The Cure of Souls
The term "cure of souls" sounds mystical and mysterious like something out of a Wes Craven movie or Stephen King novel, but it is far less mystical and mysterious than the modern day practices of psychological testing and psychoanalysis. The English word "soul" is derived from the Koine Greek word PSUCHE (Strongs #5590) This is the same root word that our English word psychology comes from. Psychology literally means the study of behavior. It is our soul (psyche) that guides human thinking and human behavior (Matt. 11:29; 22:37; Lk. 1:46; 2:35; Acts 4:32; 12:2, 22; Eph. 6:6; Phil. 1:27; Heb. 12:3; etc.). The "cure of souls," then, is no more mystical than the biblical cure of sinful behavior. In fact, the phrase "cure of souls" is really just another term for the age old, biblical practice of discipleship. John T. McNeill, in his book entitled, A History of the Cure of Souls, defines the practice as, "the sustaining and curative treatment of persons in those matters that reach beyond the requirements of the animal life."1 The cure of souls deals not with the physical aspects of the body, but with right thinking and right acting. Helping others who have difficulties in living the Christian life is the application of the "cure of souls" from one believer to another using discipleship.
To disciple someone is to minister God's Word to that person for the purpose of bringing him or her into a more perfect relationship with God. As an immature believer applies the Word of God to his life, confession to God of sinful behavior, repentance of that behavior, and a turning from that sin to a more Christlike lifestyle should take place (1 Pet. 1:25-2:3). More often than not, this task of personally ministering to individuals has fallen on the pastor's doorstep (2 Timothy 4:1-4). Robert C. Brien, in his book You ARE What You THINK, gives us his opinion -
"It is my opinion that a pastor does not need to be an expert in every area of psychology in order to be an effective counselor. A moderate amount of training can give him an adequate grasp of such subjects as human motivations, defense mechanisms, uncovering techniques and therapeutic approaches. He should already be an expert in the use of God's Word, which is the greatest of therapeutic agents."2
And Martin and Deidre Bobgan now give us their views,
"Many Christians seek help from their pastors before looking elsewhere. In fact the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health, through a national survey, found that nearly half of all individuals needing counseling went to a clergyman first. But rather than receiving help within the church, such individuals are generally referred to the psychological counselor's office or else ignored."3
"Ministers should not send members of their flock elsewhere for counsel..."4
But God's word was not written with the intent that pastors only are to preach, reprove, rebuke and exhort. It is every believer's duty to witness, and make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20). And, it is every believer's duty to minister to those souls in need of help (1 Jn. 3:14-17; Gal. 6:1-6; Rom. 12:4-18; 1 Cor. 12:25-26; Mat. 18:15-17). Born-again, Bible believing Christians have been called to administer "the cure of souls" (Rom. 15:14; Col. 3:16). The Bobgans agree,
"Pastors cannot expect to carry the full burden of personal counsel. Rather, they need to instruct members of the local church how to help one another, how to bear one another's burdens, and how to counsel in mercy and truth."5
Of course there are a few people who the church cannot help, but they are few.
"Research psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey says that about 5 percent of those who come to a psychiatrist are people with organic brain disease, about 75 percent are people with problems of living, and the other 20 percent 'will require closer examination to make a final judgment.'"6
Brien adds,
"It is clearly evident that mental problems that originate in brain damage or defect or in body chemistry will not be helped any more by the word of God than would a case of gallstones. The Word of God and the Spirit of God can, of course, enable such a person to better live with his condition."7
Modern Psychology and Psychiatry
The mid 1800's brought a new era of worldliness and unbelief into direct confrontation with the Church of God. The introduction of Darwinian Evolutionary thought concerning man's nature began to change the way people, even Christians, looked at themselves. Was man really created in innocence and did he really sin against a holy God as the Bible taught, or was he just an animal, born basically good, but with natural urges and desires that needed to be properly understood and controlled as modern psychology teaches? Is man a sinner in need of repentance or is he just diseased in need of therapy? Is man too in love with himself or is he not loving himself enough? Is a man responsible for his own actions or is he just a victim of physical and/or emotional abuse? Which is right, the biblical model or the humanistic model?
