The aim of this article is to define and describe the biblical essentials for discipleship counseling. It will achieve this aim by closely examining
the preparation, ministry model, and objectives for such a discipling
relationship. This article defines
discipleship counseling thusly: One disciple helping another glorify God by
cooperating with the Spirit in progressive sanctification, and thus addressing
specific problems of living from the Scriptures, in order to bring about change
in conformity with God’s revealed will.
The Necessity of Proper Preparation
Mark Shaw in his
helpful book, Strength in Numbers,
writes:
“Every Christian
is competent to counsel another Christian (Romans 15:14) because all Christians
possess the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and a copy of God’s Word. However, it
may take some training, and experience in accurately handling the Word of Truth
in a biblical counseling context before the lay counselor becomes proficient in
counseling.[1]
Shaw is
fundamentally correct. God has indeed
provided all the spiritual resources Christians need for discipling and
counseling one another. Furthermore, God
has commanded Christians to make use of these resources in helping each other
with problems of living (Gal. 6:1). However,
can one use these resources competently without training and experience?
While it is true
that Christians can minister to one another from the inception of their new
birth, it is equally true that it is God’s intention that they be properly
equipped for ministry. The Bible states
this truth clearly in Eph. 4:11-12, “And He gave some as apostles, and
some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as
pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service,
to the building up of the body of Christ (NASB).” Therefore, it is not a matter of “may take
some training, and experience,” as Shaw states, but rather such training is
essential. Therefore, it is the
contention of this paper that before a Christian can competently assist others
in overcoming most problems of living, he or she must be appropriately equipped
for the task.
What kind of
preparation does a discipleship counselor need?
Jay Adams says one ought to begin with the Holy Spirit. In his book Competent to Counsel he writes, “Counseling is the work of the Holy
Spirit. Effective counseling cannot be
done apart from him.[2] In another of his works, Adams says the Spirit
“. . . must be considered the most
important Person in the counseling context.
Indeed, He must be viewed as the Counselor. Ignoring the Holy Spirit or avoiding the use
of the Scriptures in counseling is tantamount to an act of autonomous
rebellion. Christians may not counsel
apart from the Holy Spirit and His Word without grievously sinning against Him
and the counselee.”[3]
The Biblical
Counseling Coalition agrees with Adams.
In their confessional statement, they profess the following beliefs
about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in counseling:
We believe that
both genuine change of heart and transformation of lifestyle depend upon the
ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-16:16; 2 Cor. 3:17-18). Biblical
counselors know that it is impossible to speak wisely and lovingly to bring
about true and lasting change apart from the decisive, compassionate, and
convicting work of the Spirit in the counselor and the counselee. We
acknowledge the Holy Spirit as the One who illuminates our understanding of the
Word and empowers its application in everyday life.
Wise counselors
serve in the truth that God reveals and by the strength that God supplies. By
the Spirit’s work, God receives glory in all the good that takes place in
people’s lives. Biblical counselors affirm the absolute necessity of the work
of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower the counselor, the counselee, and the
counseling relationship.[4]
Unquestionably, the
Holy Spirit’s ministry encompasses far more than counseling. The Spirit also oversees the progressive
sanctification of every believer, working to transform each one into the image
of Christ. Thus, the first and most
vital step of preparation for anyone doing discipleship counseling is humble
dependence on the Holy Spirit, for he is the Counselor par excellence, and he
alone has the power to bring lasting change.
In other words, those seeking to do discipleship counseling must view
themselves as small players in the drama of progressive sanctification going on
in a fellow believer’s life. The Holy
Spirit is both star and the director of this drama. Furthermore, since the Holy Spirit is the
indwelling member of the Trinity who empowers holy living (Gal. 5:22-24), and
the means by which Christians put to death their sinful deeds (Rom. 8:12-13),
it is imperative that a Christian counselor walk by the Spirit, and be capable
of teaching others how to do so, by Word and example.
Walking by the
Spirit is not a mystical experience; it is intentionally cooperating with the
Spirit by using the means of grace he has provided to grow in Christlikeness
and spiritual maturity. Perhaps a quote
from Jerry Bridges will bring clarity,
Although the
Holy Spirit is the agent of sanctification and He works in us in this
mysterious fashion, it is also true that He uses rational and understandable
means to sanctify us. Some of these means, such as adversities and the
exhortation and encouragement of others, are outside of our control to
initiate. With other means, such as the learning and application of Scripture
and the frequent use of prayer, He expects us to take the initiative.[5]
While those doing discipleship
counseling are indeed subservient to the Spirit, their role is still an
important one. According to Adams, “The
use of human agency in counseling, does not in itself bypass the role of the
Spirit; to the contrary, it is the principal and ordinary means by which he
works.”[6] Adams aptly notes that the Spirit being the
key player in counseling should be of encouragement to those doing it, because
success does not depend on one’s own abilities.[7] At the same time, Adams cautions, “He cannot
be sloppy about the way in which he counsels, expecting the Holy Spirit to do
his work regardless of how the counselor does his.”[8] Adams goes on to urge the necessity of
developing the Spirit’s gifts and learning to exercise them in conjunction with
the Spirit, or in other words, preparation.[9]
What specific
preparation for discipleship counseling does one need besides absolute
dependence, and submission to the Spirit?
