There are Six Crucial Issues in Contemporary Biblical Counseling. b Picking one over the
other five is difficult as there are several that are significant i.e. Number Three “The
relationship between human responsibility and humans suffering and human suffering
needs a great deal of clarification” and Number Four “We need to press much further in
understanding the biblical data about the counselor-counselee relationship”, which are both
significant issues and important aspects in Contemporary Biblical Counseling. b However, in
my opinion, Number Six “The relationship of biblical counseling to secular psychology
needs to be publicly clarified” is the most crucial issues in Contemporary Biblical
Counseling. b Having a standardized way of providing Biblical counseling is important. b
Understanding that there is some overlap in secular psychology and the Bible’s truth but
that ultimately God’s Word is most significant in finding answers to counselee’s problems.
b b b b b b b b b b b b b There are three strategies for clear presuppositional thinking relating to biblical
counseling with evangelistic and apologetic strength to “redeem error by replacing distorted
bits back within their proper biblical framework” (Powlison, p. 256). b Strategy 3 or otherwise
referred to as Beauty 3 in the text is discussed using intellectual and secular psychology,
Christian and Non-Christians into a useful partnership as the contemporary Christian
counseling will be successful in integrating Biblical truths with secular psychology
(Powlison, 2010). b If we as counselor’s do not know how to help others heal from their
problems using insights into the field of psychology and effectively being able to apply our
knowledge of the God’s Word to “reframe everything that psychologists see and hold dear,
and to reinterpret it into the categories of biblical truth” we could lose opportunities to
share God’s love, grace, and mercy with our counselees (Powlison, p. 257).
b b b b b b b b b b b b b In Appendix 4, Powlison makes the distinction for a Presbyterian Church in
America (PCA) pastors who are knowledgeable about the Bible, history of the church and
ability to preach Gods Word however PCA pastors are not examined on how they will
provide counseling ministry to individuals (Powlison, 2010). Using this example about the
PCA pastors, they may be ill equipped to provide effective biblical counseling using parts of
psychology to support a counselee with the problem they are seeking help for, depending
on what lens the pastor is using to counsel. b b b
b b b b b b b b b b b b b Mr. Baker stated in this week’s lecture that “we have the ability to be
responsibly eclectic, to study a material that does not come from the work of Biblical
counseling (and) to discard that which is not useful, to embrace that, which can help us ” b
which provides an opportunity for Christians in the psychology field to be mindful of how to
integrate Biblical truth into their clinical practice (Liberty University, 2013). b
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b References
Liberty University. (2013). Issues in Contemporary Christian Counseling. Liberty University
b b b b b b b b b b b b b Watch: Issues in Contemporary Christian Counseling: PACO507: Theology and
Spirituality in Counseling (D02) (liberty.edu)
Powlison, D. (2010). The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context. Greensboro,
NC: b b b b b b b
New Growth Press.