Sigmund Freud is known as the father of psychoanalysis; he invented it. By his own admission Freud said that he was a "godless Jew" and a "hopeless pagan." Freud hated Christianity. The story goes that Sigmund's father had been accosted by a group of "Christians" and his clothes muddied. When his father failed to fight back it made the young Freud ashamed. Freud said he would get even. Some people think he did. In some of his writings he makes Christianity out to be an illusion that needs to be expelled. Like all other religions, to Freud, Christianity was a neurosis.
Freud was not alone in his hatred of Christianity. Other early leaders in the field of psychology like Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Carl Jung were also critics. Yet, today, the Evangelical Churches openly embrace the godless philosophy as presented in modern psychology and psychiatry as the remedy for what ails it.
In the early 1960's only 14% of the U.S. population had ever used a psychological service of any type. By 1976, the number had risen to 26%, and by 1990 33% of the population had used one psychological form of treatment or another. The number of clients jumped to 46% by 1995, and estimates are that 80% of the U.S. population will see someone in the mental health profession this year (2000).8 Did you get that figure? Eighty per-cent! The question then arises, "How does the mental health community keep up with the ever increasing demand?" Well, rather than saying something expected like "They don't." Let me just say that the increase in the number of mental health professionals has outstripped the increase in the number of people seeking their help!
Dr. Tana Dineen, who herself is a licensed psychologist, has written a book that exposes how the Psychological Industry has created "victims" in order to treat them. The title of that book is Manufacturing Victims: What the Psychology Industry Is Doing to People. In a recent article entitled, "Psychotherapy: The Snake Oil of the 90's," Dr. Dineen has stated the following:
"While it is difficult to get an accurate reading of the total number of psychologists because of their diversity and lack of any accountability or control over who represent themselves as psychologists or therapists, estimates are that the number has risen by 2000% since 1970. There is at least one psychologist for every 250 people in America."9
Some Evangelical Christians like James Dobson, Larry Crabb, Norman Wright, Gary Collins and others who have been trained in this secular pseudo-science have jumped onto this popular bandwagon. These men have mixed a few Bible verses into this godless philosophical stew and have labeled it "Christian Psychology." However, the term "Christian Psychology" is a misnomer much like the term "Christian Evolution" would be. There ain't no such animal! But what unsuspecting Christians do not realize is that they have brought a Trojan horse into their camp (Col. 2:6-8). Adding Scripture to a philosophy which is anti-Bible, and anti-Christ does not, all of a sudden, make it Christian any more than putting a gold cross around the neck of a heathen make him a Christian. This technique of adding Scripture to humanistic psychology is called "integration."
For two thousand years the true Church of Jesus Christ has effectively been dealing with its own. Why do we feel so inadequate to do so now? Because we are being deceived from without and from within (Acts 20:28-31). We have been led to believe the Church is only competent to deal with spiritual issues, but incompetent when the subject turns to emotional and behavioral issues. The mental health establishment claims that what the church, through ignorance, has been calling sin these past twenty centuries is really sickness. And, the clergy, except for a special few who have been trained in the humanistic schools by humanistic professors in the humanistic pseudo-sciences, are not capable of handling emotionally disturbed people. Besides, they say, psychology and psychiatry work. That between the use of mood altering drugs (pharmakia/witchcraft), psychoanalysis/psychological counseling (humanistic discipleship/mind control) and/or hypnosis and imaging techniques (occult practices) mental illness, neurosis, etc. (sinful thoughts and behaviors) can be effectively treated, yet, never cured. Seeing a mental health professional can be dangerous for one's career because once a person has received a psychological label it sticks forever. It follows you wherever you go. You are never a cured alcoholic, neurotic, etc., only a recovering one. Think I'm kidding?
"In 1973, Rosenhan, a professor of psychology and law at Stamford University, and a dozen friends (mostly professionals) presented themselves at local mental hospitals for admission. All repeated exactly the same opening words, 'I feel empty,' or, 'I feel hollow.' Following this admission, they acted normally. They related to others as they would ordinarily. All were admitted. The length of stay in the hospitals was between seven and fifty-two days. Requests for release on the basis that they were normal were viewed as confirmatory signs of illness. Those who spent a portion of their hospital stay writing about their time were labeled as obsessive and compulsive because of all the writing.