Kellemen contends that adequate preparation for this ministry includes
character, content, competence and community.
He, like Shaw, points to Rom. 15:14 as the scriptural basis for his
contention, which says, “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am
convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge
and able also to admonish one another (NASB).”
Kellemen claims the phrase “full of goodness” equates to Christlike
character.[10] Unfortunately, the arguments he chooses to
support his claim are not fully convincing, as Kellemen appears to be
stretching the text. Nevertheless, there
is abundant Scriptural support to accept his contention that Christlikeness is
essential for discipleship counseling ministry.
Three of the numerous texts that support this idea are Philip. 2:1-12;
Eph. 4:29-5:2; and 2 Pet. 1:3-8. All of
these passages exhort the necessity of emulating Christ’s character,
particularly his humility, and sacrificial love.
Kellemen’s second requirement for personal
ministry is content/conviction, which he deduces from the phrase “complete in
knowledge” in Rom. 15:14. For Kellemen,
to be complete in knowledge means more than knowing Scripture, it includes
understanding how to apply it practically to the problems of life.[11]
Like Kellemen, Adams also emphasizes the
necessity of knowing and using the Scriptures.
He writes, “The Holy Spirit expects counselors to use his Holy
Scriptures…he gave it for such a purpose and that it is powerful when used for
that purpose.”[12]
In Adams’ book How to Change People he constructs an airtight argument from 2 Tim.
3:16-17 for Scripture’s sufficiency, authority, and practicality for addressing
any and all problems of living. He also
ably demonstrates Scriptures’ sufficiency for equipping one to do discipleship
counseling.[13]
How much Scripture does a discipleship
counselor need to know and understand before he or she can do ministry? After all, the Bible is a big book, which one
never fully masters, even with a lifetime of study. Dr. David Powlison gives practical guidance. He states, “. . . in a pinch you could do all
counseling from Ephesians. It’s all
there: the big picture that organizes a myriad of details.”[14] At first glance, one might doubt this
declaration, but Dr. Powlison substantiates it by adeptly unpacking and
applying the epistle of Ephesians to nearly every aspect of life.[15] Clearly, Powlison’s intent in the statement
above is not to discourage anyone from seeking a thorough knowledge of the
Scriptures, but rather to give them a good place to begin. Obviously, one ought to pursue a working
knowledge of the entire Bible, and heed Paul’s admonition to Timothy, “Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15 NASB).”
A specific portion of Scripture a
discipleship counselor needs to know well is the gospel, for Scripture says
that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom.1:16a). Of course, that salvation includes
progressive sanctification; therefore, it follows that one must know how to
apply the gospel skillfully in doing discipleship counseling. A quote from Stuart Scott demonstrates how
vital the gospel is in biblical counseling. “It is foundational. It is motivational. It must be pivotal and applicable in every
aspect of the counsel we give to those who are not, for one reason or another,
living joyfully to the glory of God.”[16]
Scott also exhorts that a discipleship counselor’s
familiarity with the gospel must extend beyond its doctrinal truths. One must understand how it applies to
practical Christian living, and communicate its truth in a manner that keeps
the gospel’s indicatives, which describe one’s position in Christ, in balance
with the gospel’s imperatives, which consist of one’s practice in Christ.[17]
The third of Kellemen’s requirements for
discipleship counseling is competence. To
summarize Kellemen, competency for discipleship counseling ministry requires learning
practical skills, namely comforting the suffering and biblically instructing
the errant. Perhaps the best way to
develop the competence that Kellemen advocates is by being mentored by an
experienced discipleship counselor. This
is Shaw’s contention in his book describing a team approach to counseling. He writes:
The best scenario for younger, inexperienced
Christians is for them to observe more mature Christians first. Then, a younger Christian should get the
opportunity to be lead minister with the more mature Christian on hand to
assist with any problems or questions.
Once the younger Christian is confident, (no one is ever perfectly
ready) in personal ministry, he or she should be given a newer Christian to
disciple. . .[18]
Paul Tripp
agrees with Kellemen about the necessity of developing practical ministry
skills, particularly when it comes to suffering. In Tripp’s words, “. . . suffering is such a
common human experience, identifying with suffering is critical to personal
ministry.”[19]
Tripp suggests a ministry paradigm based
upon the Apostle Paul’s suffering in 2 Cor.1.
