Sola Scriptura and Biblical Counseling

One of the most significant controversies in the Biblical counseling world is over the issue of sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures. If someone looks to anything outside of Scripture, they are accused of being integrationist. If someone seeks to be informed only by the Scriptures, they are accused of Solo Scriptura. Neither of which is necessarily true or accurate.  

The doctrine of Sola Scriptura essentially states that Scripture alone is the only infallible source and authority for the Christian life and salvation, distinguishing it from other traditions and theological frameworks. Sola Scriptura does not mean that there is no other truth to be found outside of Scripture. What it does mean is that everything is subject to and subordinate to the authority of Scripture. We interpret everything in light of Scripture, and Scripture holds the final say in matters to which it speaks. 

Solo Scriptura, or Nuda Scriptura, states that nothing but Scripture can contain truth, and all extra-biblical knowledge must be rejected. Solo Scriptura ignores Christian history, tradition, creeds, councils, and anything else that is not explicitly contained within the canon of Scripture. 

So, to call one person an integrationist because they look to outside sources for knowledge, and claim that they are undermining the sufficiency of Scripture, is just flat out inaccurate. Likewise, to accuse one of following the rules of Solo Scriptura, because they choose to only look to the Scriptures for truth, is also inaccurate. 

What is Sola Scriptura?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Sola Scriptura is marked as one of the five pillars of the reformation, or five solas, which I will be addressing each one throughout this series of blog posts. While the issue of sufficiency and authority came long before the Reformation, Martin Luther brought it into the public eye in a much broader sense. Martin Luther has famously said, “A simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it.” His point was that even the highest authority in the church, the pope, is subject to correction if he has gone against the clear commands of Scripture. People, traditions, and interpretations all can err, but Scripture cannot, and so it holds the final say in all matters. 

In Scripture, Paul begins to build this foundation for us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. In these two simple verses, Paul points out the divine origin and infallability of the Scriptures by stating that the Scriptures are “breathed out by God.” So, Scripture, coming from God, also holds an inherent authority. The final statement, “that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work,” points to the sufficiency of Scripture in providing everything necessary for faith and practice. This provides the basis for Sola Scriptura, but how does this relate to Biblical counseling? In three significant ways. 

Sola Scriptura in Biblical Counseling

The first way that Sola Scriptura helps us in our counseling is by providing an authority on which to base our counseling. If the Scriptures are our ultimate guide in all things faith and practice, then Scripture must hold authority for these things. If Scripture is not our ultimate authority on these matters, then something else will take its place and become our authority. 

Let’s take the heart, for example. Scripture speaks of the heart as being the center of all human behavior (Mark 7:14-23; Jeremiah 17:5-8), and because the Scriptures also provide the foundational diagnostic framework of the human heart, the Scriptures become our ultimate guide in all matters of the heart. This does not mean that we cannot find knowledge about human behavior outside of the Scriptures, but the Scriptures are the final authority on these matters.

The second way that Sola Scriptura helps us in our Biblical counseling is by providing a source of truth concerning man’s deepest problems and ways to overcome those problems. There is no higher authority on these matters. But, we must be careful not to fall into Solo Scriptura, throwing out all knowledge that is not explicitly stated in Scripture. Through God’s common grace, we can find knowledge and truth outside of Scripture that can be beneficial to our counseling. This does not undermine the sufficiency of Scripture, so long as it has not become our authority on matters of faith and practice. 

Third, Sola Scriptura helps us in our Biblical counseling by providing a methodology for our counseling. Scripture provides us with the ultimate diagnosis for our deepest problems, namely, sin. With that diagnosis, Scripture also provides the solution, through the life and death of Jesus Christ, and biblical principles for us to live by. Sola Scriptura keeps us rooted in the power of God’s Word for life and godliness, as well as prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, the Scriptures provide us with light in which we test all other teachings we may find. 

Sola Scriptura is vital for every Biblical counselor and for those they may be counseling. It helps to build confidence in Scripture and promotes Biblical literacy. It helps keep us and our counselees rooted in the Word of God, and it provides us with discernment.

Conclusion

Just about every Biblical counselor that I know of would agree that the Scriptures are the authority for everything we do and say in the counseling room. Likewise, they would also agree that Solo Scriptura is not a good place to be. So, we must be careful in how we distinguish each other in the area of Biblical counseling. The Scriptures are sufficient in guiding us into all matters of the heart and provide a path to transformation through the person and work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who works in us. That does not mean that we cannot find knowledge for the human condition outside of Scripture. But the Scriptures must be the guiding authority by which all other teachings are tested. Read widely and stay informed about human suffering, but let us not divert from the sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures.