Christ-Centered Ministry

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Christ-Centered Ministry versus Problem-Centered Counseling Martin and Deidre Bobgan A Radical Proposal

Transcript of Christ-Centered Ministry

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Christ-Centered

Ministry

versus

Problem-Centered

Counseling

Martin and Deidre Bobgan

A Radical Proposal

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Christ-Centered Ministry versusProblem-Centered Counseling

Copyright © 2004 Martin and Deidre BobganPublished by EastGate Publishers4137 Primavera RoadSanta Barbara, California 93110

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2003098701ISBN 0-941717-19-4

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may bereproduced in any form without the permission of thePublisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are taken from theAuthorized King James Version of the Bible.

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Then said they unto him, What shall wedo, that we might work the works of God?Jesus answered and said unto them, Thisis the work of God, that ye believe on himwhom he hath sent (John 6:28,29).

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branchcannot bear fruit of itself, except it abidein the vine; no more can ye, except yeabide in me. I am the vine, ye are thebranches: He that abideth in me, and I inhim, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing (John15:4,5).

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For a sample copy of a free newsletter aboutthe intrusion of psychological counselingtheories and therapies into the church,please write to:

PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries4137 Primavera Road

Santa Barbara, CA 93110

or call:

1-800-216-4696

<http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org>

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Table of Contents

1. A Radical Proposal......................................... 7

2. Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy) ..................... 21

3. The Biblical Counseling Movement ............. 39

4. The Rise & Practiceof Problem-Centered Counseling ................. 57

5. Christ-Centered Ministryor Problem-Centered Counseling? ............... 79

6. Who, What, Why, When, Where, &How ..... 103

7. Christ-Centered Ministryversus Problem-Centered Counseling ....... 119

Notes................................................................ 131

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A RadicalProposal

Many years ago we traveled through the darkterrain of psychology hoping to discover the secretsof human nature and how to help people suffer-ing from problems of living. The more we searchedthrough the theories and therapies of counselingpsychology, the more we saw its fallacies, failures,and false ways. It was not until the bright light ofthe Gospel shined in our lives that we saw hopefor mankind and the true answer to problems ofliving! Our confidence in the conversation of coun-seling to help people solve problems of livingshifted from the psychological way to what wethought was the spiritual way. We became part ofthe biblical counseling movement until we real-ized that in many ways it simply reflected thepsychological way.

In this book we use the terms counselor, coun-selee, and counseling when we are speaking abouteither psychological or biblical counseling sincethese are the terms they use. However, when werefer to those individuals engaged in Christ-

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centered ministry, we will identify the one whoministers with terms such as the helper or servantrather than counselor, the one who is seeking helpas the seeker or fellow believer rather than coun-selee, and ministry, ministering, or mutual carerather than counseling.

Counseling involves two or more people con-versing about problems with one being the so-called expert (counselor) who is expected to provideanswers and solutions for the one in need (coun-selee). The desire to help people who are sufferingfrom problems of living quickly translates into fo-cusing on the person and the problem. Thus muchof both psychological and biblical counseling fo-cuses attention on people and their problems. Thegoal easily becomes solving the problem ratherthan spiritual growth and the center of attentionbecomes the person and the problem more than“Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).Throughout Scripture problems of living areshown to be opportunities for spiritual growth.Problems of living are like torn up groundin a person’s life during which the Lord canwork mightily through His Word, the HolySpirit, and the Body of Christ. Will they beused as such? And how can fellow believersencourage such spiritual growth? How might weall edify one another and encourage one anotherto trust the Holy Spirit to empower all believersto walk according to their new life in Christ?

In addition to discarding theories and thera-pies of psychological counseling, we are dis-couraging all problem-centered counseling,whether psychological or biblical. Although this

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may seem to be a radical move, we contend thatas long as personal ministry remains problem-centered and therefore person-focused there willbe less spiritual growth and more superficial fixingof the flesh. When such counseling attempts tochange behavior, it can end up being a type ofbehaviorism that cleans the “cup” on the outside(Matt. 23:25) and thereby strengthens the flesh.When such counseling attempts to go deeper thanthe problems at hand, humans often usurp the roleof the Holy Spirit when they try to gain insightinto another person or when they attempt to iden-tify the “idols of the heart.”

A Radical Proposal

The radical proposal is to discourageproblem-centered counseling and to encour-age Christ-centered ministry, to overthrowintimidation from the psychological andbiblical counseling movements, and therebyto free believers in local congregations tominister to fellow believers without psycho-logical or biblical counseling manuals, work-shops, seminars, degrees, or certificates.

Christ-Centered Ministry

Instead of problem-centered counseling, wepropose a Christ-centered, biblical ministry thatflows forth from the preaching and teaching of theWord. We will refer to this as Christ-centeredministry because the emphasis is on Christ andHis work in the believer through the Word of God,

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the Holy Spirit, and the Body of Christ to the gloryof the Father. We want to intensify attention givento what already exists in the local church for everybeliever to be growing in Christ.

The subject of this book is the Lord’s provi-sions for ministering to people with the sameproblems of living usually dealt with by mentalhealth professionals and biblical counselorsthrough conversation. This ministry should beaccomplished at the local congregationallevel by believers who have passed fromdarkness to light through the death andresurrection of Jesus Christ and who aregrowing in sanctification by denying self andby recognizing that God uses suffering topurify and mature His children. All Bible-believing churches should have the resources ofteaching, preaching, evangelism, fellowship, andprayer to assist individuals who seek help whenthey are beset with problems of living.

Instead of communicating the message thatlocal congregations don’t know and can’t do andthat they need outside help or need to go elsewherefor ministry, our message is that local congrega-tions do know and can do, if the Word of God isproclaimed with authority and power and thereare believers who are maturing in the faith. Thereis no need to send people out to counseling or tobring counselors into the church, because what istruly needed should already be available regard-ing preaching the Gospel, teaching the Word, pray-ing, and fellowshipping with the saints. Thereforechurches need to address the following questions:Is the Gospel being preached and taught? Are

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biblical doctrines having to do with salvation,sanctification, and the believers’ walk with theLord being faithfully taught? Are members study-ing Scripture? Are those believers who are expe-riencing problems of living spending time with theLord in His Word and in prayer, are they desiringto grow in Christ, and are they being encouragedin their faith? Are they fellowshipping with like-minded believers? The resources for loving andserving Christ through times of trial are availableto every Christian in the Word of God, in the ind-welling Holy Spirit, and in the local body ofbelievers.

Very simply, Christ-centered ministry can besummarized in the words who, what, why, when,where, and how. In a nutshell: The “Who” is JesusChrist. The “What” is the life of Christ and thewritten Word of God as applied by the Holy Spirit.The “Why” is the Father’s mandate to all believ-ers to minister to one another to make increase ofthe Body and to edify one another in love that allmay be conformed to the image of Christ. The“When” and “Where” are whenever and whereverJesus involves a member of His local church bodyto minister to another. The “How” is the super-natural work of the Lord through the believer tominister, by grace through faith, such expressionsof love as care, comfort, compassion, mercy, encour-agement, exhortation, admonition, instruction intruth, and hospitality. The who, what, why,when, where, and how already exist in theBody of Christ, particularly in thosechurches that faithfully minister the Wordand where believers are growing in their

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walk with the Lord. We do not believe in cook-book counseling, but rather in life-lived ministry.We are being generally descriptive, not specificallyprescriptive.

Spiritual Growth

Christ-centered ministry relies on the workof the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life and thereforeemphasizes spiritual growth, whereby the believerwalks with the Lord according to the Spirit ratherthan according to the flesh. Thus, believers areencouraged to live their new life in Christ, whichis spiritually alive because the Spirit of Christ livesin them. The source of the new life is God andtherefore it is both spiritual and eternal. Whenbelievers are walking in the Spirit they are livingby grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.They are putting off the old ways of what theywere before receiving His life and they are follow-ing Jesus in holiness, righteousness, truth, mercy,kindness, goodness, love, joy, peace, longsuffering,patience, humility, temperance, gentleness, faith,forgiveness, and obedience to God. When they arewalking in the Spirit, their desire is to know andfollow Jesus, and they are growing in their lovefor God and one another.

Walking in the Spirit also means denying theflesh, which in this context means all the sinfulways that are characteristic of fallen mankind. Theflesh is all that a person is before he is born again.The flesh is at war with the Spirit (Gal. 5:16,17).Scripture lists some of the works of the flesh asbeing “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivi-

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ousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings” (Gal.5:19-21), lying, stealing, bitterness, anger, clamour,evil speaking, and malice (Eph. 4: 25-31). In short,the flesh is self wanting its own way at the expenseof others and in opposition to God. The flesh isself on the throne instead of God. One can easilysee how vital it is for believers to walk in the Spiritand to deny the fleshly self. And yet, when peopleexperience problems of living, they often attemptto deal with them through fleshly means.

Through encouragement to grow in their walkwith the Lord and to depend on Him, believersnot only learn to deal with current problems; theywill also become better prepared for future trialsand challenges they have not yet faced. Ratherthan getting into the habit of looking to anotherperson to fix their lives or solve their problems,believers will become established in their ownwalk with the Lord and in drawing upon theresources they already have in Christ. All biblicalministry is for the sake of building up believers inChrist so that they can walk pleasing to the Lord,serving Him, thanking Him, and glorifying Himthrough good times and bad (Phil. 4:12).

Importance of Preaching, Teaching, andMinistering Truth

It is disappointing to see that while churcheswill take responsibility for preaching the Gospelof salvation, as soon as problems occur, they sendindividuals elsewhere for help, not realizing that

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problems provide opportunities for sanctification.In fact, counseling has all but eclipsed preach-ing in importance for dealing with life’sinfirmities. There is a need to regain greaterrespect for those local church ministries and teach-ings that lead to salvation and spiritual growth.Paul declared:

For the preaching of the cross is to themthat perish foolishness; but unto us whichare saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18).

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preachthe gospel to you that are at Rome also. ForI am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:for it is the power of God unto salvation toevery one that believeth; to the Jew first,and also to the Greek. For therein is therighteousness of God revealed from faith tofaith: as it is written, The just shall live byfaith (Romans 1:15-17).

Preaching and teaching in the local church areGod’s ministry gifts to bring people to salvationand through sanctification and also to equip thesaints for ministering to one another in the Bodyof Christ (Eph. 4:11,12). The emphasis is alwaysto be on Christ and what He has done, isdoing, and will do in the life of every believerthrough trials as well as through daily living.He is the source and resource of both salvationand sanctification. Therefore Paul wrote:

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As ye have therefore received Christ Jesusthe Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and builtup in him, and stablished in the faith, as yehave been taught, abounding therein withthanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoilyou through philosophy and vain deceit,after the tradition of men, after the rudi-ments of the world, and not after Christ.For in him dwelleth all the fulness of theGodhead bodily (Col. 2:6-9).

We hope to encourage believers to minister toone another with the attention on Christ, the Wordof God, and the Holy Spirit. The goal of Christ-centered ministry is spiritual growth in walkingin the Spirit rather than the flesh. We encourageconfidence in the vast provisions of our Lord anddiscourage all reliance on counseling systems. Weencourage reliance on the Holy Spirit to enablebelievers to minister to one another in the Bodyof Christ and reject all forms of intimidation fromthe counseling world.

The ideal seeker of Christ-centered ministrywould be one who already knows that problems ofliving are opportunities for spiritual growth andis looking for someone to help utilize what Godhas already given in His Word, His indwelling HolySpirit, and in the Body of Christ. But these peopleare rare, because most Christians have becomeculturally accustomed to expect problem-centeredcounseling. Not only is our proposal for Christ-centered ministry instead of problem-centeredcounseling radical; even more radical will be imple-menting these God-given, biblically valid ways of

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ministry because of the current fixation onproblem-centered counseling.

Preview

Through the years we have documented thefaults of psychological counseling and enumeratedthe errors of the biblical counseling movement inour books and articles.1 We are not saying thatthere is no good in either the psychological coun-seling movement or the biblical counseling move-ment. Some psychotherapists give good advice andsome biblical counselors are truly biblical. We aresaying that both movements intimidate believers,focus too much on solving problems, and haveenough common and individual faults to rejectthem.

Many who will read this book have read oneor more of our other books and articles and arefamiliar with our position on psychological andbiblical counseling. Nevertheless, we have includedsome of the reasons we oppose those movementsin Chapters Two and Three.

Chapter Two is a brief summary of researchevidence that demonstrates how empty the prom-ises of psychotherapy and its underlying psycholo-gies really are. This type of psychology, whichpurports to help individuals with problems ofliving, is the very wisdom of men about which Godwarns His people (1 Cor. 2). While Christians donot need scientific research to convince them thatthe Lord and His Word give them all they need forlife and godliness, it is important to understandthat the scientific research does support the Bible

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but does not support the psychological takeoverin the church.

Chapter Three reveals weaknesses of thebiblical counseling movement and shows paral-lels between it and its precursor, the psychologi-cal counseling movement. Biblical counselors’intent to be as biblical as possible is underminedby their problem-centered counseling, which is areflection of the psychological counseling move-ment.

Chapter Four reveals the origins of problem-centered counseling, and Chapter Five explainsthe differences between Christ-centered ministryand problem-centered counseling. Chapter Sixbriefly describes the who, what, why, when, where,and how of Christ-centered ministry. ChapterSeven demonstrates advantages of Christ-cen-tered ministry over problem-centered counselingand encourages believers in local congregationsto minister to one another according to the Wordof God and the indwelling Life of Christ.

Our Purpose

Christ-centered ministry is much broaderthan counseling. We discuss the broadness of whatis included in caring for souls in our book Compe-tent to Minister. However, the purpose of thisbook is to reveal the origins and faults ofproblem-centered counseling, to describeChrist-centered ministry and how it differsfrom problem-centered counseling, and toencourage local congregations to minister asGod has called them to do without the influ-

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ence of the psychological or biblical coun-seling movements. Much of what we say will befamiliar to Christians. But, the call for thosemature in the faith to be salt and light in the localchurch in the current era of licensed psychologi-cal counselors and degreed or certificated biblicalcounselors will contrast with what currently existsin the church world. While this book is aimed atencouraging believers who are maturing in thefaith to minister to one another in their localcongregations, it also encourages all believers togrow spiritually in faith and practice.

While we have titled this chapter “A RadicalProposal,” people in those churches that arecontinuing to be biblical in their approach and con-tinuing to rely on the Lord and His word willscratch their heads and say, “What’s so radical?That’s what we’ve been doing all along.” We thankGod for those churches! Indeed our proposal wouldnot have been radical one hundred years ago. How-ever, because of the way psychological andbiblical counseling has swept into the churchand grabbed hold of minds and hearts, thisproposal is radical! It will require a 180-degreeturn around for many Christians, pastors,churches, Bible colleges, seminaries, and missionboards. In fact, if the church or fellowship youattend refers out to either psychological or bibli-cal counselors or brings such individuals on staff,we go so far as to say that you may need to findone that has confidence in the Word of God beyondgiving lip service to it. That is confidenceenough to trust mature believers in theirlocal church fellowship to minister to those

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suffering from problems of living, withoutbiblical counseling manuals, workshops,seminars, degrees, or certificates. We hope andpray that our feeble efforts will encourage Chris-tians to turn away from both psychology and thebiblical counseling movement and to minister inthe local body of believers as God has called themto do in His Word.

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Numerous Christians have followed the worldin its infatuation with psychology. They have fallenfor the same thing that Ellen Herman describesat the beginning of her book The Romance ofAmerican Psychology:

Psychological insight is the creed of ourtime. In the name of enlightenment, expertspromise help and faith, knowledge and com-fort. They devise confident formulas forhappy living and ambitious plans fordissolving the knots of conflict. Psychology,according to its boosters, possesses worth-while answers to our most difficult personalquestions and practical solutions for ourmost intractable social problems.

In the late twentieth-century UnitedStates, we are likely to believe what psy-chological experts tell us. They speak withauthority to a vast audience and have be-come familiar figures in most communities,

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Psychotherapy(Talk Therapy)

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in the media, and in virtually every cornerof popular culture. Their advice is a big busi-ness.1

Herman traces the rise of psychology as a help-ing profession and says:

Throughout the entire postwar era, theUnited States has trained and employedmore psychological experts, per capita, thanany other country in the world. . . . BeforeWorld War II, professional healers andcounselors were few; most individuals alliedwith psychology did work unrelated to“helping.”2

Herman describes the omnipresence of psy-chology as having “seeped into virtually every facetof existence,” but she says, “that does not meanthat it has always been there or that what expertssay has always mattered as much as it matterstoday.”3 Throughout her book, Herman revealshow “psychological help was defined so broadlythat everyone needed it.”4 She concludes herreview of the rise of psychology by asking a ques-tion: “Does the rise of psychology herald a newchapter in the evolution of humanism or merelyindicate that Big Brother is bright enough to arrivecloaked in the rhetoric of enlightenment andhealth?” 5

Psychological counseling theories and thera-pies are not only seeping into Christianity but arealso staining the faith once delivered to the saints.

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The rise of psychology in the church has heraldeda new object of faith, one which for many peopleovershadows their faith in the promises of God,the sufficiency of His Word, the work of the HolySpirit, and the life of Christ in the believer.

The Rise of Professional Therapists

With the rise of professional therapists duringthe past fifty years, pastors became convinced thatthey were not qualified to counsel the sheep. And,if the pastors, trained in the Word of God, werenot qualified, how could the sheep themselvesminister to the soul needs of one another? How-ever, they faced a great dilemma, because mostpsychotherapists (psychological counselors) duringthe middle of the twentieth century were notChristians. Therefore, rather than looking to theBible for answers, they decided that Christiansshould become trained in psychology so that theycould minister to other Christians. Rather thansolving the problem, however, they intensified it,because Christians taking these psychologycourses were being trained in the ways of the worldrather than in the Word of God. These therapiescould only develop the flesh or the “old man.” Theywere designed by unbelievers who had no realunderstanding of the difference between the fleshand the spirit, between the old man and the newman. Therefore all of these psychological systemsof counseling were designed to fix and empowerthe very flesh that the Bible tells us to put off (Eph.4:22).

