THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE WORD FOR DISCIPLESHIP COUNSELING

The Sufficiency of the Word for Discipleship Counseling

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 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.

By Paul Tautges Click here for bio and archived articles

General revelation and divine revelation Posted On: 10/06/10 04:02:17 PM Age 0, IL A couple of sentences about divine and general revelation would have been helpful to this topic. God's Word is (by definition) the only source of divine revelation, and it is sufficient for a variety of things that are enumerated within your article. One thing it does not contain, however, is our planet's entire supply of information that is useful for a counselor, therapist, or psychologist. For example. One of the burning issues involving the sacred and the secular is the issue of homosexuality. God's Word is entirely sufficient and absolutely essential for answering questions like "Is it sinful for a man to have sex with another man?" or "What is the best way to live in obedience to God under circumstances X, Y, and Z?" However. The Bible does not answer every single question that might be raised by this kind of issue. For example. "What is the most effective way for a person to go about doing religiously mediated reparative therapy?" For anyone involved in any aspect of this kind of therapy- overseers, counselors, clients, clients' family members- this question needs an answer. When faced with this kind of situation, it is not an occasion for reframing the question in a different way. It is an occasion for finding an answer to the question exactly as stated. That is what we need. Don't act like it's not. The Bible is God's Word, it is sufficient, and it is our only source of divine revelation. But it does not tell us what combination of methods (currently available to us) will yield the best results in this sort of endeavor. More to the point, we still don't have any kind of great answer to this question. Religiously mediated reparative therapy is not consistently effective at this time, and we need to be better. For this example, now would be a good time to talk about the difference between general revelation and divine revelation. There are some questions to which answers would be both helpful and useful, but the answer is not given through divine revelation. We currently haven't found a good one via general revelation either, but we hope to do so relatively soon. And when we do, it will come by way of general revelation. These kinds of questions need to be asked, and the answers- depending on the question- someday will or already have come by way of general revelation instead of divine revelation. This type of exploration needs to be done because we need these answers, and to that end, good science is also pretty helpful. JESUS ALONE IS THE WORD OF GOD Posted On: 12/12/07 04:23:29 PM Age 64, OH Thank you for the very kind reply, Doug. The author of the article says"The scriptures ALONE form the basis of a truly Christian world view that will TRANSFORM our lives. The Holy Scriptures are THE BOOK and there is no book like it. Every letter is written by God. but when we read it, we misunderstand and what we think it says is no longer even true. The scriptures are part of the creation and are ink on paper pages. The scriptures tell us that Jesus is the Word of God. He is a person and is God Almighty and is the CREATOR not the creation. The scriptures never tell us to follow the scriptures or never tell us that the scriptures can transform lives. Only the person of the Lord Jesus can transform lives and it is the sin of idolatry to compare the mere creation with the Creator. Lou sorry Lou Posted On: 12/11/07 09:42:54 PM Age 41, WI Lou, I may have been a bit harsh with my first comment. Please forgive me. I don't see your comments as pertaining to the article regarding biblical counseling verses psychology counseling. In Paul's article, I don't see a case made to worship the Bible. I see a case made for biblical counseling and the sufficiency of scripture. Did I miss your point? Doug Missed the point Lou Posted On: 12/11/07 09:26:02 PM Age 41, WI Lou, The point was that the scriptures are our only tool to know God's will for us. The scriptures are our only revelation from God to help ourselves and others caught up in sin. Psychology is not the answer. Were you replying to another article? Doug TRUTH IS ETERNAL Posted On: 12/06/07 05:04:03 PM Age 64, OH Truth is not temporal is it. The revelation of Jesus Christ is a revelation of the Truth, for Jesus is the Truth. Truth is eternal and the revelation of The Truth is also eternal. The Revelation of Jesus started in the beginning when Jesus Created the heavens and the earth. For the heavens REVEAL the glory of God who is Jesus. We can now look into the heavens and see with our own eyes new stars being born. Every new star is a new REVELATION of The Lord Jesus. Every time a child is born it is a new revelation of the Lord for we are all in his image. Have you ever witnessed the birth of a child, I helped to deliver my son and it was a revelation of the glory of the Lord