Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Patrick King
Liberty University
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 2
Table of Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 3
References ..................................................................................................................................... 19
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 3
Abstract
Psalm 1:1 declares blessing for those who “do not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (NASB).
This paper explores the implications of biblical counseling by closely examining three words
related to counseling and applying that study to the assertions made in the first chapter of Psalm.
Further, the similarities and differences between biblical counseling and secular counseling are
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1, NASB)
This popular psalm is given as an introduction to one of the most comforting and inspiring books
in the Bible. Throughout scripture followers of Christ are admonished to pay close attention to
counsel, and yet this passage identifies counseling that is to be avoided. As the Bible declares
blessing for the one who ignores ungodly counsel, and speaks of the necessity to embrace other
types of counsel, students of the Bible and counselors alike are left with the need to explore the
Although they share a few similarities, no one would dispute the fact that biblical
counseling differs from secular counseling in many ways. The similarities can be seen in the
process of counseling while the differences have their foundation primarily in the content of
counseling. Christians, following the example of Christ, and relying on the authority of the
inspired word of God, approach counseling as means of developing maturity in Christ, yet this
concept is completely foreign and may be somewhat offensive to those of the secular counseling
This paper seeks to explore some of the more prominent similarities and differences
between Biblical and secular counseling. To that end a biblical word study was conducted using
Strongs exhaustive concordance of the Bible, Vine‟s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, a variety
of online bible dictionaries, and commentaries. The paper closely examines three words related
intently at Psalm 1:1 for additional insight into the art of counseling. The final section of this
paper is a personal narrative attempting application of the knowledge and concepts discovered
This section examines three words related to counseling as a means of bringing clarity to
Biblical counseling expectations. The words wisdom, counsel, and wicked were closely
examined using Strong‟s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Vines Concise Dictionary of the
Bible, as well as a variety of online bible dictionaries and commentaries. Additionally many
different translations of the Bible were consulted. These included the New American Standard,
King James Version, New International Version, New English Translation, and the New Living
Translation.
The relatively obvious relationship between the words wisdom and counsel provide
sound reasoning for their choice as words for the context of this study. However, including the
word wicked in this examination requires somewhat of a brief explanation. Students of the Bible
are not unfamiliar with Psalm 1:1. The Psalmist admonished his readers with clear instruction
regarding the type of counsel a well adjusted and successful person must avoid when he penned
the words, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…” At first
glance, and taking this verse at face value, one could assume the Psalmist is offering insight into
student of the scriptures and the art of counseling, this leads to the question what is “the counsel
of the wicked?” The obvious place to begin if there is to be an understanding with regard to the
“counsel of the wicked” is to examine the word closely asking questions such as, who are the
wicked? Is there anything unique about their counsel that qualifies it as wicked? Is the counsel
wicked because of the counselor, or is the counselor wicked because of the counsel? Is the
phrase used elsewhere in scripture? Can the phrase be taken at face value and truly understood
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 6
In an effort to understand Biblical counseling and, in spite of the fact the term wicked is
not one that would generally be associated with the art of counseling, it has been included in this
study as a relevant part of the inspired word of God, and as a means of clearly separating counsel
which is not only condoned, but also encouraged in scripture, from that which is condemned.
Depending on the Biblical translation used, the word counsel appears in scripture as
many as many as 275 times (Bible.org). Although eight different Hebrew words translate into
the English word counsel, the most commonly used Hebrew word throughout the Old Testament
is `etsah appearing in the King James Version of the scriptures on eighty eight different
occasions. The word is actually derived from the slightly lesser used Hebrew word ya`ats, which
literally means to “advise, counsel, consult” (Vine, 2005). In addition to the word counsel, and
depending on context, ya`ats is frequently translated with English words such as advise,
Most commonly, and when used as a verb ya`ats describes the “giving of good advice”
(Vine, 2005) as is the case in Numbers 24:14 where the scriptures say, “Come now, and I will
advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future” (NET). However, in spite
of the fact the term generally speaks of giving good advice, the opposite is also true as can be
seen in 2 Chronicles 22:3 where speaking of Ahazia, king of Judah, the scripture declares, “He
followed in the footsteps of Ahab‟s dynasty, for his mother gave him evil advice” (NET).