He describes the paradigm as “purposeful suffering, leading to the
experience of God’s comfort, producing the ability to comfort others, resulting
in a community of hope.”[20]
He explains the methodology as telling Christ-centered stories about one’s own
suffering.
Powlison also gives some wise counsel
concerning the development of ministry or counseling skills. He astutely advises, “There are no shortcuts
in developing counseling skills that actually help people. To be wise, you must
know people. Talk with them. Get a feel for them. Try to help others (and as
you fail and succeed, keep learning why one or the other occurs).”[21]
The final requirement for personal ministry
that Kellemen argues for is community. He
says that every discipleship counselor should be in communion with Christ
through vertical spiritual disciplines, and in communion with the body of
Christ through what he calls horizontal spiritual disciplines, which he terms
“one anothering.”[22]
Of course, Scripture passages such as
John 15 and Rom. 12 support his contention.
One of the vertical disciplines that deserve
highlighting is prayer. Adams says,
“Prayer has a central place in Christian counseling, both for the counselor and
for the counselee. Any counseling that is not based upon the idea that it is
the power of God that transforms counselees is essentially non-Christian. Prayer, then, must have a prominent place,
since both counselor and counselee must ask for God’s help and depend upon Him
to give it.”[23] Once again, the Biblical Counseling Coalition
parallels Adams. “Dependent prayer is
essential to the work of biblical counseling (Eph. 6:18-20). Wise counselors
humbly request God’s intervention and direction, praise God for His work in
people’s lives, and intercede for people that they would experience genuine
life change to the glory of God (Philip. 4:6).”[24]
Shaw also argues for the necessity of
community, although his arguments for community focus on his team approach to
counselor training and ministry. Shaw
writes, “In the church today, too many Christians, pastors, teachers,
evangelists, and lay persons are “isolationists” in ministry. By “isolationists,” I mean that they operate
more as the Lone Ranger rather than a team player in a team setting.”[25] As important as the concept of community is
for discipleship counselor training and ministry, it is equally vital for those
being disicpled. Indeed, all believers
need to be in close communion with Christ, for apart from him they can do
nothing (John 15:5). Likewise, they need
to recognize and embrace their interdependent relationship with the body of
Christ (Rom. 12:3-12 and 1 Cor. 12).
Tripp comes at
proper preparation for discipleship counseling from a different perspective
than Kellemen. He says the basis for discipleship
counseling is composed of three strands.
They are a biblical theology of human motivation, a biblical theology of
change, and a biblical methodology of change.[26] The first strand, a biblical theology of
human motivation answers the question, “Why do people do the things they do? Tripp answers this question, “The simplest,
most biblical answer is the heart.”[27] Just what does Tripp mean by the “heart”? He provides
clarification.
The Bible uses
the term “heart” to describe the inner person. Scripture divides the human being into two
parts, the inner and outer being. The
outer person is your physical self; the inner person is your spiritual self
(Eph. 3:16). The synonym the Bible most often uses for the inner being is the
heart. It encompasses all the other
terms and functions used to describe the inner person (spirit, soul, mind,
emotions, will etc.) These other terms
do not describe something different from the heart. Rather, they are aspects of
it, parts or functions of the inner person.[28]
Tripp validates his contention from
Luke 6:43-46, which teaches that man’s heart shapes and controls his behavior. Consequently, one must identify what controls
and functionally rules the heart, because change that focuses primarily on behavior
to the exclusion of the heart will only be temporary and cosmetic. Since lasting change only takes place through
heart change, the heart must always be the target of discipleship counseling.[29]
Tripp says a
biblical theology of change must answer the question, “How does lasting change
take place?” He speaks to this question
by arguing that every human being is a worshipper in active pursuit of whatever
rules his heart.[30] Tripp uses Matthew 6:19-24 to support his
argument. From this text, he gleans
three important principles. First,
everyone seeks some kind of treasure.
Second, the treasure chosen will control the heart. Finally, whatever controls the heart will
control a person’s behavior. He goes on
to point out that only two kinds of treasure exist, earthly and heavenly. Thus,
whichever treasure a person chooses will rule his or her life. In Tripp’s words, whatever rules our hearts
will exercise inescapable influence over our lives and behavior. Therefore, the root of all sin is idolatry,
because one’s heart treasures something in creation rather than the Creator. Consequently, the way God changes a person is
to recapture his or her heart so that he or she will worship and serve him
alone.[31]
Tripp acknowledges
one cannot see into another’s heart, but Scripture can indeed expose it (Heb.