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Christians, noticing that there were some dis-crepancies between these psychological theoriesand the Bible, sought to solve that problemthrough integration, combining psychological theo-ries and methods with biblical teachings. To do so,integrationists either adjusted the psychologicaltheories to fit Scripture or adjusted Scripture tofit psychology. However, the latter seems to havewon out, since Christians freely incorporate nearlyall of the nearly 500 psychotherapies, many ofwhich contradict each other. In looking at thecontradictions among theories and therapiespracticed, one can easily see that there is nocontrolling standard. Almost any psychologicaltheory or method can become “biblicized” throughadjusting Scripture to fit. Because of the heavyreliance on these secular theories, even attemptsat integration will no doubt lead to strengtheningthe flesh rather than nourishing the spirit.

Neither the Bible nor research supports thismove away from biblical ministry to psychologi-cal counseling. Rather than solving the problemof how to minister to the suffering soul, the churchhas:

(1) Abandoned the care of souls ministry.(2) Sent the sheep elsewhere.(3) Encouraged believers to train themselves in

the ways of the world and “science falsely so-called” (1 Tim. 6:20).

(4) Embraced integration, which undermines anddistorts Scripture.

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(5) Brought psychological theories into the veryheart of the church by employing paid thera-pists, by offering psychologically-based supportgroups, and by teaching the Bible from apsychological perspective.

Rather than seeing psychology through the lensof Scripture, most people now understand Scrip-ture through the lens of psychology. That’s howpervasive its influence has become, and it is oneof the primary reasons why the church has becomeso worldly.

Now nearly every believer assumes thatprofessional, psychologically trained Christiansare the best people to help those with serious prob-lems of living. Thousands of people have beentrained as lay counselors, but the training has beenconducted primarily by psychologically trainedcounselors. Therefore, even when there is personalministry to one another, much of it is psychologi-cally tainted. Moreover, these lay counselors aretrained primarily in referring the difficult prob-lems to professionals. And, to top it off, much ofthis psychological counseling (both professionaland lay) is called “biblical counseling.” Therefore,people who desire to follow God and His Word areduped into thinking they will receive ministryaccording to the Bible when they seek “biblicalcounseling.” The situation is so grave that, asidefrom when we refer to the biblical counselingmovement and to those who call themselves“biblical counselors,” we generally avoid the

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expression “biblical counseling” when speakingabout personal ministry to one another in the Bodyof Christ. That is because so much of what islabeled “biblical counseling” is tainted withunbiblical theories and therapies. We prefer theexpressions “ministry,” “biblical ministry” and“Christ-centered ministry.”

How can the tide be turned? How can thechurch, which is racing headlong in one direction,be turned around? We have been attempting towarn believers of this downward spiral for overtwenty-five years. Reasoning from the Bible hasfallen on deaf ears. Facts have been ignored andvery few see the tragedy of transferred trust: awayfrom God and His Word, and solidly placed infallible human opinions. Few see the tremendouswasteland of carnality where the flesh is nourishedand the spirit is starved—all through trusting thewisdom of men and “science falsely so-called.” Wepray that God will open eyes and ears and renewthe rightful functions of His Gifts and His Body.

Psychotherapy Not Much Relief

Why do Christians have faith in the promisesof psychotherapy with its underlying psychologies?Obviously they believe it works. However, researchreveals that it does not work as well as peoplethink. Some years back the American PsychiatricAssociation (APA) Commission on Psychothera-pies published a book titled PsychotherapyResearch: Methodological and Efficacy Issues. Init the APA stated: “Whether the magnitude of the

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psychotherapy effect is medium or small remainsa moot point; no one has claimed that it islarge.”6 (Bold added.) While no researchers wouldclaim that psychotherapy’s level of relief is large,many practitioners and popularizers of psychol-ogy do.

Many new psychotherapies and research stud-ies have occurred since the APA’s findings, but theconclusion remains. In an interview with Dr.Martin Seligman, past president of the AmericanPsychological Association, he was asked, “As atherapist and researcher who has spent threedecades trying to build a bridge between the worldof science and the world of everyday practice, areyou impressed with the hard evidence ofpsychotherapy’s effectiveness?” After discussingthe results of averaging all the therapy outcomestudies “which by now is in the four figures,”Seligman admitted that “by and large, we produceonly mild to moderate relief.” After “regularlyrevising a formal textbook about abnormalpsychology that has gone through five editions”over the past 25 years, Seligman indicated thatnot much has changed over the years with respectto his conclusion of “only mild to moderate relief”from psychotherapy.7

Seligman’s “only mild to moderate relief” forpsychotherapy may sound adequate. However,when factors such as the placebo effects and equaloutcome effects for amateur helpers are consid-ered, not much is left to the credit of psychologicalcounselors or psychotherapists with their highfees, third-party payments, grandiose reputation,

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and expertise status in the courtroom. Christiansneed not be hoodwinked away from trusting Godand His Word.

Placebo Effect

The placebo effect takes place when one hasfaith in a pill, person, process, or procedure, and itis this faith that brings about the healing. The pill,person, process, or procedure may all be fake, butthe result is real. Notice what is working in theplacebo. Faith! Why not encourage Christians toplace their faith in God and His Word rather thanin psychotherapists and their models and meth-ods?

A group of researchers at Wesleyan Univer-sity compared the benefits of psychotherapy withthose of placebo treatments. The placebo treat-ments were activities (such as discussion ofcurrent events, group play reading, and listeningto records) that attempted to help individualswithout the use of psychotherapeutic techniques.The researchers concluded:

. . . after about 500 outcome studies havebeen reviewed we are still not aware of asingle convincing demonstration that thebenefits of psychotherapy exceed those ofplacebos for real patients.8

Dr. Arthur Shapiro, clinical professor ofpsychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine,suggests that the power of psychological counsel-ing may be the effect of a placebo, which may

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explain the equal outcomes effect, which we willdiscuss in the next section. Shapiro says:

Just as bloodletting was perhaps themassive placebo technique of the past, sopsychoanalysis—and its dozens of psycho-therapy offshoots—is the most used placeboof our time.9

Shapiro criticized his professional colleaguesat an annual meeting of the American Psycho-pathological Association for ignoring placeboeffects and therefore skewing the results of theirresearch.10 He believes that if placebo effects wereconsidered, “there would be no difference betweenpsychotherapy and placebo.” 11

Dr. Hans Eysenck, one of the best knownpsychologists in the world, said:

The general tenor of the evidence producedin recent years seems to be that the conclu-sion of my 1952 article is still valid: psy-chotherapy works, as far as it does, bymeans of non-specific or placebo effects.12

The placebo not only affects the individual,but it affects those who come in contact with theindividual. Everyone tends to feel and believe thatprogress will be made because something is beingdone. The placebo effect, along with other factorsmentioned in this chapter, greatly diminishes theauthority of any positive results reported forprofessional psychotherapy itself.

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Equal Outcomes

The placebo effect may also be one reason forwhat researchers call “equal outcomes,” which isthe fact that all of the nearly 500 systems ofpsychotherapy appear to work equally well,regardless of their lack of compatibility with oneanother or even their contradictions. The Hand-book of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change refersto the “general finding of no-difference in the out-come of therapy for clients who have participatedin highly diverse therapies.” The research litera-ture repeatedly gives the following explanation:“Different therapies embody common factors thatare curative although not emphasized by thetheory of change central to a particular school.”13

These common factors would include the value ofnormal human interaction as well as the placeboeffect. Thus the differences in the various psycho-therapies are less important than the common-alities they share. And, these commonalities areextremely common, not the exclusive property ofpsychological counseling!

Dr. Joseph Wortis, State University of NewYork, reduces all the research down to its lowestcommon denominator. He says: “The propositionof whether psychotherapy can be beneficial canbe reduced to its simplest terms of whether talkis very helpful.” He goes on to say, “And that doesn’tneed to be researched. It is self evident that talkcan be helpful.” 14

This equal outcomes result is also true in otherareas of treatment. A newsletter from Harvard

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University reports, “Alcoholism is notoriously theworld’s most serious drug problem.”15 A report inthe Journal of Studies on Alcohol gives the equaloutcomes result in the use of alcohol treatmentprograms. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuseand Alcoholism sponsored what has been called“one of the largest clinical experiments everconducted.” In comparing individuals in variousprograms (including those in hospital settings andthose on the outside), none of the treatments weremore successful than the others.16

Expectancy Arousal Hypothesis

Dr. David Shapiro has proposed an idea thatwould be a common factor for equal outcomes thatcould lead to success for therapies. He calls thisidea the “expectancy arousal hypothesis,” whichhe explains this way: “treatments differ in effec-tiveness only to the extent that they arouse inclients differing degrees of expectation ofbenefit.”17 According to this hypothesis, as the con-versation or therapy proceeds and there is anarousal of positive expectancy in the client, thenimprovement will occur. Thus, according toShapiro, as the therapist uses any one of a num-ber of psychotherapies, the effectiveness will berelated to the client’s own expectancy of benefit.Therefore, the specific therapeutic conversationwould not matter, but rather the client’s expect-ancy of benefit. Any positive improvement hasmore to do with what the client brings to thetherapy than with the therapy itself.

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As the placebo depends on faith, the “expect-ancy arousal” is an expression of hope. Thus faithand hope are the common and primaryfactors that contribute to positive outcomesin therapy. Would it not be better for Christiansto place their faith and hope in God and His Wordthan in the psychological wisdom of men and theirsystems of therapy? Can God be pleased with thismisplaced faith and hope?

No Positive Evidence

As we have demonstrated elsewhere, there areboth scientific and biblical reasons why psychol-ogy of this type should be rejected. We know fromthe research that the “training, credentials, andexperience of psychotherapists are irrelevant”18

and that “one’s effectiveness as a therapist wasunrelated to any professional training.”19 Basedupon the equal outcomes results, as well as manyother factors, Dr. Robyn Dawes, a widely recog-nized researcher, has summed it up very well bysaying, “There is no positive evidence supportingthe efficacy of professional psychology. There areanecdotes, there is plausibility, there are somecommon beliefs, yes—but there is no goodevidence.”20 Dawes also provides research todemonstrate that the professional therapist’slicense protects the profession of psychotherapyrather than the consumer.

In an article titled “Psychological Warfarebetween Therapists and Scientists,” Dr. CarolTavris says:

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The scientific illiteracy of psychotherapistshas torn up families, sent innocent defen-dants to prison, cost people their jobs andcustody of their children, and promotedworthless, even harmful therapies. A publicunable to critically assess psychotherapists’claims and methods for scientific credibil-ity will be vulnerable to whatever hysteri-cal epidemic comes along next. And in ourpsychologically oriented culture, there willbe many nexts. Some will be benign; somewill merely cost money; and some will costlives.21

We mention this information in passing andencourage you to read the evidence againstpsychotherapy and for the Bible in our earlierbooks. In addition to debunking the field ofpsychotherapy, we have also provided biblicalreasons why Christians should not turn to the verywisdom of men about which God has warned us (1Cor. 2).22 The Bible is filled with a plethora ofverses that show forth the origin of man, thecondition of man, the salvation and sanctificationof man, and the truth about mankind.

Psychotherapy is Not Science!

We have demonstrated elsewhere that psycho-therapy does not qualify as a science. We havequoted eminent scholars in the field of psychologyas well as philosophers of science to demonstratethat psychotherapy is not science. Dr. SigmundKoch, Director of the National Science Founda-

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tion study resulting in a seven-volume series titledPsychology: A Study of a Science, said, “I think itby this time utterly and finally clear that psychol-ogy cannot be a coherent science.”23 (Italics in origi-nal.)

Dr. Karl Popper, one of the most outstandingphilosophers of science during the twentieth cen-tury, considered that the psychological theoriesformulated by Freud, Adler, and others “thoughposing as sciences, had in fact more in commonwith primitive myths than with science; that theyresembled astrology rather than astronomy.”24

Psychological counseling theories are collec-tions of human opinions arranged in theoreticalframeworks. They are human inventions based onthe perception and personal experiences of thetheorists. These theories serve as a house of mir-rors reflecting the theorists themselves. In herarticle “Theory as Self-Portrait and the Ideal ofObjectivity,” Dr. Linda Riebel clearly shows that“theories of human nature reflect the theorist’spersonality as he or she externalizes it or projectsit onto humanity at large.” She says that “thetheory of human nature is a self-portrait of thetheorist . . . emphasizing what the theorist needs”and that theories of personality and psychotherapy“cannot transcend the individual personalityengaged in that act.” 25

Conclusion

Not one of the nearly 500 psychotherapy sys-tems depends upon the knowledge of sin for theirsolutions or upon the understanding of repentance

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for relief. None of the biblical truths of salvationand sanctification are visible in the plethora ofthe often-conflicting psychological approaches.Instead, these false psychological substitutesfor the truth of Scripture minister to theflesh rather than to the spirit and steerpeople away from God and His Word.

Counseling psychologies and psychotherapieshave seduced the Body of Christ and can be foundin almost every Bible college, seminary, Christianschool, denomination, and church. Sometimes itappears in its undisguised form of Freudian, Adle-rian, Jungian, etc. psychology, but most often itappears anonymously and too often disguised asgospel truth. While God has provided power in HisWord, this type of psychology has so intimidatedand captivated the church that it has become im-potent in helping suffering saints in its midst.

Paul rightly warned the Colossians, “Bewarelest any man spoil you through philosophy andvain deceit, after the tradition of men, after therudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col.2:8). These theories are various human philoso-phies about mankind. They are elaborate guessesand systems of belief built upon individual imagi-nation. In fact, they represent a modern gnosti-cism with the idea that some people possess hid-den knowledge of the soul. Only God possessesthe hidden knowledge of the soul, and He hasrevealed truth about the inner man in HisWord. Christians are foolish to look for this truthelsewhere and are warned against it. Paul deter-mined not to use the “enticing words of man’s wis-dom . . . that your faith should not stand in the

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wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Cor.2:4-5). He did not want to have anything to do withthe wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 2:6), because heknew the source of that wisdom is not God. Weare admonished not to love the world or the thingsof the world (1 John 2:15), and one of the things ofthe world is its wisdom. The psychological coun-seling systems used by professing Christians wereall invented by non-Christians, atheists, agnostics,occultists, and secular humanists.

The first step toward re-empowerment ofGod’s people is to utterly reject this type ofpsychology with all of its false promises, premises,procedures, and pseudocures. Without a totalrejection of this type of psychology, the church andGod’s people will remain powerless in the face oflife’s challenges and will yield to the confusion andcontradictions of the plethora of talk therapies. Ifone will not outrightly reject such therapies, thereis not much hope that one can move forward tothe empowerment God provides. Christiansshould know and affirm that such psychol-ogy is merely the hunches, opinions, guesses,and particularly the wisdom of men that Godrejects (1 Cor. 2). They should step out infaith, depending solidly upon the Word ofGod and the work of the Holy Spirit. The moreChristians are intimidated by college degrees andtraining in psychology, the less likely they will beeffective in helping fellow Christians in need. Theless Christians are intimidated by college degreesand training in psychology, the more likely theywill be effective in helping fellow believers.

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We so often hear from Christians that they donot know what to do when confronted with a per-sonal or interpersonal problem, whether it is anindividual or a couple. Our goal is that Christianswill abandon the myths of psychological counsel-ing theories and methodologies and look to theLord to enable them to minister. We want toconvince believers that they are competent tominister in the Lord so that they will be confidentto do so.

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The BiblicalCounselingMovement

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When a number of Christians were alarmedat the way psychological counseling was over-running Christianity, they attempted to reversethe trend by substituting psychological counsel-ing with biblical counseling. Indeed they weremoving in the right direction—back to the Bible!However, the heavy influence of psychologicalcounseling on the biblical counseling movementcan be seen in biblical counseling leaders callingwhat they do “An alternative to secular psychol-ogy.” Since when is the Bible just an alternative?

As the biblical counseling movement took hold,it began to reflect aspects of the psychologicalcounseling model in a number of ways. One of theprimary ways it replicated the world was to havetrained counselors. In other words, there were tobe special people who would be trained to do thecounseling. This training was held up as essentialif one were to minister to another person in need.

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Training programs were established and in notime there was a division among believers betweenthe elite—those who were trained and could there-fore counsel a fellow believer—and the non-elite—those who were untrained and therefore “unquali-fied” to come alongside to minister to a fellowbeliever.

Historically the psychological counselingmovement accelerated during post World War IIyears as Ellen Herman details in her book, whichwas mentioned earlier.1 In the wake of its rise andseeming success and following it by about thirtyyears, the biblical counseling movement wasspawned in the early seventies. To get a moreaccurate perspective on this issue, think back eventhirty years. Where were the biblical counselingmanuals, workshops, seminars, degrees, andcertificates then? And now, if believers have notattended one of the above or obtained a degree orcertificate from one of the above, they will neitherfeel prepared nor be trusted to “counsel” others.

Schools and seminaries set up classes, text-books and manuals were written, and organiza-tions were formed to certify biblical counselors.Before long there was a whole cadre of biblicalcounselors training more and more people inbiblical counseling, and the leading trend wascounseling. If anyone had a problem, the advicewas, “You need counseling.” Then those who werenot helped by biblical counselors ended up goingto psychological counselors, because faith incounseling had been firmly established amongChristians. Therefore, rather than replacing

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psychological counselors, biblical counselors oftenbecame stepping stones to psychological counsel-ing. With “Christian psychologists” the line ofdistinction became very blurry, since manypsychologists refer to themselves as “biblical coun-selors” or “Christian counselors.”

