Abstract
The current article is an attempt to honor the tenets of the biblical counseling movement while providing schemata that encourages interaction with extra-biblical data. A biblical systematic care of souls is presented, and empirical data are offered to serve as an adjunct to formulate a holistic care of souls. Empirical inquiry is encouraged so long as a biblical foundation serves as the basis of interpretation.
Keywords
A special edition of the Journal of Psychology and Theology dedicated to the sufficiency of scripture evidences the supreme value of this construct in the ongoing development of and dialogue within Christian soul care. The phrase itself may elicit a myriad of responses since historically during what some have dubbed “the counseling wars” (Powlison, 1996) it served as a potent dividing line parsing out the various approaches now established within the Christian soul care community. It was a season characterized by men and women who embraced Scripture as the foundation of human life and were genuinely seeking to develop a mode of Christian care that would not be swallowed up by the philosophy of modernism that dominated the psychological field of the time.
The modernist movement culminated in what one author has referred to as “flatland” wherein spiritual considerations were leveled as archaic superstitions while “empirical science became scientism, the belief that there is no reality save that revealed by science, and no truth save that which science delivers” (Wilber, 1998, p. 56). The spiritual was exorcized from the material, and no longer found a place in the rigors of psychological study. There were exceptions to this rule as evidenced in the ideas postulated by men such as William James and Carl Jung, but for the most part spirituality was not considered a viable arena deserving of serious empirical or psychological inquiry. This cultural development required Christians in the fields of psychology and theology to consider the distinctions of their own worldview assumptions in relation to the modernist assumptions that were shaping the field of psychology. This, in turn, required them to consider the Bible’s role in the realms of psychology and counseling (Adams, 1970; Collins, 1969; Jeeves, 1976). While this was a crucial time in the development of Christian soul care, it was certainly not the first time that individuals who embraced the Christian faith exercised reflection on the written words of Scripture to consider its relevance in tending to the maladies of the mind.
The Bible and Soul Care: A Brief History
The Bible itself claims to be God’s breathed words “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16) while offering all things necessary for life and godliness through one’s knowledge of God as revealed in Scripture (2 Pet. 1:3). As such, the Bible may be considered the source wherein a deeper knowledge of God and God’s life-guiding wisdom may be found.
Furthermore, the Bible also recognizes God as the “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa. 9:6; Jn. 15:26), and God’s intent to offer his divine counsel to humanity appears in the initial chapters of Genesis at which time he directed Adam pertaining to the pathways that lead to life or death (Gen. 2:15–17). The cadence of God verbalizing his counsel to humankind continues from that time forth as witnessed in examples such as God providing Moses and the children of Israel with the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20), calling Nathan to confront David regarding his sin (2 Sam. 12), warning Isaiah of the dangers implicit in rebelling against God’s wisdom (Isa.1), encouraging Joshua to meditate on His words day and night to enjoy the blessings of obedience (Joshua 1:6–8), warning of the inward calamities that unfold when people place ultimate trust in others (Jer. 17:7–6), while also providing life-giving knowledge wherein spiritual abundance is realized as a product of trusting God in the midst of adversity (Jer. 17:7–9).
God’s wisdom also gives a plethora of insights into various aspects of the human psyche (i.e., soul). It highlights the fallen heart’s deceitful tendencies (Jer. 17:9; Eph. 4:17–22), the location or origin of thoughts, words, and behaviors (Matt.15:17–20), the fundamental nature and elements of human motivation (Matt. 6:21; Rom. 3, 8:5–8; Gal. 5:16–25; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:5), and the existential ethos for life, change, and healing (Ps. 19:1; I Cor. 10:31).
Nowhere more potently does God illustrate his intentionality to provide counsel and hope to humanity than in the revelation of himself in the person of Jesus (Jn. 1:1–18). It is from Jesus’ teachings that God’s faithfulness is revealed to the poor in spirit, the one who mourns, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted (Matt. 5:3–12). Jesus’ counsel guides a proper understanding of things such as anger, lust, divorce, and revenge (Matt. 5). His wisdom provides rich, eternally significant insights on how to treat one’s enemy with love and kindness (Matt. 5:43–47) and leads individuals through detailed, intimate counsel on how to communicate with God (Matt. 6:9–13).
The ultimate hope to which God’s counsel points is found in Jesus and his finished work as understood in the Gospel. Jesus lived in a fallen world, was tempted in every way humanly possible, and remained sinless (Heb. 4:15). He became the propitiation for the sins of his people, therefore receiving the punishment of God’s wrath as though he were the guilty sinner (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17–18). By placing faith in Jesus alone God imputes Christ’s own righteousness to the believer thus accounting the perfection and righteousness of His son to the one exercising faith (Matt. 11:29–30; Rom. 1:16–17). It is within this context, one’s life hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3), that individuals are privileged to receive counsel from God’s Word while being free to struggle with sin and suffering without experiencing condemnation (Rom. 8:1). God’s counsel throughout the New Testament is an ongoing admonition to find hope and freedom in what Jesus has accomplished on behalf of the citizens of his kingdom while resisting the temptation to find hope in one’s ability to achieve a certain level of health or morality (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 3:21–25; 2 Cor. 5:18–21; Gal. 5:1–6). The culmination of God’s counsel, provision, and healing, therefore, centers the care of souls on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 8:31–32).
Drawing from the understanding that God has provided his counsel for the purpose of intricate soul care, a rich history emerges in which it is evident that God’s people have long sought to formulate systems of care rooted in Scripture. Johnson (2007) cites various first-century works attributing them to early soul care endeavors since their writings “contributed to a notable reformation of individuals’ thinking and behavior that led to a growing sub-community distinguished by a certain way of life shaped by Scripture” (p. 52). Augustine’s perspective on such issues was certainly influential, and dominated the arena of psychology for eight centuries (Hunt, 1993) while the mission of Aquinas’s Dominican order was “the care of souls” (DeYoung, 2009). The Reformation also produced elaborate theologies of human nature, human motivation, and personality development (e.g., as understood in the doctrine of sanctification) through the works of skilled theologians such as Martin Luther’s The Bondage of the Will and John Calvin’s The Institutes of the Christian Religion.
