us to see more. In a very real sense, all of life’s problems are spiritual—how we worship, how we live with chemical imbalances, how we turn to Christ when we have been sinned against by enemies. All life is lived before the face of God. This is what it means to be human.
Scripture Speaks about How We Counsel
Scripture is the content of biblical counseling’s message. It also reveals how we offer this content. As people called by God, we care for each other with “all humility and gentleness, with patience,” accepting one another in love (Ephesians 4:2). Humility means having confidence in God’s promises but not in ourselves. We can misunderstand people. We can apply Scripture in a way that is not timely and wise. So we remember that we live under God and we serve others. Our own neediness compels us to pray.
Gentleness teams with compassion and surprises those who have been laid low by sin and victimization with grace that brings life and comfort to a weary or even resistant soul. After all, we follow the one who says, “I am lowly and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29), and he gives us rest.
Patience recognizes that what is most important is that we are heading in the right direction, on the right path. While on that path, each person’s pace and temptations will be unique, and we do not judge based on how we might do if we had their circumstances.
All these are bundled by love that accepts others as friends and family.
Scripture Speaks about Who Can Counsel
Biblical counseling is not primarily a professional occupation. Pastors and professional biblical counselors, those who have special training and experience in applying the Scripture to life, may have been uniquely equipped by God to help with certain problems. However, they are not the ones who will meet the majority of the church’s counseling needs. Instead, we call a friend on the phone and ask for prayer, we hear a sermon that changes us, we grow in faith when our small group comes over to help with a house project, we talk to a godly older person about parenting while we have a cup of coffee.
The issue is not professional certification. The issue is knowing and growing in Jesus as Lord and Redeemer. That is the special qualification for biblical counselors. Our tools are not special techniques and skills; instead, biblical counseling truths are available to all. As a result, it should break out whenever God’s people meet together. You can find it at its best in normal, godly conversation among people who know that they need God’s Spirit and the ministry of others if they are going to face another day.
*Adapted from “What Is Biblical Counseling Anyway?” by Edward T. Welch; Journal of Biblical Counseling 16:1 (1997): 2–6, a publication of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF).
This is one of more than 150 full-length articles that is a part of the CSB Life Counsel Bible, developed in partnership with Holman Bibles.
CSB Life Counsel Bible
In the midst of challenging seasons of life there is hope. The CSB Life Counsel Bible, developed in partnership with Holman Bibles, is designed to equip readers with biblical truth and counsel on a wide range of topics and tough life issues related to relationships, marriage, parenting, and more. This Bible is full of useful tools and resources for life application and discipleship grounded in the truth of the gospel of grace.
