A Biblical Anthropology: What is it and How is it Connected to Biblical Counseling?

Sometimes, we encounter words that make us want to run away. Not necessarily because they scare us—maybe they do—but more because we simply don’t want to put in the effort to understand them fully. Occasionally, we see a big word that looks confusing or technical and assume it’s beyond our understanding, turning away instead.

I believe anthropology is one of those words that tends to make some of us squirm in our seats because it often represents uncharted territory for many. It’s not that we don’t know what anthropology is—some of us might not—but many of us may not grasp how it applies to our field of study. For instance, as a biblical counselor, anthropology holds a specific significance in my area of expertise, and there hasn’t been much work done on it. This isn’t to say that no effort has been made; I am thankful for what has been accomplished, but there isn’t much in-depth, comprehensive research on biblical anthropology as it relates to biblical counseling today.

So, what is anthropology? In simple terms, anthropology is the study of man. More specifically, Biblical anthropology is the study of man in terms of what the Bible says about man. Thus, a solid understanding of biblical anthropology would address the question, “What does the Bible teach about how God designed man as a unity of body and soul in relation to the world and Himself?” The issue we want to explore more thoroughly is how this specifically connects to the matters of biblical counseling. In essence, a good Biblical anthropology will drive us deeper into other Biblical doctrines, such as the Imago Dei, hamartiology, soteriology, and eschatology.

I certainly do not claim to have all or any of the answers, but as David explains in Psalm 139, God does, and we can trust in His wisdom to guide us in this area of study. This model is based on Bob Kellemen’s CFRC model, which I believe to a great starting point.

Created In God’s Image and Likeness

What does creation say about man? Simply put, the creation story itself tells us of “God’s original creation design of His image bearers as embodied souls.” The creation story itself bears witness to God’s original design for what humanity is supposed to look like, the Imago Dei, as both the physical and the spiritual act as a unified whole in relation to the world and with God. St Basil the Great goes so far as to say, “Thus the creation story is an education in human life.”

For example, Genesis 2:7 states, “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” When we consider this, God took the dirt from the ground—something we view as lacking any real intrinsic value—shaped it into man, and infused it with His very own breath of life! What an honor! God transformed the nothingness of the ground into something dignified with His breath! Furthermore, we understand that we are not merely bodies or souls; we are embodied souls. Unfortunately, we didn’t remain in this perfectly created state for long.   

Fallen Creatures

We all know the story here: Adam gave the apple to Eve, right? Or was it the other way around? Or was there a snake involved? Somewhere along the way, sin entered the world, and our hearts became wicked and deceitful, which led to suffering and a lot of blame-shifting, as we can see from the creation story (and the way some people tell the story). How does biblical anthropology help us, as biblical counselors, view fallen man and suffering in the world? A biblical anthropology will lead us to a biblical hamartiology, as Bob Kellemen notes, “How our fall into sin impacts God’s original design of us as embodied souls—the fallen, finite, frail, failing embodied soul.” Again, I think the creation story deserves our attention.

If we examine the cursing and blessing associated with the fall into sin, we notice distinct language that deserves our attention. In Genesis 3:16, God pronounces the curse on the woman for eating the fruit, mentioning not only the physical pain in childbirth but also a spiritual “desire” that will now serve as a curse. This isn’t merely a female issue; God created them male and female (Gen. 1:27), both equal yet different in headship. From the very beginning of the story, physical and spiritual suffering has been a tangible experience for the people of God, and nothing has changed. As embodied souls, we still contend with sin and suffering both physically and spiritually. As biblical counselors, we need to recognize this, and we must understand how the Word of God speaks to these matters so that we can rightly address them. So, how do we fix this?

Redeemed in Christ

Something is happening with us and within us as embodied souls in Christ. This is known as soteriology, or the study of salvation, which Bob Kellemen notes is “how our salvation and sanctification in Christ relates to God’s work in us and with us as embodied souls.” So it isn’t necessarily something we are fixing, so much as it is something that Christ is fixing and will one day bring to completion, which we will discuss in the last section. But, Jesus is doing something now, even in the sin and suffering we experience, as we love God with all of our hearts, minds, and strength (Deut. 6:4-5); Christ is working in us and with us.

Jesus uses the language of body and soul in Matthew 10:28-31 when He instructs us not to fear those who can kill the body but not the soul. Rather, we should fear God, because He alone can destroy both the body and the soul in hell. In Christ, who works in us and with us, we are being helped and redeemed for a glorious future. As a counselor, do you recognize this and remind those who are suffering of this truth? Our understanding of humanity is directly connected to our redemption in Christ. Therefore, it’s important to comprehend how this connection works, recall these invaluable truths, and teach them to those in our care. Psalm 71:23 serves as a wonderful reminder of this, using similar language.

Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

Now, let’s turn to our future glory.

Consummated in Glory

Eschatology is one of those words, akin to anthropology. It is avoided not because we do not understand it, but because we do not take the time to explore it more deeply. In Bob Kellemen’s CFRC model, this aspect of eschatology is described as “Our future, glorified, perfected, fully functioning, and whole embodied soul.” That isn’t so intimidating. We are essentially discussing our future glorified state with Christ, where we will be in our eternal home, renewed, glorified, and free from all sin and suffering. But how does this future hope assist us in the present? This is where biblical counselors would benefit from gaining a better understanding of the issues of anthropology as they relate to eschatology.

We have this glorious promise in Philippians 3:20-21 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Because of this promise, Paul can consistently call himself and others to rejoice in their sufferings, both physical and spiritual. For our momentary afflictions cannot compare with the glory that is to come (2 Cor. 4:17).

So how is biblical anthropology connected to biblical counseling? To put it simply, in every way possible. This is a much more comprehensive issue than this one tiny blog post can cover. I hope this sparks a conversation among many biblical counselors and encourages some deeper research to begin.

To schedule care, see www.redeemercare.net

Kellemen, Bob. 560 Passages on Embodied Souls. Pg. 7. https://rpmministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/560-Biblical-Passages-on-Embodied-Souls.pdf

St Basil the Great. On The Human Condition. SVS Press.

Kellemen, Bob. 560 Passages on Embodied Souls. Pg. 13. https://rpmministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/560-Biblical-Passages-on-Embodied-Souls.pdf

Ibid. Pg. 28