The Puritans also offered elaborate theologies and systems of care through the impressive theological aptitude of scholars such as Richard Baxter, Jonathan Edwards, and John Owen. Referencing Johnson (2007) again, he notes, While our era far outstrips theirs in terms of an understanding of the created mechanics of human development and soul change, ours is dwarfed by theirs with regard to the more important expertise of applying the Bible to the greatest needs of the soul. (p. 62)
Therefore, it is apparent from this cursory overview of God’s counsel to humanity as well as Scripture serving as the guiding lens to formulate an understanding of human nature, human problems, and human change among the early Church fathers, the Reformers, and the Puritans to name a few, that considering the nature of the Scripture’s sufficiency in the current discussion among those within Christian soul care is certainly warranted. The author of this article approaches the topic of the sufficiency of Scripture as one who both ascribes to a biblical counseling approach and serves as a licensed practitioner. The current article will seek to outline a perspective of the Bible’s sufficiency that encourages a robust interaction with and utilization of empirical data while maintaining a faithful adherence to the foundational tenets of biblical counseling. Analysis of biblical foundations, theological systems, and psychological data, will be considered.
Epistemology and an Emerging Schema
A salient construct foundational to formulating a rigorous view of the sufficiency of Scripture is that of epistemology. Determining one’s ultimate ground of knowledge is an imperative task that will inform how one conceptualizes the Bible’s value and function as it pertains to the study of psychology and counseling. It will also shape one’s understanding when interacting with issues pertinent to the inquiries with which psychology is most interested. Inquiries related to anthropological assumptions, processes involved in human motivation, etiological conclusions pertaining to psychological pathology, methodological impressions most suitable for prescription, familial dynamics, as well as relational dysfunction, relational health, and physiological variables relevant for the diagnostic process. For researchers who embrace a materialist view—and this is by far the population by whom the proliferation of psychological data is conducted and published—epistemology is rooted in the philosophy of logical positivism postulating the idea that true knowledge is primarily (if not exclusively) discovered through the rigors of the Scientific Method. Concerns arise for individuals who do not hold to these same epistemological assumptions since interpretation of the data and conclusions drawn are infused with worldview assumptions often antithetical to biblical presuppositions.
To advance a robust perspective of the sufficiency of Scripture as it applies to psychology it is the author’s perspective that one will naturally refer to the Bible as his or her epistemological base. This posture places the Bible as authoritative over all other sources of data. While such a stance may be off-putting or dismissed in the present cultural milieu this approach is no different than scientist who take a similar stance as it pertains to empirical research. All people seeking knowledge and understanding give something or someone the final authority whether it be one’s emotional experience, culture, government, peer-reviewed journals, or a holy book (DeYoung, 2014). Therefore ascribing final authority to the Bible is a rational position when considering the current topic.
The Bible: A trustworthy authority
Securing Scripture as an authoritative base rests on the presuppositions that it has divine origin (1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; 2 Pet. 1:19–21), that the God who has spoken propositionally through it is infinitely wise and truthful (Prov. 30:5–6; 1 Cor. 2:12–13), and therefore it is useful for reviving the soul, bringing forth wisdom for living, revealing what is right, impacting the psyche, enlightening understanding, affirming what is true, and is extremely valuable to the one who heeds its wisdom (Ps. 19:7–11). This basis then serves to inform a conceptual schema from which a rigorous hermeneutic for understanding God, people, motivation, change, purpose, relationships, psychology, and any other reality experienced or encountered is constructed (Welch & Powlison, 1997). Without this schema securely formulated the interaction with secular data becomes suspect to being skewed or distorted by materialist assumptions propagated by secular empiricism. Therefore, the sufficiency of Scripture outlined in this article has at least two implications.
First, the Bible is sufficient to address the myriad of psychological, emotional, and relational issues for which people seek help and this is not limited to general issues specifically cited within it’s pages (e.g., anger, lust, anxiety, adultery, etc.), but offers a robust system of care developed from wisely constructed theologies such as that of human nature, etiology, the process and telos of change, and the purpose of counseling.
Second, the Bible is sufficient in providing Christians a divine grid to assist when interpreting, interacting with, and utilizing data and conclusions within the existing secular literature.
Schematic constructs
Considering the Bible as a sufficient source for the functional purposes of psychology requires the development of a robust systematic theology of care (Johnson, 1992). Constructing such a system infuses the idea of “the sufficiency of scripture” with schemata that formulate (1) a conceptual lens that shapes the diagnostic and prescriptive elements of the counseling or therapeutic endeavor and (2) a conceptual lens that informs the interpretive task of psychological data. A review of the literature suggests that constructs salient to a Christian schema pertaining to soul care include the Bible (Jeeves, 1976; Jones, 2006; Powlison, 1993; Roberts, 1997), God (Collins, 2007; Jones, 2006; Powlison, 2000), human nature (Adams, 1979; Carter & Narramore, 1979; Kellemen, 2007; Welch, 1994), grace (Johnson, 2007; McMinn, 2008; Powlison, 1994), sin (Adams, 1970; Monroe, 2001; Welch, 1999), and change (Adams, 1973; Collins, 2007; Powlison, 2000). In addition, themes that emerged from a previous study I conducted on the constructs of a biblical model of counseling in which experts from the fields of Christian psychology, biblical counseling, Christian counseling, and Nouthetic counseling participated included the role of the Bible, the role of theology, a view of human nature, influence of suffering, sin and evil, the role of psychology and science, the role of the Gospel, the role of God in counseling, the role of the church, the role of relationship, and specific methodology (Lelek, 2012).