However, Christians do not need any of thiscounseling training. There is no evidence thatlengthy training programs, certificates, practicecounseling, or seminars will enable one Christianto minister more effectively than another. Exhaus-tive (and exhausting) manuals (as used in thebiblical counseling movement) with numerousunnecessary details can actually serve to hinderpeople more than help them in ministering toanother individual. Instead of approaching theministry interaction by looking to see what theLord will bring forth, their minds are often filledwith trying to remember a similar case describedin some manual and what verses were used there.Or, they just feel too intimidated by the fear thatthey have not taken enough courses and or stud-ied their manuals sufficiently. One purpose here,as in our other previous books and articles,is to convince Christians that they caneffectively minister to fellow believers with-out having a college degree in psychologyor being a licensed professional counseloror even having a Bible college or seminarydegree or certificate in biblical counseling.

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Case Studies

Case studies are often used in psychology andbiblical counseling, usually to show forth the effi-cacy of a particular idea or methodology. Asidefrom the use of brief examples to illustrate a point,we are opposed to the use of case studies for avariety of reasons.

Drs. Elizabeth Loftus and Melvin Guyer wrotea two-part article with the subtitle “The Hazardsof the Single Case History.” They began by saying:

Case histories have a long and cherishedtradition in science. They are compellinganecdotes, often powerful enough to gener-ate entire theories of behavior. Freud builtthe edifice of psychoanalytic theory on thevery few cases he saw in therapy. BrunoBettelheim used a few cases of autistic chil-dren to conclude that autism is caused by“refrigerator” mothers. PsychiatristCornelia Wilbur’s account of her patient,“Sybil,” captivated millions of people whobelieved the story of Sybil’s “multiplepersonalities.”2

All of these theories, based on “very few cases,”have been powerfully influential in the practiceof psychotherapists; but all have beendebunked. Loftus and Guyer say:

But case studies, by definition, are boundedby the perceptions and interpretations of

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the storyteller. If they are well told . . .readers often find them far more persua-sive and compelling than the stodgynumbers and cautions of science.3

Dr. Paul Meehl, a past president of the Ameri-can Psychological Association, once wrote anextensive paper as to “Why I Do Not Attend CaseConferences,” in which he indicates a multitudeof reasons for his concerns.4 Many biblical coun-selors use case studies throughout their books,manuals, and conferences, and many of the sameobjections apply. In one instance the biblical coun-selor used a case of a person whom he had nevermet, but had only heard about from a third party.Caution: while brief examples may be all right, donot be intimidated by these biblical counselingcase histories that prove an approach or point ofview of the biblical counselor or are used todemonstrate how to counsel, whether presentedin writing or given verbally at conferences.

It is time Christians give up trying to learnhow to counsel by studying or listening to casehistories. In addition to other reasons given above,case histories can get in the way. Two people couldhave exactly the same external problem, but onlyGod knows the specifics of what and how for aparticular person. This is why we say that thosewho minister to one another need to get in theway and out of the way. They need to be avail-able, but they need to let God work rather thanpush their own agenda.

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The Myth of Specialized Training

This idea of needing specialized training is amyth! Any person who can be used by theHoly Spirit to lead another to salvation oralong the way of sanctification is competentto be used by God to minister to anotherwithout needing specialized biblical coun-seling training. The myth of needing specializedtraining has intimidated Christians from follow-ing God’s command to draw alongside fellowbelievers experiencing problems of living. Firstcame the intimidation that a person cannot helpa fellow believer unless psychologically trained.Next came the intimidation that Christians can-not really help unless they are trained in biblicalcounseling. And, the worst stated or impliedintimidation is that you could harm a person ifyou are not trained. Even seminary graduates, ifthey did not major in biblical counseling oftenconsider themselves “unqualified” to counsel. Theymay be able to pray, preach, and teach God’s Wordfrom the pulpit, but they are too intimidated tominister personally to the sheep. Moreover theyusually will not trust ordinary believers to minis-ter to their sheep. They either send them topsychologically trained counselors or to those whoare trained in “biblical counseling.”

As we demonstrated earlier, positive resultsfrom personal interactions labeled psychotherapyand counseling do not come from the specifics oftheory or methodology. In fact, the counselor is notreally the primary element of change in either

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psychological or biblical counseling. Too muchattention, importance, and responsibility havebeen placed upon the human counselor as beingthe expert who brings about the change. Asresearch has shown, change has more to do withthe client or counselee than with the therapist orcounselor; it also has more to do with the client orcounselee than with the theory or methodology.In the Body of Christ, change has to do with theLord working in His child. The one who drawsalongside to minister, even in the most difficultsituations, is but a shadow compared to the Lordand the one seeking help! Therefore, believers neednot be intimidated when the Lord calls them tominister to one another, because in doing so theyare serving the Lord in obedience, as He minis-ters to the individual and as the individualresponds to the Lord.

Personal ministry to one another in the Bodyof Christ, when a brother or sister is suffering fromproblems of living, is often a shared ministry withthe Lord working through a number of His chil-dren to assist the one in need. Moreover, as theLord works, all have the opportunity to grow inthe knowledge of God and in wisdom and spiri-tual understanding. Every believer involved inGod’s work benefits and grows!

The Number One ReasonWhy People Change

In the previous chapter, we mentioned theequal outcomes that occur among the various

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psychotherapies as well as among other treatmentprograms such as those for alcoholism. The Hand-book of Psychotherapy and Behavior Changemakes it clear that client characteristics make abig difference with respect to outcomes in therapy.The Handbook’s “Summation” states:

. . . it is the client more than the therapistwho implements the change process. If theclient does not absorb, utilize, and followthrough on the facilitative efforts of thetherapist, then nothing happens. Ratherthan argue over whether or not “therapyworks,” we could address ourselves to thequestion of whether or not “the clientworks”! 5

Clients motivated to change who are therapizedby a variety of therapies and therapists willcertainly experience greater change than clientswho do not really want to change.

The Journal of Studies on Alcohol says, withrespect to equal outcomes in alcoholism treatment,the only differences in success had to do with otherfactors, such as personal motivation.6 The Harvardnewsletter makes it clearer yet by stating:

Because Alcoholism, like all addictions, isa disorder of motivation, a full commitmentto change is not only a cause of recoverybut often the largest part of recovery itself.In a sense, all addiction treatments areways of improving motivation.7

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In the Foreword to The Great PsychotherapyDebate, Gene Glass says:

The common factors position (namely, thatall of the many specific types of psycho-therapeutic treatment achieve virtuallyequal . . . benefits because of a common coreof curative processes) can move the focus ofpsychotherapy training and theory itselffrom therapist to client, from how the thera-pist “cures” to how the client “heals.” 8

We conclude from all the research that thenumber one reason equal outcomes occur in vari-ous treatment programs is because of the clientsrather than the therapists or the therapies. Themore motivated the individual, the morelikely that change will occur. The less moti-vated the individual, the less likely thatchange will occur. As we mentioned earlier,Christians do not need scientific research to dem-onstrate what the Bible already teaches, but it isinteresting to note that the above researchconfirms what the Bible already declares aboutindividual responsibility and motivation. However,in psychological and biblical counseling there is agreat dependence on both the counselor and theprocess of counseling; whereas in Christ-centeredministry a seeker is encouraged to depend on theLord. The less involvement of the helper, the better,and the more likely that spiritual growth willoccur. Christ-centered ministry helpers mustfollow John the Baptist when he said, “He mustincrease, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

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Professionals versus Amateurs

The Lord is involved in the process of Christ-centered ministry as believers turn to Him and toHis Word and encourage one another along thepath of sanctification. Because the responsibilityfor change and growth is between the one seekinghelp and the Lord, believers need not fear draw-ing alongside to minister to one another if theyhave not been trained in psychological or biblicalcounseling. Furthermore, the research demon-strates that amateur counselors do as well asprofessionals.9 It would be easy to provide a listof studies indicating the effectiveness of nonpro-fessional therapists. For example, the Handbookof Psychotherapy and Behavior Change reports:

In a meta-analytic review of studies thataddress level of training, Berman andNorton concluded that professionallytrained therapists had no systematic advan-tage over nonprofessional therapists inevoking treatment gains.10

Dr. Robyn Dawes says:

Evaluating the efficacy of psychotherapyhas led us to conclude that professionalpsychologists are no better psychothera-pists than anyone else with minimal train-ing—sometimes those without any trainingat all; the professionals are merely moreexpensive.11

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The best possible test comparing profession-als and nonprofessionals could not be conductedbecause it would involve deception. The bestcomparison would involve giving the nonprofes-sionals titles, degrees, credentials, etc., equivalentto the professionals. Eysenck makes a point aboutplacebo treatments that usually involve amateursand are used in comparison to professionalpsychotherapeutic treatment. He says:

Nothing is said about the quality of theplacebos used. To be effective, placebosshould contain all the theoretically effec-tive elements of the treatment that is beingtested; that means equal duration, equalattention, and equal belief in effective-ness on the part of the patient. I havenever seen a study that even approximated,let alone reached, such a degree of equiva-lence.12 (Italics in original, bold added.)

The same criticism applies to the use ofnonprofessionals. To overcome this criticism, wesuggest that the professionals be stripped of theirtitles, degrees, credentials, etc. For a fair compari-son, the therapy clients would not know the back-grounds of either the nonprofessionals or theprofessionals. The reason for this is obvious. If theprofessionals are presented with all of their titles,etc., they would have all the culturally sanctionedassets accruing to other professionals in our soci-ety. In other words, they will have a greater placeboeffect.

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One additional ingredient needed to create asmuch equivalency as possible is to use individu-als from other people-oriented professions whohave NOT been psychotherapeutically trained, butwho have equal educational attainments in theirown fields. For example, one could select engineers,biologists, physicists, chemists, and other suchprofessionals to serve as the nonprofessionaltherapists.

We would like to see a similar experimentconducted between degreed or certificated indi-viduals in biblical counseling and those who arein no way trained in biblical counseling. For a faircomparison, those who come for help would notknow the backgrounds of either the trained oruntrained biblical counselors. If all items are keptequal except for the biblical counseling trainingof the one group, we predict that the untrainedgroup would do as well or better, unless theuntrained group has bought into the intimidation.

An excellent example of how culturally-sanc-tioned assets influence the outcome can be seenin the following description of findings reportedin Psychotherapy Research: Methodological andEfficacy Issues, published by the AmericanPsychiatric Association:

An experiment at the All-India Institute ofMental Health in Bangalore found thatWestern-trained psychiatrists and nativehealers had a comparable recovery rate. Themost notable difference was that the so-called “witch doctors” released theirpatients sooner.13

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A study of professional and nonprofessionaltherapists by researcher Dr. Hans Strupp atVanderbilt University compared the mental-emotional improvement of two groups of malecollege students. Two groups of “therapists” wereset up to provide two groups of students with“therapy.” The two student groups were equatedon the basis of mental-emotional distress as muchas possible. The first group of therapists consistedof five psychiatrists and psychologists. “The fiveprofessional therapists participating in the studywere selected on the basis of their reputation inthe professional and academic community for clini-cal expertise. Their average length of experiencewas 23 years.”

The second group of “therapists” consisted ofseven college professors from a variety of fields,but without therapeutic training. Each untrained“therapist” used his own personal manner of care,and each trained therapist used his own brand oftherapy. The students seen by the professorsshowed as much improvement as those seenby the highly experienced and speciallytrained therapists.14 An important ingredienthere is the fact that the professors, though ama-teurs at therapy, had the necessary culturallysanctioned assets equivalent to those of the pro-fessional therapists.15

Numerous other studies support the effective-ness of nonprofessionals. However, one aspect ofmost of these studies, which would put the ama-teurs at a disadvantage, is the placebo effect ofthe patient who knows that he is seeing a profes-sional rather than an amateur. The expectation of

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cure, which does work as a placebo, is much higherwhen people think that professional experts arehelping them rather than just regular persons. Ifthis placebo effect were absent, we believe thatthe amateurs would actually do better than theprofessionals. Moreover, there would be greatereternal results among Christians if people trulytrusted the Lord, obeyed His Word, and followedHis instructions for ministering to one another(Gal. 6:1-2).

Counseling as Discipleship

Some biblical counselors claim to be disciplingbelievers. Throughout the Gospels, the followersof Jesus were called “disciples.” The word trans-lated “teach” in Matthew 28:19 means “instruct,”“teach,” or “disciple” and can be translated “makedisciples.” When Jesus taught, He was makingdisciples—followers of Him and of His teachings.When Peter, Paul, and the other apostles preachedand taught, they were teaching people to bedisciples of Jesus. Preachers and teachers of God’sWord are continuing to teach people to followChrist. However, the modern-day idea of equat-ing counseling with discipling can only apply towhen the counselors are teaching people biblicaltruth and teaching them to follow Jesus. All therest of what goes on in counseling, particularlythe psychological methodology gleaned from theworld and the central activity of talking aboutproblems cannot be called discipleship.

Christ-centered ministry aims at making andencouraging disciples in the faith. However, over

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the past 35 years the word “discipling” has takenon baggage that Jesus never intended. Disciplingbecame a relationship in which one person wasthe discipler (one-up) and the other was thedisciple (one-down). In this relationship thedisciplers often took a great deal of authority overthe disciples to the point of telling them what todo and making their decisions. Counseling hascertainly taken on some of this unbiblical form ofdiscipling, as counselors (one-up) often exerciseauthority in their counselees’ lives (one-down), asthey often make decisions for them, and as theydirectly or indirectly tell them what to do. Quiteoften such counseling-discipling makes peopledisciples of their counselors. Christ-centeredministry works against such dependence andencourages people to be dependent on Christrather than on another person. In fact, Christ-centered ministry works to free people to walk withChrist, to take their problems to Him instead ofto other people, and to be so connected to the Bodyof Christ that they are both giving and receivingthe life of Christ.

Conclusion

Believers need to learn to come to Christ inthe time of need, because only through Christ willthey find His will and His way in each situation.Every problem or trial is meant to conform us tothe image of Christ. Thus every trial must bebrought to Him, not to manipulate or to get one’sown way, but to find out what God is doing andwants to do. Yes, there are pastors, teachers, and

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fellow believers who give wise counsel duringtimes of need. However, one does not have to coun-sel or be counseled to find wisdom.

Personal ministry should be a natural part ofthe daily life of the church through the preachingand teaching of the Word and through believerspraying for each other and encouraging, admon-ishing, exhorting, and confronting one another. Allthis can be done without a system, center, orministry of “biblical counseling.” Though thejustifiers of biblical counseling may contendotherwise, all of this was done prior to the begin-ning of the biblical counseling movement onlyabout thirty years ago, at least in churches thatwere preaching and teaching the whole counsel ofGod.

We, as well as others, have spoken out againstthe errors of the biblical counseling movement. NoChristian counseling organization of which we areaware has severely criticized and refused mem-bership to those biblical counselors who chargefees or encourage donations for their services; norhave these organizations excluded from member-ship those who have biblical counseling offices orcenters outside the church. In addition, many ofthe well-known leaders of the biblical counselingmovement are also members of organizations thatare blatantly integrationist or outrightly psycho-logical. These, as well as many other unbiblicalpractices, have led us not to recommend any ofthe various biblical counseling organizations.

We want to make it clear that, although weare opposed to the biblical counseling movementwith its training and credentials, we are

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adamantly in favor of Christians studying theBible and becoming well taught in the Word intheir local congregations, without such teachingsbeing bound to the biblical counseling movement.The person who is saved and being sancti-fied through the trials of life is sufficient tobe used by God in another person’s lifethrough the work of the Holy Spirit, butwithout biblical counseling training.

One need not look up to biblical counselors,even those who are well-known through books,lectures, and organizations or who have been doingbiblical counseling for years, as being better atministering to a fellow believer in a local congre-gation than one who has found God sufficientthrough the trials of life and matured throughobedience to His Word.

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God has given us great and precious promisesin His Word. Christians have all they need in theWord to deal with problems of living. Yet, over thepast fifty years there has been a dramatic shift inconfidence on the part of Christians—away fromGod’s Word and toward man’s wisdom to deal withpeople’s thinking, feeling, speaking, acting, andrelating with one another.

This shift occurred because of psychology’srising popularity, first outside the church and theninside the church and its various institutions—Bible colleges, seminaries, Christian schools, andmission agencies. The type of psychology to whichwe refer is psychotherapy and its underlyingpsychologies. Beginning with Anton Mesmer andSigmund Freud and then spreading to others, thisleaven of psychology has now come to full loaf.

Thus far we have coauthored a number ofbooks and articles, many of which have provided

4

The Rise & Practiceof Problem-Centered

Counseling

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biblical and scientific reasons to reject psycho-therapy and much of what is called “biblical coun-seling.”1 However, as important as it is to exposethe fallacies and failures of psychological coun-seling, it is even more important to our presentconcern that we reveal the source of problem-centered counseling, which has become the stan-dard form of counseling both outside and insidethe church.

Conversation as Cure, Rhetoric as Remedy

In his book Mesmerism and the American Cureof Souls, Robert Fuller describes how mesmerismpromised great psychological and spiritual advan-tages. Its promises for self-improvement, spiritualexperience, and personal fulfillment were espe-cially welcomed by unchurched individuals. Fullersays that mesmerism offered “an entirely new andeminently attractive arena for self-discovery—their own psychological depths.” He says that “itstheories and methods promised to restore indi-viduals, even unchurched ones, into harmony withthe cosmic scheme.”2 Fuller’s description ofmesmerism in America is an accurate portrayalof twentieth-century psychotherapy as well as ofso-called mind-science religions. The goal andimpetus for discovering and developing humanpotential grew out of mesmerism and stimulatedthe growth and expansion of psychotherapy, posi-tive thinking, the human potential movement, andthe mind-science religions.

In a section titled “Mesmerism: The Beginningof American Psychology,” the American Psychologi-

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cal Association’s book titled History of Psycho-therapy: A Century of Change says:

Historians have found several aspects ofmesmerism and its offshoots that set thestage for 20th-century psychotherapy.It promoted ideas that are quintessentiallyAmerican and have become permanenttheoretical features of our 20th-centurypsychological landscape.3 (Bold added.)