When used as a noun, the Hebrew word most often speaks of a counselor, or one who
gives advice (Vine, 2005). The counsel is generally of a political or military nature as is the case
in 2 Samuel 15:12 when Absalom plotted to usurp his father‟s throne, and the scriptures say
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 7
Absalom sought advice when “he sent for Ahithophel, one of David‟s counselors who lived in
Giloh” (NLT). Although, as mentioned earlier, there are eight different Hebrew words that
translate to the English word counsel, all eight words, as derivatives of ya`ats carry the same
general meaning, that is to counsel, consult, or advise. Throughout the Old Testament the source
The word counsel appears far less frequently in the New Testament, but is used in a
similar way to the Old Testament. Three different Greek words translate to the English word
counsel. The word most commonly used in the New Testament is boule. The word boule comes
from a root word meaning “a will” (Vines,2005). Although most often translated in English as
counsel, and depending on the version and context, boule is also accurately translated in English
as plan, purpose, decide, and will. As is the case with its Hebrew equivalent, boule is used
throughout the New Testament to describe the counsel of man as well as the counsel of God.
The counsel of man is clearly seen in Luke 23. Having witnessed the brutal murder of
Christ, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilot to acquire the burial rights of his Lord because he “had
not consented to the counsel and deed” (Luke 23:51 NASB) of the religious leaders involved in
the murder plot. Again, the counsel of man is described using the same Greek word, boule, in
Acts 27 when the apostle Paul, a political prisoner, while being transported to Rome, was
shipwrecked. The Bible says “the soldiers‟ counsel was to kill the prisoners lest any of them
should swim out and escape” (Acts 27:42 NASB). In other instances boule is used when the
context is the counsel of God as is the case in Luke 7:30 where the “Pharisees and Lawyers
rejected the counsel of God” (NIV) and again in Acts 2:23 in which the Bible speaks of the
crucifixion of Jesus saying He was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God” (KJV).
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 8
The other two Greek words translated in English as counsel are derived from the same
root as the word boule, but convey a slightly different meaning. Bouleuo is used in Luke 14:21
when scripture asks, “What king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down
with his counselors and discussing whether his army… is strong enough to defeat… the soldiers
marching against him?” (NLT) Bouleuo literally means “to take counsel, to resolve”
(Vines,2005). Conversely, sumbouleuo conveys the idea of giving counsel, and literally is
translated “to advise, to counsel, and to take counsel together” (Vine, 2005). Sumbouleuo is
generally used throughout the gospels in the context of the Jewish leaders consulting together for
the purpose of killing Jesus as demonstrated in John 11:53 where the Jews “took counsel
The wise king Solomon encouraged his readers to “Listen to counsel and accept
discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days” (Proverbs 19:20 NIV). The word counsel
in this verse most likely refers the “teachings of sages that will make one wise” (Bible.org). The
Wisdom and its variations as a verb and an adjective (act wise, or be wise) are
represented by several different Hebrew words. However, the most common Hebrew word that
is translated into the English word wisdom is chakham and its derivatives. The nouns chakhmah
and chakhmoth, the verb chakham, and the adjective chakham make an appearance in the Old
Testament over 300 times with more than half of their references occurring in the books of Job,
Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes (Easton, 2006). Although wisdom is the most appropriate choice, and
the word most often translated as the English equivalent of chakhmah, the word wisdom neither
completely nor accurately represents the concept conveyed by its Hebrew counterpart, and can
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 9
Chakhmah in its truest sense communicates a much broader scope of meaning than the
English translation. Chakhmah is used to express simple technical skills in Exodus 28:3
speaking of those whom the Lord “endowed with the spirit of wisdom that they make Aaron‟s
garments” (NASB). The same word is used in the context of military ability in Isaiah 10:13
where the Bible says, “for by the power of my wisdom… I removed boundaries… and plundered
their treasures… and brought down their inhabitants” (NASB). In other places the word
describes the intelligence of animals (Proverbs 30:24), and in 2 Samuel 3:13, shrewdness with
referenced examples, men practicing magic and divination in the pagan cultures of Egypt,
Babylon, Tyre, and Edom came to be known as wise men (Vine, 2006). In a strictly spiritual
sense, however, references to chakam have nothing to do with shrewdness, craftiness and the
practice of divination and magic. Isaiah 31:2 declares that God is the source of wisdom, for “He
is wise.” Although wisdom, as an independent English word can not accurately communicate all
of the ideas captured in the Hebrew representation, the general meaning of the word is more than
The New Testament words wise and act wisely are generally translations of the Greek