Deducing from the existing literature this article will briefly outline schemata pertinent to the sufficiency of Scripture including the role of God, a view of human nature, human motivation, the nature and process of change as well as the function of empirical data within a sufficiency of scripture framework.
The constructs essential to a view of the sufficiency of Scripture will be considered within a broader theological scheme articulated in the narrative of the Bible, and comprises of three parts—Creation, Fall, and Redemption.
The Role of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The Bible gives humanity access to the Deus revelatus or those aspects of God he has chosen to reveal about himself. This revelation is not exhaustive, but is sufficient. It brings awareness that in God “all things hold together” (Col. 1:17), and that every minutia of his narrative is unfolding within his awareness and according to the perfect purposes of his will (Ps. 139:15; Matt. 10:31; Lk. 12:7; Col. 1:16; Eph. 1:11). Johnson (2007) has noted that a “Christian disciplinary matrix for psychology begins with considerations of God” (p. 261). Contemplating God in the pursuit of a Christian schema for the sufficiency of scripture presses toward an orthodoxy in which it is articulated that God (1) exist in three persons, (2) each person is fully God, and (3) there is one God—otherwise referred to as the Trinity (Matt. 28:19–20; Rom. 8:26–39; 2 Cor. 13:14) (Grudem, 1994).
As I have outlined in more detail elsewhere (Lelek, 2018, Ch. 6) each person of the Trinity plays a distinctive role in the created order, and I would suggest this includes an active involvement and sincere interest in the realm of what is known in current culture as psychology (e.g., human nature, the psyche, motivation, transformation, change, trauma, health, relationships, meaning, etc.). The theological conception here is understood as the “economic Trinity” or “the Trinity in its relation to creation, including the specific roles played by the Trinitarian persons through the history of creation, providence, and redemption” (Frame, 2002, p. 706). Frame further specifies these distinctions within the Trinity as follows: the Father plans, the Son executes, and the Spirit applies (1 Pet. 1:1–2). The transmission of these roles does not exclude one person from the other rather simultaneously involve all three persons.
God’s intentions and purposes in these distinct roles are shaped by His incommunicable attributes (e.g., omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, immutability, eternality, and sovereignty) as well as his communicable attributes (e.g., holiness, love, truth, righteousness, mercy, and beauty). It is from the latter that a portrait of human flourishing or what psychology refers to as mental health may be rightly composed. As people are transformed to increasingly emulate these qualities throughout their lifespans they more closely reflect the divine Archetype in whose image they have been made, therefore gradually attaining the wholeness and fullness of humanity as it existed in its original form (Gen. 1–2), yet ultimately exceeding the original through the power of the Gospel in glorification (Rom. 8:30; 1 Cor. 15:42–56). This captures the essence of Calvin’s assertion that humans can only understand themselves accurately (a pursuit of psychological study) if they first have an understanding of God (though dim that understanding may be) (Calvin, 1960).
The Father’s plan
A sufficiency view of Scripture acknowledges that counseling (or empirical research) does not occur in a neutral space. Rather, all human activity is transpiring within the sovereign plan of Another (Prov. 19:21; Col. 1:16; Jas. 4:14–15). This plan is centered primarily in the glory of God (Ps. 19:1; Ps. 96:3–4; 1 Cor. 10:31), and is reflected in Jesus’ own motivational priorities as the Word become flesh (Jn. 1:14; 4:34b, 7:18; 17:4). As such, believers engaged in counseling or research as well as any attempts to apply extra-biblical data to this endeavor should also primarily strive to this end. A deficiency in this aim inevitably results in a tragic existential and moral distortion (Rom. 1:21–32) wherein humanity becomes the chief reference point of knowing and thus fostering the illusion of autonomy. It is from this distorted ontological location that the most accurate interpretation of reality, wellness, and data is lost (Van Til, 1974). 1
God’s plan is eternal and includes creation, fall, and redemption. It is in the latter that the Son’s accomplishing and the Spirit’s applying are presently and continually unfolding.
God’s plan is revealed through humanity primarily in redeeming human hearts so that individuals are awakened to their chief aim, and are empowered to serve his eternal purposes as his workmanship (Eph. 2:10). Peter cites the workmanship mission as one in which people are commissioned to “proclaim the excellencies of him” who has called them out of darkness into his “marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). God’s sovereign purposes in redemption are inevitable, and are being accomplished in all things (Rom. 8:28–30).
God’s plan is also secondarily revealed in and through all humanity by both his love and glory resting upon them (Ps. 8:5; Matt. 5:43–48). He is glorified through his perfection in dispensing his kindness toward those who reject and even despise him.
Jesus the Redeemer
Jesus was eternally assigned to fulfill the plan of redemption to the glory of the Father as revealed early in the biblical narrative (Gen. 3:15). Jesus is considered the center of all genuine Christian soul care (Adams, 1970), the only deserving ruler of the heart (Powlison, 2005), the one whose view determines all other views (Powlison, 2000), and is the exclusive one with the power to fundamentally rewire the human heart (Powlison, 2005).
Fulfilling the plan he refused to hold on to what was rightfully his (Philippians 2:6), and instead chose to enter the fractured cosmos as the divine in human form (Matt. 2), willed to succumb to every temptation of human experience, and passed the test of each so that he might die the spotless Lamb who would take away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29; Heb. 4:15). Through his life, death, and resurrection Jesus became the propitiation for sin to all who believe (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 2:2), the righteousness of everyone who exercises faith in him (Rom. 3:21–24), and the Christian’s eternal advocate as he currently resides at the right hand of the Father (Rom. 8:34).
Jesus fully accomplishing the plan set forth by the Father provides Christians the blessing to engage mental, emotional, psychological, and relational challenges without fear of condemnation (Rom. 8:1) since in union with Jesus his righteousness is imputed onto the believer providing safety and freedom to struggle. It is within this union that individuals can find ultimate rest for their weary souls (Matt. 11:28–30).