Mesmer’s far reaching influence gave an earlyimpetus to scientific-sounding religious alterna-tives to Christianity. And he started the trend ofmedicalizing religion into treatment and therapy.Nevertheless, he only gave the world false reli-gion and false hope. Professor of psychiatryThomas Szasz describes Mesmer’s influence thisway:

Insofar as psychotherapy as a modern“medical technique “ can be said to have adiscoverer, Mesmer was that person.Mesmer stands in the same sort of relationto Freud and Jung as Columbus stands inrelation to Thomas Jefferson and JohnAdams. Columbus stumbled onto a conti-nent that the founding fathers subsequentlytransformed into the political entity knownas the United States of America. Mesmerstumbled onto the literalized use of theleading scientific metaphor of his age forexplaining and exorcising all manner ofhuman problems and passions, a rhetori-

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cal device that the founders of moderndepth psychology subsequently trans-formed into the pseudomedical entityknown as psychotherapy.4 (Bold added.)

In his book The Myth of Psychotherapy, Szaszexpands on his comment that Mesmer is really anearly father of psychotherapy through his use ofrhetoric. He says:

Trying to demonstrate that psycho-therapy is rhetoric is like trying to demon-strate that the cow is a mammal. Why doit, then? For two reasons: because it is nowthe official opinion of the dominant institu-tions of society that psychotherapy is a formof medical treatment; and because anappreciation of rhetoric has all but disap-peared from contemporary consciousness.Seeing psychotherapy as conversationrather than cure thus requires that we notonly consider the error of classifying it as amedical intervention, but that we also lookanew at the subject of rhetoric and assessits relevance to mental healing.

In plain language, what do patient andpsychotherapist actually do? They speakand listen to each other. What do they speakabout? Narrowly put, the patient speaksabout himself, and the therapist speaksabout the patient. In a broader sense, how-ever, both also speak about other personsand about various matters of concern totheir lives. The point is that each tries to

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move the other to see or do things in acertain way. That is what qualifies theiractions as fundamentally rhetorical. If thepsychotherapist and his patient were notrhetoricians, they could not engage in theactivity we now conventionally call psycho-therapy—just as if cows did not suckle theiryoung, we could not call them mammals.5

Thus psychotherapy has Mesmeric and Freudianorigins, and, though it has gone through up toalmost 500 varieties, it still exists essentially asrhetoric as remedy and conversation as cure.

This rhetoric as remedy and conversation ascure became professionalized and placed in thehands of these new (at the time) practitioners.Those who followed eventually needed to becomeeducated and licensed. It was a milestone in thehistory of psychology and now this talk therapyhas been fully accepted in both the world and thechurch. These sorcerers of the soul now set thestandards for solutions of the soul—solutions thathave not only been wholeheartedly embraced butalso practiced and expected in the church. Theactivity of conversation as cure or rhetoricas remedy is promulgated through problem-centered counseling, which is the standardoutside and inside the church; it is the stan-dard in both psychological and biblical coun-seling. A return to the true biblical way will bedifficult to accomplish, but a drastic turnaroundis necessary if spiritual growth is the goal ratherthan fleshly change.

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Problem-Centered Counseling

A major difference between what bothpsychologists and many of those who are calledbiblical counselors do and what we recommend isin response to problems of living. The problem-centered counselor finds out what the problem isthrough conversation with the client. The clientdescribes the problem in as much detail as possibleand the therapist proposes a methodology for asolution. Even Christian licensed psychothera-pists, if reimbursed by insurance, must practiceaccording to their licenses. Thus, there is little, ifany, mention of sin, repentance, salvation, andsanctification, to mention just a few biblicaldoctrines. The focus must be on the client, not onthe Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, psychologicalcounselors aim at changing thinking, feeling, orbehaving by psychological methodology. However,problems of living with their effects on the clientare the focus of the various methodologies.

Irwin Kutash and Alexander Wolf ’sPsychotherapist’s Casebook: Theory and Techniquein the Practice of Modern Therapies was writtento “demonstrate, through annotated case histories,the major therapy techniques in present use.”6

Kutash and Wolf state: “In all approaches, thepsychological issues of the client constitute, in oneway or another, the main focus.”7 The client (i.e.,the self) comes with a problem. The counseling isdirected at the self with the problem. Thus, prob-lem centered counseling is actually self-centeredcounseling. The two are inextricably linked. It

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would be appropriate to refer to the activityas problem/self-centered counseling.

One of the biggest shortcomings of biblicalcounseling is that it too often reflects the psycho-therapeutic standard of problem-centeredness. Inattempting to minister to the same issues treatedby psychological counseling, biblical counselorsoften pay more attention to the personal or rela-tional problems than to the individual’s relation-ship to the Lord and the process of sanctification.Problem-centered counseling often occurs in twoforms. One is behaviorism and the other is seek-ing insight into the inner man. Therefore, Biblicalcounselors either attempt to solve problems at thesurface level or they attempt to discover somethingabout the inner man through various methods ofexploration. The possible dangers are superficial-ity, legalism, and formulas on the one hand, orattempting to analyze the soul or the idols of theheart on the other.

Behaviorism: Working on the Outside

Those problem-centered biblical counselorswho attempt to change behavior often follow aworks-oriented, unbiblical psychological behavior-ism where the focus is on overt behavior and theremoval or change in overt symptoms. In otherwords, they attempt to transform a person fromthe outside-in. They work on behavior with theidea that change in external behavior will resultin internal right feelings, attitudes, and spiritualchange. They say, “If you do right, you will feel

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right” and cite Genesis 4:4-7 as a biblical justifi-cation for working from the outside-in.

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlingsof his flock and of the fat thereof. And theLORD had respect unto Abel and to hisoffering: But unto Cain and to his offeringhe had not respect. And Cain was verywroth, and his countenance fell. And theLORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth?and why is thy countenance fallen? If thoudoest well, shalt thou not be accepted? andif thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.And unto thee shall be his desire, and thoushalt rule over him (Gen. 4:4-7).

By using a particular translation of Genesis4:7 one might think that God is saying that Cain’scountenance will be “lifted up.” While the versemay well be translated “lifted up,” there is nowhereelse in Scripture where it is used in reference tofeelings and attitudes. It has to do with being liftedup to a place of acceptance. God is not talking aboutCain’s feelings being lifted up. He is really talk-ing about Cain being accepted in the same waythat Abel was with his offering, if Cain would dothe right thing. From the rest of Scripture doingthe right thing would be more than an externalact.

While God gives us instructions to obey,whether we feel like it or not, He does not guaran-tee that right feelings will follow or that inner,spiritual change will necessarily happen. Scrip-ture does not present outward conformity to what

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is right as being sufficient or as being a way tochange the inner man. Jesus, chastised the Phari-sees:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo-crites! for ye are like unto whited sepul-chres, which indeed appear beautifuloutward, but are within full of dead men’sbones, and of all uncleanness. Even so yealso outwardly appear righteous unto men,but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniq-uity (Matt. 23:27,28).

If any group could be used to demonstrate whetheror not outward change produces inner change, thePharisees would be the ones.

In both salvation and sanctification God isworking on the inside and there is an innerresponse of faith, which precedes external change.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; andthat not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:not of works, lest any man should boast. Forwe are his workmanship, created in ChristJesus unto good works, which God hathbefore ordained that we should walk inthem” (Eph. 2:8-10).

Yes, there is to be outer change, but that change iswrought first on the inside by grace through faith.The story of Job demonstrates that God works toperfect and refine the inner man. Job is describedas “perfect and upright, and one that feared God,and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). Did he need change

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in his outward behavior? How might problem-centered counselors have dealt with him? We seevivid examples of problem-centeredness in his firstthree friends. In contrast, God confronted the coreof Job’s being.

Working from the outside in can be reducedto a works-oriented behaviorism. One may indeedimprove behavior, but, unless there is innerchange, the outward conformity can simply be awork of the flesh. Biblical counselors may arguethat Paul was problem-centered when he listedspecific sinful behaviors and when he directedbelievers to change. However, when the ApostlePaul urges believers to put off specific sinfulbehaviors, such as in Colossians 3:8-10 andEphesians 4:25-31, he is not isolating them fromtheir source—the “old man” or the flesh. He is iden-tifying behaviors that are indeed outward expres-sions of the inner man.

If a problem-centered counselor works onchanging one particular behavior, the flesh maycooperate and be thereby strengthened. After all,unbelievers may not individually exhibit all theworks of the flesh in their outward behavior. Forinstance, if the problem is anger, one may do allkinds of things to control the anger for personalbenefit. Christ-centered ministry aims muchhigher, that is, putting off the “old man,” beingrenewed in the mind (having a change of heartand direction), and putting on the new life inChrist. The flesh is willing to change certainbehaviors. However, the issue is this: who is incharge? The Lord Jesus Christ or the fleshly self?

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Working on the Inside

A second way that problem-centered biblicalcounselors attempt to bring about change reflectsvarious forms of insight therapy, in which the coun-selor attempts to know what is on the inside thatis driving present feelings and behavior. Somebiblical counselors seek to identify idols of theheart. Indeed, they are looking for change in theright place, on the inside. However, when humansattempt to look inside another person they entera guessing game. They connect certain outwardexpressions of behavior with certain “idols of theheart” and then attempt to help individuals con-front their particular idols of the heart. However,this is like insight therapy—searching the innerman by looking at the outside and guessing aboutwhat is on the inside. Instead of moving the personcloser to the Lord for Him to work on the inside,they try to help the person by giving their ownideas (guesses based on their own perceptions) asto what is going on inside.

Only the Lord can see inside a person. HisWord declares. “The heart is deceitful above allthings, and desperately wicked: who can know it?I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, evento give every man according to his ways, andaccording to the fruit of his doings” (Jer. 17:9-10).

Even worse than looking for idols of the heartis what is known as “inner healing” in its variousforms. Inner healing centers attention on bothpresent and past problems, teaches that presentproblems are determined by past problems, andleads the individual into re-experiencing problems

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from the distant past that may or may not haveoccurred. Inner healing relies on suggestion andmemories that are faulty.8 In addition to lookingfor remote memories lurking beneath presentproblems, some counselors look for demons infest-ing believers. They give these so-called demonsnames, conduct a ritual of casting them out, andleave victims wondering if they are still infestedthe next time they do what was supposedly causedby a particular demon. Needless to say, people canget into deep spiritual trouble with these forms ofproblem-centered counseling. They are left floun-dering in their flesh and dependent on the coun-selor to take them through more inner healing ordeliverance rituals.

While the Bible instructs believers as to whatto do and what not to do, it is not made up of prob-lem-solving formulas. The Bible provides thedirection and means of change, but not in detailedspecifics of how this is to be accomplished in eachindividual. That is because the Lord workspersonally inside each one of His children throughthe Holy Spirit, who works the details of changein perfect wisdom and timing. If one could followformulas for change, people would end up tryingto work out their own sanctification apart fromGod working inside them. If people could simplyfollow formulas, there would be an independencethat goes against the entire thrust of the uniquerelationship between the Lord and each believer,as Jesus described in John 15. Without Him,believers “can do nothing” (John 15:5).

God works the change on the inside andenables believers to respond both internally and

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externally in their behavior. “Wherefore, mybeloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in mypresence only, but now much more in my absence,work out your own salvation with fear and trem-bling. For it is God which worketh in you both towill and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12,13).The Word tells believers what they should do andthe Holy Spirit enables them to do so. Becausesanctification is a long process and because thesequence of change may be different in each indi-vidual, people try to speed up what they want tochange through various human means, whichactually put people into a cycle whereby they areback again striving in the flesh.

Looking at Problems orBeholding the Lord

Instead of focusing on problems or attempt-ing to expose the heart, a pastor and his congre-gation should be involved in active sanctification,growing in the fruit of the Spirit, learning to walkaccording to the Spirit, with Jesus being the centerof attention and becoming like Him the goal. Whilethis is surely part of the ministry of individualswho call themselves biblical counselors, too muchbiblical counseling has become something inaddition to sound doctrine and practice. The Biblereveals spiritual issues that underlie behavior.Thus it is entirely unnecessary and unscripturalto use psychological techniques or some biblical-sounding human means to gain insight into theinner man or to expose the heart and motivation,which is the work of the Holy Spirit.

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Problem-centered counseling rests on thenotion that once problems of living are solved spiri-tual growth will occur. However, rather thanproblems being the barrier to spiritual growth,spiritual stagnation is one reason for problems andcan certainly be a barrier to solving them. Prob-lems of living can actually serve as catalysts forspiritual growth. Therefore, the emphasis in Scrip-ture is not on problem solving but rather on obey-ing the Lord, growing spiritually, and learning towalk according to the Spirit through the trials oflife.

Trials responded to in the Lord can result ingreater dependence on the Lord, greater love forGod and one another, and an abundance of thefruit of the spirit, especially patience and long-suffering. Problem-centered counseling, on theother hand, can serve to postpone spiritual growth.It can keep people enmeshed in their woes andfurther exacerbate relational problems as theyfocus on and talk about the shortcomings of others.

It is a well-known fact that counselees oftenlie to their counselors. They lie for a variety ofreasons, such as: embarrassment if the truth wereknown; to make themselves look good; to cover upillegal, immoral, or carnal activities; to condemnothers or situations without fear of having to proveanything; or to relieve guilt. Even when counseleesare attempting to be truthful, they do see situa-tions from their own perspective. Therefore whatthey believe to be true may be incongruent withreality. Therefore, problem-centered counselingoften involves what can only be labeled as “gossip”when the counselee talks about situations and

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people who are not present. In doing so, the coun-selee gives his own perception of the individualsand circumstances. The counselor generallybelieves what is said unless someone is there topresent another side. As details are given the coun-selor is drawn into seeing other people and thesituation from the counselee’s viewpoint.

Since problem-centered counseling dealsdirectly with the problems, details seem to be anecessary ingredient to solving or relieving them.Christ-centered ministry does not need suchdetailed information about the people involved ina person’s problems because the direction ofministry is towards the Lord rather than into theproblem. God knows exactly what is going on inthe person’s life and is able to guide and directHis children. Therefore the helper does not needto know the details (often gossip) about personsand problems that do not need to be known andare generally unverifiable. Because the directionof Christ-centered ministry is to draw close to theLord, it is both possible and desirable for the helperto know little or nothing about the seeker’s prob-lems in order to be of help.

Rather than looking at their problems, believ-ers would do well to look to the Lord and increasetheir knowledge of Him. “But we all, with openface beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,are changed into the same image from glory toglory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2Corinthians 3:18). The Lord changes the heart aspeople draw close to Him, study Him, and desireto grow like Him. Yes, they are to respond to God’swork in them both on the inside and in outer

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behavior as God is working on the inside (Phil.2:12,13). “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17),and faith is an inside response to God that showsup in obedience and in the good works that followsalvation (Eph. 2:10). The less problem-centered the ministry, the more likely thatspiritual change will occur.

Counseling versus Ministry

The terms counselor, counselee, and counsel-ing have such a strong hold on the biblical coun-seling movement that, if they were replaced bythree other words, the movement would sufferirreparable damage. Why? Because of the powerand status of those terms and the admiration ofand trust in the practitioners. The power and pres-tige of the practitioners have drawn many into themovement.

As mentioned earlier, we prefer to use termssuch as helper, servant, seeker, fellow believer,ministry, and mutual care when speaking of peoplemeeting together regarding the issues of life andfaith. Helps are among the gifts God has giventhe church: “And God hath set some in the church,first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teach-ers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings,helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1 Cor.12:28). Helps are listed with the other ministriesof the church, but counselor and counseling arenot. In the Greek, the word helps “refers torendering assistance, perhaps especially of helpministered to the weak and needy.”9

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Now, if biblical counselors were no longer touse the counseling words with all their power, pres-tige, and baggage and refer to themselves asbiblical helpers, how many people would be desir-ous of filling that role? Consider the word minis-ter, which in the Greek means, among other things,servant and menial.10 How many biblical counse-lors would want to use the phrase “biblical minis-ter” in the sense of being a servant and meniallywaiting on those in need?

Counselor, counselee, and counseling are notthe best terms to use when Christians are minis-tering to one another in the Body of Christ. Theseterms are already pre-opted, co-opted, and post-opted by problem-centered counselors and thesecular society that surrounds us. Use these termsand Christians will usually expect the counselorsto solve problems, rather than themselves respond-ing in faith and obedience to God’s Word and Hiswork in their lives. The word counseling, as inproblem-centered counseling, carries too muchbaggage and gives certain implications of exper-tise and one-up-man-ship that detract from whatshould really be happening when two or morebelievers meet in God’s presence to seek Hiswisdom and power for change in one’s life orcircumstances. Moreover, counseling, like psycho-therapy, has all the weaknesses we have referredto in our book Against “Biblical Counseling”: Forthe Bible (Chapter 4).

Accompanying the rise of problem-centeredcounseling is what we refer to as the “onerousones.”11 (See Chapter 7.) Too many biblical coun-selors function like their psychological counter-

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parts by developing a one-to-one, one-day-a-week,one-fifty-minute-hour, one-week-after-another,one-fixed-price, one-right-after-another, one-up/one-down relationship.12 These onerous ones ofproblem-centered counseling set up an artificialrelationship between two people, with one personbeing the needy one and the other person the so-called expert. In this one-up/one-down relation-ship, the needy one must bare his soul to theexpert, who is supposed to figure it all out andsolve the problem or facilitate change in the needyone. This relationship easily deteriorates to one ofdependence, with the needy one dependent on theexpert and the expert dependent on the needyone’s money (if there is a fee for service).