4:12-13). Regarding Scripture’s illuminating power, Tripp writes, “The Bible by
its very nature is heart revealing. For
this reason, Scripture must be our central tool in personal growth and
ministry. It alone can expose and
analyze where change needs to take place in our hearts.”[32]
The third strand
of preparation for personal ministry according to Tripp is a methodology of
change, which answers the question, “How can I be a redemptive instrument in
the life of another person?” Tripp
answers that question with four words, “love,” “know,” “speak” and “do.” These terms will be thoroughly unpacked in the
next section of this paper.
To summarize thus
far, before one attempts discipleship counseling there must be some
preparation. A discipleship counselor
must know how to depend on and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, for he is the
Counselor par excellence, as well as the agent of change and growth in every
believer’s life. In cooperation with the
Spirit’s enabling grace, the counselor must pursue Christlikeness, particularly
qualities such as humility and sacrificial love. Additionally, he or she must be absolutely
convinced of the Bible’s authority and sufficiency for every aspect of the
Christian life. In addition, he or she
must be a faithful student of the Scriptures, continually working to develop a
growing, practical knowledge of the Word.
A discipleship counselor also must be developing practical ministry skills,
which include comforting the suffering, and admonishing the sinful. He or she must cultivate community with God
and his people through both vertical and horizontal spiritual disciplines. Finally, one must have a biblical theology of
human motivation, a biblical theology of change, and a biblical methodology for
discipling others.
Applying Tripp’s Personal Ministry Model
Tripp’s methodology
of change is an excellent model for discipleship ministry. He unpacks it in detail in his book, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand and
companion workbook, Helping Others Change. As mentioned previously, four key words, “love”,
“know”, “speak” and “do,” summarize his model.[33] Admittedly, there are other good ministry
models one could use, such as Wayne Mack’s model as outlined in Counseling.
He describes his ministry model with seven words, which are
involvement, investigation, interpretation, instruction, intention,
implementation and integration.[34] However, when one looks closely at the
details of each model it becomes abundantly clear they are principally the
same. Therefore, in what follows Tripp’s model will be the primary focus, but
supplemented by some of Mack’s excellent insights.
Although there is a
rational order to Tripp’s ministry model, one must recognize that it is not a four-step
process. Neither should one consider it
four sequential phases of a discipleship counseling relationship. Instead, “love”, “know”, “speak” and “do,”
are essential elements of discipleship counseling, and a discipleship counselor
will be doing them all simultaneously in a ministry relationship.[35] However, for the purposes this paper, these
elements will be examined and explained in their stated order.
The first
component of Tripp’s ministry model is “love.”
Building relationships based upon love is essential in discipleship
counseling, because as Tripp notes, God
always changes people in the context of loving relationships.[36] Mack agrees with Tripp, and calls this
element of relationship building involvement.
Mack states that involvement is established when people know their
counselors sincerely care for them, and it consists of compassion, respect and
sincerity.[37] He also says, “Usually, the counseling
process is truly effective only when an acceptable level of involvement has
been established.”[38]
Tripp
says there are four steps we must take to create a loving relationship. The first is to enter one’s world through
what he describes as “entry gates.”
Entry gates are a brother or sister’s experience of a situation, problem
or relationship. For example, a
Christian man struggling with the sin of sexual lust will likely experience
constant shame, guilt, and failure in living the Christian life. He may be in a personal crisis, and
experiencing a myriad of problems that are rooted in his sexual lust. He may even doubt his salvation. His experience would be the entry gate into his
life.[39]
After the discovery
of an entry gate into another’s life, Tripp says the next step is to incarnate
the love of Christ. In his estimation, one
must be willing to sacrifice and suffer in order to help his or her fellow
believers grow spiritually. In essence,
one must live out Gal. 6:1-2. In
addition, one must strive to be living examples of the biblical truth
proclaimed. Tripp declares this is
especially true when the sins of the people one ministers to surface in the
ministry relationship. For instance, if
a woman continually sins by using anger as a manipulative tool in her personal
relationships, it is likely that sin will manifest itself in a discipleship
counseling relationship. In such cases,
one must be careful to model Christ’s grace and mercy.[40]
The next step in
entering another’s world is to identify with his or her suffering. As Tripp notes, God calls each believer to
suffer so that he or she can be instruments of his comfort and
compassion. When ministering to the suffering, one must remember how God
has led him or her through suffering, and the lessons learned through the
experience. Then one can use that
knowledge and experience to bring comfort to others.[41]
Of course, this same principal also holds
true in helping those struggling with sin.