The indicatives of the Gospel, therefore, serve as central elements in the process of change and are foundational to a Christocentric perspective of psychology and the counseling process. These indicatives relate to the vertical aspect of atonement wherein the Father now credits believers with the record of Jesus in that they are deemed justified (Rom. 8:30), righteous (Rom. 3:21–22; 4:5–8), perfect (Heb.10:14), and holy (Eph. 4:23–24) since their lives are now hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:1–3). Emphasizing the Gospel indicatives promotes a motivation for change that is appropriately centered in God’s love and grace, therefore protecting individuals from the burdensome and isolating consequences of what Paul referred to as a “yoke of slavery” in which individuals become fixated on their own efforts or performance (e.g., law) as the means to God’s acceptance (Gal. 5:1–5). The finished work of Jesus rescues people from this encumbrance, and replaces it with an eternal freedom found in him alone.
The role of the Holy Spirit
Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit referencing him as one who would serve as a Helper or Comforter—the Paraclete (Jn. 14:16). Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is applying all that Jesus accomplished through his life, death, and resurrection to those who believe, therefore sealing and guaranteeing their salvation (2 Cor. 1:21–22; Eph. 1:13–14). While Jesus accomplished the Father’s plan, therefore providing a safe context in which believers may contend with the complications and exacerbations of sin and suffering, the Holy Spirit is committed to empowering the believer in the process of change and transformation (Gal. 5:22–23). Aspects of his involvement include regenerating the heart (Jn. 3:5), producing conviction for sin (Jn. 16:8), revealing truth from Scripture (Jn. 16:13), and helping Christians comprehend the love of Jesus (Eph. 3:14–19).
The complimentary role of Jesus and the Holy Spirit elevate the indicatives while also promoting actual heart transformation so that individuals intentionally engage in the process of becoming that which they are already deemed by the Father in their union with Jesus (Eph. 4:22–24; Heb. 10:14). Sanctification, therefore, is also central to the Holy Spirit’s work in that the Father is using every element of an individual’s life experience to fulfill the perfect good whereby they are being progressively conformed into the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:28–29). Jones (2006) outlined the characteristics of such divine change as being evidenced in a person’s capacity to have faith in God, the ability to express divine love to others, the ability to have godly focus, and a divine perspective.
To acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s involvement in actuating change within the heart is to recognize the Spirit’s role in psychological healing. His involvement rewires affections, reorients cognitions, and re-habituates behaviors. His power reshapes a person’s entire character through divinely induced qualities such as love, joy, patience, gentleness, kindness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23). As such, healing and transformation are not considered outcomes of autonomy, but ongoing learned dependency.
A Theologically Informed Anthropology
The guiding conceptual framework for any psychology rests in a theory’s proposed view of human nature. Whether one considers the earlier theories of personality such as found in psychoanalysis (Hall, 1982), Client-centered therapy (Rogers, 1989), and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (Ellis, 2001) or more recent protocols of care such as the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Barlow et al., 2018) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) (Shapiro, 2018) any approach to human care operates from a specified view of humankind’s makeup.
Scripture offers a very distinct perspective of human nature that stands in contrast to most of the assumptions proposed in the secular literature. These distinctions inform clinical diagnostic features, prescriptive methodologies, as well as curative goals within the counseling process. In considering the schematic matrix of a biblical anthropology it will be helpful to separate the discussion into the three main segments of the biblical narrative—creation, fall, and redemption.
Human nature in creation
A primary feature of human nature within the creation narrative is realized in the Imago Dei or the idea that humanity has been created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Scholars in soul care believe this is the starting point in formulating a biblical view of humankind (Carter & Narramore, 1979; Jeeves, 1976; Johnson, 2000). Some postulate that humans reflect God’s image in their ability to reason, choose, love, relate to others and experience emotion (Groves & Smith, 2019; Sproul, 2014). Sproul adds that the perfect reflection of God was realized in Jesus who was “the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3) and that Christ’s nature most exhibited God in his capacity to “reflect the holiness and righteousness of God” on earth (p. 103). This postulation has profound impact on psychology and the counseling endeavor in that in provides the telos for human change.
Another component of the Imago Die is humanity’s design to bring forth God’s glory within the created order (Matt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 10:31). God’s glory is the guiding aim of healthy human motivation and is partly captured in Jesus’ summation of the law to love God and others (Matt. 22:37). All other desires, longings, thoughts, and behaviors are rightly conceptualized only vis-a-vis the glory of God. Identifying humanity’s design as such provides an existential orientation for the counseling process in that the aim of this endeavor becomes centered in goals aligned with God’s will, namely his own glory.
Fallen human nature
Many view the ills of human psychological functioning as having their ultimate origin in the separation or alienation from the One in whose image mankind has been created (Collins, 1977; Jeeves, 1976). Such alienation is intrinsic to human functioning and originates in the biblical account of the Fall (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12–14). The Fall disoriented humanity in that God’s glory no longer remained central to the human experience. Instead, sin’s corrupting impact culminated in hearts of unfaithfulness wherein humanity’s natural posture toward God became one of distrust (Pierre, 2016). It created what Kierkegaard described as “an underlying attitude of prideful autonomy over against God” (Evans, 1990, p. 57). Roberts (1997) contends that such disorientation is the root of dysfunction since individuals refuse to submit to and acknowledge God as Lord. Kellemen (2007) ascribes such a posture as being motivated by the “mind of the flesh” in which people deny their dependence upon God. This alienation and refusal to submit is prompted by what is conceptualized in Scripture as the flesh (Adams, 1970; Kellemen, 2007).