word phronimos and its derivatives. Literally translated phronimos means, “prudent, sensible,
and practically wise” (Vine, 2006). Sophia, however, is the Greek word most commonly
Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, means “wisdom, broad and full of intelligence,” and is
used to convey the idea of having “knowledge of diverse matters.” Wisdom, in this sense of the
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 10
word, is used in the New Testament with reference to God (Romans 11:33), Christ (Matthew
13:34), humans, and on a couple of occasions wisdom is personified (Vines, 2006). With regard
to human wisdom, sophia is often used to describe wisdom in spiritual things (Colossians 1:28),
as well as wisdom in the natural (Matthew 12:42), and finally, as is the case in James 3:15,
wisdom with regard to knowledge and behaviors that are earthly, sensual, and motivated by the
Devil (Vine, 2006). Throughout scripture human wisdom is predominantly thought to be that
which comes from experience, whether gleaned from everyday life or from experiencing God, it
is implied to be at its best in old age. Vine (2006) summarizes the concept of wisdom as it can
be understood throughout all of scripture as the “knowledge and ability to make right choices at
The term wicked, although not generally associated (even in the English language) with
counseling, is the topic of the final word studied for this paper. The term, as previously
mentioned, is associated with the word “counsel” in Psalm 1:1 where the psalmist writes,
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…” (NASB).
Wicked in both the Old and New Testaments is sometimes translated as ungodly. In the
original language of the scriptures, both terms communicate the same general meaning. The
Hebrew word rasha‟ is most commonly translated as wicked/ungodly throughout the Old
Testament, and in its most literal translation is a legal term meaning “to be in the wrong” (Vine,
2006). Proverbs 28:4 says, “Those who forsake the law [of God] praise the wicked” (NASB)
and Psalm 10:4 declares, “the wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in
none of his thoughts” (NIV). The suggestion is that rasha‟ is descriptive of a person or a
category of people that not only live life without the fear of God, but also live in direct
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 11
opposition to God (preceptaustin.com). It denotes a person guilty of wrong doing, and worse, a
person who chooses a continuous lifestyle of sin, and is perfectly content to live in defiance of
God. (Vine, 2006). Other characteristics of the wicked and ungodly include an oppressive
attitude toward the righteous as described in Psalm 17:9 where the psalmist cries out to God for
protection “from the wicked who oppress…” (NASB) and a desire to trap the righteous as seen
in Psalm 119:110 where the psalmist expresses his dedication and commitment to Gods
commands while acknowledging “the wicked have set their traps… along your path” (NIV).
The Greek word poneros is generally translated in the New Testament as wicked, and
occasionally with the words malicious and evil (Vine, 2006). In some cases when the word evil
is the translation it is in reference to Satan as is the case in Matthew 13:38 where Jesus,
explaining the parable of the wheat and the weeds, teaches his disciples “the weeds are the
Throughout the New Testament the wicked and the ungodly are described in terms of
alienation from God (Ephesians 4:18, Colossians 1:21), blasphemous (Luke 22:65, Revelation
16:9), blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 4:18), high-minded (2 Timothy 3:4), reprobate (2
Corinthians 13:5, 2 Timothy 3:8), selfish (2 Timothy 3:2), and sensual (Philippians 3:19, Jude
1:19) (crosswalk.com). Perhaps the most telling description of the wicked and ungodly from the
New Testament is that in their broken and unregenerate sinful nature they are hostile toward God
loving and pursuing pleasure as opposed to God (crosswalk.com). Romans 8:7 provides insight
into the heart of the wicked stating, “The sinful nature is hostile toward God. It never did obey
God‟s laws and it never will.” As a result the wicked are alienated from God and are His
One final Greek term that deserves mention with regard to the wicked, because of the
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 12
clarity it brings to the topic, is asebes. Asebes is most commonly translated in English as
ungodly, and when it is used in the Greek text as a verb, asebeo, it literally means to commit
ungodly deeds (Vine, 2006). It is because of the natural human bent to ungodliness that the
Bible declares God “turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept
them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly
people” (2 Peter 2:6 NLT). When used as an adjective, asebes, describes one who is not merely
irreligious, but rather one who lives completely without reverence for God, and acts in
contravention to Gods demands (Vine, 2006). The apostle Paul summarizes the complete
“No one is good- not even one. No one has real understanding; no one is seeking
God. All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No one does good,
not even one. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their speech
is filled with lies. The poison of a deadly snake drips from their lips. Their
mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. They are quick to commit murder.
