LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Nouthetic Counseling: A Biblical Model
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
10/2022
Nouthetic Counseling: A Biblical Model
While there are numerous approaches to a biblical model for counseling (such as those
developed by Charles Solomon, Neil Anderson, and Larry Crabb), the nouthetic model is widely
considered effective and supported by a large body of literature. The Greek word nouthesia,
which is literally translated, “a putting in mind,” is the word from which this model of
counseling gets its name. “Nouthesia is ‘the training by word,’ whether of encouragement, or, if
necessary, by reproof or remonstrance. In contrast to this, the synonymous word paideia
stresses training by act, though both words are used in each respect.” Referring to the Col. 1:28
passage, Curtis Vaughan wrote,
Here it relates to non-Christians, the thought probably being that the apostle sought to
awaken each of them to his need of Christ. Some interpreters think the word corresponds to
the demand for repentance in the Gospels.
Johannes Behm wrote in Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of The New Testament,
It seeks to correct the mind, to put right what is wrong, to improve the spiritual attitude.
“The basic idea of the well-meaning earnestness with which one seeks to influence the mind
and disposition by appropriate instruction, exhortation, warning and correction.” Hence the
dominant meanings “to admonish, warn, soothe, remind, correct.” … It does not mean “to
punish,” but through the consciousness to gain a hold over men and bring them to repentance
and shame, so that punishment is superfluous. In keeping with pedagogic experience, however,
the word can have the secondary sense of actively affecting the mind, i.e., “to discipline.” … It
denotes the word of admonition which is designed to correct while not provoking or
embittering.
Behm wrote further,
His [Paul’s] pastoral work in a congregation is retrospectively presented as a special,
inwardly motivated cure of souls by means of indefatigable exhortation with a view to
correction and amendment (Ac. 20:31). His sharp criticism in letters is simply the corrective
word of a father to his children. … Similarly a congregation admonishes or corrects whether by
its pastors … or by the reciprocal brotherly ministry of the member exercising pastoral oversight
with a sense of congregational obligation.
Nouthetic confrontation consists of at least three basic elements. First, there is always the
implication of a problem, and presupposes an obstacle that must be overcome. In the life of the
one to be confronted, there is something wrong. The word nouthesia focuses on the confronter
and the one being confronted. It is more than teaching which focuses on the learner. The need
for a change in the person confronted, who may or may not resist, is presupposed. Adams has
written,
In either case there is a problem in his life that needs to be solved. Nouthetic
confrontation, then, necessarily suggests first of all that there is something wrong with the
person who is to be confronted nouthetically. The idea of something wrong, some sin, some
obstruction, some problem, some difficulty, some need that has to be acknowledged and dealt
with, is central. In short, nouthetic confrontation arises out of a condition in the counselee that
God wants changed. The fundamental purpose of nouthetic confrontation, then, is to effect
personality and behavioral change.
The second element of nouthetic confrontation is that problems are solved by verbal
means. Richard Trench wrote,
It is the training by word—by the word of encouragement, when this is sufficient, but also
by that of remonstrance, of reproof, of blame, where these may be required; as set over against
the training by act and by discipline, which ispaideia … the distinctive feature of nouthesia is the
training by word of mouth.
The word presupposes a counseling-type confrontation in which characterological and
behavioral change in the counselee is the object. The word does not imply nor exclude a formal
counseling setting but encompasses both formal and informal confrontation. From a biblical
perspective, the counselor who used nouthetic confrontation endeavors to change the patterns
of behavior of an individual, to conform to biblical standards. Biblical instances of such activity
may be seen in Nathan’s confrontation of David concerning his sin with Uriah and Bathsheba, or
in Jesus’ restoration of Peter after His resurrection.
The third element deals with the motive behind nouthetic activity. Verbal correction is
always intended to benefit the counselee, not destroy or tear down. The beneficent motive is
never lost from view and was exemplified by Paul when he wrote, “I do not write these things
to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.” The term carries an inherent
tenderness which accurately describes the concern of the parent for the child, being used
frequently in parental contexts. Adams wrote,
Nouthetic confrontation implies changing that in his life which hurts the counselee. The
goal must be to meet obstacles head on and overcome them verbally, not in order to punish
but to help him… . The thought of punishment, even the idea of disciplinary punishment, is not
contemplated in the concept of nouthetic confrontation. Nouthesis is motivated by love and
deep concern, in which clients are counseled and corrected by verbal means for their good,
ultimately, of course, that God may be glorified.