While not all biblical counselors charge a fee,many do, especially if they are separated-from-the-church businesses. These biblical counselors arenot doing anything that an ordinary Christian, inwhom Christ lives and rules and who personallyknows and applies God’s Word, can’t do. Ministryis required, not problem-centered counselingexpertise. Therefore, there is no reason for any-one to charge fees for such ministry. If the pricehas already been paid by the blood of Jesus, whyshould there be a fee? In fact, we have called suchcharging money for ministry a form of Simony.13

Some biblical counselors who have been trainedin psychology or have obtained state counselinglicenses go so far as to participate in third-partyinsurance reimbursement plans, which necessi-tates using practices within their license, such asmental-health designations for reimbursement,psychological diagnoses, and write-ups for contin-

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ued counseling. Those who do that must be prac-ticing psychology or they are being dishonest intheir practice.

In addition to those onerous ones is the use ofintake forms (like psychologists use) and person-ality tests, which are often used by problem-centered counselors and are usually worthless andmisleading.14 And, worst of all is the expectationthat the counselor and the process of counselingwill bring about the resolution of the problems—the shift in responsibility from the person to thecounselor. All true Christians have the Holy Spiritliving in them and are thereby enabled to obeyGod. They are responsible to God. They cannotobey God by shifting the responsibility to some-one else.

The image of counseling is two or more peopleconversing, primarily about problems. One is theso-called expert and the other is the one with theproblems. The sole activity is conversation. Thatis why it is often referred to as “talk therapy.” Inother words, the participants are communicatingwith each other with their voices and their ears.However, mutual care in the Body of Christ is notlimited to talking. In addition to engaging thevoice and the ears, Christ-centered ministry maynecessarily involve using the hands, feet, andgoods in ministering to a person in need. Besidesverbal encouragement, a woman experiencingwhat is now labeled “postpartum depression” couldalso be helped with a few weeks of meals providedby members of the fellowship, some child care ifthere are older siblings, and even help with house-work and shopping.

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Another example may be of a woman whosehusband has left her with three children. Besidesencouragement and hope, she might need helpcaring for the children, paying the rent, andsupplying food and clothing for her family.Christians need to heed James’ admonition:

If a brother or sister be naked, and desti-tute of daily food, And one of you say untothem, Depart in peace, be ye warmed andfilled; notwithstanding ye give them notthose things which are needful to the body;what doth it profit? (James 2:15-16).

The principle behind this verse may be applied inany number of situations in a local fellowship. Howmany counselors leave their clients with acomforting word, “Depart in peace, be ye warmedand filled,” without extending themselves to meeta real need? Obviously, for James, such counsel-ing talk would be a waste of time.

And, indeed, talk is often all that happens.People come to have their problems solved for themand figure that going to counseling is all they needto do besides paying the counselor’s fee. There isoften a false assumption that talking about a prob-lem will make it go away. A person may feel betterafter having talked about the problem, but gener-ally talk is not enough. There must be doing onthe part of those involved in the conversation.

An additional problem arises now with usingthe words counselor and counseling. In certainStates, using the words counselor or counseling,

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when referring to those believers who minister toone another in mutual care in the Body of Christ,would conflict with laws having to do with servicesoffered to the public, whether inside or outside achurch and either with or without a fee. Too oftenthose who actually practice psychotherapy callwhat they do “biblical counseling” even thoughtheir practice involves more from secular theoriesand therapies than from the Bible.

Christians do NOT need problem-centered counseling! At times they may needhelp, advice, counsel, encouragement, support,assurance, fellowship, and personal ministry. Theymay need someone to draw alongside to confront,admonish, exhort, or remind them of the truth ofGod’s Word. We all need instruction in God’s Word.But, no one needs psychological or biblicalcounseling as it is generally practiced today!As we have demonstrated elsewhere, no suchministry of what today is called “biblical counsel-ing” exists in the Bible; neither is there anyexample in the Bible that comes close to the bibli-cal counseling movement as it exists today.15

Counseling often takes the place of personalresponsibility and personal relationships. Peopleoften relate more with the counselor than withfriends or family members. Moreover, people incounseling often develop dependence on the coun-selor rather than on the Lord. We still say that, atbest, professional counselors are paid friends. Evenif biblical counselors are free, the relationship ofcounseling can become artificial with the onerousones and with the attention centered on the coun-

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selee and the problem. And, to continue the rela-tionship, the counselee must continue to haveproblems.

What Can Be Done?

If Christians do not need specialized trainingin either psychotherapy (psychological counseling)or even biblical counseling and if they are not goingto be problem-centered, who is qualified and howcan they truly minister to fellow believers who areexperiencing various problems of living? Remem-ber, anyone who can be used by the HolySpirit to lead another to salvation or alongthe way of sanctification is competent to beused by God to draw alongside and ministerto a fellow believer by grace through faith.

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The usual process of counseling begins andends with the counselee and his problems. Thecounselee comes to the counselor seeking relief andresolution. Counselees generally expect counselorsto use their expertise to understand, reveal, andfix their problems. The counselor attempts to ana-lyze the person and the problems and to bring help.If the counselor believes the counselee needs tochange, he will attempt to bring about the changethrough conversation with or without assignedactivities. However, the Bible shows a differentway. In Christ-centered ministry, relationshipis given priority over problems. Rather thanattempting to facilitate change, the helper encour-ages the person seeking help to draw close to theLord, because spiritual change and growth come

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Christ-CenteredMinistry or

Problem-CenteredCounseling?

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from the interaction between that person and theLord.

Talking about problems should not be thecentral content of personal ministry in theBody of Christ. Problems should be seen asopportunities for drawing close to the Lordand growing spiritually. We are not saying, “Donot talk about problems!” This is not an either-orsituation; it is a matter of where the emphasis liesand how problems are addressed and used tomotivate a believer to turn to the Lord, follow Him,and be further transformed into the likeness ofChrist. We are advising believers to minimizeand generalize talking about problems andmaximize and specialize in using problemsas reminders to draw one closer to God. Pre-occupation with problems and seeking solutionsthrough counseling often inhibit spiritual growth.Put simply, Christ must be the center of Christ-centered ministry whereas problems tend to bethe center of problem-centered counseling.

We know that considerable research dealingwith what is called “Post-Traumatic Stress Disor-der” (PTSD) indicates that those who receive treat-ment “do no better than those who don’t and thata significant number of people treated . . . do evenworse than those who didn’t receive treatment.”Reporting on the extensive research, the writersays:

This negative reaction seems to emergebecause, for some people, the very act offocusing on their negative feelings . . . in-creases their distress and leads to more

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difficulties, such as flashbacks, nightmares,and anxiety attacks.1

Using this as a hint, is it not possible that talk-ing about problems, as in problem-centered coun-seling, is detrimental to those who seek relief byrehearsing, rehashing, reliving and regurgitatingtheir problems? While most problem-centeredcounseling does not deal with PTSD, most coun-seling does involve “the very act of focusing on . . .negative feelings.” This research conclusion aboutPTSD should by extension raise questions aboutproblem-centered counseling.

As we said earlier, problem-centered counsel-ing was established by such men as Mesmer andFreud and popularized by their followers. They setthe standard for counseling. In fact most Chris-tians who seek counseling are expecting to havetheir problems solved. Their goal is not spiritualgrowth, but problem resolution, because they seetheir problems as either unrelated to spiritualgrowth or hindrances to their spiritual well-being.But, which must come first? New life in Christand learning to walk according to the Spirit orhaving problems of living fixed so that a personcan hear the Gospel? Many counselors go so faras to say that a person cannot know God and growin sanctification until the problems of living,especially the “hurts of the past,” are dealt with.But that notion contradicts the Gospel of JesusChrist and was not even considered necessaryuntil the intrusion of extra-biblical ideas and therise of psychological counseling. Jesus’ death onthe cross was sufficient to deal with the “hurts”

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and sins of the past and to generate and grow thenew life in the believer.

Problem-centered talk therapy has become sofirmly established that even biblical counselorsfocus on problems of living, even though there is adramatic contrast between focusing on the personand his problems and emphasizing Christ and Hislife in the believer. Biblical ministry should help aperson learn to walk with the Lord through prob-lems, grow spiritually, and learn to trust Him forhelp. Biblical counseling can use the Biblecognitively and behaviorally, but unless it stimu-lates an inner experience of Christ’s reality, pres-ence, and activity, it can become legalistic andworks oriented and lead to self-righteousness.

After a person is born again by grace throughfaith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, the HolySpirit comes to live inside the person. Just assalvation is an inner work so also is sanctifica-tion, which works from the inside out with the HolySpirit motivating change and growth according tothe Word of God. In this process, problems of livingare often used by God to convert sinners, moti-vate spiritual growth (Psalm 51), mold believersinto the image of Christ (Romans 8:28,29), andeven validate their connection with Christ andtheir service to Him (John 15:18,19).

Preaching, teaching, and living the Word ofGod have been the Lord’s ways of initially con-verting and then guiding and growing His chil-dren, but the whole idea of counseling dur-ing the last century has shifted the focusaway from God to self and away from salva-tion and sanctification to problem solving.

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While many biblical counselors may also be teach-ing and living the Christian life during counsel-ing, too much time and effort are spent workingdirectly on problems. This problem-centered ap-proach is common among biblical counselors.

People who turn to counselors to solve theirproblems often keep coming back, because as soonas one problem is addressed or partly resolvedanother problem pops up. The person becomesdependent on the counselor to solve his problemsand tell him what to do. The more a person looksto another person to solve problems of living, themore likely he will be to take subsequent prob-lems to the counselor and thereby become impo-tent in dealing with his own problems of living.

Spiritual Growth

Christians need to return to the way the Lordhas delineated in Scripture—utilizing the doc-trines of salvation and sanctification for spiritualgrowth—for purposes much higher than solvingpeople’s problems. God’s purpose is to form eachbeliever into the image of Christ. Paul’s goal wasto present every believer perfect (complete) inChrist. As one grows spiritually and draws closerto God there will be a greater desire to please Himthrough obedience and greater wisdom to do so.In biblical ministry the encouragement is therefor the person to be growing in Christ (putting offthe old, putting on the new, and walking accord-ing to the Spirit). From this position people willbe better equipped to take responsibility for their

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own lives, handle problems of living, and begin tohelp others.

The walk of faith is to be like salvation—received by grace through faith—in that eachsubsequent step of the believer is in relationshipto the risen Christ and lived by grace throughfaith.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesusthe Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and builtup in him, and stablished in the faith, as yehave been taught, abounding therein withthanksgiving” (Col. 2:6,7).

Christians are God’s workmanship from be-ginning to end (Eph. 2:8-10). Jesus is “the authorand finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). “The just shalllive by faith” (Romans 1:17). During sanctificationGod does the main work and the believer respondsby grace through faith. As the Holy Spirit worksthe Word of God into believers, they grow in lovefor God, in humility, and in submission to theSpirit. This does not mean that the person doesnot do anything, but that the spiritual life is trulyof the Lord and the believer’s involvement is en-abled by the Holy Spirit. Biblical counseling thatdirectly attempts to change behavior can easilyresemble a works-oriented sanctification. Yes,there is to be obedience, but that obedience is tobe a response of faith to the presence, truth, andwork of Christ.

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Experiencing the Life of Christ

Christ-centered ministry attempts to encour-age living and experiencing the life of Christ inthe believer. Thus greater attention needs to begiven to those sections of Scripture that talk aboutthe intimate relationship of Christ and thebeliever. This intimacy is not a warm, fuzzy feel-ing but rather the realization of the reality of theoneness Jesus referred to in His prayer to HisFather on the night of His betrayal.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for themalso which shall believe on me through theirword; that they all may be one; as thou, Fa-ther, art in me, and I in thee, that they alsomay be one in us: that the world may be-lieve that thou hast sent me. And the glorywhich thou gavest me I have given them;that they may be one, even as we are one: Iin them, and thou in me, that they may bemade perfect in one; and that the world mayknow that thou hast sent me, and hast lovedthem, as thou hast loved me (John 17:20-23).

Christ-centered ministry encourages apersonal experience of the reality of God’s Word.Therefore the experience must be according to theWord and not according to the flesh. One muststay within biblical restraints. An experience ofspiritual reality does not have to be emotional. Itcan be cognitive awareness of truth—a realization

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of an aspect of God or of His Word. It is like a surgeof light and life within the soul. The Spirit of Godpenetrates the soul with truth and grace: the truthto follow by grace through faith. When contem-plating the glory of God and His intimaterelationship with each of His children, a realiza-tion of majesty and a sense of awe overwhelm thesoul and the response is worship, praise, adora-tion, and obedience.

Preaching, teaching, singing, praising,worshipping, and serving God should point to Him,bring the person closer to Him, and reveal Him insuch a way as to touch the mind and emotionsand to affect behavior. The sermons and songsmust be life giving in presenting truth and reflect-ing Christ. And, the believer must attend to themessage in word and song with an expectancy toreceive from God and a readiness to respond infaith and obedience.

We are not recommending that people shouldlook for a particular type of experience. They areto look for Christ in the Word and in every situa-tion of life. At all times there needs to be an aware-ness of His presence, power, and love, an expecta-tion for Him to be at work in the believer, and anactive waiting. All must be done within the contextof Scripture so that one does not stray into legal-ism on the one hand or unbiblical emotionalismon the other. “For the law was given by Moses, butgrace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).Grace—all that Christ gives the person—is truthexperienced. We have both the written Word andthe living Word. The written Word serves as a stan-dard by which we can gauge whether or not what

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we are experiencing is the living Word or our own(or someone else’s) imagination.

Christ-centered ministry aims at Christiansgrowing in experiential knowledge of Christ. Suchknowledge is more than knowing about Him andeven beyond what we gain from reading the Bible.We know Him experientially as He reveals Histruth and will to us and as we respond in faithand obedience. Through knowing Him believersare truly changed from the inside-out. This is whyall ministry must be Christ-centered because wemust know Him in order to become like Him.

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where theSpirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But weall, with open face beholding as in a glassthe glory of the Lord, are changed into thesame image from glory to glory, even as bythe Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:17,18)

Believers are not under the law or under somekind of legalism. If the Spirit of the Lord is in themthey are free from the law of sin and death. Theyare free to grow in Christ. Believers are trans-formed by paying attention to all that Christ isand comprehending the majesty of His person,perfection, and present glory as the risen Lord,who is “before all things, and by Him all thingsconsist” (Col. 1:17). Therefore, instead of givingprimary attention to self and circumstances—where they may be stuck—believers need to turntheir attention to Christ. This is the way of holi-ness, sanctification, and ongoing spiritual growth.

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While we can bring forth Scriptures to encour-age people to grow in this experiential knowledgeof Christ, only the Holy Spirit can quicken themind and heart and only the individual personcan respond. There is no human mediator betweenChrist and the believer to make this happen. Oneshould not try to make it happen through moodaltering techniques, such as certain kinds of musicor prescribed meditations designed to bring abouta supernatural experience. We are not encourag-ing mysticism, but rather spiritual reality. Bewareof highly emotional experiences that center ononeself or one’s own past, which would very likelylead to energizing the flesh rather than to experi-encing God in His truth and glory.

The Word of God beautifully and in a perfectlybalanced manner appeals to the mind, emotions,and will. God created humans with cognitive andaffective qualities: both mind and emotions. Onewithout the other can lead to legalism in oneextreme direction and emotionalism in the otherextreme direction—a rigidity in one direction anda lack of restraint in the other. One of the enor-mous problems with academically studying theBible as in Bible colleges and seminaries is thatthe Bible gets analyzed, synthesized, margin-alyzed, and cognitized to meet curricular and grad-ing requirements. Thus its affective side is over-looked and the possibility of epiphany-like expe-riences, in which a person receives a very personalinsight into the reality and essential meaning ofGod’s Word or an internal sense of His presence,are diminished.

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The mind and emotions are means by whichthe will is moved. Only God knows the rightcombination for each particular person. The Wordnourishes the mind and emotions so that the willmight yield to the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus,in Christ-centered ministry the helper encouragesa fellow believer to seek God through His Wordand Spirit with expectancy.

Drawing Close to God through Problems

Problems of living can be seen as indicatorsand motivators for needed change, but even moreas reasons to draw close to God, to know Himbetter, and to know His love which passes under-standing, so that each believer might be filled withHim (Eph. 3:19). Everything in life can be used todraw or drive believers closer to God and to workHis will in their lives. This is not a side issue inScripture, second to the problems at hand. Salva-tion and sanctification, or spiritual growth,are primary in perfecting the saints forloving and serving God for eternity. As aperson’s life becomes more and more occupied andpreoccupied with Jesus, the more spiritual growthwill occur and the fruit of the Spirit will be evident.Then, instead of needing ministry, the person canbe used by God to minister to others.

On the other hand, problems can also serveas temptations to sin against God and others byblaming them for misfortunes, by justifying self,and by seeking solutions that cater to the self. Thatis why believers are to pray for one another and

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NOT succumb to offering worldly solutions. Theone who ministers must continue to be faithful tothe Lord and His Word so that he can say withPaul:

Now thanks be unto God, which alwayscauseth us to triumph in Christ, andmaketh manifest the savour of his know-ledge by us in every place. For we are untoGod a sweet savour of Christ, in them thatare saved, and in them that perish: To theone we are the savour of death unto death;and to the other the savour of life unto life.And who is sufficient for these things? Forwe are not as many, which corrupt the wordof God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, inthe sight of God speak we in Christ (2 Cor.2:14-17).

Job and His Friends

Rather than talking about the person and hisproblems, true biblical ministry should be talkingabout God and His glorious revelation about Him-self and about what He has done for all believers.Remember Job? He had his counselors who triedin vain to help him. They tried to solve his prob-lems through reason and ended up castigating Job.While they spoke of God, they were focused on Joband his problems, until God came on the scene.When God revealed Himself to Job, who was iden-tified in the beginning as “perfect and upright, andone that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1),Job saw his own sinfulness, abhorred himself, and

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repented “in dust and ashes.” He was transformed.Rather than talking about problems, the empha-sis of Christ-centered ministry is to be on God andHis provisions for life and godliness.