When released, all retained the diagnosis 'schizophrenic' with the added note, 'in remission.' In other words, their 'schizophrenias' were under some kind of temporary control, but they were still to be viewed as schizophrenic."10
But, I digress. The methods and techniques just mentioned above are not as effective as we have been led to believe. To be perfectly honest, many of the techniques do not work at all.
In 1952 Hans J. Eysenck, an eminent English scholar published the results of a study he had conducted on the effectiveness of psychotherapy. In this study Eysenck compared two groups of patients. One group had been treated by psychotherapy and the other group was given little or no help at all.
"[Eysenck] listed twenty-four different reports of the results of psychotherapy, which included a total of 8,053 cases. Of these, 760 were treated by psychoanalysis and 7,293 by eclectic psychotherapy, which is any combination of a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques. [like those mentioned above]
Eysenck found the improvement rate to be 44 percent for those receiving psychoanalysis, 64 percent for those treated by a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques, and 72 percent for those who did not receive any specific therapy at all."11 [emphasis mine]
Eysenck again spoke up at a 1979 symposium on "The Outcome of Psychotherapy: Benefit, Harm, or No Change?"
"...Eysenck reported the results of reviewing the history of the cures for mental patients in the hospital in which he works. He discovered that as far back as the late seventeenth century (1683-1703) about two-thirds of the patients were discharged as cured. Psychotherapy did not exist at that time, and yet the improvement rate was about the same as it is today."12
In a book entitled, The Effects of Psychological Therapy, authors S. J. Rachman, Professor of Abnormal Psychology, and G. T. Wilson, Professor of Psychology support Eysenck's position that there is no advantage of treatment over no treatment.13 And, in his testimony before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health Eysenck said, "I believe that, at the present, the scientific evidence for psychotherapy efficacy cannot justify public support."14 What comes next is from a letter that was written as a result of those hearings from the Chief of the Health Professional Staff, Jay Constantine,
"Based upon evaluations of the literature and testimony, it appears clear to us that there are virtually no controlled clinical studies, conducted and evaluated in accordance with generally accepted scientific principles, which confirm the efficacy, safety and appropriateness of psychotherapy as it is conducted today."15
There is more evidence that I could give you concerning the ineffectiveness of psychotherapy, but I think you get the point.
Religious and Occult Roots of Psychology
Psychology is not science, not even pseudo-science, it is religion. It is a belief system with its own set of high priests, like Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, and also an admitted anti-Christian. Jung wrote,
"Religions are systems of healing for psychic illness... . That is why patients force the psychotherapist into the role of a priest, and expect and demand of him that he shall free them from their distress. That is why we psychotherapists must occupy ourselves with problems which, strictly speaking, belong to the theologian."16
Thomas Szasz, M. D., Professor of Psychiatry, State University of New York says this about psychotherapy,
"It is not merely a religion that pretends to be a science, it is actually a fake religion that seeks to destroy true religion."17
The very earliest roots of psychology extend back to a man named Franz Anton Mesmer. Mesmer believed that he had found the great universal cure for both physical and emotional problems. He believed that a fluid was distributed throughout the entire human body. The fluid he called "animal magnetism." He passed magnets over his patients as they sat in a tub of water to help distribute the fluid throughout the body. Later he used deep hypnotic states and talk therapy to help his patients. His patients were said to be "Mesmerized" by him. Mesmer had brought the art of hypnotism out of the back rooms of religious mystics into the halls of science. Pathways into the occult were opened using his techniques. Clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition were some of the manifestations resulting from the hypnotic trances his patients were placed in. Early pioneers in psychology like Freud were greatly influenced by Mesmer's work. Perhaps this is why some in the scientific community look upon psychology and its many weird stepsisters as nothing more than witchcraft. Nobel prize recipient Richard Feynman noted,
"psychoanalysis is not science"..."perhaps even more like witch-doctoring."18
Feynman is not alone in his assessment. Lance Lee writes this in reference to psychoanalysis,
"psychoanalysis [is] a religion hidden beneath scientific verbiage" and as a "substitute religion for both practitioner and patient."19
The entire field of psychological studies is a religion founded on anti-Christian, humanistic philosophies. There is no logical reason for a born-again, Bible believing Christian to seek advice on how to think and act from these occult practicing, pseudo-scientists. If you can't be helped by the church community, you either have a medical condition that requires medicine (not mood altering drugs) or surgery, or you just don't want to be helped.