A discipleship counselor can use his or her struggle with sin, and God’s
gracious deliverance, to minister hope to another. Mack terms such activity building involvement
through sincerity.[42]
The last step for
entering another’s world is to accept him or her with an agenda. Understandably,
if one is going to help another overcome a problem of living, he or she must
secure a commitment from that person to purse God’s agenda for sanctification
and change. Since God’s purpose is to
transform his people into the image of Jesus Christ, one doing discipleship
counseling must cooperate with God’s purpose by urging a brother or sister to
change. Of course, the counselor must be
careful to do this urging in accord with God’s abundant mercy, love, and grace,
avoiding any hint of a judgmental or critical spirit.[43]
Without a doubt, entertaining a critical
or judgmental attitude will quickly destroy a discipleship counseling
relationship.
The second crucial
aspect of Tripp’s ministry model is “know.” To effectively disciple a brother
or sister, one must have an adequate understanding about his or her situation. Once again, Mack coincides with Tripp, for he
says, “If we attempt to interpret people’s problems before we gather adequate
data, we will only add to their difficultly rather than relieve it.”[44] Mack calls gathering information about a
person’s life so one can help them with a problem of living, investigation. Mack suggests that one should gather
information from six areas, and they are the person’s physical state,
resources, emotions, actions, concepts and historical background.
According to Tripp
to “know” one must ask four vital questions.
The first question is, “What is going on?” What pressure, opportunities, responsibilities
and temptations is the person facing?
Who are the important people in his or her life and what are those
people doing? What is known about their
past, including people and circumstances.
From the answers to these and similar questions, one needs to gather
data with the aim of developing a correct picture of the person’s situation.[45] Consequently, this aspect of the ministry
model requires forbearance, good questioning and listening skills, as well as utter
dependence on God’s Spirit, which this paper has already established as a
necessity in its examination of preparation.
Some vital
information a discipleship counselor would want to know about any person he or
she is counseling is that person’s conversion story. Has this person truly experienced
regeneration? Does this person
understand biblical repentance and faith? One would also need to know about his or her
understanding of the gospel and progressive sanctification. Does this person understand how God works to
bring about change and growth in the Christian life? Does this person understand that their
presenting problem is God’s means of helping them to grow in relationship and
dependence on him? One should quickly
address these issues at the outset of a discipleship counseling relationship.
The second
question Tripp says one must ask in order to “know” focuses on behavior. “What is the person’s response to what is
going on?” The discipleship counselor
must watch out for themes and patterns in the disciples’ life, and the typical
ways that he or she responds to his or her circumstances. Themes and patterns give insight into what is
going on in the person’s heart. Are
there idols one must uncover? Is there
pattern of sin one must confront?[46]
The third question
in the “know” aspect of Tripp’s ministry model is, “What does the person think
about what is going on?” As Tripp says,
people are meaning makers and they seek to understand what is going on in their
lives. Moreover, the thoughts of their
hearts precede and determine their activities.
Therefore, a discipleship counselor must help the disciple see his or
her situation from a biblical perspective.
The aim is to enable the disciple to interpret his or her circumstances
with the truth of Scripture so that biblical change can occur in the disciple’s
heart, and consequently affect behavior.[47]
The final question
in the “know” portion of Tripp’s ministry model is, “What does the person hope
to gain from what is going on?” What are the person’s desires, goals, purposes,
treasures, motives, values and idols?
What is he or she living for?
What really rules his or her heart?
Whatever rules one’s heart will control one’s behavior. One’s behavior is always an attempt to get
what is important to him from people and situations. Therefore, real change will always include
the motive of one’s heart.[48]
“Speak” is the
third aspect of Tripp’s ministry model. Once
the discipleship counselor understands the disciple’s situation, responses,
motives and behavior, and has thoroughly examined them through the lense of
Scripture, then he or she is ready to speak the truth. One must speak the truth in love, and with
God’s goal of change and sanctification in mind. The discipleship counselor’s goal is to help
the disciple see himself or herself in the mirror of Scripture, and be God’s
instrument in bringing him to repentance.[49] A quote from Tripp fittingly describes how one
should speak the truth:
My goal is that through the things
I say (message), the way that I say them (methods), and the attitudes I express
(character), God will change the heart of this person. A mistake we often make
is to emphasize the law over the gospel.
