Journal: Interdisciplinary Journal on Biblical Authority
Volume: IJOBA 02:3 (Spring 2021)
Article: The Pauline Foundation For Biblical Counseling: A Contextual Framework From Second Timothy
Author: Jeffery N. Campa

IJOBA 2:3 (Spring 2021) p. 36

The Pauline Foundation For Biblical Counseling: A Contextual Framework From Second Timothy

Jeffery N. Campa

Chief Operations Officer
Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling
Calvary University

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Introduction

There is a wide spectrum across the evangelical church regarding the concept of counseling with a corresponding spectrum of terminology: Christian Counseling, Biblical Counseling, Nouthetic Counseling. Throw in a healthy dose of therapy, psychology, and psychiatry and the waters are sufficiently muddied when seeking to understand what truly deserves the Biblical modifier. Since words have meanings and meanings use words to express themselves, it’s necessary to get some basic definitions out of the way and build a shared understanding before examining Paul’s foundation for the concept of Biblical Counseling.

Merriam-Webster leads off with this definition for what is Biblical: “Of, relating to, or being in accord with the Bible.”1 Dictionary.com supports this definition with, “of or in the Bible; in accord with the Bible.”2 Both identify the origin of this adjective as middle-ages Latin. This root is built on an adjectival type using the suffix of “-ic” or “-al.” The “-al” ending (as in biblical) is a “suffix with the general sense ‘of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character of.’”3 These definitions lead to the conclusion that something that is Biblical must then be in accord with or have the form or character of the Bible. Anything else is, by definition, not Biblical.

IJOBA 2:3 (Spring 2021) p. 37

Merriam-Webster clarifies that counsel is, “(a) advice given especially as a result of consultation or (b) a policy or plan of action or behavior.”4 Dictionary.com adds that counsel is, “(1) advice; opinion or instruction given directing the judgement or conduct of another or (2) interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation; deliberation.”5

What then is, counseling? Merriam-Webster describes counseling as, “professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes.”6 Dictionary.com is a bit more succinct with, “professional ...