The Goal of Biblically Oriented Counsel
Whatever direction counseling may take as the result of the presenting problem, careful
thought must be given concerning the goal to be achieved. For what is the client asking, and
what does he hope will happen as a result of counseling? People struggling with personal
problems often seem to be pursuing objectives which are fundamentally self-centered. They
say, “I want to feel good,” or, “I want to be happy.”
While there is nothing wrong with wanting happiness, an obsessive preoccupation with it
can obscure the understanding of the biblical route to deep, abiding joy. Larry Crabb wrote in
Effective Biblical Counseling,
The Lord has told us that there are pleasures forever at His right hand. If we desire those
pleasures, we must learn what it means to be at God’s right hand. Paul tells us that Christ has
been exalted to God’s right hand (Eph. 1:20). It follows naturally that the more I abide in Christ,
the more I will enjoy the pleasures available in fellowship with God. If I am to experience true
happiness, I must desire above all else to become more like the Lord, to live in subjection to the
Father’s will as He did.
For some who are seeking solutions, the emphasis in counseling is finding happiness,
while the biblical orientation focuses on becoming Christlike and glorifying Christ through the
problem. The paradoxical truth is that the individual desires happiness but will never achieve it,
if that is his primary concern. The overriding goal of the counselor must be to help the
counselee respond biblically in every circumstance, to put the Lord first and then determine His
guidance for action. As one devotes energy to the task of glorifying Christ and being what He
wants, one finds the joy and peace that He promises. The emphasis is placed upon assisting the
individual in rejecting the goal of happiness in favor of adopting the goal of becoming more like
Christ. Crabb also wrote that “our modern emphasis on personal wholeness, human potential,
and the freedom to be ourselves has quietly shifted us away from a burning concern for
becoming more like the Lord to a more primary interest in our development as persons which,
we are implicitly promised, will lead to our happiness.”
While the by-product of a relationship with God will be happiness, ultimately, neither the
goal of the Christian life nor of Christian counseling is an individual’s happiness. A conscious
effort to find happiness may preclude it from ever becoming reality. Is it possible that a
seriously neglected truth in some Christian counseling is this: “The basic biblical reason for
wanting to solve your personal problem should be that you want to enter into a deeper
relationship with God, to please Him more effectively through worship and service.” From a
biblical orientation, personal happiness is seen as a by-product of counseling and not the
primary goal.
Jesus’ concern for people included not only their eternal security but also their well-being
in this life. He stated that He had come to give life in abundance and in all its fullness. The
implication is that He was dealing with a quality of life here and now and an everlasting life in
the presence of the Father. The Christian counselor has the same ultimate goals of showing
people how to have abundant lives now and how to enter into the eternal life promised to all
believers. The Great Commission compels the Christian counselor to desire to see all his
counselees become disciples of Christ. Collins wrote that “if we take the words of Jesus
seriously we are likely to reach the conclusion that a fully abundant life only comes to those
who seek to live in accordance with His teachings.”
Adhering to biblical directives in counseling focuses the goal for both counselor and
counselee. Abundant life in Christ is the goal, but a major aspect of the goal is bringing glory to
God. The Scripture admonishes us to do all for the glory of the Lord. So the ultimate goal
behind all Christian activity, including counseling, is to glorify God. Christians are never totally
humanistic; everything that is done involves the vertical dimension. While there are elements
of human characteristics in what we do, the overarching goal is to glorify God.
This goal is not only in view for the so-called Christian “professional” or “pastoral”
counselor. The same holds true for all those who are called to “bear one another’s burdens” (all
Christians). In light of this ultimate goal, the chief objective of biblically oriented peer
counseling must be considered. Adams has written,
Let us ask, then, “What is the overall objective of lay counseling?” We have already noted
… that Paul calls us to restore erring brothers and sisters to their place of usefulness to Christ in
His church (Gal. 6:1). Restoration to usefulness, therefore, is the objective of Christian
counseling. Whenever you counsel another you must ask, “How has his usefulness to Christ
been diminished by his problem?”
