What is biblical counseling? · BereaWay Academy

🎯 Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

explain what biblical counseling is and what its purpose is;
recognize its roots in the Old and New Testaments;
distinguish what biblical counseling is from what it is not, and understand when a person needs to be referred to a professional.

📖 Receive

Read these passages slowly:

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 (KJV)

Then read Exodus 18:13-26, Jethro’s advice to Moses, and Colossians 1:28-29, where Paul describes the goal of his ministry: to present every person mature in Christ.

As you read, ask yourself: who is caring for whom in these texts? And with what goal?

🔍 Examine

A reality knocking at the church’s door

Depression, marriage conflicts, sudden bereavement, addictions, guilt that gives no peace, serious illness, children in crisis. These are not problems of “the world out there”: they are lived by the people sitting next to us on Sunday morning.

Many believers who begin to serve in the church think their task is mainly preaching and teaching. Then they discover that a large and precious part of ministry happens in an office, in a kitchen, on the phone or during a walk, listening to someone who is hurting. That is where biblical counseling is needed.

A definition

We can define biblical counseling like this:

📌 Biblical counseling

It is the ministry by which a believer walks alongside another person, with listening, prayer and the Word of God, helping them see their situation in God’s light and take concrete steps of growth toward maturity in Christ (Colossians 1:28).

Every word matters. Walks alongside: it does not take the person’s place, it walks with them. Listening, prayer, Word: these are the three main tools. Concrete steps: it does not stop at comfort, it helps people change. Maturity in Christ: the goal is not just to feel better, but to grow.

Roots in the Old Testament

The care of people springs from God’s own heart. In Scripture God presents himself as the shepherd who leads his flock (Psalm 23), the physician who heals wounds (Exodus 15:26; Jeremiah 30:17) and the Wonderful Counsellor announced by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:6).

God has also used people for this care. In Exodus 18 Moses spends his days judging and advising the people, from morning till evening. His father-in-law Jethro sees that he is about to burn out and suggests that he share the work with capable, trustworthy, God-fearing men. The lesson still applies today: the care of souls is not the task of a lonely hero.

The wise men of Israel, whose teaching we find in Proverbs, were true counselors. They gave practical advice for everyday life, in a calm and respectful style that left the person free to choose. Proverbs repeatedly reminds us that where there is no counsel things go wrong, while with many counselors the right way is found (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22).

Roots in the New Testament

In the New Testament Jesus embodies perfect care: he listens, asks questions, comforts, corrects, heals. Before leaving his disciples he promises another Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will remain with them for ever (John 14:16). He is the true Counselor of the church.

The apostles then entrust this ministry to the community. Paul writes to the Romans that he considers them able to admonish one another (Romans 15:14). He asks the Colossians to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly, so that they may teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16). He urges the Thessalonians to warn the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak and be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

Notice the variety: there is no single answer for everyone. The fainthearted need comfort, the unruly need a warning, the weak need support. A good counselor learns to recognize what the person in front of them needs.

Who does it?

In the church, counseling is especially the task of pastors and elders, who are called to feed the flock (1 Peter 5:2). But not only theirs. Every church has mature believers, with experience of life and faith, who can be trained to walk alongside others. Some communities also have brothers and sisters with professional skills, such as doctors or psychologists, who can offer valuable help.

During the twentieth century there was a growing desire among evangelicals to rediscover the care of souls as a discipline with biblical roots, alongside preaching and teaching. There are different approaches to how biblical counseling should relate to psychology: in this course we will take a clear and prudent line. Scripture is our foundation, and the human and medical sciences, used with discernment, are valuable allies.

What biblical counseling is not

To avoid misunderstandings, it helps to say what it is not:

it is not medical or psychological therapy: it does not diagnose illnesses or prescribe medication;
it is not a courtroom: the helper is not there to judge, even when they must speak words of truth;
it is not spiritual gossip: what is confided remains confidential, except in situations of danger;
it is not a shortcut: a well-chosen verse can shed light, but it does not replace time, listening and relationship.

Limits and cooperation

One sign of a good counselor is knowing where their task ends. Some situations immediately require professional help: suicidal thoughts, abuse and violence, serious mental disorders, major addictions, legal matters. In these cases, referring the person to a doctor, a psychologist, social services or the authorities is not a failure of faith. It is an act of love and responsibility.

Biblical counseling can continue alongside this care: with prayer, closeness, helping the person to live their suffering with God. But it must never take its place.

The path of a meeting, in a diagram

To hold together what we have said so far, it helps to see biblical counseling as a journey, not as a single piece of advice given on the spot. The diagram below shows the typical stages of walking with someone: you start by listening, you understand the situation in the light of the Word, you walk together toward concrete change. At every stage it may be necessary to stop and refer the person to a professional.

flowchart LR
  A["Welcome"] --> B["Listening"]
  B --> C["Understanding in the light of the Word"]
  C --> D["Concrete steps"]
  D --> E["Review over time"]
  B -.-> F["Referral to a professional"]
  C -.-> F

Notice the dotted arrows: referral is not a failure, but a normal part of the journey. A good counselor knows how far their task goes.

📌 Example. Anna asks for advice about her relationship with her teenage daughter. The first meeting is only for listening. In the second, it emerges that her daughter is hardly eating anymore: this is the moment to involve the doctor, while continuing to walk with Anna in prayer and the Word.

🔗 Connect

The care of people runs through the whole Bible:

Genesis 2:18: God says it is not good for the man to be alone. We are created for relationship.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: two are better than one, because if one falls the other lifts him up.
Matthew 9:36: Jesus sees the crowds weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd, and he has compassion on them.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4: the God of all comfort comforts us so that we can comfort others.
Hebrews 10:24-25: believers are called to consider one another, to stir each other up to love and good works.

The common thread is clear: God is the first to care for us, and he calls us to become channels of his care. Following the BereaWay Method, we receive his comfort, examine people’s lives with the Word and connect their story to God’s story.

🙏 Apply

Take a few minutes, alone or in your study group:

Think back to a difficult time in your life. Who stood by you? What truly helped you, and what hurt you instead?
Of the three categories in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (unruly, fainthearted, weak), which do you find most natural to help? Which do you find hardest?
Have you ever wanted to “solve” someone’s problem too quickly? What could you have done differently?
Write down the contacts of at least one doctor, listening service or trusted psychologist to whom you could refer someone in need.

Close with a prayer: ask the Lord for a heart of compassion like Jesus’ and the wisdom to recognize your limits.

📚 Go Deeper

Read all of Exodus 18 and write down every practical piece of advice Jethro gives Moses.
Read Proverbs 15 and underline the verses about the way we speak and give advice.
Reread 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 and try to describe in your own words the “profile” of a community that cares for its members.

In the next lesson we will look at the presuppositions of biblical counseling: what we believe about God, about the person asking for help, and about the helper.