The flesh is an essential construct in developing a biblically informed view of human nature. It is the source of motivation that necessitates biblical care. The word “flesh” in the New Testament is taken from the word sarx and “represents the whole person considered from the perspective of physical existence” (Kellemen, 2007, p. 434). This includes the body, brain, bone, belly, nervous system, glands, chemical make-up, and the five senses. Kellemen argues that Christians cannot be in the flesh, but can walk according to the flesh (or their former manner of life) in which they give in to habitual patterns developed by the flesh over time.
Another feature of human nature impacted by the Fall is the heart (Prov. 4:23; Jer. 17:9–10; Matt. 6:21). The heart is considered the final cause of human functioning responsible for wishes, cares, intentions, plans, motives, emotions, thoughts, attitudes, and imaginings (Roberts, 1997; Welch, 1991). Scripture diagnoses the fallen heart as being dead in sin (Eph. 2:1), deceitful (Eph. 4:22), hostile to God (Rom. 8:7), cognitively futile, darkened in understanding, hardened and calloused to God, greedy to practice impurity (Eph. 4:17–19), and covetous against God (Jas. 4:2). Jesus placed the heart at the center of fallen human psychology ascribing to it the source of evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander (Matt. 15:17–19). Powlison (1993) identifies it as the crucible where the first great commandment is played out in the act of loving and fearing God or something else. The heart’s activity positions the fundamental core of humanity as being creatures motivated by worship (Tripp, 2001; Welch, 2003). Since sin, via the Fall, is now a significant variable in human volition, cognition, affection, and behavior the heart’s natural inclination is to refuse God’s testimony as true, resist God as infinitely valuable, and rebel against submission to his will (Pierre, 2016).
Summarizing the nature of humanity in its fallen state the apostle Paul is worth noting. His teaching provides a graphic description—no one is righteous, no one truly understands or seeks after God, all hearts have turned away culminating in deceitful tongues, poisonous mouths full of bitterness, cursing, and violence. They are naturally blinded to the fear of God (the ground of all wisdom) (Prov. 9:10; Rom. 3:11–18).
Human nature redeemed
The heart remains in a deadened, fallen state until God, by grace, initiates a spiritual resurrection catalyzing a miraculous faith in Jesus (Eph. 2:4–9). This new faith produces a transformation in which an individual begins to move from walking in sin, following the prince of the power of the air, living in the passions of the flesh, and carrying out egocentric, sinful desires to possessing the ability to live as God’s workmanship and walking in his eternal plans of good works to the glory and praise of his name (Eph. 2:1–3; 10). This grace-induced faith creates new capacity in the heart and mind so that the supernatural and the invisible are rightly understood (Rom. 1:19–20; Heb. 11:3). It empowers the “people of God to interpret the visible world in light of the invisible; earthly realities taken in by the senses and processed in the mind are done by faith in heavenly realities that are unseen” (Pierre, 2016, p. 74). The disorientation of the fallen state begins to realign, and the trajectory of existence becomes influenced by a reformation of the heart (i.e., desires, cognitions, affections, emotions, etc.) in which God’s glory progressively becomes the priority since conformity to the image of Jesus is being accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit.
While the renewed heart enters a progressive process of divine change (i.e., sanctification), the influence of sin remains, but in a form that has lost its dominion (Rom. 6:14; Gal. 5:16–17). The regenerate heart continues to be susceptible to its former futility and deceit, but individuals are now empowered to resist such influences while embracing a new identity out of which they are called to function (Eph. 4:17–24).
The new heart is transformed in such a way that new affections, cognitions, and hopes are awakened. As citizens in a new kingdom (Col. 1:13), individuals now interpret and experience the dynamics of the heart vis-à-vis God and his Word locating the new heart in a perpetual context of worship (Pierre, 2016). The worship dynamic is most clearly understood by examining what an individual functionally treasures or loves (Matt. 6:21–24). These loves shape the liturgies of life and reside at the core of human agency (Smith, 2016).
Redeemed cognitions
Cognitions of the redeemed heart are now situated in a new reality in which God’s truths can be known, considered, reasoned with, and obeyed from a posture of loving God since believers now have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:9–16). Loving one’s spouse, friend, neighbor, or enemy becomes continually interconnected with transcendence and a new motivational priority becomes accessible in the form of functioning from a genuine love for God. Thoughts aimed at controlling anger, refusing lustful compulsions, staying focused on the present day’s concerns, disciplining children, becoming a more compassionate communicator, listening over speaking, persevering through major depression, navigating anxiety, staying committed in a challenging marriage, taking psychotropic medications, making healthy nutritional decisions, and everything else one chooses are exercised from a heart intent on loving God or something else (Powlison, 1993). While this dynamic is true for all humanity, the one whose heart has been made alive by God’s mercy becomes empowered to see and experience it in his or her cognitive awareness (Jer. 5:21; Jn. 3:3; 1 Cor. 10:31).
Regenerated affections
Regenerate affections are also born and operating in a new existential context within the redemptive matrix. The object of one’s ultimate desires makes the difference between life and death (Rom. 8:5–8), and upon being born again a war of loyalties emerges within the heart wherein the desires of the flesh and Spirit contend with one another (Gal. 5:16–17). Biblically conceptualized one’s desires are not neutral, but are considered rooted in worship. For example Paul equates evil desires and coveting with idolatry while James juxtaposes covetous desires within the horizontal realm with spiritual adultery and enmity with God (Col. 3:5; Jas. 4:4). The horizontal and the vertical perpetually intersect.
This understanding of the affections situates the motivational core of humanity in its proper context—worship (Smith, 2009). An individual will tend to move in the direction of what he or she wants most in a given moment, therefore revealing the treasure (or desire) that has captured his or her heart (Matt. 6:21). This functional mastery of desire within the soul, driving the intentions and guiding behavior, is ultimately an issue of loving or hating God moment by moment (Matt. 6:24). Plantinga (1995) cites such idolatry as violating “both negative and positive law, both the first commandment’s prohibition of idolatry (‘You shall have no other gods before me’[Deut. 5:7) and also the summary love command of the Deuteronomic (‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might’ [6:5]) (p. 44). It is here the Bible is most potent in discerning the heart’s intentions (Heb. 4:12). As is the case in the cognitive arena, human motivation becomes centered in either fulfilling the command to love God or allowing other loves to contravene this divine mandate.
