Navigating the Intersection of Science and Scripture

“Scripture serves as the only reliable resource for the Christian counselor’s diagnostic terminology and remedy.” John Street, Counseling

As biblical counseling begins to have a helping influence in the lives of many within the church, a commonly asked question concerns the relationship of the counseling model to science. Many who stand in opposition to biblical counseling have suggested that biblical counselors resist science, choosing instead to focus upon things like sin, and the memorization of Bible verses. These critiques, however, are intentionally reductionistic, and misleading.

The intersection of science and medical technology, and the authority of Scripture has become one of the most hotly contested issues of our time. As dwindling segments of western society continue to assert the authority of Scripture over all of life, the heirs of the enlightenment continue to demand that science reign supreme. The Christian who seeks to adhere to a biblical worldview in today’s culture is increasingly left with what appears to be a losing battle. 

The Untethered Heart of Man

The potential effect of this ongoing phenomenon upon the ministry of biblical counseling, and Christian ministry in general, is profound. Perhaps the most well known flash point of this titanic battle for the heart of man is found in the debate over so-called “gay marriage.” There are many relevant factors that have made this our culture’s apparent center of gravity, but none may be more influential than our steady descent into humanism, and Darwinian evolution, buttressed by the throwing off of a biblical worldview.

Untethered from the wisdom of God, the heart of man proves to be like a lost ship on the ocean’s waters, tossed about by the endless flow of thoughts and ideas that seek to find meaning and purpose in the creation, rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25).

The truth of the matter, however, is that while those who hate Christ continue to deny His Gospel, and proclaim a religion of secularism, there remains a good and proper role for science to play in this life. As a matter of common grace, and general revelation, God has equipped man to inhabit the earth, and to subdue it (Gen. 1:28). This is partly an argument for science, not against.

Under the creation mandate, God has gifted man with a finite, limited capacity to dissect portions of the creation, to see how the various parts exist and co-exist, and to thereby work toward the eradication of disease, and to produce other good works. And yet, the creation, and our ability to perceive it was never intended by God to become the object of our worship, or, to the cause of epistemology, the center of what we believe we know (Proverbs 1:7; Romans 1:21-22).

The biblical counselor, therefore, must recall the Bible’s opening phrase, and fixate their eyes on the One who is the subject of its very first action: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

To the extent that the counselor remains committed to this, they will in turn lead, guide, and direct their counselee to Christ, who is the author, finisher, and perfector of the faith, while confidently gleaning helpful knowledge about man and creation from the practice of scientific research and discovery.

Dr. Jeremy Pierre, in his chapter in the book Scripture and Counseling, has challenged us by reminding that the Bible does not, in fact, tell us everything we need to know for our seventy- or eighty-year journey through life (i.e. cancer research). But, the Scripture’s do provide all that we need to frame our understanding of the origins of the universe, the nature of man, and our relationship to God.

Discerning Science from Pseudo-Science

Contrary to the many myths that have been posited by those in opposition to biblical counseling, today’s biblical counselor affirms the good and proper role of sound, empirical, physical science, while rejecting those unbiblical philosophies of modern psychology that so-often masquerade as physical science.

Even the most cursory research into secular counseling theory makes clear that the immaterial, philosophical commitments of psychotherapy are legion, and require a great faith of their own. To this point, Dr. John MacArthur, in his book Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically, quotes Karl Kraus, a Viennese journalist, as saying, “Despite its deceptive terminology, psychoanalysis is not a science but a religion, the faith of a generation incapable of any other.”

What this discussion informs us of then, is that all Christians must exercise wisdom and discernment when evaluating truth claims that may or may not contradict Scripture, especially those that attempt to explain the nature of man, and the motivations of human behavior. 

It is proving to have been a dangerous experiment in its own right to blindly receive, without question, that what culture calls a science, in any normative sense, is so. Yet, there is a stark difference between taking an MRI of the brain in order to explain traumatic brain injury, and theorizing concerning the heart of man, and what is his greatest need.

All extra-biblical sources of knowledge, therefore, must be properly submitted to Scripture. And, this isn’t the commitment of the biblical counselor alone, but the proper pursuit of all believers of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 4:1).

Join the Conversation

What do you think about the role of science in the Christian faith?

What are we to make of the truth claims of psychological theory, which so often stand in direct opposition to biblical truth?

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Mental Health Counseling and the Church

If John the Baptist walked into your church next Sunday morning, would he be welcomed, or would his apparent lack of mental stability frighten the body, and cause noses to be turned up toward the sky?