The Key Factor
The Bobgans believe that there are three key elements involved in a counseling session,
"What happens in counseling and how and why people change involve three elements: the counselee, the counselor, and the conversation. Of these three, the counselee is the most important factor."20
I would like to add a forth element, the Creator. If a person is going to experience true relief from his problem, God must be in it. By this I mean that both the Holy Spirit of God and the Word of God must take an active part in the discipling process.
"...the methodology of biblical counseling relies on the Word of God rather than upon the wisdom of men."21
"The primary relationship to consider is that between God and the counselee. God's sovereign will and His grace far outweigh the conversation and the human counselor in importance. Therefore, within the counseling setting, God must have preeminence as the One who created the counselee, the One who provided the way from separation to restoration, and the only One who can transform that person into the image of Jesus. God is the primary counselor, and His presence must be acknowledged throughout the conversation."22
But, the Bobgans are correct when they say that the most important factor of the three is the counselee. Unless and until the one being helped truly wants to be helped no change will take place, no victory won, no relief experienced. According to the Bobgans,
1. Positive change occurs when the counselee is willing to see his problem in the light of Scripture and to seek biblical solutions. A counselee who will benefit from biblical counseling needs to be willing to see the spiritual basis of problems of living. He must be willing to look below the surface of the problem to what aspect of his character the Lord would like to change.
2. Positive change occurs when the counselee chooses to change through God's love. In most cases a counselee knows what to do but does not want to do it.
3. Positive change occurs when a counselee is willing to be responsible for his thinking, feeling, and acting within the context of God's mercy and truth.23
There are times when wise counsel is not sought after and yet needed. The counselee may not have the desire to change what he is doing. This is when a loving brother intervenes and initiates the discipling of his or her friend (Gal. 6:1-10; Matt. 18:15-17). This may not be the popular thing to do, it may not be the easy thing to do, but the Word of God tells us it is the necessary thing to do if we truly love our brother. There is also the danger that if confronted that person will simply move on to another church so they can continue in their sin. This, however, should not deter us from our doing what is right in God's sight.
What About Victims of Abuse?
People have a tendency to blame others for their problems (Gen. 3:12). Unsaved spouses, bosses, mothers, fathers, children, add infinitum, all can be called upon in a counseling session as the bad guys. Even the devil is blamed, every now and then, for wrong behavior (Gen. 3:13). But we know that the problem is really with ourselves. We cannot change our spouses, bosses, mothers, fathers, children, etc., the only person we can change is us. We must stop the false notion that we are victims who have been physically, emotionally and/or spiritually abused. True, there is a chance that you will run into an abuse situation. In those cases the first step, if possible, is to get protection for the one being abused from the abuser. (No, divorce is not a solution, but separation may be. Look at all the options before deciding on one.)
"A person cannot easily move ahead in responsible choices if he is blaming others for his problems. Nor can a person receive forgiveness and cleansing if he is blaming someone else instead of confessing, repenting, and choosing to change with God's grace."24
Then, we are commanded to forgive those who have done us wrong and not hold grudges and not become bitter and vengeful towards them (Matt. 5:43-44; Jam. 3:10-18; 1 Pet. 3:8-9). It is when we change ourselves and obey God's Word and pray for those who mistreat us, that God will begin to work on those whom we are praying for and effect a change in their lives. But we must change first! We must show God that we are genuine in our concern for others and not just feeling sorry for ourselves.
O.K. Where do we Begin?