This goal of restoration should guide the attitudes and activities of the counselor. The
desire is not to punish, expose failures, or gloat; counseling occurs for restoration.
The orientation of the Christian counselor, unlike other counselors, is not merely directed
toward the counselee. The Christian counselor wants to honor Christ, and like Him, he also
cares about the church. Failure of any part of the body adversely affects the whole.
“Counseling, therefore, is not only an interaction between a counselor and one or more
persons in a counseling room; it also interacts in any number of ways with the entire church
and all of its activities.”Each counselor must understand that all that is done is not only for the
counselee but for the glory of the Lord and His church.
Figure 1 reveals the structure of biblical change that will both benefit the counselee and
edify the church. Heart leads to walk. Idolatry leads to disobedience. Faith leads to obedience.
Change of heart leads to a change of walk. There is a massive, invisible sin that lies at the root
of every visible one. What is the change for which biblical counseling aims? Powlison explains,
B M B* is rank moralism: “do’s and don’t’s.” A-B M A* is pietism: “Let go and let God.” B M
A*-B* is a subtler error. The put-off (B), put-on (B*) and faith in Jesus Christ (A*) are all present.
But the structure of “false faiths” (A) is neglected. This is the configuration into which I fear
nouthetic counselors often drift. We fail to minister the full inner impact of the conviction of
sin. Hence the desperateness of our need for Jesus Christ is weakened. Hence the renewal of
mind and heart by the promises of God practically is downplayed. We become incipiently
moralistic. Biblical change is A-B M A*-B*. The inordinate swarming desires of the flesh are
treated in the same detail as the works of the flesh, the simple desires of the Spirit of Jesus
Christ and the fruit of the Spirit. (See figure l)
The Role of the Holy Spirit
Earlier in this article it was demonstrated how the Scriptures themselves give testimony of
their origin, content, sufficiency, applicability, and eternality. Careful study of the Scriptures will
reveal to any inquirer these facts. But the Holy Spirit, who indwells the life of every believer,
brings these truths to life and empowers the believer to act on them.
One of the fundamental messages of the Scriptures is that the Holy Spirit desires to assist
all believers in the discovery of ways for living the Christian life to its highest potential. Included
in this is equipping believers for fulfilling important ministries necessary for doing God’s will in
the world. The teachings in the Bible concerning the personality and activity of the Holy Spirit
offer a remarkable example for the counselor.
As described in Scripture, the Holy Spirit is seen as a helper or comforter. Counseling may
be defined as a specially devised relationship in which one person, through knowledge and
experience, serves to guide another through a process of clarification and resolution of basic
life problems. This is a specialized form of helping people and one in which the Holy Spirit plays
a vital role.
The Holy Spirit is referred to in the Scripture as the Person within the Godhead who makes
application of the fruits of the finished work of Christ to creation until the end of time. Since
Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit is the “down
payment” of what is to come. Through Him reality is brought into our confused and broken
time. “What Jesus—the First Helper—accomplished, the Holy Spirit—the Second Helper—was
dispatched to make vivid and real.” The Holy Spirit applies the fruits of Christ’s achievement to
mankind. The empty tomb is where Jesus triumphed over everything that destroys, even Satan
himself. The mission of the Spirit is to point people to Christ. Without the achievement of Christ
at Calvary and beyond, the work of the Holy Spirit would not be meaningful.
The significance for the counselor in these facts is that he would do well to model his
ministry to others on the “Christocentric” principle. Not that he should ignore the work of the
Holy Spirit, but that he will be continually mindful that his primary task is to bring people into
vital contact with Jesus. This means that the Christian counselor will allow nothing to divert any
primary objectives away from the truth that healing can only occur through Jesus.
An additional implication is that the counselor would do well to acknowledge that training
in psychological theory and clinical techniques offers no guarantee of adequate wisdom to help
a client. The counselor must play the role of a catalyst in the healing process. Just as the Holy
Spirit focuses attention on Christ, so the counselor must stand aside and point the client to the
One who alone has the power to deal with the fundamental problems of humanity, relying
upon the Holy Spirit for guidance in that role.
