Thanks for your reply to this article. You raise an excellent concern that should be given serious consideration. Do we, as the Church, simply cater to the popular demand of our culture and give the majority what the majority wants? No, of course not! It sounds like your argument here is that “Christian Counseling” is simply an effort to “stay relevant” in a predominantly therapeutic culture that undervalues solid and authoritative biblical teaching. Is that a fair assessment of your line of thinking? If so, I agree that we don’t need to pander to culture’s constantly changing values in order to stay relevant. The Church is the home of the gospel and is, by definition, relevant to any sinner who needs to hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and grow in the gospel.

However, I’d suggest that “Christian Counseling” is just one more way to intentionally engage sinners with the gospel! I believe in preaching, to be sure. In fact, I believe preaching is the most effective way for a pastor to lead his whole church deeper into the gospel. However, if I have an opportunity to sit down one-on-one with someone to discuss where the gospel intersects with the problems they’re having in life, and point to Christ as the remedy for their brokenness and patterns of destructive sinful behavior, I will take full advantage. I don’t think that David Murray or Bob Kellemen is recommending that we do away with pastors “being teachers and disciplinarians,” but are merely arguing that we should also be gracious, personable, wise, and accessible “gospel-advice-givers” (or “Christian Counselors,” if you will).

Preaching is a monologue from one person to many. It is a powerful and important way of communicating the gospel, but it has its limitations. As much as a preacher can make a relatively specific application, he cannot talk directly to Mr. Smith’s pending divorce and 20 year old Billy’s anger problems at the same time. However, if the pastor can sit down with each one individually, he has an opportunity to lovingly and winsomely infuse the gospel truths of Jesus Christ that can heal and transform them into their lives. Pastors should be tough-as-nails who will “rightly divide the word of truth” and shoot wolves in the midst of their flock. Yet, Pastors must also be tender-hearted shepherds who will tend to sickly sheep.

So call it “Christian Counseling” or call it wise spiritual advice from someone who loves you and loves Jesus and wants to see the two of you walking more closely together, I believe there is certainly a place for dialogue about the intersection of the gospel and life’s problems.

Thanks again for your question, Merlin. I hope that I have at least given you some food for thought.

Jonny

Try finding “Christian Counseling” anywhere in Church history before the 20th Century. It didn’t exist! And don’t go looking through the Puritans, the Reformers, or the Nadere Reformatie, either. They had piety enough, but no counselors.

The entire “Christian Counseling” movement, on all sides, is a reaction to explosion of Freudian therapeutic ideas in middle class society. Instead of being teachers and disciplinarians, pastors are expected to be analysts. It shows a paradigmatic downgrade is the doctrines of ministry and the Church.

People with medical problems need doctors. People with theological problems need pastors. I don’t ever hear about physicians looking for “a consulting relationship with trusted doctrinal professionals.” If ailments like anxiety and depression truly are biological conditions, then a minister is not competent to deal with them, period.