Reframed emotions
Emotions may then be understood, in part, as expressions of what we value or love (Groves & Smith, 2019). It is certainly possible that an individual’s struggle with depression or anxiety has an etiology based in spiritual affections. Paul brought this to bear in his warning that deceitful desires of the flesh will produce corruption (Eph. 4:22). An ultimate love for respect, appreciation, acceptance, approval, control, security, or marital fidelity may foster struggles such as insecurity, a sense of insignificance, fear of man, anxiety, and paranoia.
Certainly negative emotions are not always rooted in inordinate desires (or idolatry), but are reflections of God’s image in humanity. Witnessing the suffering that entrenches the world will likely produce a sense of sorrow (as it should) (Ezek. 18:23). Righteous anger in the face of injustice is proper and good (Matt. 21:12–13). Experiencing the death of a loved one will create grief and sadness (Jn. 11:33–35). These responses to the fallen realities of human existence reflect the character of God in people.
In summary, the regenerate or redeemed self has been made alive by the mercy of God, and is now indwelt by the Holy Spirit for the purposes of glorifying God (1 Cor. 3:16, 10:31; Eph. 2:4–5). Through his indwelling, the Spirit brings “an alternative motivation orientation, guiding the believer toward God, consisting of theocentric desires, emotions, thoughts, and action-dispositions” (Johnson, 2017, p. 467).
A Theological Framework of Change
Considering the change process from a sufficiency of Scripture perspective points to the doctrine of sanctification. A model’s formulation of healthy change will be informed by its prescribed goals or healthy ideal. The Bible’s ideal is realized in the person of Jesus who exemplified humanity at its apex. Jesus exhibited an insatiable love for the Father that ruled his motivational core (Lk. 2:49; Jn. 4:34). His faith in the Father was unshakable even when experiencing profound duress or existential purposelessness (Is. 49:4; Matt. 26:39). He fulfilled the law by perfectly exercising a love for God and others in all situations, and is therefore the ultimate prototype of human flourishing (Lk. 23:34; Jn. 17:1–5, 21:15–19; Rom. 5:8; 1 Pet. 2:23). Reflecting his image comprises the final aim of biblical change within the counseling process.
Movement toward healing is therefore actuated as one grows in holiness, love, truth, righteousness, mercy, patience, kindness, and self-control. This process unfolds throughout the universal experiences of life both joys and sufferings (Rom. 8:28–29), and is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit and the strength offered by Jesus (Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4:13). It is infused by grace for the purpose of training people to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Tit. 2:12).
Sanctification is not evidenced exclusively by positive emotions such as joy and peace (Gal. 5:22), but may also take place in the midst of feelings such as despair and sorrow (Lam. 3; 2 Cor. 1:8–9). It may even manifest most intensely in situations where affliction and suffering are present (Lam. 3; Hab. 3:17; 2 Cor. 1:3–6; 4: 8–12; 1 Pet. 1:6–9; Heb. 11:35–40). As such, a biblically informed understanding of health, healing, and change deviates from many secular therapeutic models in which improved, positive emotional states serve as the litmus test for effective methodologies and interventions.
Enriching Creation Grace with New Light 2
Kuyper (2011) has remarked that all things exist through Logos as an outflow of God’s thinking, and as such the universe expresses or incarnates the revelation of the thought of God. In other words “divine thinking is embedded in all creation” (p. 39). He contends that since this is the case Christians have a duty to shine new light on what is often referred to as common grace or what Johnson (2017) refers to as creation grace. Calvin (1960) believed this was a means of honoring the Spirit of God, the sole fountain of truth.
Kuyper also warns of the corruption that sin has brought to science since on the one hand it often provides true knowledge on many topics and on the other hand it has led to a philosophy of life and a worldview system that is contrary to the teaching of scripture. Hence, the need for Scripture if one is to “interpret natural revelation rightly” (Grudem, 1994, p. 149). This is especially true when it comes to interpreting empirical data from the discipline of psychology.
Those within biblical counseling who affirm the sufficiency of Scripture for the care of souls are not simultaneously denouncing scientific inquiry or discovery. Adherents simply embrace the idea that if such empirical data did not exist the Bible has provided sufficient truth to compose a rich systematic theology of care that equips the counselor to effectively treat the multitude of relational, mental, emotional, and spiritual maladies that plague humanity.
On the contrary, the pioneer of biblical counseling, Jay Adams, welcomed science as a potentially useful adjunct to biblical care, but did so with caution since the sciences of psychology and psychiatry have given way to humanistic philosophy (Adams, 1970). David Powlison (2010) noted that with proper epistemological priorities, studying psychology in a context where it is submitted to God’s truth “becomes part of the joyous outworking of the Churches first priority” (i.e., a positive biblical truth pointedly applied; p. 280). In a proposed definition for biblical counseling that found consensus among top scholars in Christian psychology, Christian counseling, biblical counseling, and Nouthetic counseling, the following statement was articulated, The biblical counselor does not ignore physical issues or emotional data, but seeks to integrate them into a holistic understanding of the person and where change needs to take place. The biblical counselor is not adversarial in his or her relationship to the psychologies of his culture, but examines research and insights through the lens of Scripture. (Lelek, 2012)
These statements represent a view of the sufficiency of Scripture that actually welcomes outside data for the purposes of counseling so long as it is rightly interpreted through a biblical lens.