Wherever they go, destruction and misery follow them. They do not know what
true peace is. They have no fear of God to restrain them” (NLT).
It is against the backdrop of complete moral bankruptcy and helplessness of mankind that Paul
uses the term asebes, and declares the unlikely provision of God writing, “While we were still
This particular word study was intended to clarify the psalmists‟ intentions and
instructions with regard to Psalm 1:1 when he declares, “Blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel of the wicked.” As a follower of Christ and a student of the art of counseling, the
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 13
phrase “counsel of the wicked” raises a lot of questions. Armed with a thorough knowledge of
the word counsel and wicked, various commentaries were studied to bring further clarity to this
particular passage of scripture. Although, when taken at face value the passage would seem to
provide insight into the art of counseling, most commentaries agree that this passage has more to
do with the benefits of living a godly life as opposed to an ungodly life. Still there is much to be
In this particular passage the word translated counsel is the Hebrew word „etsah, which,
as discussed earlier, means to advise, consult, or counsel (Strong). As earlier mentioned, counsel
can sometimes be used to mean “the giving of good advice”, and sometimes is used to mean “the
giving of evil advice” (Vine, 2006). The context of this passage seems to suggest that the
ungodly is giving evil advice not only by their words but also the principles which determine
their actions. The suggestion of the passage is that an ungodly lifestyle is one that only begins
with the “counsel of the wicked,” and progressively leads to “standing in the path of sinners”,
and culminates with “seating in the seat of mockers” defiantly opposed to God (Walvoord, Zuck,
1985). The passage does not suggest that one is actively seeking out counseling in the sense that
counseling is understood as the profession it is today, but rather there is a general adherence to
The overwhelming characteristic of the ungodly is that their life is lived in hostility
toward God, and as a result they are unstable in all they do. They are tossed around by the
difficulties of the world (Horton, 1996). The passage focuses more on the picture of those
avoiding such counsel than those embracing the counsel of the wicked. The godly not only
reject the advice of the wicked, but they also avoid the philosophical and moral principles which
are indicative of the ungodly. The godly will not embrace the humanistic world views which are
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 14
The picture of those avoiding such counsel is the opposite to that of the ungodly. It is a
picture of being well anchored and rooted, able to withstand the storms of life. Planted is
expressed by a word that suggests establishment (Horton, 1996). The clear difference between
the two lives is in the source of their counsel. The psalmist suggests that a life rooted like a tree
by streams of water is one of prosperity and joy. Again, the source of the prosperity and joy is
found in the counsel that is embraced. It is a delight in the law of the Lord that produces such a
life. Counsel heeded from the word of God serves as both the soil and stream nourishing the
tree. It is a life well fed. Being rooted in the good counsel of God‟s word produces a twofold
benefit. On one hand it produces stability and on the other it produces refreshment and a means
of growth (Horton, 1996). The psalmist beautifully and accurately describes the blessing of one
different than what the world has to offer. The primary difference is found in philosophical
differences between Christians and those who do not embrace the teachings of Christ. However,
Christian counseling has a great deal in common with other forms of counseling. The majority
of the similarities are found to be in the process of counseling, while the majority of the
differences are well grounded in the content of the counseling (Clinton and Ohlschlager, 2002).