Problems can serve as trials to test the mettleof the believer and to expose that which needs tobe realized, confessed, and forsaken. Some coun-selors too often sound like Job’s first three coun-selors, who talked about Job and his problems andtried to expose what they thought Job needed torealize, even to the point of analyzing his motivesand inner life. They pointed the finger at him,generally letting him know that his problems werethe result of his own sinfulness. Job responded ina very human way, by justifying himself. At firstJob cried out for an audience with God in order toset his case of suffering before Him; but after beingbuffeted by the accusatory analyses of his “friends,”he began to justify himself and blame God forallowing bad things to happen to such a man ashimself.

This is what happens in problem-centeredcounseling. The person and his problems areaddressed, but the blame gets shifted elsewhere.Much biblical counseling continues in the samevein—talking about the person and his problemsand pointing out what’s wrong, such as the person’sthinking, the idols of the heart, the attitude, thebehavior, etc. Some biblical counseling attemptsto discourage blame-shifting, to place the respon-sibility with the person, and to correct whateverthinking or behavior needs change. However, thehuman tendency is still to justify and excuse selfwithin the heart, if not verbally. Thus, the help

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will not be much more than cosmetic if the mainattention is still on the person and on fixing theproblems. The more the attention is shifted awayfrom the person and his problems back to God andHis Word, the greater the opportunity for theperson to see his own sinfulness and to repent—and for there to be deep and lasting change.

After days of listening to Job’s three friendsanalyzing and accusing Job and of Job complain-ing and trying to defend himself, Elihu had heardenough. Although he was younger than the others,he dared to speak. However, Elihu took a differ-ent tack. He started by describing their unfruitfularguments and then presented truth about Godand about man—the greatness of God and thespiritual depravity of man—that no one is righ-teous before God and that all need a ransom.

Elihu did not speak from his own experienceor his own expertise; he spoke as the Spirit movedhim and set forth God in His greatness and good-ness. True ministry, leading to spiritual changeand growth, must come from the Holy Spirit. Trueministry proceeds from God Himself, whetherthrough another believer or directly from the writ-ten Word of God. Peter declared, “If any man speak,let him speak as the oracles of God.” This is whatElihu did. Although Elihu spoke truth, he couldnot bring Job to the point of recognizing his sin,confessing, or repenting. It was God Himself whoopened Job’s eyes and revealed Job to himself.Only God can reveal the heart and changethe man.

One could liken Job’s first three friends tothose counselors who try to integrate the wisdom

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of men (psychology) with the Bible. Their wisdomwas from the world and the flesh rather than fromGod. They relied on their own ideas, reason, expe-rience, and theories. They analyzed, advised,diagnosed, prescribed, and judged Job. While theyspoke of God, their words were such that God saidto them, “Ye have not spoken of me the thing whichis right, like my servant Job” (Job 42:8).

Elihu did confront Job with truth. However,he was not able to bring Job to the place he neededto be. When Elihu shifted the attention from Jobto God, he was indeed moving in the right direc-tion. Christ-centered ministry aims at bringing aperson to God Himself. God challenged Job andchanged him. God caused Job to see himself andrepent. He then gave Job the privilege of prayingfor the first three counselors to receive forgive-ness for their folly. Notice that Elihu was notmentioned once after God appeared to Job.

When the Lord reveals Himself through HisWord and Spirit, He becomes very personal andvery real. There is a special emotional and/orcognitive awareness of Christ, which leads to aresponse of love, worship, and submission. Jobsaid, “I have heard of thee with the hearing of theear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore Iabhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job42:5,6). For Job, the realization of God led torepentance. For others, the realization of Godministered to the heart may lead to peace, cour-age, hope, or confidence in Him. All should lead togreater love, worship, and desire to please Him.

As the Word of God is spoken or read anddiscussed, the Holy Spirit is the one who can

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pinpoint the specifics and the source within theheart for whatever behavior may appear obviousto someone else. Sins such as self-righteousness,pride, envy, bitterness, covetousness, and self-centeredness are more clearly identified by theHoly Spirit than by a fellow believer, who is limitedto making guesses based on whatever behaviorhe has heard about or observed. When sins arethus revealed by the Holy Spirit to the inner manand as truth and grace are ministered throughthe Word, the hearer is less likely to defend him-self before other humans, because what ishappening is internal. The Holy Spirit does thework of pricking the conscience and making theapplication to the heart.

While there are times when a believer willconfront another believer regarding known, exter-nal sin, there is no biblical justification for accu-sations regarding motivation or the heart. Theperson himself must discover the sins of the heartand attitude through the light of God’s Word andapplied personally by the Holy Spirit. Doctrinaltruth ministered in grace through sermons, teach-ings, and other communications between believ-ers and received by faith can bring forth the properidentification of sin, repentance, and change. Whena person sees himself in the light of God’s truthand responds in faith, defensiveness is gone andGod reveals Himself as the one who has providedall things for the person’s good, even as He didwith Job.

Problems should bring believers toChrist instead of to the counselor’s office. Buttoo many people are in too much of a hurry to wait

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on the Lord. We live in a culture that demandsfast relief, but Christians are called to be “in theworld, but not of the world” (John 17:14-16). Thepsychological world says that people need suchthings as self-esteem, security, and significance.The Bible shows that they need to be conformedto the image of Christ. We saw how Job needed anaccurate vision of God and himself and to repentin dust and ashes. The Lord allowed very severeproblems into Job’s life for the purpose of bring-ing Job to a place in which his own righteousnesswas not enough. God used problems of living,including loss of lives and physical disease, tofurther refine this “perfect and upright” man who“feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). Evenfor believers who have walked with the Lord formany years, there may be seasons of problems sothat God can do a deep inner work; after all, He ispreparing a blemish-free bride (Eph. 5:27).

Biblical Doctrines Used

What biblical counselors often attempt to dois use verses that speak directly to the problemsat hand and/or to what they think needs to bechanged. In doing this they remain problem-centered, even though they are using the Bible.The way to minister without focusing on theperson and his problems would be to bringforth Scriptures that reveal God Himself. InChrist-centered ministry, a fellow believer canbring forth essential doctrines of God and man:the greatness of God, the love of God, the greatprovisions of God, the new life in Christ in con-

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trast to the depravity of the flesh, the conflictbetween the flesh and the Spirit, the ongoing workof Christ as our intercessor, the work of the HolySpirit in the life of each believer, the importanceof feeding on the Word of God, and the centralityof prayer, worship, fellowship, and thanksgiving.

As great doctrines such as these are broughtforth in Christ-centered ministry, the Lord will dothe necessary work in the individual who respondsby grace through faith. God is the Potter. He knowshow to use circumstances, problems, and otherpeople to mold His children into the image ofChrist. All of these doctrines are usually taughtin every Bible-believing church. Therefore, everybeliever should be familiar enough with them tobe able to minister truth and grace to one another.

The emphasis needs to be the plan of thePotter, from the initial moment of receiving newlife in Christ, through the process of spiritualgrowth in walking in the Spirit, until that daywhen the believer reaches glory and sees Jesusface to face (1 John 3:2). When believers cometogether, whether or not they are experiencingproblems of living, they are to be reminding oneanother of what Christ has done in saving themand giving them new life, what He is presentlydoing in working that new life in them throughthe Word and the Spirit, and what He will do whenHe comes again. All of this has been providedbecause of God’s love. It is believed and lived byfaith, and believers share the hope of His return.

Thus, the emphasis is on sharing the Word ofGod, praying, and being available for helping withwhatever is needed for spiritual growth. All be-

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lievers are on this path together and, while somemay have more experience in walking with Godand serving Him, all are equal at the foot of thecross. All are dependent upon the Lord for everybreath they take and every blessing of life. God isthe creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe;He is also dwelling inside each believer, enablingeach one to know and obey His law of love.

Those who seek counseling or personalministry may have reached a place in life in whichthey are being challenged to trust God more andto discover that in Christ they themselves havespiritual resources to deal with personal, inter-personal, or situational problems. During difficulttimes members of the Body of Christ can assistone another through the various means given inScripture. The Lord desires that the Body of Christwork together, serve together, worship together,learn together, and pray together. He does not wantus isolated from one another. He wants us to befellowshipping with one another, loving oneanother, encouraging one another, worshippingtogether, and hearing the Word of God togetheron a regular basis.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faithwithout wavering; (for he is faithful thatpromised;) And let us consider one anotherto provoke unto love and to good works: Notforsaking the assembling of ourselvestogether, as the manner of some is; butexhorting one another: and so much themore, as ye see the day approaching (Heb.10:23-25).

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Problems of living can serve as catalysts formembers of the Body of Christ to do just that.

Spiritual Growth through Problems ofLiving

Problems of living are some of the best meansof bringing believers to the end of themselveswherein they recognize the flesh for what it reallyis and are willing to put it off and to put on the“new man, which after God is created in righteous-ness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). Problemsprovide opportunities for spiritual growth.

Both Jesus and the writers of the Epistlesviewed problems as circumstances to be expected.Believers were not to expect a less problem-freelife than their Lord’s. They also considered diffi-culties to have a purpose:

That the trial of your faith, being muchmore precious than of gold that perisheth,though it be tried with fire, might be foundunto praise and honour and glory at theappearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7).

Paul even went so far as to rejoice in his suf-fering both for the sake of Christ and for the op-portunity to know Christ in His suffering (Phil.3:10). And James declared:

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fallinto divers temptations. Knowing this, that

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the trying of your faith worketh patience(James 1:2,3).

A believer who is walking in the Spirit willwant to glorify God in the midst of problems andcan be confident that God will show the waythrough them. Thus more attention needs to begiven to the Lord than to the problems. That doesnot mean that practical steps would not be takento change circumstances or behavior, but theywould be taken according to the will of God as re-vealed in His Word and applied by the Holy Spiritin the individual.

In investigating why people change, research-ers have determined that the number one reasonwhy people change is personal motivation. Justas Paul tells us to “provoke” one another “to loveand good works,” even so we are to encourage eachother to think about God and all that He hasprovided for both spiritual and physical life. Aseach one responds in faith, hope, and love, therewill be change and growth. The Holy Spirit willboth motivate and enable the kind of change thateach believer should be making daily—putting offthe old ways of the flesh, being “renewed in thespirit of the mind,” and putting “on the new man,which after God is created in righteousness andtrue holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24).

If we pursue spiritual growth with oneanother, we should not major on problems, butrather on Christ’s provisions. In Christ there ishope, wisdom, truth, and love. These should moti-vate a person to seek Him first and to seek His

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will concerning all circumstances. The one whocomes alongside to minister does not need to beinvolved in directing the other as to what to do orhow to do it. His main function is to speak biblicaltruth and point the person to the Lord. Only theLord knows what He is working on next in eachone of His children. He can bring conviction to theheart, renew the mind, and enable change.

Some people may want to help an individualchange those things that are most obvious, suchas certain behaviors. However, it may be that theLord will work through a different order. For in-stance, a particular person may first need a greaterunderstanding of God’s love and a greater desireto love and please Him. In other words, the Lordknows the right procedure and order for each per-son. That is why preaching the Word, teaching theBible, praying, worshipping, and fellowshippingare so effective. The Holy Spirit can take that Wordand make the application to each individual.

While we may be able to help motivate oneanother to seek the Lord through teaching, encour-aging, admonishing, and drawing alongside tohelp, sanctification is accomplished through theLord working in the individual as that individualresponds in faith and obedience (Phil. 2:12,13). Ifsinful habits and responses are firmly ingrainedthrough past repetition, a great deal of motiva-tion is necessary. However, believers who arecoming to know God’s great love for them and alsorecognizing their own depravity apart from Himwill desire to please Him. As they grow spiritu-ally they will change even if particular works of

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the flesh are not directly addressed during Christ-centered ministry. In other words, when two ormore people come together to talk, they do not needto be preoccupied with one or more specific sins,such as sinful anger or drunkenness. The HolySpirit can take the Word of God and apply it tothe next thing that needs change. While there aretimes when believers need to be rebuked directly,as described in 1 Corinthians 5, these are mattersof discipline, not “counseling.”

Ministering to One Another

As one moves away from problem-centeredcounseling to Christ-centered ministry, by allow-ing the problems of living to serve as catalysts forspiritual growth, motivation will increase andpeople will change, even if circumstances and otherpeople do not change. If you have an issue or prob-lem, the best resolution is not always by circum-stances or another person changing. In fact, anyfleshly resolution or cure will only strengthen theflesh, which is to be denied, and may obviate theopportunity for spiritual growth. As a matter offact, the deeper and more difficult the problem orcircumstance one is facing, the greater the oppor-tunity for spiritual growth.

Can you see the difference between the usualprocess of counseling and the way the Lord worksin His children through His Word, the Holy Spirit,and the Body of Christ? We all need to move awayfrom the problem-centered counseling to whichpeople have become accustomed. We need to shift

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the attention back to the goal of loving God andbecoming like Christ, rather than making life morecomfortable and pleasant for self. Even thoughbiblical counselors use biblical teachings, the veryprocess of problem-centered counseling and thevery relationship of counselor (expert) and coun-selee (person who becomes the center of attention)can serve to hinder each person’s dynamic depen-dence on God and faith in His full provision for allthings pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:2-4).

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If we throw out the psychological way and failto dip into a compromised way, what is left? Anabundance that many Christians are not fullyutilizing! We have the Lord and His Word, whichis the only truly and totally valid truth aboutmankind. We have the new life in Christ, which iscomplete. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness ofthe Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him,which is the head of all principality and power”(Col. 2:9,10). And, we have the Holy Spirit’s ongo-ing work of sanctification in every believer! Chris-tians have far more spiritual resources than theyuse both for living their own lives and for minis-tering the life of Christ to others!

One of Satan’s primary ways of working is toovershadow and undermine the real with adeceptively flawed facsimile. Therefore we arecalling believers back to the Lord and HisWord and back to their new life in Christ,

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Who, What Why,When,

Where & How

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totally without the aid of psychology andtotally without the use of biblical counsel-ing manuals, seminars, conferences, work-shops, degrees and certificates! And, totallyaccomplished at the local church level.

Ordinary believers have mined and can minethese tremendous spiritual resources for their ownlives and for those around them. In fact, manybelievers are already equipped to minister andindeed are already ministering to one another inthose Bible-believing churches where the doctrinesof Scripture are faithfully preached, taught, andused for evangelism; where believers are earnestlyresponding to the Word in obedience and ongoingapplication; and where believers are growing intheir love for God and one another. They may notrealize that they are equipped or that they arealready ministering to one another in ways thatare far superior to anything offered by counselingpsychology or by the biblical counseling movement.

Here is a brief summary of Who, What, Why,When, Where, and How of ministering to oneanother in the Body of Christ. Not only shouldevery mature believer who reads this say, “I cando this through Christ”; some will say, “God isalready doing this through me!”

Who

Three persons are involved whenever there ispersonal ministry in the Body of Christ. Theprimary person is the Lord Himself! The secondperson is the one in need. And, the third person,

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who pales in comparison and must take a humbleposition, is the believer who comes alongside.

The Lord works in each believer through HisWord and the Holy Spirit. He is the Potter who isforming each believer into the image of Christ. Hehas provided all that is necessary for life andgodliness (2 Peter 1:3). He is always present andknows the end from the beginning and uses allcircumstances for the ultimate good of each of Hisspiritual children. He both directs change andequips believers to know truth and to obey.

Those in need. Jesus invites people experi-encing difficult life issues to come to Him. He said:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and areheavy laden, and I will give you rest. Takemy yoke upon you, and learn of me; for Iam meek and lowly in heart: and ye shallfind rest unto your souls. For my yoke iseasy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:29-30).

He calls people to be yoked together with Him, tolearn from Him, and to follow His ways. He willguide and direct through the difficult places. Butnotice that the person is not passive, but active.There must be cooperation with what the Lord isdoing. The person must be willing to follow Christin obedience and spiritual growth, even when itinvolves suffering. While the Lord enables, thebelievers choose whether or not to obey.

Those who come alongside are small play-ers in the drama of sanctification going on in a

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fellow believer’s life. However, they themselvesmust be seeking the same goal in their own lives,that is, to be conformed to the image of Christ.They themselves must be learning how to walkaccording to their new life in Christ, rather thanaccording to the old ways of the flesh. They mustbe following Christ, denying self, trusting the Lordand acknowledging Him throughout each day.Those who come alongside will be leading fellowbelievers in the same direction they themselvesare going. They do not have to be perfect, but theymust be growing in Christ, because one who iswalking according to the flesh and not attempt-ing to put off the flesh along with its deceitful lustscan hardly minister sanctification to a fellowbeliever.

When ministry is one-to-one outside thefamily, we advise men to minister to men, womento women, and married couples to married couples.Not only does this arrangement avoid sexual temp-tation, but it also avoids having a woman usurpauthority over a man. In addition, only a manknows what it is to follow Christ in his manhoodand in the roles of leadership he has been given inthe family and church. Only a woman knows whatit is to follow Christ in her womanhood and in therole requiring submission to a spouse. Scripturehas numerous examples of men ministering tomen, and Scripture calls the older women tominister to the younger ones.

The aged women likewise, that they be inbehaviour as becometh holiness, not falseaccusers, not given to much wine, teachers

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of good things; that they may teach theyoung women to be sober, to love theirhusbands, to love their children, to bediscreet, chaste, keepers at home, good,obedient to their own husbands, that theword of God be not blasphemed (Titus 2:3-5).

Notice how the person’s life teaches as well asthe words. Throughout Scripture we see suchexamples of how a great deal of teaching andministry in the Body of Christ is by example—bysimply living the new life rather than the old.When believers serve as living epistles, there isno gender distinction. What is important here iswhat is being ministered: the new life or the old.

What

Paul preached Christ and Him crucified,because the Gospel is central for all of theChristian’s life, not just for initial salvation (whichis called justification), but for the entire subse-quent walk with Christ (which is called sanctifi-cation) and on to glorification. This central themeof the Gospel begins and ends with the love of Godthat passes understanding as revealed in theBible. The Gospel includes such essential teach-ings as the holiness of God, the depravity of thenatural man, the love of God, the cross of Christ,the new life in Christ, and the ongoing work ofthe Holy Spirit. Whatever is ministered must befaithful to the Lord and His Word.