I open with this question not to offer commentary on John’s mental health, but to press in on our ability and willingness to understand and minister to those who dress in animal skins, eat bugs for dinner, and reside in less than desirable conditions.

By all accounts, John the Baptist would fit today’s description of an emotionally disturbed person (EDP). With a ruddy complexion, and an appearance that would make some good Christians uncomfortable, his entrance into a packed sanctuary would leave just a few clutching their children tightly, and secretly praying, “Oh, dear Lord, don’t let him sit by me.”

But, this example is too easy. It’s too much of a cliché. While there’s always a group of us in the body who secretly desire John to sit elsewhere, there’s also a group of us who revel in the opportunity to show how spiritual we are—sitting with John, it turns out, is sometimes our way of proclaiming our fast to the masses (Matt. 6:16).

Here’s a challenge: If we invite John to sit with us in church on Sunday, but wouldn’t think of inviting him to dinner on Monday, what does this really say about the direction we’re moving in as God’s people, in relation to those with apparent mental health disorders?

In a broad sense, the church in America is still too distant, but growing closer to those with these and similar concerns. Some generations ago, as modernity took control of society’s understanding of man’s condition, it gave up the proper place of counseling within the church almost entirely to the field of secular psychology.

The end of this is that, today, if you want to get well, you go see your psychiatrist, begin a regimen of psychotropic drugs, and only then, if you still desire a little entertainment, you talk to a naive pastor about God. Considering that the field of psychology is founded upon the work of men who denied the very existence of God and man’s need of the Gospel, this reality shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Things are changing though.

Thanks to the good work of some of God’s most gifted men and women in our own time, folks like David Powlison, Brad Hambrick, Ed Welch, and Elyse Fitzpatrick, the body/soul connection is being re-established in the middle of a culture bent on the denial of Christ. Once again, the word of God is being elevated to its proper place in our anthropology—and that place is not in subjection to man’s theories about the causes of behavior and the appropriate remedies.

We call this movement Biblical Counseling.

Not to be confused with the field of Christian Counseling, Biblical Counseling is re-discovering for the church at large the many and diverse ways that the Bible speaks with precision to our sin and suffering. Once again, sense is being made of the condition of man. Where modernity distorted truth, and left us gasping for answers it promised but never delivered, God still speaks.

In past generations, Christians were told to move away from those who suffered from various mental health maladies. Conditions like depression, anxiety, fear, worry, anger, bitterness, and even more complex mood disorders, it was said, can only be understood by learned men in white coats. With increasing intensity, the church was informed that it had little or nothing to offer those who needed help.

The experts couldn’t have been farther from the truth (2 Tim. 3:16).

Today, armed with the inerrant, infallible, and authoritative word of God, a growing consensus within the church is seeing to it that we’re once again moving toward those with mental health concerns, instead of drifting away. As long as we have the word of God, we will have a word from God to deliver to those who are struggling. And none of this precludes or denies the good work and contributions of modern science.  

With confidence, the church is being empowered to help the weak, admonish the unruly, and encourage the faint hearted (1 Thess. 5:14). Here is the work of ministry as it was intended in the beginning, moving toward those in need, and extending the hope of healing and restoration to the hopeless.

We do this for John, because Christ did it for us (Romans 5:8).

Perplexed, Not Driven to Despair

I'm happy to share the following video from The Gospel Coalition here today. In it, you'll hear from three of my favorite pastors: John Piper, David Platt, and Matt Chandler. For just a few minutes, they talk about their biblical-theological understandings of human suffering, as well as practical application of Gospel-cenetered hope through some of their own trials.

Piper lost his mother years ago to a tragic car accident. The Platt family was afflicted by infertility. And, Chandler was struck by a cancer of the brain. Collectively, these men, and their wives, know something about human suffering. They're not just ivory tower theologians who know a few good verses from the Bible.

This issue is critical to an effective biblical counseling process. When people come to me for help in their own suffering, they naturally want me to say something profound. They want me to say something they've not heard before that will make it all go away.

As a biblical counselor, I have the privilege of helping people to understand that neither I, nor any other human being have all of the immediate answers. At the same time, I have the privilege of helping them prepare to suffer well, to not waste their affliction, and to find the hope they seek not in a program or a set of religious platitudes, but in a Person.

