Welcome back to week 10 of big questions and short answers in biblical counseling and theology. This week we will briefly consider biblical anthropology’s role in counseling theory and practice. It is important to know the answer to this question because if we start with a wrong understanding we will continue into wrong practice, not give real help to others, and fail to glorify God.

So then, what role does anthropology play in counseling theory and practice? There are three basic views of man which flow out of three presuppositions about man, and have corresponding practices.^[1] The first, and wrong, presupposition is that man is basically good. This presupposition is what secular psychologists use. This view flies in the face of what God has objectively said in His Word –that man’s default nature is evil.^[2] In this view of counseling man is the victim of his circumstances, and is taught to seek answers inside himself because, after all, it’s all good inside. Therefore, the answers he comes up with must also be good even if he needed some help getting to the answer. This kind of counseling makes for self-deception and Pharisaism. 

The second presupposition is that man is only tainted by sin, but he still retains enough free-will and inner strength to right himself if only he has the right information (i.e., God’s Word) made available to him. This approach to counseling leads to the largely popular “Christian” counseling movement. The problem is that the counseling is not so Christian because it integrates man’s worldly philosophies (e.g., self-esteem, ego, id, super id), with Scripture.^[3] Why integrate the theories of a God hater (e.g., Freud, Skinner, or Roger) with Scripture? This kind of counseling magnifies performance standards as the means of accomplishing change, ignores true biblical repentance, promotes even greater self-deception, and ends up pushing Scripture to the authoritative background in favor of worldly philosophy.^[4]

The last, and right, view of man is that he is naturally evil, has no free-will to change himself, and is in desperate need of salvation.^[5] This view is half of the foundation of biblical counseling, and the other half is a right view of God, His Spirit, and His Word as the only means of changing men’s hearts for, and after salvation (1 Cor. 2:14; Gal. 5:16; 2 Pet. 1:3-4). This correct view of man and God will lead to salvation, strictly biblical methods of problem solving, and progressive sanctification. Clearly, it is critical that we hold to a biblical anthropology. If we start with the wrong theory of man we will remain on that trajectory and have the wrong practice in helping men understand the true nature of their problems (i.e., sin).    

We hope our short time considering biblical anthropology’s role in counseling was helpful. Lord willing, for the next two weeks, we will take a look at biblical Christology, will consider the reason for His death, how He was tempted in all things as we are, and how that relates to counseling. Until then may the Lord bless you and keep you.

^[1] A presupposition, even if unspoken, is a belief one holds to prior to making an argument or committing an action which directs the thought process of the argument and/or action.

^[2] Gen. 6:5; Rom. 3:10-18; Eph. 2:1-3.

^[3] Col. 2:8.

^[4] Jn. 5:15; Gal. 6:7.

^[5] Gen. 6:5; Isa. 45:22; 52:13; Jn. 1:12-13; Eph. 2:13; Rom. 3:9-18; 5:21; 3:23; 6:23; 10:9; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.