But Romans 2:4 and 2 Cor. 5:14 show that it is God's kindness and love
that compels us to change. The grace of
the gospel turns our hearts and forgiveness is abundantly available.[50]
In speaking the
truth there are four goals the discipleship counselor must seek to accomplish. First, he or she wants the disciple to
contemplate their sin from a biblical perspective. Therefore, the discipleship counselor must
point the disciple to the Scriptures that specifically address his or her
situation. A simple way to do this is to assign
Scripture passages as homework, and request that they answer three simple
questions. What is the main point of the
passage? How does the passage apply to
the disciple’s situation? What is God
saying to the disciple about his or her situation from this text?[51]
The hope is when the disciple measures himself
or herself against the Scriptures; the disciple will acknowledge his or her
sinful attitudes and behavior, and thus confess. Confession is the second goal in speaking the
truth. A sincere confession according to
Tripp is one that is concrete and specific with no “buts” or “ifs.” The problem
is sinners often find confession difficult. They want to deny, explain away,
blame, defend, and hide. Tripp cautions that one must take care not to confess
for someone or to assume confession. Instead, one must encourage a person to make
their own confession to the Lord, and to those against whom he or she has sinned.[52]
After genuine
confession, the discipleship counselor must seek the disciple’s commitment to God’s
agenda for change and sanctification.
The question to ask is how, specifically, is God calling this person to
a new way of living? To what new ways of
thinking is God calling him or her? What
new biblical desires would God want to control the disciple’s heart? To what new responses is God calling him or
her? In what new ways is God calling the
disciple to serve others? What behaviors
must the disciple strip off? What new
behaviors or ways of living does he or she need to put on? What steps of correction and restitution is
God calling him or her to make? What new
habits does the disciple need to cultivate?
Is this brother or sister committed to making these changes?[53]
Mack fundamentally
agrees with Tripp concerning commitment, but sheds further light on the
subject. Mack uses the acronym
A-C-C-E-P-T to highlight six factors of what he considers a biblical
commitment. The first factor is to
accept personal responsibility for thought and actions, for this is the initial
step toward biblical change. The second
factor is to choose to view one’s life, past and present, from a biblical point
of view. Third, one must commit to
eliminating anything that hinders biblical change. Adams calls this principal radical amputation. Fourth, one must exert effort toward the
goal. Fifth, one must preserve toward
obedience. Finally, one must trust God
for the strength and resources to change (Philip. 2:12-13).[54]
Once the
discipleship counselor determines there is a genuine commitment to change, he
or she must help the disciple develop and adopt a plan to implement the required
changes in his or her life. Tripp warns,
“It is easy to assume that change has taken place because a person has gained
insight and made new commitments. But
that would be a mistake. Change hasn’t
taken place until change has taken place!”[55]
The final part of
Paul Tripp’s ministry model is “do,” and it requires that the discipleship
counselor establish a plan for ministry, clarify responsibility, reinforce the
truth about one’s identity in Christ, and provide accountability. One of the most vital elements of a
discipleship counselor’s ministry plan will be scripturally focused
homework. Adams concurs when he writes,
“Giving homework --- work to do between sessions --- speeds up counseling,
takes it out of the artificial setting of the counseling room into the arena
where life is lived, and keeps the counselee from becoming dependent on the
counselor.”[56] Adams goes to say that homework ought to be
given after every session, for it gives the one being counseled the opportunity
to follow through on the commitments he or she made during the counseling
sessions. In addition, it gives one the
opportunity to learn how to apply the truth, strip off sin and put on
righteousness.[57]
Mack terms Tripp’s
“do” implementation. He says it involves
three essential elements. First, the
discipleship counselor must plan specific strategies to aid his or her disciple
in living out pertinent biblical truth.
It is not enough to tell the disciple what to do; the discipleship
counselor must teach him or her how to do it.
Next, the disciple practices the truths taught in real life. Finally, the disciple perseveres in applying
biblical truth until new godly patterns of thinking, feeling and living have
become a part of the disciple’s life.[58]
Tripp says it is
one thing to have a plan for change and spiritual growth, but it is another to
exercise the necessary perseverance in implementing it. A disciple battling against sin will have to
fight many spiritual battles, and there will likely be times of discouragement
and frustration. Therefore, discipleship
counselors must continually encourage their disciples by pointing them to the
resources that are theirs in Christ (Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Pet. 1:3-4). Since change is difficult, and it demands
tremendous determination, a discipleship counselor must provide loving
accountability.[59] Tripp says, “Accountability is about
providing loving structure, guidance, assistance, encouragement, and warning to
a person who is fully committed to the change God is working in his life.”[60] Of course, in addition to the discipleship
counselor, the disciple must be encouraged to maintain accountability with the
local church. In Mack’s words, “Since
the Church is described as Christ’s body, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ
means getting involved in a local church (Col. 1:18, 24). We need to exhort our
counselees to become vitally, not just casually, involved in a church where
Christ can meet their needs in a special way.”[61]
Biblical Objectives in Discipleship
Counseling
Adams says there
are three major objectives in discipleship counseling. The first goal, honoring God, is the most
important; the other two goals are instrumental to attaining it. The additional two goals are building the disciple
up in the faith, and strengthening the church.[62] Scripture passages such as 1Cor. 10:31, and
Col. 3:17, undergird Adams’ contention.