Both Christian and secular counseling are clearly goal-directed. Christians, as pointed
out by Gary Collins (1988), have two primary goals if they are following the example given to us
by Jesus Christ, because Jesus had two goals for all of humanity, “abundant life on earth and
eternal life in heaven.” A counselor committed to following Jesus will undoubtedly understand
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 15
the teaching of scripture that an abundant life on earth can only truly be found in Christ, and of
course if life in Christ is found eternal life with Christ is promised (Collins, 1988). The main
goals of secular counseling are similar. Although the goals have nothing to do with Christ, they
certainly attempt to lead their clients to a richer and more abundant life. A second similarity
between Christian and secular counseling is found in the object of the counseling goals. Both
Christian and secular counselors attempt to lead their clients to a place where they are more
mature, and have a greater capacity to live more effectively in the future, and with less distress
than when they first entered counseling (Clinton and Ohlschlager, 2002). A third similarity is
that both Christian counselors and secular counselors recognize the necessity of developing a
The primary reason for the difference is well grounded in the presuppositions from which
the art of counseling is approached by Christian and secular counselors. As pointed out by
Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002), the goals, ground, process, means, and values are very different
for a Christian counselor than those of one who claims no allegiance to Christ.
For the Christian counselor, maturity in Christ is the ultimate goal of counseling as
opposed to happiness and fulfillment. Of course, maturity in Christ will eventually lead one to
happiness and fulfillment, but in the short term, maturity in Christ may require one to experience
the pain of life. The Bible teaches in James 1:2, the testing of faith produces a life that is perfect
and complete.
Additionally, the ground for Christian counseling is the authority of scripture (Clinton
and Ohlschlager, 2002). Although human wisdom has made some valuable contributions to the
behavioral sciences, human wisdom is often fallible, and sometimes stands in direct opposition
to the word of God. Proverbs 14:12 declares, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 16
the end it leads to death,” and Romans 1:22, “Professing to be wise they became fools.” A
counselor following Christ understands the importance of measuring all knowledge and counsel
Although there are several similarities with regard to process between Christian
counseling and secular counseling, there is also a distinct difference between the two. The
Christian counselor recognizes the transforming power of Christ as a part of the process of
counseling (Clinton and Ohlschlager, 2002). Although behavioral adjustments are a part of the
process, contrary to being embraced as the end of the process as is the case with secular
counseling, the apostle Paul calls Christians to something a bit more radical when he declared in
Romans 12:2 that we should be “renewed by the transforming of our mind” (NIV). It is a call
not simply to adjust, but rather to transform. Change accomplished by human effort in isolation
of God can easily be misguided with ineffectual changes, as Christians we seek transformation
by evaluating the quality and goals of our methodology from a biblical perspective (Clinton and
Ohlschlager, 2002).
One final difference to be addressed in this paper is that Christians embrace the absolute
truth as laid out in the word of God. Christian counselors approach their work understanding
they are unique in espousing such a belief. The current philosophical paradigm commonly
embraced by secular counselors is drenched in situational and relativistic values (Clinton and
Ohlschlager, 2002). Christianity rejects the assertion that truth is relative, holding steadfast to
truth found in the word of God. Although there are several similarities between Christian and
secular counseling, as mentioned here there are many notable differences as well.
A Personal Application
Believing myself to have been called to the ministry of Christian counseling, and
BIBLICAL COUNSELING WORD STUDY 17
having a growing desire to walk intimately with the Lord, I fully embrace the uniqueness of my
to rely on the Lord to complete the work of His ministry through me. Counseling, as the
scriptures clearly demonstrate, is not a practice to be taken lightly. The Bible instructs all of
those who claim to be disciples of Christ to adhere to wise counsel. As pointed out in this study,
the bible also speaks of the perils facing those who choose to follow ungodly counsel. Although
as a committed follower of Christ I do not fit the picture of the ungodly, I am keenly aware of
deficiencies, but that they were not hidden from Him when He delivered the call to ministry.
Aware of the fact that even as a Christian my counsel is subject to the same misleading
philosophies that could cause one to stray from the path of maturity for the sake of immediate
happiness as those who refuse to acknowledge God as the source of all wisdom. As such I am
committed to filtering all counsel through the infallible word of God. As the Lord Himself is
perfect, so His word is perfect. As it is my desire to continue to mature in Christ, I see the
ministry to which the Lord has called me as one that seeks not simply to assist others in finding a
place of temporary peace and fulfillment, but rather a ministry that would help others embrace
the Lordship of Christ, and navigate their way through the path of life that the Lord has set
before them. Paul tells us in Romans 12:15 to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those
who weep” (NIV). God‟s desire is that we walk with each other on our way to eternity helping
and supporting one another over the mountains and through the valleys along the path to which
He has called us to walk. By the grace of God I will live out His calling to ministry offering wise
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