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Believers are called to minister truth—to useGod’s Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit, tominister to one another. Scripture is God’s truthabout Himself and about mankind. God hasdemonstrated His love through His Word andthrough all that Christ did to secure our salva-tion and to give us new life. Through His Word,God has also revealed the inner man of all peopleborn upon this earth. He has revealed their heart,their spiritual condition, and the nature of theirsoul. Moreover He has provided the only means ofreal change—from spiritual death to new life. Hehas provided the only means of nourishing thatnew life: through His Word, His Spirit, and HisBody. The new life must have spiritual food andcannot be nourished through the wisdom or waysof the world. Therefore the Word of God is to beministered by the indwelling Holy Spirit and bythe life of Christ ministered to one another in theBody of Christ.

The Word of God is a vast resource. It providesall the information one needs for being saved andsanctified, for knowing God’s love, for loving Godand one another, for living the new life in Christ,for denying self, and for spiritual warfare. TheWord of God is powerful and the doctrines of Scrip-ture are dynamic. There’s more power, wisdom,healing and help in any truth from Scripturethan from all the psychological theories andtherapies conceived by those who devised orutilize the nearly 500 different systems of psycho-therapy.

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Why

The “why” for all ministry is for God to be glo-rified, people to be saved and sanctified, and theBody of Christ to be edified until He comes again.If an unbeliever seeks ministry, the primary min-istry should be to present the Gospel as clearly aspossible. The Gospel should be the focus until aperson is saved or decides to discontinue the minis-tering relationship. Once a person is born againhe is a new person. “Therefore if any man be inChrist, he is a new creature: old things are passedaway; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor5:17). From that point on the purpose of ministryis to guide and encourage the believers to walkaccording to their new life in Christ rather thanaccording to the old ways of the flesh.

Every believer has numerous opportunities togrow spiritually. God uses all circumstances tobring this about. Therefore the primary purposefor ministry must be spiritual growth ratherthan problem solving. The Apostle Paul’s goalwas to present every believer perfect in Christ andthat is the goal of Christ-centered, biblical minis-try as well.

Most people seek counseling to solve theirproblems or to cause another person to change,but true biblical ministry is for the purpose of sanc-tification and spiritual growth. However, problemscan serve as broken ground for the Lord, and theperson who comes alongside has the opportunityto plant seed and nurture growth. Consider the

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following reasons for ministry that encouragesspiritual growth:

1. When we give attention to the Lord and HisWord we are enabled to grow spiritually andto better deal with problems of living. Thisis all through relationship with Christ asHe described with the analogy of the vineand the branches in John 15:1-11.

2. God has a plan and purpose for every oneof His children. He is the Potter and usesall things in a believer’s life to complete thework of conforming each one to the imageof Christ. (Romans 8:28-29).

3. The problems themselves can be used ascatalysts for spiritual growth. See, for ex-ample, James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 5:10.

4. Problems can serve to bring us to the endof ourselves (flesh) and make us moredependent on Christ to guide us and leadus as we take His yoke upon us (Matt. 11:28-30).

5. Problems can serve to put a person in aposition to comprehend God more fully, torecognize the flesh for what it is, to abhorit, to deny self, and to seek God’s will andwisdom (Job 42).

6. As a person draws close to God throughtrials, he will grow spiritually (1 Peter 1:6-8). We see examples throughout Scriptureof where people drew close to God in afflic-tion and became fruitful for Him (KingDavid, the apostle Paul, and those in the

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early church). See 2 Cor. 4:7-11 and 2 Cor.12:6-10 for example.

7. Spiritual growth enables people to walkpleasing to God and to be equipped for thetrials of life. This principle is woventhroughout Scripture. See, for example,Ephesians 4.

8. Problems of living signal that spiritualwarfare is taking place. The battle involvesthe world, the flesh, and the devil. As abeliever recognizes and acts on the truthsof 2 Cor. 10:3-6; Galatians 5:16,17;Ephesians 6:10-18; and 1 Peter 5:8-10, hewill grow spiritually and learn how to dealwith problems of living according to whatthe Lord has provided.

9. As people recognize all that Christ is inthem, they will gain courage for the presentand hope for the future. As they learn towalk according to their life in Him, theirlives will be transformed as described inColossians 3.

10. Growing spiritually brings forth the fruitof the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit islove, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).

The goal of spiritual growth is far greater thanpresent problem solving. The benefits so outweighany other course of action that every believershould jump at the chance to use everything pos-sible for spiritual growth, to be conformed to theimage of Christ, and to live to the glory of God.

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When

The best time for spiritual growth iswhen a person is most receptive to the Lord,and this is often when the life is being tornup by problems. When difficult circumstancesjolt a person out of everyday routine and evencomplacency, that person may be ready to face thedepravity of the flesh, turn to the cross, and beready to change. That is why Jesus called thosewho recognized their spiritual needs “blessed”(Matt. 5:3-6). They are ready and open for changeand spiritual growth. This is when they may wellbenefit from a fellow believer to come along andencourage such growth. If they are sent off topsychological or psychologically tainted counsel-ing, a wonderful spiritual opportunity is wastedand maturity postponed.

Just as preaching is to be in season and out ofseason, so should believers be ready to mutuallycare for one another and encourage one anothereven when it is not convenient. There is a timefor planting, when the ground is torn up, andthere is a time for watering after the seedhas been sown. As believers we are all to be readyto give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter3:15). We also need to be ready to share that hopewith one another during times of trouble anddiscouragement. Therefore, personal ministry canoccur any time, every time there is a need and anopportunity for spiritual growth, and all the timeas our lives touch one another in the Body ofChrist.

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Where

Ministry should be ongoing in the home, thechurch, and beyond. Because mutual care in theBody of Christ is not a counseling profession, thereis no need for an office with walls covered bydegrees and certificates. Believers can meet any-where that works for them—in their homes, in thechurch building, at a park, or at a restaurant. Theycould even decide to go for a walk together. Someconversations do require more privacy than othersdo, but anyone can figure that out. Christians canbe creative regarding a place to meet. But, thewhere should be at the local level without outsideassistance from the biblical counseling movement.

How

The conversation of caring for one another inthe Body of Christ is not a professional interchangebetween a so-called expert and a client or betweena counselor and counselee. It is between two ormore believers who are learning to walk in theSpirit and encouraging one another to do so. Sincethe Holy Spirit is ministering the truth of God’sWord to all involved in the conversation, Christ-centered ministry cannot be done according to theflesh or human ingenuity. The how of Christ-centered ministry is believers seeking the Lordtogether.

But speaking the truth in love, may growup into him in all things, which is the head,even Christ: From whom the whole body

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fitly joined together and compacted by thatwhich every joint supplieth, according to theeffectual working in the measure of everypart, maketh increase of the body unto theedifying of itself in love (Eph. 4:15,16).

Both the helper and the seeker are growingtogether.

Much of what the helper will do duringministry is reminding the seeker of whatevertruths of Scripture are needed during the conver-sation.

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put youalways in remembrance of these things,though ye know them, and be establishedin the present truth (2 Peter 1:12).

We encourage believers to remember whatthey already know, because problems of living mayhave so absorbed their attention and clouded theirvision that they need to be reminded of therelevance of Scripture to their circumstances andof the presence of God working in their lives. OtherChristians may need to be taught. There are indi-viduals in each congregation who are unsaved orwho are naïve or ignorant of biblical doctrineshaving to do with living the Christian life. In eithercase, the reminding and teaching must be done inhumility and lowliness, not from a position ofsuperiority.

While God is the central person in any bibli-cal ministry, we emphasize the responsibility ofthe seeker to trust God and to obey what He has

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revealed. God will guide and enable, but the personmust do. Ministering helpers can come alongsideaccording to Galatians 6, but in the final analysis,it is the seeker’s own actions that count. Noticethe humility of ministry and the burden of respon-sibility on the one who receives ministry.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,ye which are spiritual, restore such an onein the spirit of meekness; considering thy-self, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye oneanother’s burdens, and so fulfil the law ofChrist. For if a man think himself to besomething, when he is nothing, he deceivethhimself. But let every man prove his ownwork, and then shall he have rejoicing inhimself alone, and not in another. Forevery man shall bear his own burden(Gal. 6:1-5).

We emphasize personal responsibility forchange and growth according to all of God’s provi-sions for walking according to the Spirit. For toolong people have been taught to see themselvesas helpless victims rather than responsiblepersons. For too long the professional counselingindustry has been in the business of manufactur-ing victims. Psychotherapists help people find thesource of their problems in their parents and intheir circumstances. Rather than manufacturingvictims, Christ-centered ministry should bringsalvation to the sinner and sanctification of thesaint, thus encouraging that person to walk in thefullness of what God has provided in Christ.

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As we demonstrated earlier, the more moti-vated the individual, the more likely that changewill occur. Thus, the helper will encourage moti-vation through the application of mercy and truth,grace and justice, nurture and admonition. Thereare no formulas for how much of each, and it’susually not one or the other of these applications,but a subtle combination, which is different foreach person at each encounter. Sound impossible?Yes, without the Lord, one would have to try tofollow a manual or use the guessing procedurediscussed earlier. But, remember. This is the Lord’swork. The work of the Holy Spirit is essential inChrist-centered ministry.

Only the Lord knows how much of mercy andtruth to apply. Sometimes a suffering soul needsa gentle word emphasizing the mercy, grace, andnurture of the Lord, His love and caring. At othertimes a fellow believer would be motivated betterby a direct word of truth, emphasizing God’s justiceand serving as an admonition. At each moment,the ministering helper must listen with both thephysical ear and the inner ear. The Lord is faith-ful to lead as He is acknowledged in the heart everymoment throughout any time of ministry.

By reading through the epistles of the NewTestament, one will find numerous admonitionsof how believers are to treat one another and theseshow ways in which members of the Body of Christcan minister to one another. Jesus ministereddifferently to each person, because He knew eachone’s need. He still does, and those who ministerto one another need to follow Him in being sensi-tive to what is needful for each person. Paul gave

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a brief example of ministering differently to eachindividual: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warnthem that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded,support the weak, be patient toward all men”(1Thes. 5:14). Remember that personal ministryis the Lord’s creative work through one believerministering to another.

First and foremost, we are to love fellowbelievers. Jesus said we are to love one another asHe has loved us. That means to love one anothersacrificially (John 15:12,13), without regard for aperson’s wealth or station in life (Romans 12:16;James 2:1-24). Paul reminds believers to “be kindlyaffectioned one to another with brotherly love; inhonour preferring one another” (Rom. 12:10). Thatmeans putting the other person first. Love is some-thing freely given, without charge.

Just plain fellowship among Christians is ablessing. Here is where love can be given andreceived. Fellowship nurtures mutual care and en-couragement. Talking about the Lord and how Heis working in our own lives can do more tostrengthen us in the Lord than endless counsel-ing sessions. Hebrews 10:24-25 instructs us:

And let us consider one another to provokeunto love and to good works: Not forsakingthe assembling of ourselves together, as themanner of some is; but exhorting oneanother: and so much the more, as ye seethe day approaching.

This encouragement and exhortation should be anongoing interaction among believers. Our fellow-

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ship is first of all with our Father and our LordJesus Christ (1 John 1:3). Next, our fellowship iswith other believers: “But if we walk in the light,as he is in the light, we have fellowship one withanother, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Soncleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). This fel-lowship is far deeper than casual relationships.We are connected with one another in Christ inthat we are formed together as His Body (Eph.2:21,22).

Our greatest desire is to encourage people todraw closer to God—to look to Him and to love,serve, and obey Him. While drawing people closerto God may not change their circumstances, it willaccomplish far more on the inside. As people areencouraged to draw close to God, they will findHis perspective as well as His provision and Hiswill as well as His willingness to help. Everybeliever can be a source of encouragement.

Expressing the Life of Christ

Christ-centered ministry is reflecting andexpressing the Life of Christ. How one does thatis truly a mystery. It is the mystery of “Christ inyou, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). It is a spiritualactivity of Jesus Christ Himself through the HolySpirit and through members of His Body. There-fore, the how of ministry is not a methodology butJesus working through believers as they cometogether. Christ must be preeminent in all thethinking, speaking, and doing among members ofHis Body. If He is at the center, true ministryhappens. Life comes forth and people are blessed!

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Christ-centered ministry encourages spiritualgrowth and depends on the Lord to do the work ineach individual through His Word and Spirit.Therefore, one can confidently assure believersthat this ministry is more effective, long-lasting,and spiritually rewarding than problem-centeredcounseling for those who are willing to go this way.For those who follow this Christ-centered minis-try there will be spiritual growth, even if certainproblems at hand are not resolved.

Because Christ-centered ministry utilizes allthat should already be available in every Bible-believing church where Christians are growing inthe Lord, it avoids what we call the “onerous ones”that typify problem-centered counseling. Webriefly touched on these onerous ones earlier. How-ever, we will expand on them here to clarify some

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major differences between Christ-centeredministry and problem-centered counseling for thepurpose of encouraging believers to take couragein exercising their gifts, talents, and responsibili-ties for ministering to one another without fear orintimidation from the counseling world.

One to One

Problem-centered counseling is typically aone-to-one relationship. Sometimes couples andfamilies are involved, but the relationship is gen-erally artificial and restrictive. The counselingrelationship itself usually does not extend outsidethe counseling room. The relationship lasts as longas counseling is being provided and normally doesnot extend to other involvement, even in mostbiblical counseling centers. Problem-centeredcounselors commonly do not involve themselveswith counselees outside the counseling room. Thatis why both psychological and biblical counselorssometimes use intake forms requesting a greatdeal of personal information. Because this rela-tionship is generally isolated, the counselor andcounselee can be selective as to what they want toreveal about themselves. In fact, as we mentionedearlier, research shows that counselees often lieto their counselors and protect themselves byconcealing important information.

The great advantage of Christ-centered min-istry is that it is not limited to an artificial one-to-one relationship where one has the problem andthe other supposedly has the solution. In the Bodyof Christ all are growing together. There are many

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opportunities to know one another and to inter-act in genuine relationships. When a believer isexperiencing problems, more than one person maybe involved in ministering to that individual. Onemay be teaching. One may be reminding. Anothermay simply be extending support and fellowship.Another may be helping in practical ways. Anothermay be exhorting. Another may be admonishing.And, in a few cases, some may be exercising theresponsibility of disciplining a fellow believer forthe sake of restoration. But, all can be prayingand encouraging the individual in the direction ofthe Lord. And, through all this, all are growingtogether and the relationships may deepen withone another as well as with the Lord.

One Day a Week

Problem-centered counseling is generally one-to-one, one-day-a-week, but rarely outside theoffice. Someone pointed out the paradox of thecounseling relationship by saying that while therelationship is extremely intimate at times, thecounselor has no interest in seeing the counseleeoutside the office. Many problem-centered coun-selors, including biblical counselors, avoid othercontacts with their counselees, who cannot see thecounselor outside the prescribed one-day-a-week,unless additional appointments are made.

In Christ-centered ministry the possibilitiesof seeing one another and communicating byphone are only limited by the number of individu-als available. As mentioned earlier, Christians canchoose when and how often to meet together for

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personal ministry. In the body of Christ this canbe done freely without the one-day-a-week timeconstraints of problem-centered counseling

One Hour

In addition to the one-to-one and one-day-a-week errors in most problem-centered counseling,there is generally the fifty-minute hour limitation.Why a fifty-minute hour or similar restriction? Thetime restriction is a device to meet the needs ofproblem-centered counselors to regulate the flowof counselees for convenience and sometimes forincome. This relationship governed by the clockbenefits the counselor, not the counselee. And, ifthe counselee is late, the already reduced hour isfurther reduced; if the counselee is desperate andneeds more time, it is already taken by othercounselees.

Christ-centered ministry is governed by loverather than the clock. Giving time to a fellowbeliever is a way of saying, “I care about you.” Andbecause the ministry is shared among believers,it supersedes what is available or affordable inproblem-centered counseling. A local church is notbound by the one-to-one, one-day-a-week, one-hourrelationships of problem-centered counseling.

One Week after Another

One-to-one, one-day-a-week and one-hourshortcomings of problem-centered counseling areamplified by one-week-after-another. As men-tioned earlier, Mesmer and Freud began what re-

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sulted in today’s problem-centered counseling.Freud’s system of psychoanalysis actually involvedthree to five sessions per week and lasted over aperiod of years. Thus he set the pattern for long-term therapy. Today many problem-centered coun-selors continue to retain counselees over numer-ous weeks, months, and even years in spite of re-search that shows no advantage of long-term coun-seling. Long-term counseling relationships also de-teriorate into dependency relationships. People inproblem-centered counseling often become depen-dent on their counselors rather than on the Lord.

In contrast, Christ-centered ministry empha-sizes dependency on the Lord Himself, and in achurch where the ministries are functioning andthe gifts are operating, the mutual care andencouragement of fellow believers are there toassist all believers in their ongoing walk with theLord. Rather than a long-term artificial counsel-ing relationship there is a relationship of mutualcare in which believers are available to encourageone another as they are growing together in Christ.

One Fixed PriceThe one-to-one, one-day-a-week, one-hour, one-

week-after-another errors of problem-centeredcounseling lead to one fixed price that is charged(or a donation that is expected). Some biblicalcounselors charge fees or request donations fortheir services for some of the same reasons aspsychological counselors. The establishing, billingand collecting of fees (or encouraging of donations)are a significant aspect of most problem-centeredcounseling. Because of salaries to be paid, the one

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fixed price (or donation) becomes a necessity thatlimits the relationship. If one cannot pay his bill(or contribute) the relationship is usually over. Themoney paid (or donated) must match the mark inthe appointment book and the hand on the clock.After all, a problem-centered counselor whocharges a fee must fill enough appointments tomake a desirable income.