The Bible clearly teaches that a disciple who honors and glorifies God
will strive to reflect his or her Heavenly Father’s character, and seek to live
in accordance with his perfect will and purpose as revealed in Scripture. Consequently, a discipleship counselor ought
to clarify this vital truth to his or her disciple at the outset of the
counseling relationship, along with an overview of God’s means for
accomplishing it, namely progressive sanctification.
As Adams said, a
discipleship counselor pursues the overarching goal of honoring God by building
his or her disciple up in the faith, or in other words helping the disciple
grow in Christian maturity. Col. 1:28-29 fittingly describes this goal,
“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom,
so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I
labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me
(NASB).” Likewise, a discipleship
counselor ought to labor and strive toward the goal of presenting his or her
disciple complete in Christ by means of the Spirit’s empowering grace. What does this labor look like in practical
terms?
Many times when a
believer comes to a discipleship counselor for help with a problem of living,
he or she’s need for such help is due to the fact he or she has never been
properly discipled. Shaw lamenting the
lack of discipleship in the modern church wrote, “. . . the Christian church
today has a lot spiritually malnourished “born again” Christians.”[63] Therefore, the first task of a discipleship
counselor is to make sure his or her disciples become knowledgeable and skilled
in using the means of grace. Spiritual
disciplines such as consistent Bible reading, Scripture memorization, prayer,
worship and service must be solidly established the disciple’s life for two
vital reasons. First, these disciplines
will further their familiarity and intimacy with God. Second, these disciplines will serve to equip
them in dealing with the inevitable problems of living that they will encounter
in the future.
Second, the
discipleship counselor must seek to equip his or her disciples with key biblical
concepts for overcoming his or her specific problems of living. These biblical concepts are basically more
focused applications of the means of grace.
They include righteous actions such as repentance, radical amputation
(Matt. 5:27-30), putting off and putting on (Eph. 4:22-24), taking thoughts
captive (2 Cor. 10:5), and renewing the mind (Rom. 12:2). An astute discipleship counselor will help
his or her disciples envision how these key biblical concepts can also be
applied to all imminent problems of living.
Third, the
discipleship counselor ought to teach his or her disciple how to preach the
gospel to himself or herself every day. This skill is essential because one’s
desire to glorify God flows out of one’s love for Him. Love for God supernaturally grows as one
becomes thoroughly acquainted, and enraptured by his mercy, grace and love as
expressed through the gospel. A quote from a recent article by Fitzpatrick
confirms why immersion in the gospel is essential:
It is the whole message of the gospel that
has the power to transform impatient, guilty, selfish, despairing idolaters
into free and joyful worshippers of the Living God. The whole message of the
gospel includes His incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection,
ascension, reign and return. Seeing Jesus and His glorious work is the
only power strong enough to transforms us from “one degree of glory to another”
(2 Corinthians 3:18) or as John Owen wrote, “Here in this life, beholding the
glory of the Lord [true believers] are changed into his likeness. Hereafter
they will be like Him for they will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).[64]
While these three goals are by no means
exhaustive, they will go a long way in helping a disciple grow
spiritually. Surely, if a discipleship
counselor equips his or her disciple with the means of grace, key biblical
concepts for dealing with problems of living, and the daily discipline of
gospel immersion, his or her disciple will indeed experience significant
spiritual progress, and thereby glorify God.
The final
objective Adams mentioned was strengthening the church. Obviously, if
individual Christians are growing spiritually it will fortify the church. However, the wise discipleship counselor will
have something even greater in mind. From the beginning of the discipling
relationship, he or she will strive to build a discipling vision in the one to
whom he or she is ministering. In other
words, the discipleship counselor will work to help the disciple see his or her
particular problem as God’s means of equipping him or her for ministry. A
disciple must see that God aims to use him or her in helping others who are
struggling in similar ways. Paul’s
discussion of his suffering and experience of God’s comfort in 2 Cor. 1 is a
biblical illustration of this concept.
Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all
our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NASB).”
Clearly, when God enables a believer to
overcome a problem of living, he intends that one use that experience to
minister to others, whether it be suffering or overcoming a particular sin.
Certainly, at the
beginning of a discipling relationship, many disciples will be in doubt or
overwhelmed by the idea that God intends to use them in ministry. However, a prudent discipleship counselor should
continually strive to help the disciple see that his or her increased knowledge
of the Scriptures, greater submission to the Spirit, and practical experience
gained through intense discipling, are indeed training for ministering to
others. Granted such ministry may not be in the church counseling room, but
opportunities will abound at home, the workplace and anywhere where one is
likely to encounters fellow strugglers.
