The Sufficiency of the Word for Discipleship Counseling<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Paul Tautges
 
 
Authentic biblical counseling chooses no other foundation to build its philosophy and practice upon than the Scriptures: the will of God faithfully revealed to man by the Spirit from the living Word, Jesus Christ. God's vision of discipleship requires a conviction that biblical truth is supremely authoritative and completely adequate for its task. Therefore, we must diligently search the Scriptures in order to know God better and to understand man's needs, as God defines them, so that we may have a worldview that is truly biblical and help others experience the transformation of life that characterizes followers of Jesus Christ. First and foremost, this demands an unwavering commitment to the sufficiency of the Scriptures to deal with every soul-related struggle a believer may face during the Spirit's ongoing work of sanctification.
 
Sadly, the church in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />United States, as a whole, does not have this commitment. In his book, The Disciple Making Pastor, Bill Hull exposes the church's departure from the sufficiency of the written Word of God and its resulting embrace of the principles of psychology.
 
The influence of the world's psychology has created a new cult of self-worship. People are preoccupied with themselves and how they might meet society's manufactured set of needs. Psychology exists by putting people in need; people have been told they have needs they never before knew existed. Just as the advertising industry creates false needs in people to go out and spend money on alleged need items, people scramble about trying to meet a new strata of emotional needs manufactured by the psychological industry.
 
The newscaster gives us the awful truth, which is reality; the Bible gives us the revealed truth, which is revelation; psychology has given us the hidden truth, which is a rip-off. America is the psychological society, and the language and philosophy of need have seduced the church. Therefore, the people in the pew ask all the wrong questions, based on cultural programming: What can the church do for me? Can I get my needs met here? Do I feel good when I leave here? Does the pastor make me feel guilty? Will I have to do what I don't feel like doing? These questions and more reflect the corruption of self-idolatry primarily fostered in our society by the secular psychological community.[1]
 
In light of the biblical priority of teaching and applying sound doctrine to life, it is disappointing to think that over time God's people could lose something so basic and essential as the skill and the conviction of the use of Scripture in order to help people work through their personal problems, yet that is where the church is today. Those who embrace psychology as the answer are in the majority by far and there is no reason to pretend they are not. The remedy to the current state of affairs, therefore, is an uncompromising return to the early church's faith in God's Word as being all-sufficient for the spiritual needs of man. Even though many believers today are intimidated by the mental health professionals, believers throughout history believed that there is nothing man experiences that God does not directly or indirectly address in His Word, either by precept or principle. Psalm 19:7-9 is an example.
 
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
 
The resource of the Word is rich beyond measure. It is sufficient to deal with every problem man faces because Scripture is the revelation of God, man's Creator, and it is "more desirable than gold" because of its perfection (Ps. 19:10). New Testament believers also had confidence in the Scriptures as being adequate to teach us what to believe and how to live. They believed the Word confronts us when we get off the right path and shows us how to get back on. Moreover, they believed the Scriptures train us to live godly lives so that we can mature and become equipped to serve God: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
 
This key text clearly states that the Scriptures are "inspired." Henry Thiessen described inspiration this way. "The Holy Spirit so guided and superintended the writers of the sacred text, making use of their own unique personalities, that they wrote all that he wanted them to write, without excess or error."[2] Of 2 Timothy 3:16, Wayne Grudem writes,
 
Since it is writings that are said to be 'breathed out,' this breathing must be understood as a metaphor for speaking the words of Scripture. This verse states in brief form what was evident in many passages in the Old Testament: the Old Testament writings are regarded as God's Word in written form. For every word of the Old Testament, God is the one who spoke (and still speaks) it, although God used human agents to write these words down.[3]
 
Since the Scriptures are breathed out by God they are "profitable," meaning "useful, beneficial, advantageous."[4] Paul uses the same word in his first letter to Timothy to contrast bodily exercise that has little benefit, with godliness that "is profitable for all things" (1 Tim. 4:8). Sound teaching, he instructs, is "good and profitable for all men" (Titus 3:8). According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the usefulness of the Bible is demonstrated by four of its functions.
 
Teaching
Teaching is from didaskalia referring to doctrine. Scripture instructs us as to what we are to believe about God, about ourselves, and about our Redeemer. Let us not forget Paul's exhortation to Timothy, "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you" (1 Tim. 4:16). Even though Timothy was a young pastor Paul challenged him, "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4:12).
 
The biblical disciple-maker, therefore, must take great care to pay attention to his own life as well as his theology. As a result, he will not only be able to teach the way of Christ in word, but by example as well. Titus was given the same exhoration, "in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine" (Titus 2:7).
 