We have already begun to help people with their everyday problems of living by doing what churches do best, preaching the Word, praying for one another, and showing each other genuine Christian love and concern. The Bobgans concur -
"The church provides opportunities for change through three basic levels of ministry: the large group, the small group, and person to person. The large group ministry is mainly corporate worship with preaching and teaching of the Word for evangelism, instruction in how to live, and edification of the entire body of believers. The small-group ministry is at a more personal level and serves to guide members in living and building one another in the faith. The person-to-person ministry includes any sharing and caring among members of the body and would include the ministry of spiritual counseling." 25
Our church already is utilizing the large, small group and person to person approach to minister to God's people and to those who are searching for truth. The pastor preaches and teaches the whole counsel of God from the pulpit and in small Bible studies, and privately counsels individuals who are seeking help with their everyday life problems. That leaves the person in the pew to minister to those who, for what ever reason, won't go to the pastor. Again, this from the Bobgans,
"One great error that has occurred in counseling in general is that people have made a mystique of the counseling relationship, when in truth it is just a formalized person-to-person relationship that happens because the person in need has no one in his own environment to turn to." 26
Secrets of Counseling
One of the biggest problems concerning the field of psychology and psychotherapy is the secret language that psychologists and therapists use. The strange vocabulary helps to alienate the counselee from the counselor. Exotic names are given to emotional disorders and therapeutic techniques so that only specially trained individuals can understand the code words. The reality of the situation is that this special vocabulary becomes just so much psychobabble. Labels are applied to individual personalities because it's easier to keep track and index people that way. It's easier to pigeonhole someone and deal with a label than with a living, breathing individual. Richard Ganz shares this sad detail with us.
"Thomas Szasz reflects on the absurdity of this dilemma and the inevitability of psychiatric tyranny. 'We are told that if a psychiatric patient is early for his appointment, he is anxious; if late, he is hostile, and if on time, compulsive. We laugh because it is supposed to be a joke. But here [in a study of California mental hospitals] we are told the same thing in all seriousness.'" 27
How can an industry that it supposed to care so much about their client's fragile emotional state care so little about abusing and fleecing them? Tana Dineen reports,
"In the Fall of 1993 after spending an afternoon discussing what was happening in psychology with a colleague of mine, Sam Keen - the former editor of Psychology Today - I half jokingly asked whether he thought that psychologists might one day start questioning those beliefs and leaving the profession in the way that dissenting priests had, some time ago, begun to leave the Church. He paused, thought for a moment, and then replied: "Not a chance. There's too much money in it." 28
Well, Tana Dineen did break ranks and left the playing field and now spends her time speaking to outside groups about the ethics of the Psychology Industry.
The real secret of counseling, discipling or whatever you feel comfortable calling it is genuine Christian (AGAPE) love. We need to be there for the person seeking help. Do not label them anything but "friend", or "brother" or "sister." We have already violated this practice by using the term "counselee" and "counselor" throughout this paper, but remember they are your friend - not your patient. You are not their doctor. You are their brother or sister in Christ. Do not try to diagnose their problem and give it a name. Just keep still and listen.
The most important element of all is the conversation. Allow them to dump as much information on you as you can take in one sitting. And don't interrupt them once they have decided to start talking about their problem in earnest. Do not look shocked nor disapproving at anything they say or they may stop talking!
"Conversation is the most prominent activity in counseling... . Although actual change depends on the counselee, the direction of that change is encouraged through conversation." 29
When the person has told you his problem. Repeat the problem back to him and ask him if you have understood it correctly. What happens next is very important. Remember that we are there to help - not judge. This last word comes from the Bobgans.
"Where there is a misunderstanding or lack of knowledge, the counselor will need to instruct. Where there is weakness of will, the counselor will need to encourage. Where there is lack of trust, the counselor will need to love in mercy and truth. Where there is willingness to trust and obey God, the counselor will need only point the way. When the counselee aligns his will with the will of God, transformation will occur." 30
Instruct, inform, share, and encourage using Scripture. Your opinion is of no value if it does nor line up with Scripture. It is God's will we want our friend to conform to - not our own.
One Last Thing
The most important thing to remember is that the person doing the discipling, counseling, ministering or whatever you feel comfortable calling it must himself be a disciple of the Word of God. You need to know where to go in the Scriptures for answers. Listed below are some helpful passages for the most common of problems but this list is not exhaustive, nor is it to be used as a substitute for your own learning.
