2+2=4 and the Sufficiency of Scripture
March 20th, 2008
(By Matt Waymeyer)
One afternoon an enthusiastic author takes a seat behind a table at the local bookstore to promote his newly released, Everything You Need to Know to Fix Your Car.
“So,” a customer inquires skeptically as he approaches the table, “you claim this book is everything I need to know?”
“Yes sir,” the author beams. “It contains everything you need to know about fixing cars. If you purchase this book, you will need no other. It is absolutely sufficient.”
“Sufficient?” the customer retorts. “Well how is this book going to help me if my plumbing backs up?”
“Well I must confess that my book is not able to offer assistance in the area of plumbing, but when it comes to—“
“Then how can you say it’s sufficient?” the customer interrupts. “It doesn’t include everything I need to know, does it?!”
“Well sir, it actually does contain everything you need to know about fixin—”
“And take cooking,” he interrupts again. “How will this book help my wife improve her cooking? And how will this book help my son with his physics homework? Or my daughter with deciding whom to marry?”
“But sir, if you notice by the title, my book only claims to—“
“Sufficient??!!” the customer interrupts in disgust as he turns to leave. “Your book isn’t sufficient at all.”
————-
Ever since its waves first arrived on the shores of Christendom in the 1950s, psychology has increasingly grown in its influence on the people of God. Having captured and secured the fascination of the church of Jesus Christ, this field of study now permeates the thinking and ministries of God’s sacred institution at almost every level. As Tim Stafford writes:
Without any central institution nor any single leader, and almost without anyone paying attention, Christian psychology has moved to the center of evangelicalism. Psychologists write best-selling Christian books. Psychologists are prominent on Christian television and radio shows; they are the ones we look to for guidance on family problems and personal growth. Today, if you want to become a successful conference speaker, the surest route is psychology graduate school, not seminary.
To many, this infiltration of psychology into the mainstream of Christianity is seen as a much-needed move of the church in the direction of being able to adequately address the real problems of real people. To others, however, the adoption of psychology is not only unnecessary, but also tantamount to denying the sufficiency that the Word of God claims for itself.
As vigorous debate has ensued, a significant question has been thrust to the forefront of the discussion: Is the Bible alone sufficient for the ministry of counseling believers unto godliness? In other words, when a pastor or another member of the Body of Christ has opportunity to counsel a fellow believer who is struggling with a spiritual problem, is the Bible alone sufficient for effectively helping that individual?
In response to this question, the integrationist movement has said no, the Bible alone is not sufficient, and therefore the truths of Scripture must be supplemented by truths discovered through the study of modern psychology. According to Stanton Jones and Richard Butman, “[W]hile the Bible provides us with life’s most important and ultimate answers as well as the starting point for knowledge of the human condition, it is not an all-sufficient guide for the discipline of counseling.”
Many integrationists base their denial of Scripture’s sufficiency for counseling on the fact that truths such as 2+2=4 and E=MC2 cannot be found in the Bible. Because sources other than Scripture must be consulted to learn these truths and others, it is argued that the Bible cannot be considered sufficient for helping people overcome their spiritual problems. This objection is raised by a number of integrationists. Consider the following:
The Bible’s own claims to sufficiency (for example, 2 Tim. 3:16-17) are sometimes interpreted to mean that reliance on wisdom from extrabiblical sources is forbidden. Yet few if any Christians live consistently with this interpretation. All of us use the products of science and technology, take advantage of the discoveries of medical research, consult lawyers and accountants for advice, and watch news broadcasts on television. Do these activities run counter to the thrust of scriptural teaching? Not really. Rather than avoiding the use of extrabiblical sources of insights, we need to evaluate the information they provide within the framework of a Christian understanding of truth and life (Harold W. Faw).
Note that while inspired (“God-breathed”), [in 2 Timothy 3:16-17] Scripture is not declared to be the only and all-sufficient source for every word ever needed anytime by anyone for any purpose related to human need; rather, it is called “useful.” In other words, we do not look to Scripture for guidance for plumbing; nor should we for distinguishing schizophrenia from a character disorder (Stanton Jones and Richard Butman).
Physicians do not expect to find the treatment for a case of tuberculosis contained within the pages of the Holy Scriptures…. Geologists do not expect to find there a description of the sand containing oil reserves. Similarly, one would hardly expect to find material related to the field of psychology within the Scriptures, except where they directly illustrate or discuss a particular aspect of human behavior (Paul Meier, Frank Minirth, and Frank Wichern).
I know it sounds unscriptural to say that some individuals need more than the church can offer—but if my car needs the transmission replaced, do I expect the church to do it? Or if I break my leg, do I consult my pastor about it? For some reason, when it comes to emotional needs, we think the church should be able to meet them all. It can’t, and it isn’t supposed to (Dwight L. Carlson).
According to the integrationist, because Scripture lacks sufficient information in fields such as medicine, law, accounting, and plumbing, neither should it be considered sufficient in the field of counseling. Therefore, in the same way it is valid for a believer to consult doctors, lawyers, accountants, and plumbers to supplement his knowledge in these fields, it should likewise be acceptable for a believer to consult the findings of secular psychologists to supplement the teaching of Scripture as he seeks to counsel a fellow believer.