The Sufficiency of Scripture and Holistic Care
Embracing a sufficiency of Scripture perspective for the care of souls does not restrict practitioners of counseling from gleaning the wisdom of sources outside the Bible. Rather it provides a robust theological foundation that better equips them when perusing the research.
Biblical soul care, rightly applied, prioritizes the significance of spiritual maturity and transformation through relationship with a triune God. This is certainly where the Scriptures locate the primary emphasis of ministry. Recognizing the divine purposes of God in life, relationships, parenting, emotions, desires, and thoughts while navigating the arduous calamities that stem from sin and suffering within a Gospel-centered scheme is where the Bible hones its focus. This is and should always be the staple of biblical care.
While hope in Jesus alone will always be the ultimate focal point of biblical ministry, the Bible also takes seriously the physiology of people. Emlet (2012) presents the case that humans are always and simultaneously engaged both physically and spiritually. Both are relevant to the human experience.
Scripture certainly acknowledges the interaction of the spiritual and the physical in that fearing the Lord, inclining one’s ear to his wisdom, and turning from evil brings healing to the flesh and nourishment to the bones (Prov. 3:7; Prov. 4:20–22) while a joyous heart serves as a good medicine (Prov. 17:22). Paul recognized physical activity like eating and drinking as opportunities to relate to God for his glory, and that presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice to the Lord is actually a spiritual act of worship (Rom. 12:1; I Cor. 10:31). James called for the anointing of oil and prayer for those experiencing physical illness, and John prayed good health for the elder of Gaius (Jas. 5:14–15; 3 Jn. 2).
It is also quite clear from the gospels that Jesus had a concern for the physical suffering of people. He was often moved to heal the sick (Matt. 8:14–17; Mk. 1:34; Lk. 4:40). Although his miracles pointed to something more than the mere healing of physical ailments, it is clear that his willingness to miraculously heal the afflicted was born out of a heart-felt compassion for humanity (Matt. 14:14). His sacred prayer imploring for God’s will upon earth as is the case in heaven points to a reality where physical suffering and sickness are stricken from the human experience (Matt. 6:9–10; Rev. 21:1–4). Paul also communicates this when he highlights that redemption is not only for the spirit, but the body also (Rom. 8:23; Phil 3:20–21). God is concerned with the physical state of his creation so much so that he will one day free it from its bondage to decay (Rom. 8:20–21).
Engaging the research from a sufficiency of scripture perspective
Biblical care will always temper one’s focus on the body as it regards soul care since the soul has the capacity to thrive even while the body is perishing (2 Cor. 4:16). Groves and Smith (2019) rightly note that while the body is actively influencing emotions it does not follow that “the help of the living God and his Word have to take a back seat” (p.65). Addressing physical realities within a counseling context does not necessitate such a stark antithesis.
However, since the Bible is not a resource from which to draw as it regards the physical domain of functioning, referencing outside research becomes inevitable if one chooses to incorporate this into his or her practice. Three areas of research that may prove helpful when treating people struggling with depression, anxiety, ADHD and the like are the neurosciences (i.e., the brain), nutrition (i.e., the gut), and heart rate variability (HRV) (i.e., the heart).
The brain
The brain is considered the most complex organism in the universe, and has garnered significant attention within research that may prove helpful in therapeutic practice (Amen, 2010). For instance, it has been suggested that one’s faith and beliefs about God significantly impact neuronal structures (Newberg & Waldman, 2010)—an interesting piece of data as it applies to a biblical soul care approach.
There are many beneficial implications for understanding brain processes as a counselor. When working with individuals who struggle with anxiety, for example, knowing the functionality of the brain’s impact may serve as informative to the process. It is well documented that individuals who struggle with anxiety will often develop short-term habits that alleviate uncomfortable feelings, but long term such habits actually reinforce neural networks that contribute to their existing issue with anxiety (Barlow et al., 2018). 3 Avoiding elevators due to fear may prove helpful until a person has a life-changing job interview on the seventeenth floor where stair-cases are closed to the public except in the event of an emergency. Teaching individuals to tolerate the discomfort of anxiety while applying helpful, scripturally informed interventions may produce more favorable long-term consequences as individuals learn how to navigate challenging, but inevitable emotions in a fallen world. Symptom relief, according to this approach, is not the aim, but rather applying truth in the midst of what feels intolerable or uncomfortable.
In addition, research has found that the brain is most malleable to rewire when in an anxious state (Pittman, 2018). In other words in order for neurogenesis to occur it is essential for the amygdala to be activated when applying methods designed to impact thoughts and beliefs. This is important since it is not unusual that those seeking counseling for anxiety are also taking benzodiazepines (such as Xanax) designed to sedate the amygdala, therefore impeding the neurological processes necessary for neuroplacticity to occur.
Another specialty that has emerged from neurological research is that of neurofeedback therapy. There is evidence that this treatment can influence growth and change at the cellular level of the brain (Demos, 2005). Trans-cranial stimulation forms of neurofeedback therapy have been shown to impact the brain in such a way that issues such as depression, anxiety, inattentiveness and sleep are positively impacted (Larsen, 2012). Treatment modalities as found in IASIS Micro-Current Neurofeedback and the Low Energy Neurofeedback System (LENS) have shown promising results in individuals who have suffered from such symptoms as well as those who have experienced severe trauma or a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Larsen, 2006, 2012). Whereas the brain can become stuck in maladaptive patterns via acute trauma or chronic anxiety and depression, these treatments target the parasympathetic nervous system assisting the brain to naturally dis-entrain from such states, therefore fostering healthier brain function.
The gut
Research also suggests that the brain and the gut are meticulously interconnected systems that strongly impact one another (Procyk, 2018). For example, the brain consumes approximately 420 calories per day (based on 1800–2200 calorie intake per day), and uses 60% of daily glucose (Steine, 2019). The brain is also composed of 60% fat meaning that healthy fat intake is essential in playing an important role in memory and learning, keeping brain cells flexible, and reducing general inflammation. In addition, food allergies and deficiencies in certain vitamins can present as what is commonly diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Block, 2001).