What actualizes all true Christian helping is the influence of the Holy Spirit. His presence
and influence make genuinely Christian counseling truly unique. Collins has written that
“through prayer, meditation on the Scriptures, regular confessions of sin, and daily deliberate
commitment to Christ, the counselor-teacher becomes an instrument through whom the Holy
Spirit may work to comfort, help, teach, convict, or guide another human being.” This should
reflect the goal of every Christian pastor, professional counselor, or lay counselor: to be used by
the Holy Spirit to touch and change lives, and to bring them to both spiritual and psychological
maturity through the teaching of Scripture.Adams has written that biblically oriented
counseling must be carried on in harmony with the regenerating and sanctifying work of the
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called “Holy” because of his nature and his work. All holiness stems
from his activity in human lives. All of the personality traits that might be held forth to
counselees as fundamental goals for growth (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) God declares to be the “fruit” (i.e., the result of the work)
of the Spirit. Not only is it futile to attempt to generate these qualities apart from him (as non-
Christian and even some Christian counselors try to do), but such an approach is at bottom
rebellion against God grounded upon humanistic assumptions of man’s autonomy. By-passing
the Spirit amounts to the denial of human depravity and the affirmation of man’s innate
goodness.
A legalistic “works righteousness” leads ultimately to despair in the counselee since it
divests itself of the life and power of the Spirit and undercuts the need for grace and the
atoning work of Christ.
There is no tangible element at work which moves the counselor or the counselee along a
path leading to successful resolution of a problem. If so, it would quickly be packaged and
snapped up at any price by harried counselors. Instead, the grace of God works by a
demonstration of His love through His Spirit.
Through the work of God’s Spirit, potential for wholeness is realized in spite of an
individual’s condition. The counselor becomes a catalyst for and observer of the work of the
Spirit. The degree of success in counseling should not be attributed to the counselor, but rather
to the activity of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, counselors should not emotionally divorce
themselves from their counselees. Counselors must not see themselves as responsible for the
emotional health of their clients but as those who can affect change by making their personal
abilities available to the Holy Spirit. Anderson has written in The Holy Spirit and Counseling,
Scripture abounds with examples of the Holy Spirit at work in revealing truth and assisting
those who are sensitive to the truth. Solomon asked for and received an understanding heart to
judge, to be able to discern between good and evil (1 Kings 4:29). Elisha was observed by the
Shunammite woman to be a holy man of God (2 Kings 4:9). Nehemiah discerned a false prophet
(Neh. 6:12). Jesus sensed the criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Luke 5:22), and the woman
of Samaria perceived Christ to be a prophet (John 4:19). These few examples may only serve to
illustrate how observant these people were, but just as easily, they may be interpreted to
represent the activity of the Spirit in bringing or revealing the truth to these people. These
illustrations may represent the potential interaction of the Holy Spirit with Spirit-directed
counselors who, because of faith and counselor training, are set apart to utilize the intuitive
function of the Holy Spirit in helping others.
The Spirit of God is a necessary factor in ministry. The Spirit’s power is seen in actions taken
by the one who ministers at the Spirit’s direction and leading. In a sense, God’s Spirit can be
used in us to reach out to minister in tangible levels of human existence. “In this manner, there
is demonstration not only of one’s own spirit of concern, but, through the Spirit-led counselor,
the presence of the Holy Spirit stands alongside as a Helper in the therapeutic setting.”
Every aspect of true spiritual growth in the life of the believer is prompted by the Spirit,
using the truth of Scripture: “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.” The counselor who
discounts this point will experience failure, frustration, and discouragement. Fundamental
changes in the human heart can only be brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the presence of the Holy Spirit is necessary in all effective biblical counseling. The
counselor can offer objective guidance and steps for change, but unless the Holy Spirit is
working in the heart of the counselee, any apparent change will be illusory, superficial, or
temporary. The result will be the reappearance of the original problems or the appearance of
new ones. John MacArthur wrote in his recently published book concerning the work of the
Holy Spirit,
The true believer, however, does have a Helper who dwells within. He is the Holy Spirit,
who applies the objective truth of Scripture in the process of sanctification. Yet even he does
not draw our attention inward, or to Himself. Instead, he directs our focus upward, to Christ…
Ultimately, it is unto Christ that the counselee’s focus must be directed. “Beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). That is the process of sanctification. And it
is the ultimate goal of all truly biblical counseling.