Initially this argument may sound sophisticated and compelling, but in the end it misses the mark. As Jay Adams writes:
True, the Scriptures do not contain everything. They are not a textbook for electrical engineering, shipbuilding (unless you are building an ark), aeronautics, or a hundred and one other disciplines. But they are entirely adequate as the textbook for living, and for changing our living to conform to God’s requirements.
In a similar way, John MacArthur states:
Certainly, Scripture does not claim to be a thorough textbook on medicine, or physics, or any of the sciences. But psychology differs from these in two important regards. First, psychology is not a true science…. Second, and most significant, psychology, unlike medicine and physics, deals with matters that are fundamentally spiritual. In fact, the word psychology literally means, “study of the soul.” What are the deep psychological needs if they are not the spiritual issues the gospel is concerned with? And Scripture certainly does claim absolute sufficiency in addressing those needs: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, emphasis added). “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” (Ps. 19:7). Scripture itself promises believers the most comprehensive spiritual resources: “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
In other words, while the Bible was never intended to be a textbook for disciplines such as math or physics, it does claim to be an all-sufficient guide for godly living. Therefore, if the goal of Christian counseling is godliness in the life of the counselee, the counselor need not look beyond the wisdom found in the pages of Scripture to be equipped for his task. For if the counselee’s problem is spiritual in nature, Scripture is sufficient to meet the demand. On the other hand, if the problem is the inability to bake tasty muffins, a cookbook might be a better place to look.
I’ve taken graduate and doctoral courses in psychology. Which is a vast field with many subdisciplines. There have been a number of useful findings in this academic field. And there are some excellent Christians working in the field.
HOWEVER, with that homage, I must fully state that the core presuppositions and assumptions of psychology are at odds with biblical Christianity and with the Scriptures. I was greatly, greatly disappointed by J.P. Moreland’s swipe at John MacArthur in J.P.’s ETS paper on bibliolatry. By and large, Dr. Mac is right that psychology, or more accurately, the abuse of psychology in making inroads within churches is a lamentable development.
Scripture is sufficient.
P.S. Although one area that I do wonder about is counseling the criminally insane. How does Scripture address that?
Thanks for opening up a very important topic.
I agree with (and appreciate) the way Dr. MacArthur’s distinguishes the hard sciences from modern psychology. It seems to me that many churches (including my own) and institutions such as the one at which Dr. Stanton Jones teaches, bandoned the teaching of Christian virtues, such as godly contentment, and have surrendered the field to what is essentially a false religion.
Our church recently voted down the opening up of a new position on the pastoral staff for a “Pastor of Family Discipleship” in part due to the concerns expressed in your post.
One of my suggestions to the elders was that they try to spell out in writing where exactly is the dividing line between Scriptural counseling, on the one hand, and integration of worldly psychology on the other.
This would be very helpful to the Church. Right now there seem to be no clear cut guidelines, and thus great confusion among pastors, elders, and lay people.
‘But they are entirely adequate as the textbook for living, and for changing our living to conform to God’s requirements.’
Amen.
Surely the Church needs counseling. I have had to help counsel marriages, brothers in conflict, etc. And each and every time the Bible is the strong foundation for all counsel. If we leave this, or add to it, then we weaken the power of God’s truth.
Very good post. Thanks.
Good point.
Just a note… E=MC^2 is not considered to be a truth, rather, it is the mass-energy equivalence equation of the theory of special relativity.
I left “special education” several years ago. I was working with “emotionally disturbed” teen-age boys in a large city. I had access to the best “counselors”, and I was able to manage their behavior for the six hours I had them each day. They even masterd the learning objectives. But I became discouraged when I couldn’t get to the “root” of the problem because I knew that I knew that the problem was spiritual. I felt like I was just putting a band-aid on the problem and sending them home without complete resolution or restoration. The “psychological counseling” they receievd didn’t mend their lives; they needed the Truths in the Bible.
I agree with the trend emerging here on the posts. Christian counselors need to rely on the Scriptures. So many in my community are Christians and counselors but still rely heavily on what they were taught from a “scientific” perspective. The two descriptions merely collide; they don’t work with one another. And yes, CHristains do need people to talk with and guide them in the right direction, especially regarding relationships. The Word is sufficient.
In prayer for Pastors and counselors to know that when the Word is at work, lives can be changed!
Sarah C.
I have had experienced many physical and emotional trials during my youth, and sad to say I did look Outside of Scripture for wisdom, understanding and assistance. The best this offered me was the “we can understand how difficult it must be” answer.
Yet, when as John Newton put it in the well beloved Hymn Amazing Grace: “I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.”
The awakening by the Spirit of Truth and Grace had brought me back to the fear of the LORD and the trust that His Word in the Scriptures is complete and all sufficient for Godly Living, thus feeding my soul with such profound peace, harmony and godly reverence that the world and many of my friends even still cannot understand.