Reproof
Reproof, from elegmos, points out what is sinful in our lives. The word refers to "the conviction of a sinner."[5] In other words, Scripture accurately informs us exactly where we have gone wrong by helping us discern what choices have gotten us off God's good path of obedience. Peter used a form of this word when referring to how God rebuked Baalam by using "a dumb donkey, speaking with the voice of a man" (2 Pet. 2:16). The psalmist also mentioned the value of God's words to reprove us, "Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward" (Ps. 19:11).
 
The biblical disciple-maker must always remember that when rebuke is necessary there is no more effective tool than the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will use His own writings to make custom application to each disciple in a way that prompts repentance and fuels life-change. A serious example of reproof is the occasion in which the Apostle Paul was forced to oppose Peter "to his face" because, by his hypocritical living, he was not being "straightforward about the truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2:11-14). 
 
Correction
Correction, from a Greek word meaning "setting up straight."[6] God's Word not only convicts us and reproves our disobedience, but it teaches us how to get back on the right track so that we can be useful vessels for the Master.
 
A biblical illustration demonstrating how the words of God were used in a corrective manner is the personal ministry that the prophet Nathan had to King David (2 Sam. 12:1-15). The text explains, "the Lord sent Nathan to David" for the purpose of reproving him for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. The Holy Spirit helped Nathan choose his words carefully and, in order to get to David's heart, told a short story about the rich man who stole the poor man's solitary lamb. Once David's anger was kindled against the rich man's sin and a longing for justice was created in his heart, Nathan declared, "You are the man!" In response to this painful confrontation, David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan was then responsible to outline the natural consequences that would follow David to his grave. Thus we see how the words of God delivered to a fellow sinner brought forth the fruit of reproof-correction and repentance.
 
The biblical disciple-maker, then, is freed from the burden of creating his own standards of godliness. Instead, he is responsible to use the Scriptures to correct a brother in error and lead him to obey God's commands, which "are not burdensome" (1 Jn. 5:3). All will benefit from following David's example in praying for the Spirit to use the Word to, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Ps. 139:23-24).
 
Training
Training has to do with the education of the believer with Scripture. Richard Trench says the following about the Greek word padeia in relation to the previous word "correction."
 
Paideia is one of those words to which Christianity gave a deeper meaning…For the Greek, paideia simply meant 'education.' But those who had learned that 'foolishness is bound up in the heart' both 'of a child' and of man and that 'the rod of correction will drive it far from him' (Prov. 22:15) gave paideia an additional meaning. All effectual instruction for sinful mankind includes and implies chastening, or 'correction,' in which there must be epanorthosis. Epanorthosis, which occurs only once in the New Testament, is closely related to paideia in 2 Timothy 3:16.[7]
 
After briefly discussing the ancient uses of the word in philosophy and theology, Trench then goes on to say that Augustine defined it as "'instruction through vexations.' And this is the predominant meaning of paideia."[8] The Word of God corrects us in order to train us to be godly.
 
The biblical disciple-maker must see to it that his teaching of the Word of God does not consist of merely imparting knowledge, but also trains disciples to live for God "in righteousness," which sometimes comes about painfully by correction "through vexations." This production of righteousness leads to peace: "And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever" (Isa. 32:17). That is, as the Word convicts and corrects us, it shapes new life patterns; habits that please God, in order that we may live according to His pleasure. Curtis Thomas writes of the need for biblical counseling to have this well-rounded approach: "Our counsel has both a corrective purpose and a training process. Admonition by itself can create serious relational problems. It is when we take the time to gently train others in the way of righteousness that we complete the God-ordained cycle."[9]
 
The ultimate purpose of the Word of God is that believers may be "adequate, equipped for every good work." The word for adequate means complete, capable, proficient."[10] Trench states in Synonyms of the New Testament,
 
Artios refers not only to the presence of all the parts that are necessary for completeness but also to the further adaptation and aptitude of these parts for their designed purpose. Paul says that the man of God should be furnished with all that is necessary to carry out his appointed work (2 Tim. 3:17).[11]
 
As we faithfully use God's Word to counsel one another, we are equipped for the work of God. God has breathed out His Word so that we have His all-sufficient tool for the carrying out of the good work of discipling one another toward the purpose of becoming obedient followers of Jesus. The Scriptures alone form the basis of a truly Christian worldview that will transform our lives and the lives of others for generations to come.
 
 

[1] Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Pastor (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1988), p. 42.

[2] Henry C. Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1949), p. 65.

[3] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), pp. 74-75.

[4] William F. Arndt & F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), p. 900.

[5] Arndt & Gingrich, p. 249.

[6] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976), p. 647.

[7] Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Baker Book House, 1989), pp. 125-126.

[8] Ibid., p. 126.

[9] Curtis C. Thomas, Life in the Body of Christ (Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2006), p. 103.

[10] Arndt & Gingrich, p. 110.

[11] Trench, p. 91.