As this video draws out, we can have true hope in Christ in the midst of our suffering, because He is indeed sovereign, that is, God is utterly over all things, to include those things that are plainly tragic. If He were not, then He would be less than God, and my suffering could have no eternal meaning, purpose, or value.

But, such is not the case. He is sovereign, and He assigns meaning to my suffering that redeems it from the clutches of despair. For those of us who love God and are called according to His purposes, we can embrace our trials perplexed, and yet with a hope that will endure until He comes again (Romans 8:28).

In the Christian life, there is no cause for despair, because despair is guilty of blasphemy against our living God.

These are some of my own deeply held, personal convictions as a cancer survivor. But, they're not rooted in my experience alone. They're rooted first and foremost in the trustworthy word of God.

Do you have a story of God faithfully carrying you through suffering? Share it with us below. Your story may be just what another person needs to hear today!

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair."  2 Cor. 4:8

Are You Free? Not if You Don't Get Sin!

The cartoon pictured here (left) caught my attention last week just as soon as I saw it on Facebook. Simple, funny, yet profound, the artists rendering has multiple applications to real life.

Two thoughts crossed my mind as I laughed out loud:

1. The cartoon illustrates the frivolity of human "self-help" endeavors, where mere behavior modification is the goal, yet the heart remains in bondage to sin, with the irony being that the person thinks they've encountered "freedom," and
2. The cartoon illustrates the grandeur of being freed from constraining enslavement to sin, and released to the life-giving, border-expanding nature of enslavement to Christ.

Dr. Robert Jones and Brad Hambrick, together in their chapter from Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling, wrote that, "No counseling diagnosis runs deeper than a detailed grasp of sin." 

Therein lies the fatal flaw for all counseling and self-help approaches that do not begin and end with a biblical worldview. Because they don't grasp the depth of human depravity, they say to the counselee, "Heal thyself!"

The follower of Christ, on the other hand, knows with increasing certainty that without the Holy Spirit's intervention, that they would have continued "dead in their trespasses and sin," without hope for true freedom from their bondage to worldly passions and desires. 

Any sense of freedom from sin, or unwanted emotions and behaviors that is seemingly experienced absent the Gospel's miracle work of heart-change is a mirage.

The sooner we learn that we're either slaves to sin and unrighteousness, or slaves to Christ, and that there is no alternative, the better.

I don't know if the author of our little cartoon intended to remind us of this critically important lesson, but I appreciate their effort nonetheless.

How have you experienced these principles in your own life? 

How does the idea of enslavement to Christ encourage you in your fight against sin?

Scripture references: Ephesians 2:1; Romans 7:4.

Become a Sponsor for Counseling!

One of the core desires at Baylight Counseling is to provide biblical counseling services to the community, without respect to economic condition. As a 501(C)(3) organization, this is accomplished through the generous donations of ministry partners who are concerned for their neighbor (Mark 12:31).

Quite frequently, Baylight has the opportunity to serve someone whose financial condition limits or does not allow for them to contribute to the counseling ministry. If you would like to get involved, and see your giving dollars used in a designated way that directly affects the well-being and growth of another person, consider becoming a Sponsor for Counseling at Baylight today.

While details of any one individual's case must remain confidential, enough information might be shared from a variety of circumstances which will allow you to select someone to support, and to then direct your giving dollars to their care! This is a unique and exciting opportunity to affect someone's life for kingdom purposes with the Gospel.

If you are interested in biblical counseling services, but need a sponsor, or, if you would like to learn how to become a Sponsor for Counseling, please contact Baylight's Director, Joshua Waulk, for more information. Your participation in this ministry is tax-deductible.

Like never before in our culture, the need for Gospel-centered, biblical counsel is on the rise. Through this exciting, new program, you can be a catalyst for change in someone's life.

Call or email Baylight for more information: (727) 433-0682 | joshuawaulk@baylightcounseling.com.

What Is Biblical Counseling?

Here's the answer, as defined by the Association of Biblical Counselors:

"Below is the definition of biblical counseling developed by and agreed upon by experts in the field of biblical counseling via Dr. Jeremy Lelek's (our president) Ph.D. dissertation:

Biblical counseling endeavors to build a relationship with another person in which God’s work of change can thrive. It is therefore dependent on the Word of God, the work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Jesus Christ. It seeks to build a contextualized understanding of the counselee (past and present) and will view that data through the lens of Scripture. The Biblical counselor rests in the knowledge that he is not the change agent, but a tool in the hands of the One who is. 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 relationship to the psychologies of his culture, but examines research and insights through the lens of Scripture. In his work with the counselee the biblical counselor always recognizes the sovereignty of God, the transformative grace of Christ, and the insight-giving and conviction-producing ministry of the Holy Spirit. In all of this the biblical counselor sees himself not as an isolated instrument of change, but one whose work is intimately connected to God’s primary tool of change; the church, with all of its God-ordained, duties, structures and means of grace."