Conclusion
This article’s aim
was to define and describe the biblical essentials for discipleship counseling. Admittedly, it has merely scratched the
surface, for entire books have been devoted to this vital subject. Nevertheless, if one embraces and applies the
principles briefly outlined, namely, spiritual preparation, a biblical
methodology and scriptural objectives, he or she will have made a good start
towards becoming a properly equipped discipleship counselor, or as Tripp would
put it, an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands.
[1]Mark
Shaw, Strength in Numbers. (Bemidji,
MN: Focus Publishing, 2009), 10.
[2]Jay
E. Adams, Competent to Counsel,(Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1970), 20.
[3]Jay
E. Adams, The Christian Counselors Manual,
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973), 6-7.
[4]BCC
Staff. “The BCC Confessional Statement, Part
3: Progressive Sanctification” (2012) [online] Accessed 4 Jan. 2012. Available from
http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/blogs/2012/01/04/the-bcc-confessional-statement-part-3-progressive-sanctification/;
Internet.
[5]Jerry
Bridges, The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of
Holiness, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006), WORDsearch CROSS
e-book, 108.
[6]Jay
E. Adams, Competent to Counsel,(Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1970), 23.
[7]Ibid.,
22.
[8]Ibid.,
22.
[9]Ibid.,22-23
[10]Robert
W. Kellemen, Equipping Counselors for
Your Church,(Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2011), 179-187.
[11]Ibid.,188-189.
[12]Jay
E. Adams, Competent to Counsel,(Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1970), 23.
[13]Jay
E. Adams, How to Help People,(Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 29-32.
[14]David
Powlison, Seeing With New Eyes (Phillipsburg,
NJ: P&R Publishing, 2011), 17.
[15]Ibid.,
17-34.
[16]Stuart
Scott, “Gaining A Balanced Picture on God’s Counsel” (2011) [online]. Accessed 22 Nov. 2011. Available from
http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/resources/gaining-a-balanced-picture-on-gods-counsel;
Internet.
[17]Ibid.
[18]Shaw,
49.
[19]Paul
David Tripp, Instruments in the
Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping Others in Need of Change
(Phillipsburg: P &R Publishing, 2002), 157.
[20]Ibid.
[21]David
Powlison, Speaking Truth In Love (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2005),
191.
[22]Kellemen,
204.
[23]Jay E. Adams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 61.
[24]BCC
Staff. “The BCC Confessional Statement,
Part 3: Progressive Sanctification” (2012) [online] Accessed 4 Jan. 2012. Available from
http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/blogs/2012/01/04/the-bcc-confessional-statement-part-3-progressive-sanctification/;
Internet.
[25]Shaw,
48.
[26]Paul
David Tripp & Timothy S. Lane, Helping
Others Change (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2000), Lesson 1, 8.
[27]Tripp,
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands,
59.
[28]Ibid.,
[29]Ibid.,
59-60.
[30]Ibid.,73.
[31]Ibid.,
72.
[32]Tripp, Helping Others Change, Lesson 2,7.
[33]Ibid.,1-1.
[34]John
MacArthur, F., Jr, Wayne A. Mack and Master's College, Introduction to Biblical Counseling : Basic Guide to the Principles and
Practice of Counseling, Electronic ed. (Dallas, TX: Word Pub., 1997),
173-297.
[35]Tripp,
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands,
109.
[36]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lesson 5,6.
[37]MacArthur,
175.
[38]Ibid.
[39]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lesson 5,6.
[40]Ibid.
[41]Ibid.
[42]MacArthur,
184.
[43]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lesson 6.
[44]MacArthur,
210.
[45]Tripp,
Helping Others Change,Lessons 7-8.
[46]Ibid.
[47]Ibid.
[48]Ibid.
[49]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lessons 9-10.
[50]Ibid.,
Lesson 9, 4.
[51]Ibid.,
Lessons 9-10.
[52]Ibid.,
Lessons 9-10.
[53]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lessons 9-10.
[54]
MacArthur, 269-271.
[55]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lessons 9-10.
[56]Jay
Adams, Critical Stages of Biblical
Counseling, (Hackettstown:NJ, Timeless Texts, 2004), 65.
[57]
Ibid. 66
[58]MacArthur,
284.
[59]Tripp,
Helping Others Change, Lessons 11-12.
[60]Ibid.,
Lesson 12, 6.
[62]Adams,
The Christian Counselor’s Manual, 235.
[63]Shaw,
30.
[64]
Elyse Fitzpatrick. “The Transforming Power of the Cross,” (June. 2011),
[online], accessed 25 June 2011; available from http://christiancounseling.com/content/the-transforming-power-of-the-cross.
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