Page 11 - Advanced Biblical Counseling Student Textbook

Review of Core Beliefs from Christian Biblical Counseling.

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 and spirit.
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7. There may be real biological illnesses that need to be treated by medical professionals.

Can psychology help in counseling?

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Psychology is the science (or study) of the mind and behavior. 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 a person 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.
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Some examples would be thoughts, dreams, beliefs, feelings, sensations, perceptions, or opinions.

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 explain how science and faith aren’t
always in conflict:
(Photo 1: humanityworldorder.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/the-bible-science-fiction-version)

“Contrary to this popular view that religion and science are antagonistic, many intellectual historians
argue that the seventeenth-century development of modern science was supported by Christian ideas.
If, as had often been supposed, nature is sacred, then we ought not tamper or experiment with it. If,
however, nature is not an aspect of God, but rather is God’s intelligible creation – a work to be enjoyed
and managed – then by all means let us explore this handiwork. If we wish to discover its order, let us

3 Ibid. p. 5
4 APA, 2020
5 David G. Myers and Malcom A. Jeeves, Psychology through the Eyes of Faith, 2009.

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