Comfort for the lonely (Ps. 23; Isa. 41:10; Heb. 13:5-6)
Comfort in sorrow (2 Cor. 1:3-4; Rom. 8:28)
Depression, troubles, etc. (Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17; Isa. 43:2; 1 Pet. 1:7; 2 Cor. 1:3-4; 2 Tim. 3:12)
Divorce/Remarriage/Adultery (Prov. 6:23-33; Mal. 2:14-16; Mt. 5:28; 19:3-9; Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:3-5, 10-11, 39)
Easily upset (Ps. 61:2; Luke 18:1; Isa. 59:19; 1 Pet. 5:7; Heb. 13:5)
Employer/Employee relationship (Col. 3:22-4:1; 1 Pet. 2:18-24)
Feeling sorry for self (Rom. 12:1-3; 1 Pet. 1:18-25)
Loss of a saved loved one (Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 15:51- 58; 2 Cor. 5:8; 1 Thess. 4:13-18)
Loss of an unsaved loved one (Gen. 18:25b)
Marriage/Family Problems (Prov. 31:10-31; Eph. 5:22-6:4; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)
Need for Wisdom (James 1:5-6; Prov. 3:5-6)
Not growing spiritually (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet. 1:5; 1 Jn. 1:9; Ps. 119:11)
Obedience to God (Jn. 14:15, 21, 23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3)
Relief when suffering (2 Cor. 12:8-10; Heb. 12:3-13)
Relief when fearful (Heb. 13:5-6; Eph. 6:10-18)
Security of the believer (Jn. 6:37; Rom. 8:33-39; Eph. 1:12-14)
Separation - unto God (1 Pet. 1:15-16)
Separation - from apostasy ( 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1)
Separation - from worldliness (Eph. 5:11; 1 John 2:15-17)
Separation - from erring brethren (Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5; Tit. 3:10-11)
Temptation (James 1:12-16; 1 Cor. 10:6-13)
Troubling thoughts (Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:2; Tit. 1:15; 1 Tim. 4:15)
Witnessing (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15)
Worry about the future (Mt. 6:24-34; James 4:13-15; Phil. 4:6-7)
NOTES
1 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, How to Counsel from Scripture, Chicago, Ill., Moody Press, 1985, p. 3.
2 Robert C. Brien, You ARE What You THINK, Schaumburg, Ill., Regular Baptist Press, 1986, p. 23.
3 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, Op. Cit., p. 4.
4 Ibid., p. 7.
5 Ibid., p. 7.
6 Ibid., p. 4.
7 Robert C. Brien, Op. Cit., p. 16
8 Tana Dineen, "Psychotherapy: The Snake Oil Of The 90's", Skeptic Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1998, p. 56.
9 Ibid., p. 56.
10 Richard Ganz, PsychoBabble, Wheaton, Ill., 1987, p. 45-46.
11 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, The Psychological Way/The Spiritual Way, Minneapolis, Minn., Bethany House Pub., p. 18.
12 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, PsychoHeresy, Santa Barbara, CA, East Gate Pub., 1987, p. 164.
13 Ibid., pp. 165-166
14 Ibid., p. 166.
15 Ibid., p. 166.
16 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, How to Counsel from Scripture, Chicago, Ill., Moody Press, 1985, p.
17 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, PsychoHeresey, Santa Barbara, CA, East Gate, Pub., 1987, p. 19.
18 Ibid., p. 18.
19 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, PsychoHeresey, Santa Barbara, CA, East Gate, Pub., 1987, p. 18.
20 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, How to Counsel from Scripture, Chicago, Ill., Moody Press, 1985, p. 65.
21 Ibid., p. 54.
22 Ibid., p. 65.
23 Ibid., p. 72, 74.
24 Ibid., p. 16.
25 Ibid., p. 76.
26 Ibid., p. 19.
27 Richard Ganz, Op. Cit., p. 46-47.
28 Tana Dineen, Op. Cit., p. 56.
29 Martin and Deidre Bobgan, Op.Cit., p. 21.
30 Ibid. p. 79