As I had experienced depression due to chronic physical pain and lost my career due to my ill health it seemed all hope was lost, but my Pastor took me along a road of Biblical counselling. It was through this time that the selfishness of my pain and other emotional issues became clear through a conviction by the Spirit through the committed study of the Scriptures. As I always say now, being a true believer is not about conversion; but rather about Spirit filled transformation by the gift of grace applied by faith. Psychology loses this vital point, sure there are some useful practical helps that they apply, but only the Scriptures has the power of the Spirit of God that can truly TRANSFORM and RENEW our minds, hearts and souls.
It became clear in my physical and emotional struggles that God was ensuring that my reliance and dependence would no longer be on my wife, doctor or pastor, but on HIM ULTIMATELY and Alone. It is interesting to me that this fits in well with the 5 Solas of the Reformation, and I can truly say that the doctrines of the Reformation are not merely an intellectual tool, but it is Biblical and has a sure impact on my living.
CONTINUED>>>
any one who has doubts about this should check out the testimony of an insider - see Richard Ganz’s at http://www.jewsforjesus.net/answers/lifestories/richard_ganz or Ottawa Reformed Presbyterian church. this is a monster in our midst of epidemic proportions.
Sorry folks I am having troublre with this Word Press pasting… I have two more additions to the above
???
I think as in every area of life Pragmatism is at work.
Because there are some helpful things about Psychology does not mean those very answers are not in Scripture. It is very easy for believers to look to JP Moreland because he says he is a Christian than to look to the Scriptures written 2000 years ago.
We need to repent of reducing the Bible to only being helpful for saving us from the wrath of God.
The Bible does not tell us about plumbing, but it does tell us how to live as we are doing the work of a plumber, engineer, etc.
Great discussion and good blog article during the week of Jesus’ death and resurrection. If the Gospel isn’t about transformation and if Romans 6-8 didn’t exist, then psychology might (even a stretch) be the equivalent of addressing an issue that isn’t covered in God’s revelation. However, anything that the field of psychology discovers that is not simply subjective, you can find addressed in God’s Word. That is why I really liked this article because you can’t compare the field of psychology to the field of medicine. There is a place for Biblical Counseling but most other forms of counseling from a humanistic standpoint doesn’t have a good foundation.
Steve
Dear William,
Your entry is right on, and I will check back to see its continuence.
Thanks!
Lisa
Once one has seen the example of Christ and heard the truths of Christian living in the NT, ANY scripture has the same effect, I find. Reading about dead kings and ancient holy wars still engenders humility, thankfulness, patience etc. as much as any epistle. The Word truly is sufficient.
I have posted my comments to my Blog, as I am still experiencing difficulties posting to this article’s thread.
Please see:
http://boerseuntjie.multiply.com/journal/item/3/The_Sufficiency_of_Scripture_Biblical_Counselling_and_Pop_Psychology
By His grace alone.
But even the ability to bake tasty muffins has to do with the fall and our inability to think clearly to read instructions and our continual failure to manage our schedules so that we have time to make tasty muffins and our lack of prudence in not easily finding tasty muffin recipes.
Just kidding, sort of. This was an very helpful article. While I was kidding in the above comments, I do think that the truth of the gospel bears on all issues in our lives no matter how small. I think that is why integrationist counseling often errs, because they abandon the “creation/fall/redemption” mindset that is absolutely essential for living the way God intended us to or as you say, “godly living.”
Blessings,
Drew
This article is so true.
As my Biblical Counseling professor said “Human observation apart from divine revelation leads us to frustration.”
We in our pride and arrogance often think we can properly discern things apart from God’s Word. Is this not what for example Charles Darwin did? But Jeremiah 17:9 says our hearts are desperately wicked.
Paul says the wisdom of man fails in comparison with the wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 1.
Solomon said we are to “Trust in the Lord with all of our heart, and lean NOT ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.”
We are to look to God’s Word as it is truly sufficient for all things pertaining to life and godliness.
David said it so clearly in Psalm 119:24
“Your word is my counselor”
Lord Revive us according to your Word!
By His grace and for His glory,
Joel
Truth Unites…and Divides (or anyone else)
Do you know where or how we can read JP Morelands article on Biblioidolatry that you mentioned?
Thanks
John,
Here is a link to the JP Moreland article that I think the first blogger mentioned.
http://www.kingdomtriangle.com/discussion/moreland_EvangOverCommBible.pdf
Mr. Moreland seems to not hold to a view that Scripture is “sufficient” for all things pertaining to life and godliness.
Hope this helps.
By His grace and for His glory,
Joel
Wow! Thanks Joel. That article was quite bizarre. It’s a pdf so i can’t copy and paste, but he concludes “in dispatching our pastoral and teaching duties, we must teach people how to avail themselves appropriately of the extra-biblical knowledge available…great harm has been done by over-commitment to the Bible here.”
I was interested to read the article b/c I wanted to see if he had a biblical basis for his thesis. I’d appreciate someone double-checking me, but I did not find one specific Bible quotation, nor even a reference in parentheses, in the whole paper! Over-commitment to the Bible is one thing, no commitment is another.
I guess Mr. Moreland, tragically in this case, walks his talk.
Thank you, Pastor John and others, for your “over-commitment” to the Bible =)