It has also been discovered that the enteric nervous system, otherwise known as the digestive system, plays a significant physiological role on emotions. The gastrointestinal system comprises of a myriad of nerve endings, and researchers have concluded that the gut produces 95% of the body’s serotonin (Steine, 2019). It has been shown that poor digestion, poor gut flora, or a leaky gut can contribute to serious issues such as depression, anxiety, and even psychosis.
A plethora of research exists linking the gut to particular emotional states. As soul care providers seeking to serve others holistically, considering the impact of the body on issues like depression, anxiety, inattention, and impulsivity may be one of the most loving things a practitioner can do. Making a referral for counselees suffering with depression to see a provider who can assess potential vitamin B insufficiency, adequate protein intake, proper thyroid functioning, optimal vitamin D levels, or sufficient fatty acid intake can serve as a very helpful corollary to the care being offered through counseling. A holistic approach settles for nothing less.
The heart
The biblical counseling movement has offered extensive insight into a scriptural understanding of the heart (Powlison, 1993; Tripp, 2001; Welch, 2003). These scholars have formulated a conceptual framework of the soul (or heart) that are foundational to understanding cognitions, affections, emotions, and the driving fundamentals of human motivation. While the heart, as understood in the Bible, is central to biblical care (spiritually) there is also research that has illustrated the impact of the physical heart on mental and emotional functioning (Lagos, 2020).
Empirical studies have shown that the physical heart possesses an intrinsic nervous system, and as individuals learn to engage the heart’s rhythmic activity it can have an impact on how a person feels or perceives (Childre & Rozman, 2006; Lagos, 2020). This is because the heart is sending communication to the thalamus and amygdala through afferent pathways such as the vagus nerve, therefore impacting an individual’s emotional experience (McCraty, 2015).
The mechanism of action associated with this phenomenon is known as heart rate variability (HRV) or the variability of time between heartbeats. In other words, a person’s heartbeat does not function like a metronome in which there is a solid, unchanging cadence. Rather, variability exists between each heartbeat. Studies actually show that increasing HRV can improve prefrontal lobe activity thus helping people make more objective decisions as well as more effectively remembering new information being learned (Lagos, 2020).
The increase in HRV has the capacity to strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system, therefore helping the body adapt and cope with stress or perceived stress more quickly. Issues that may contribute to unhealthy HRV include (1) decreased blood flow in the brain caused by things such as smoking, excessive caffeine, drug abuse, and lack of exercise, (2) excessive stress, (3) grief, (4) anxiety, (5) constant excitement, (6) relational struggles, (7) dementia, (8) inflammation, (9) blood sugar abnormalities, (10) obesity, (11) excessive alcohol use, and (12) unbalanced hormones (Amen, 2010).
Pressing Through Philosophical Assumptions
Pulling from data produced by the disciplines of psychology and nutrition will necessarily create an encounter with philosophies that oppose a biblical worldview. However, when such resources effectively outline the functional activity of the body and its impact on a person’s cognitive and emotional experiences, they can prove quite helpful when exercised from a biblical frame of reference. Parsing through assumptions based on material evolution (Lagos, 2020) or a bent toward Eastern philosophy (Childre & Rozman, 2006; Larsen, 2006) while identifying descriptive data helpful for understanding the biological factors that may influence issues such as depression and anxiety is an exercise worth consideration for those seeking to serve others holistically. This is especially the case when individuals are so impacted by anxiety or depression that they are hardly able to engage in the counseling process. It is from a place of compassionate service, and a ministry agenda driven by a love for God and others (Mark 12:30–31) that those practitioners embracing a solid biblical perspective can provide such help as adjuncts of care.
Conclusion
The sufficiency of Scripture is undoubtedly a worthy topic deserving of a special issue for the Journal of Psychology and Theology. It is this author’s view that if the Bible existed as the only resource from which to formulate effective counseling care it would indeed be sufficient for the task. Scripture provides a comprehensive perspective of life and existence that alone gives ultimate meaning to suffering, evil, sickness, the process of change, the means of change, and soul cure, while revealing the only One in whom lasting hope is realized.
Furthermore, having an established theology of care that seeks to provide a framework for understanding God, humanity, motives, and transformation sets the stage to consider extra-biblical data wisely and without compromise. For example, such data may serve to increase one’s acuity in understanding specific neuronal dynamics of trauma while drawing from the helpful research informing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the seminal discoveries in relational conflict associated with attachment theory, or current conceptualizations of neurological processes associated with anxiety disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Trichotillomania to name a few. It provides a schema through which opposing assumptions may be identified as well as providing a lens to interpret helpful descriptive data into a biblical scheme. Studying the functionality of the amygdala, the brain’s capacity to create unique neural networks throughout the life span, the neuronal activity of the gastrointestinal system, or the capacity of the physical heart to send patterns of information to the brain therefore impacting cognitive capacity is inspiring. Such discoveries simply validate the words of the psalmist who proclaimed that humans are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14). Such study itself is an occasion for worship.
Simultaneously, however, practitioners of Christian soul care are wise to guard against scientific discovery taking precedent over the Bible’s conceptual understanding of people and their problems. Proper mental health nutrition, effective brain treatment, healthy HRV, or helpful medications should serve, within a biblical framework, not as the end or final cure, but as the fingerprints of a great Designer intended to point them to the One whose mind is the origin of such wisdom and wonder (Kuyper, 2011). He is humanity’s ultimate hope, and the one who will secure the final product of perfect mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and relational reality when he gathers his people to himself while wiping every single tear from their eyes and making all things right (Rev. 21:1–4). To God be the glory!
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Notes
Author Biography
). He is the author of the recently published book, Biblical Counseling Basics.