For more helpful information, navigate to their webpage HERE.

10 Indispensable Truths About Marriage

1.     Marriage is the lifelong, covenantal union of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24).

The biblical understanding of what a marriage is, and what it is intended to accomplish within creation is both simplistic, and profound. It is: a) entered into by only one man and one woman, and b) based upon the redemptive concept of an unbreakable bond, that is, a covenant (Deut. 10:20; Prov. 2:17; Mal. 2:14).

2.     Marriage is a creation of God that ultimately has in view the proclamation of the Gospel, which is the blessed and eternal union of Christ and his church (Eph. 5:32).

The Apostle Paul, having given detailed instruction as to how a husband and wife are to relate to one another, gives what may be the most critical teaching on marriage in all of Scripture, and answering the question of the ultimate purpose of marriage. Paul’s teaching makes marriage a great joy, and tremendous responsibility.

3.     Marriage is unmistakably the union of two sinners in everlasting need of God’s unending grace (Rom. 3:23).

There is no special, qualifying principle that exempts husbands and wives from Paul’s teaching concerning the depravity of man. God is well acquainted with the sinfulness of man; therefore, husbands and wives do well to see themselves and each other as God does.

4.     As marriage is the union of two sinners in need of God’s continuous grace, husbands and wives must learn to relate to one another in the same way, extending to their spouse the same measure of grace and forgiveness that God has lavished upon them (Matt. 18:21-35; Col. 3:13,19).

When we consider rightly the enormous sin debt to God that has been forgiven us in Christ, we cannot help but act in grace and forgiveness toward our spouse, with whom we proclaim the Gospel in the context of marriage.

5.     As biblical marriage is by nature covenantal, expressing the love of God for his people in Christ, faithfulness to that covenant on the part of husband and wife in all matters of sexual purity are paramount, to both honor and guard one another (Job 31:1; 1 Cor. 7:3-5; 1 Thess. 4:3; Hebrews 13:4).

The profundity of sexual intimacy within biblical marriage cannot be overstated. As this expression of love between a husband and wife is part of the covenant, it plays a significant role in proclaiming Paul’s “mystery.” For this reason, faithfulness to one another in word and deed is also paramount.

6.     Marriage is the temporary cornerstone of God’s design for human society, which is the family; it contains a God-ordained structure that is not wisely circumvented by popular culture’s ill-conceived preferences (Prov. 22:6; Matt. 22:30; Eph. 5:22-24; Eph. 6:1-3).

In wisdom, God ordained that marriage have a hierarchical structure, with the husband leading his wife, followed by father and mother leading their children together. Contrary to popular culture (and some within the realm of Christianity), this hierarchy does not speak to the value of men and women, nor of their talents and unique giftedness, but to God-assigned roles within marriage and family. Men and women are equal before God in their value, but distinct in their individual roles.

7.     Children are a blessing from God who further proclaim his glory; they are a natural and intended gift of God to the husband and wife within the confines of biblical marriage, whether by sexual intercourse or through adoption (Psalm 127:3-5).

According to popular culture, children are often seen as a burden to an otherwise enjoyable lifestyle of financial freedom and personal liberty. Within the confines of biblical marriage, children provide tremendous joy to the parents, and fulfill an amazing missional component by providing for a unique and special extension of God’s kingdom.

8.     The role of husband and wife together within the family is to model the character of God before their children, shepherd their hearts toward a love for Him, and in all ways proclaim His excellencies in word and deed (Deut. 6:5-6; Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4; 1 Pt. 2:9).

Popular theories of parenting suggest that the goal of father and mother is to survive child rearing, and move toward retirement. A biblical view teaches that parents have the privilege of helping to mold, shape, and guide young people who actually belong to the Father of all creation! Along with that privilege comes the responsibility to infuse the child’s heart with a supreme love for God in Jesus Christ. Absent these truths, there is no success in parenting.