There is no example in Scripture for charginga fee (or asking for a donation) for ministering theWord of God by the grace of God to a brother orsister in Christ. Someone might protest that aminister is paid a salary. But that is a false anal-ogy. The true analogy would be charging someonea fee to attend church. Christ-centered ministryis freely given just as Jesus gave freely of His lifeand love. He said, “Love one another, as I haveloved you”(John 15:12). When Jesus sent Hisdisciples to minister, he said to them, “Freely yehave received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8). Believersare to reach out to one another in love, friendship,and mutual care as they are all growing togetheras members of one body.

One Right after Another

One right after another fits right into the one-to-one, one-day-a-week, one-hour, one-week-after-another, and one-fixed-price onerosities. In prob-lem-centered counseling there is usually a progres-sion of one person right after another. Counseleesknow others have preceded them and others willfollow. No one has set a limit on how manycounselees per day one counselor can effectively

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manage. Counseling eight hours a day, five days aweek, with large numbers of people always hasand always will lead to superficial relationshipslacking genuine compassion, even in the biblicalcounseling office. There is no biblical example forone-right-after-another, problem-centered counsel-ing. No, not even the example of Moses, since hewas judging disputes between people, rather thangetting into the pattern of problem-centered coun-seling as practiced today.

In Christ-centered ministry, the personal min-istry load can be spread among many believers.There is no need for one-right-after-another or theother onerous ones. There is often a temptationfor the pastor or a paid staff member to carry theload of personal ministry. When this happens, oneright after another can weaken the overall minis-try, overburden the pastoral staff, and be affectedby the onerous ones. Believers need to learn tominister to one another and to receive ministryfrom each other rather than depending on thepastor or a staff counselor for such help.

One Up/One Down

The one-to-one, one-day-a-week, one-hour, one-week-after-another, one-fixed-price, one-right-after-another are eclipsed in problem-centeredcounseling by the tragic onerosity of the one-up/one-down relationship, with the counselor consid-ered as the expert with the gnosis to perform thecure. This artificial hierarchy of the expert overthe needy one is unbiblical and not supported bythe research, as we have demonstrated elsewhere.

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Rather than an expert being responsible tofix the problem, Christ-centered ministry drawsboth the seeker and the helper to the Lord forwisdom and transformation. When the Lord callsone believer to minister to another believer, bothare seeking the Lord in meekness and humility.Believers may be especially gifted to minister toone another in the faith, but all (even those in lead-ership) stand on an equal plain at the foot of thecross. Indeed, it is the Lord who truly accomplishesthe restoration and sanctification of the believer.

Our Goal

Our goal is to remind believers of their calland empowerment to serve in the Body of Christ.Obviously not all the necessary informationregarding Christ-centered ministry is in this shortbook, but the Lord will bring forth what is miss-ing through the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, andthe Body of Christ as you seek to serve Him. Hewill give you opportunities to grow spiritually andserve according to His will, through His Word, andby grace through faith.

We seek to encourage ministry and to discour-age the use of problem-centered counseling. Weseek to encourage dependence on the Lord and HisWord to minister to one another in the Body ofChrist, without intimidation by or dependence onbiblical counseling manuals, workshops, seminars,degrees, or certificates. We hope to see ministryshared among believers in their local fellowshipswith their focus on Jesus Christ and the Word ofGod. The Lord will enable them to serve as they

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are constant in prayer, diligent in Bible study, andmarked with the humility of a servant’s heart andas they are ready to serve without having to be ina superior position or to have a title of superiority.

Ministry among believers should be constantand ongoing, which will result in souls beset withproblems seeking the Lord through His Spirit,Word, and Body rather than turning to counse-lors trained in psychological or biblical counsel-ing. We hope this book will encourage you toparticipate in what God is doing and will do inthe lives of His children. What a privilege to beincluded in the mighty, miraculous work of God inone another’s lives. All believers have opportuni-ties to minister to fellow believers to encouragethem along the way.

What a blessing it would be if there were anend to problem-centered counseling and a resto-ration of Christ-centered ministry in the Body ofChrist. Restoring Christ-centered ministry shouldlead to the end of both the psychological andbiblical counseling movements in the church.

We urge those who call themselves bibli-cal counselors to move away from problem-centeredness and to abandon and condemnthe unbiblical practices of: charging fees,operating separated from the church cen-ters, using psychological integration,belonging to psychological or integrationistorganizations, using the terms counselor,counselee, and counseling, and practicingone or more of the other onerous ones.

As we have said, “The biblical counselingmovement must die.” It must die to the unbiblical

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practices, to which it has been shackled and beenreluctant to condemn. It must remove itself so thatChristians in local congregations can minister asthey should, without outside intimidation orinterference. Pastors, elders, and church leadersmust bear the responsibility for such a move oradmit they have failed at what they have beenbiblically called to do. Christians in their local con-gregations are also responsible to encourage andbe open to such a move and to be involved in suchministry as a helper and/or seeker. We hope andpray that our small voice, along with others whoalready truly minister biblically, will be heard andheeded.

If you are one who is experiencing problemsof living and looking for assistance, find someonein your local church who can minister to you. Findsomeone who is mature in the faith and is walk-ing with God the way you desire to walk. Ask thatperson to come alongside, minister the Life ofChrist, speak forth the truth of God, encourageyou in your walk with the Lord, and earnestly pray.

If you are a Christian, know essentialbiblical doctrines, are walking according toyour new life in Christ and growing in theLord, you already have what it takes to min-ister the Life of Christ to a fellow believer.You have a living God, the source of all life andhealing. You have His living, enduring, abidingWord (1 Peter 1:23-25), which ministers truth tothe mind, direction and encouragement to the will,and grace for the emotions. Christ-centeredministry is not a position of expertise (one-up-man-

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ship) but one of side-by-side seeking the Lord. Itdoes not lead believers into the downward spiralof problems, but rather upward to the Life of Christand the Word of God through the work of the HolySpirit.

Can you think of anything more worthwhilethan to serve God in your own family, in the Bodyof Christ, and in the world? Every person in whomthe Holy Spirit lives is enabled to serve and cansay with Paul, “I can do all things through Christwhich strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13)? Take cour-age! God will indeed work His own good pleasurein and through His children.

SOLI DEO GLORIA

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Chapter 1: A Radical Proposal1. See Martin and Deidre Bobgan. PsychoHeresy: The

Psychological Seduction of Christianity (1987); The End of“Christian Psychology” (1997); and Against “BiblicalCounseling”: For the Bible (1994). Santa Barbara, CA:EastGate Publishers; articles from PsychoHeresy Aware-ness Letter now posted on<www.psychoheresy-aware.org>.

Chapter 2: Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy)1. Ellen Herman. The Romance of American Psychology:

Political Culture in the Age of Experts. Berkeley: Univer-sity of California Press, 1996, p. 1.

2. Ibid., p. 3.3. Ibid., p. 5.4. Ibid., p. 311.5 Ibid., p. 315.6. APA Commission on Psychotherapies. Psychotherapy

Research: Methodological and Efficacy Issues. Washington,DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1982.

7. Mary Sykes Wylie interviewing Martin Seligman. “Why IsThis Man Smiling?” Psychotherapy Networker, Vol. 27, No.1, p. 51.

8. Leslie Prioleau, Martha Murdock, and Nathan Brody. “AnAnalysis of Psychotherapy Versus Placebo Studies,” TheBehavioral and Brain Sciences, June 1983, p. 284.

9. Arthur Shapiro interview by Martin Gross. The Psycho-logical Society. New York: Random House, 1978, p. 230.

10. Arthur Shapiro, “Opening Comments” in PsychotherapyResearch, Janet B. W. Williams and Robert L. Spitzer, eds.New York: The Guilford Press, 1984, p. 106.

11. Ibid., p. 107.12. H. J. Eysenck, “The Outcome Problem in Psychotherapy:

What Have We Learned?” Behavioural Research andTherapy, Vol. 32, No. 5, 1994, p.490.

13. Michael J. Lambert and Allen E. Bergin. “The Effective-ness of Psychotherapy” in Handbook of Psychotherapy andBehavior Change, Fourth Edition, Allen E. Bergin and SolL. Garfield, eds. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994,p. 161.

14. Joseph Wortis. “General Discussion” in PsychotherapyResearch, Janet B. W Williams and Robert L. Spitzes, eds.New York: The Guilford Press, 1984, p. 394.

Notes

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15. Harvard Mental Health Letter, Vol. 16, No. 11, p. 21.16. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 58, pp. 7-29.17. D. A. Shapiro quoted in Placebo: Theory, Research, and

Mechanisms, Leonard White, Bernard Tursky and Gary E.Schwartz, eds. New York: The Guilford Press, 1985, p. 204.

18. Robyn Dawes, House of Cards: Psychology and Psycho-therapy Built on Myth. New York: The Free Press/Macmillan, Inc., 1994, p. 62.

19. Ibid., p. 15.20. Ibid .,p. 58.21. Carol Tavris. “Psychological Warfare between Therapists

and Scientists,” Chronicle of High Education, February 28,2003.

22. See Martin and Deidre Bobgan. Against “Biblical Counsel-ing”: For the Bible (1994) and Competent to Minister: TheBiblical Care of Souls (1996). Santa Barbara. CA:EastGate Publishers.

23. Sigmund Koch. “Psychology Cannot Be a CoherentScience,” Psychology Today. September 1969, p. 66.

24. Karl Popper. “Scientific Theory and Falsifiability” inPerspectives in Philosophy, Robert N. Beck, ed. New York:Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1975, p. 343.

25. Linda Riebel. “Theory as Self-Portrait and the Ideal ofObjectivity,” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Spring1982, pp. 91-92.

Chapter 3: The Biblical Counseling Movement1. Ellen Herman. The Romance of American Psychology:

Political Culture in the Age of Experts. Berkeley: Univer-sity of California Press, 1996.

2. Elizabeth F. Loftus and Melvin J. Guyer. “Who AbusedJane Doe? The Hazards of the Single Case History,” Part1. Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. 26, No. 3, p. 24.

3. Ibid., p. 25.4. Paul E. Meehl. Psychodiagnosis: Selected Papers. Minne-

apolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1973.5. Allen E. Bergin and Sol L. Garfield, “Overview, Trends,

and Future Issues” in Handbook of Psychotherapy andBehavior Change, Fourth Edition, Allen E. Bergin and SolL. Garfield, eds. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994,p. 825.

6. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 58, pp. 7-29.7. Harvard Mental Health Letter, Vol. 16, No. 12, pp. 1-4.8. Bruce E. Wampold. The Great Psychotherapy Debate.

Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, p. ix.

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Notes 133

9. Joseph Durlak, “Comparative Effectiveness of Paraprofes-sional and Professional Helpers,” Psychological Bulletin86, 1979, pp. 80-92.

10. Larry E. Beutler, Paulo P. P. Machado, and SusanAllstetter Neufeldt, “Therapist Variables” in Handbook ofPsychotherapy and Behavior Change, op. cit., p. 249.

11. Robyn Dawes, House of Cards: Psychology and Psycho-therapy Built on Myth. New York: The Free Press/Macmillan, Inc., 1994, pp. 101-102.

12. H. J. Eysenck, “Meta-Analysis Squared—Does It MakeSense?” American Psychologist, February 1995, p. 111.

13. “Ambiguity Pervades Research on Effectiveness ofPsychotherapy,” Brain/Mind Bulletin, October 4, 1982, p.2.

14. Hans H. Strupp and Suzanne W. Hadley, “Specific vs.Nonspecific Factors in Psychotherapy,” Archives of GeneralPsychiatry, September 1979, p. 1126.

15. Hans Strupp, “The Tripartite Model and the ConsumerReports Study,” American Psychologist, October 1996, p.1021.

Chapter 4: The Rise & Practice of Problem-Centered Counseling

1. See Martin and Deidre Bobgan. PsychoHeresy: ThePsychological Seduction of Christianity (1987); andChapter 4 of The End of “Christian Psychology” (1997).Santa Barbara, CA: EastGate Publishers.

2. Robert C. Fuller. Mesmerism and the American Cure ofSouls. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,1982, p. 104.

3. Freedheim, Donald K., ed. History of Psychotherapy: ACentury of Change. Washington, DC: American Psycho-logical Association, 1992, p. 32.

4. Thomas Szasz. The Myth of Psychotherapy. Garden City:Doubleday/Anchor Press, 1978, p. 43.

5. Ibid., pp. 11-12.6. Irwin Kutash and Alexander Wolf, eds. Psychotherapist’s

Casebook: Theory and Technique in the Practice of ModernTherapies. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Inc., 1993. p. xiii.

7. Ibid., p. xv.8. See Martin and Deidre Bobgan. Competent to Minister:

The Biblical Care of Souls. Santa Barbara, CA: EastGatePublishers, 1994, pp. 199-213; and TheoPhostic Couneling:Divine Revelation or PsychoHeresy, EastGate Publishers,1999.

Page 134: Christ-Centered Ministry

9. W. E. Vine. The Expanded Vines: Expository Dictionary ofNew Testament Words, John R. Kohlenberger III, ed.Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1984, p. 543.

10. Ibid., p. 744.11. Martin and Deidre Bobgan. Against “Biblical Counseling”:

For the Bible. Santa Barbara, CA: EastGate Publishers,1994, pp. 73-87.

12. Ibid.13. PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter, Vol. 5, No. 5, pp. 1-3.14. Martin and Deidre Bobgan. Four Temperaments, Astrology

& Personality Testing. Santa Barbara, CA: EastGatePublishers, 1992.

15. Bobgan, Against “Biblical Counseling”: For the Bible, op.cit., pp. 57ff.

Chapter 5: Christ-Centered Ministry or Problem-CenteredCounseling?

1. Jay Lebow. “War of the Worlds: Researchers and practitio-ners collide on EMDR and CISD.” PsychotherapyNetworker, Vol. 27, No. 5., p. 79.

134 Christ-Centered Ministry

For a sample copy of a free newsletter aboutthe intrusion of psychological counselingtheories and therapies into the church,please write to:

PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries4137 Primavera Road

Santa Barbara, CA 93110

or call:

1-800-216-4696

<http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org>

Page 135: Christ-Centered Ministry

Books by Martin & Deidre BobganPSYCHOHERESY: The Psychological Seduction ofChristianity exposes fallacies and failures of psychologicalcounseling theories and therapies. Reveals anti-Christianbiases, internal contradictions, and documented failures ofsecular psychotherapy; and examines amalgamations withChristianity and explodes firmly entrenched myths thatundergird these unholy unions. 272 pages, softbound.

COMPETENT TO MINISTER: The Biblical Care ofSouls calls Christians back to the Bible and mutual care inthe Body of Christ, encourages personal ministry amongChristians, and equips believers to minister God’s gracethrough biblical conversation, prayer, and practical help. 252pages, softbound.

THE END OF “CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY” revealsthat “Christian psychology” includes contradictory theoriesand techniques; describes and analyzes major psychologi-cal theories influencing Christians; shows that professionalpsychotherapy with its underlying psychologies is question-able at best, detrimental at worst, and a spiritual counter-feit at least; and challenges the church to rid itself of allsigns and symptoms of this scourge. 290 pages, softbound.

AGAINST “BIBLICAL COUNSELING”: FOR THE BIBLEreveals what biblical counseling is, rather than what itpretends or hopes to be. Its primary thrust is to call Chris-tians back to the Bible and to biblically ordained ministriesand mutual care in the Body of Christ. 200 pages, softbound.

HYPNOSIS: MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC, OR OCCULTIC?examines hypnosis from scientific, historical, and biblicalperspectives and shows that hypnosis is the same whetherpracticed by benevolent medical doctors, shamans, or occult-ists. The book exposes both obvious and hidden dangers. 144pages, softbound.

FOUR TEMPERAMENTS, ASTROLOGY & PERSONALITYTESTING examines personality types and tests from a bib-lical, historical, and research basis and answers such ques-tions as: Do the four temerpaments give true insight intopeople? Are personality inventories and tests valid ways offinding out about people? 214 pages, softbound.

Page 136: Christ-Centered Ministry

JAMES DOBSON’S GOSPEL OF SELF-ESTEEM &PSYCHOLOGY demonstrates that many of Dobson’s teach-ings are based on godless, secular opinions. Self-esteem andpsychology are the two major thrusts of his ministry thatsupercede sin, salvation, and sanctification. They are an-other gospel. 248 pages, softbound.

LARRY CRABB’S GOSPEL traces Crabb’s 22-year jour-ney of jolts, shifts, and expansions as he has sought to createthe best combination of psychology and the Bible. Crabb’seclectic theories and methods remain psychologically boundand consistent with current psychotherapy trends. This bookprovides a detailed analysis. 210 pages, softbound.

12 STEPS TO DESTRUCTION: Codependency/RecoveryHeresies examines codependency/recovery teachings, Alco-holics Anonymous, twelve-step groups, and addiction treat-ment programs from a biblical, historical, and researchperspective and urges believers to trust in the sufficiency ofChrist and the Word of God. 256 pages, softbound.

THEOPHOSTIC COUNSELING ~ Divine Revelation?or PsychoHeresy? examines a recovered memory therapycomprised of many existent psychological therapies and tech-niques, demon deliverance teachings, and elements from theinner healing movement, which include guided imagery, vi-sualization, and hypnosis. 144 pages, softbound.

MISSIONS & PSYCHOHERESY exposes the mentalhealth profession’s false façade of expertise for screeningmissionary candidates and caring for missionaries. Itexplodes myths about psychological testing and reveals theprolific practice of using mental health professionals toprovide care for missionaries suffering from problems ofliving. 168 pages, softbound.

CRI GUILTY OF PSYCHOHERESY? answers the CRI-Passantino “Psychology & the Church” series, exposes theirillogical reasoning, and argues that supportingpsychotherapy and its underlying psychologies is an oppro-brium in the church. 152 pages, softbound.

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