Jesus. I run every day and as I stop to ponder a wild flower, it is a new revelation of the Lord Jesus to me. So first of all the whole of creation is a revelation of the Lord Jesus for it was all created by Him. Paul says that is why every man will be without excuse. Some men did not have a Bible, but they all had the stars and the flowers, or held a child in their arms. But as to the Bible; Adam, Enoch, Noah, Job, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not have a Bible. All except maybe Adam were declared righteous by God. The Bible says the only way for a man to be found righteous by God is to trust in the blood of The Lord Jesus. These men walked, and talked with God. They all certainly had a revelation of God who is Jesus. So men in the PAST HAD A REVELATION OF GOD that was NOT through the Bible. If this was true in the past it is true in the future, for all truth is eternal. But what of the words of our dear Savior Himself to Peter; 17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not REVEALED to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.- We can see here that the church will be built on the revelation that Jesus is God from HEAVEN to man. Jesus did not say from the Bible to man, but from heaven. So if there is no more REVELATION from heaven to man except the Bible then we are all lost. If what you say is true then there are no new Christians after Jesus for the church is built on this revelation from heaven to man. The Holy Spirit is a person and he is God Almighty. Are you saying that The Holy Spirit can not even speak or act. The Holy Spirit speaks to me every day. He speaks to me in the woods, in the car, through other people, at church while I am preaching, and in every thing that I do. I was saved by the Holy Spirit revealing Himself to me and he CONFIRMED IT THROUGH THE BIBLE. For you see truth is eternal and men can still be made righteous even though they do not have a Bible. God does not exist to glorify the Bible; but the Bible is to glorify God. Lou and the Word became flesh Posted On: 12/06/07 02:45:10 PM Age 43, NC In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.(John 1:1) Yes, Jesus the person is who is Lord and Savior, but all that He has for us is in the created Word of God the Holy Bible. We do not receive new revelation, The Word is complete, but He confirms what He says to us through the Holy Spirit. The written Word is His revelation to the world for salvation, and once a believer for sanctification. THE WORD AND THE BOOK Posted On: 12/05/07 10:24:58 AM Age 64, OH You start off so well:"the Scriptures: the will of God faithfully revealed to man by the Spirit from the living Word, Jesus Christ". The words "The Bible" mean "The Book" and indeed it is THE BOOK. No other book even begins to compare to The Bible. Every letter of the original Greek scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ who is The Creator of the universe and is God Almighty. Every person should read the entire scriptures and read it daily, let alone every Christian. How can a person say Jesus Christ is the most important person in their life and not even read the love letters that He wrote for us. If the person, that was truly the love of your life, sent you 66 letters would you leave ONE of them unread. But the scriptures are The Book and NOT The Author. It is The Author of whom we seek, who is the reason we read His Book. Notice in your own examples that Nathan DID NOT quote scripture but The Holy Spirit spoke through him and it became scripture. Balaam's donkey DID NOT quote scripture but The Holy Spirit spoke through it and what the Holy Spirit said became scripture. Jesus often quoted scripture but often he spoke other things. But everything that he said became scripture. You end with a statement that is NOT TRUE. You say, "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." - The scriptures are INSPIRED by God but they are NOT GOD. God alone can act and so transform your life. The scriptures can not act or speak, but the Author can act and speak. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is everything that we need and he alone is sufficient. Did the scriptures shed blood for you, of course not, but The Author shed His blood for you and for me. The scriptures tell us WHO The Word of God is and that is The person of The Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus never called the scriptures THE WORD. For He and He alone is the Word of God. The scriptures tell us what our foundation is in Matt 16: 16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,the Son of the living God." 17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, BUT BY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." - Peter is not the foundation but the foundation is THE REVELATION OF THE LORD JESUS FROM GOD TO MAN. Jesus never once says to follow the scriptures; but says follow HIM. The scriptures are NOT THE WAY; but JESUS IS THE WAY. The scriptures plainly tell us that we are to worship the CREATOR and not the CREATION. To look to The scriptures is to worship the creation. We are to read the scriptures to commune with the Author and then follow Him. Lou