9.     As marriage and family are designed by God to proclaim the Gospel, husband and wife must recognize the very public nature of their union, the manner in which their relationship speaks to those outside of Christ, and seek always to use their covenantal bond as an opportunity to bless others (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

Although the context of the Great Commission and Jesus’ words to his disciples before his ascension do not appear to deal with marriage specifically, it is important to recognize that marriage does not abdicate the call to living on mission as it applies to the believer prior to getting married. Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 5 make clear the Gospel-proclaiming, missional nature of marriage.

10.  To the extent that any of the above principles are lacking within the marriage, there is an abundance of grace and mercy available to both husband and wife in Christ, and the hope for growth together and individually in accordance with repentance and faith (Phil. 1:6; Heb. 4:16; 1 Pt. 1:3).

God’s standards for biblical marriage are high. It is easy to look at a list such as this one and consider that we have fallen so far behind in so many of these areas, that there is little hope for our marriages or ourselves. The Good News of Christ informs us that nothing could be farther from the truth! Instead, the promises of God, and his desires for marriage provide us with a hope that transforms our hearts renews our most important earthly relationships.   

Wise Counsel: All That Glitters Is Not Gold

“Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.” Proverbs 20:18

Throughout Scripture, we find the life we now live described in part with the language of war and combat. Speaking to the ongoing battles for our hearts and minds, we’re commanded to “put to death the deeds of the body [sins of the flesh]” (Rom. 8:13). Elsewhere, we’re told, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

Some people in our post-Christian age find this language offensive, but it speaks to the gravity of what hangs in the balance, namely, our souls and their eternal destiny.  When we carelessly enter the theatre of spiritual warfare having refused the wisdom of God given to us in His word, we become a liability to ourselves and to every good soldier of God around us.

In recent days, I’ve had multiple encounters with people who, by their own foolishness, have been and are being sifted by the “father of lies” (John 8:44, Luke 22:31). On separate occasions, followers of the World Mission Society Church of God, as well as a follower of Joseph Prince, one of the Word-Faith movement’s up-and-coming darlings, have approached me to share their non-gospel.

I found their nebulous arguments to be utterly confusing because they were based upon eternally damning interpretations of the word of God. They also broke my heart, because standing before me were human souls who had been deceived by the spirit of antichrist (1 John 2:18).

The one confidently (and heretically) proclaimed that the “mother of god” must be received by faith if we are to enter the kingdom of God. The other falsely presumed that they were elevating the grace of God by denying the sinfulness of man—and otherwise worshipping the creation rather than the Creator.

These conversations served as critical reminders of the need for wise counsel in the life of the Christian. Counsel that, as the Apostle Paul said, does not, “shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

But, how can we know that the counsel we’re receiving is based upon the whole of God’s counsel—that it’s truly biblical?

One way that we can know this is by becoming competent students of the word ourselves (2 Tim. 2:15). If we’re not diligently pouring over the Scriptures, and applying sound principles of interpretation in our study, then how will we know a fraud when we see one?

Don’t be confused: left to its own devices, the mind is prone to pragmatism (believing what seems right), and understandings of Scripture that feed, rather than combat, idols of the heart (exegesis vs. eisegesis).

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is now providing a tremendous resource, free of charge, to the entire body of Christ. It’s called MOOC—Massive Open Online Course. This trending format allows for people all over the world with Internet access to receive seminary level training and preparation for ministry. SEBTS first offering addresses the issue of hermeneutics—or how we interpret the word.

I would encourage anyone who takes an interest in their faith to take advantage of this or other such offerings. The principles of biblical interpretation that are offered in this course not only help individual Christians walk as Jesus walked, but they strengthen the church at large, and build discerning Christians—rather than the type who are fooled when “mother of god” or “prosperity gospel” arguments are set before them.

It’s been said that "all of ministry is counseling," and I believe that’s true. The Sunday sermon is a public exposition of the counsel of God; small group discipleship applies that counsel in a more accountable setting, and one-on-one biblical counseling sorts through the details of our lives where the symptoms of sin and suffering are more acute.

The Bible teaches us that community is an essential element of the faith. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Prov. 27:17). The sharpening that Scripture speaks of can largely be seen through a counseling paradigm, whether formal or informal. A major task for the believer, then, is to know good counsel when they see it, and to flee from the rest.

In this life, there is plenty of counsel to go around. The question is, will you wage war by wise guidance, or will you succumb to the ways that seem right to men, but in the end, lead to death (Prov. 16:25)?

Questions:

1. From what sources are you seeking guidance and counsel?

2. By what standards do you evaluate the counsel you receive?