Page 12 - Biblical Counseling II-Textbook

the Bible refers to the advice given as “counsel,” and we should understand it in this manner as well
(BCI, p. 1).

Review of Core Beliefs from Biblical Counseling I:

1. All humanity is fallen and by nature sinful (Rom 3:10f; Eph. 2:1-3; Jer. 17:9).
2. Man is not neutral toward God (Rom. 8:5-8).
3. The Bible provides sufficient help to solve all non-physical problems (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3).
4. Christ in us is the only hope for true change (John 15:4-5; Rom. 8:10; Col. 2:24-29).
5. All believers are called to provide biblical counsel and should be striving toward biblical maturity
together (Matt. 28:19-20; Gal. 6:1-2; Titus 2).
6. Humans are a psycho-somatic whole, that is, we are comprised of body and soul.
7. There are real biological illnesses that need to be treated by medical professionals
(BCI, p. 5).

As I stated earlier, my training comes from the study of psychology. As a result, Biblical Counseling II will
have a different feel to it compared to Biblical Counseling I. We will build on what you learned in that
course by adding an understanding from a psychology background. Let’s take a look at the definition of
psychology first.

Psychology is the science (or study) of the mind and behavior (APA, 2020). Psychology is also defined as
the science of behavior and mental processes. If we take this definition apart, we see there are two
parts:

Behavior is considered anything an organism does, any action we can observe and record. What are
some examples of this? Yelling, smiling, talking, blinking, sneezing, etc.

Mental processes are the internal, subjective (can’t measure) experiences we infer from behavior.
Some examples would be thoughts, dreams, beliefs, feelings, sensations, perceptions, or opinions
(Myers, 2009).

There are many different schools of thought within the field of psychology. We won’t learn about these
during this course. Instead, our focus will be on understanding select areas of psychology that help
explain our behaviors and our mental processes. This deeper understanding of yourself and others will
allow you to become more effective in counseling Biblically when you work with your congregations and
communities.

Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith

What is the relationship between Christian faith and science? If psychology is a field of
science, what about the relationship between Christian faith and psychology? In class I
would have given you chapters from of the book, Psychology through the Eyes of Faith, by
professors David G. Myers and Malcom A. Jeeves. Instead, during this course I will include
excerpts in your text. Below, Jeeves and Myers (2003) explain how science and faith
aren’t always in conflict:
(Photo 1: humanityworldorder.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/the-bible-science-fiction-version)

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