Hope Retreat @ The Ranch

Nouthetic Biblical Counseling:

We talk a lot about Nouthetic Biblical Counseling throughout our website, as it is the kind of counseling we do at Hope Retreat Ranch Recovery center. It is also the type of counseling we teach at our Hope Christian Leadership University & Seminary. The one major reason for this is Nouthetic Biblical Counseling reaches the heart and spirit of man and it works. Because of all this we decided it necessary to dedicate a page to this subject.

To best given definition and what Nouthetic Biblical Counseling is all about, we choose to go to the father in today’s culture and certainly the most reliable source, Dr. Jay Adams.

Quoted directly from his website:

http://www.nouthetic.org/ 

Welcome to The Institute for Nouthetic Studies;

What Is "Nouthetic" Counseling?

Nouthetic Counseling is Not New

While the name is new, the sort of counseling done by nouthetic counselors is not. From Biblical times onward, God's people have counseled nouthetically. The word itself is Biblical. It comes from the Greek noun nouthesia (verb: noutheteo). The word, used in the New Testament primarily by the apostle Paul, is translated "admonish, correct or instruct." This term, which probably best describes Biblical counseling, occurs in such passages as Romans 15:14:

I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and competent to counsel one another.

In that passage, the apostle was encouraging members of the Roman church to do informal, mutual counseling, something that all Christians today should learn, as well. On the other hand, the leaders of a congregation are to counsel nouthetically in a formal manner as a part of their ministry:

Now we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, and manage you in the Lord, and counsel you (1 Thess. 5:12).

Nouthetic Counseling Embraces Three Ideas

Because the New Testament term is larger than the English word "counsel," and because it doesn't carry any of the "freight" that is attached to the latter term, we have simply imported the Biblical term into English. In that way, the full force of the Biblical concept of counseling may be set forth while avoiding the many contradictory connotations surrounding the English one. The three ideas found in the word nouthesia are confrontation, concern,and change. To put it simply, nouthetic counseling consists of lovingly confronting people out of deep concern in order to help them make those changes that God requires.

The nouthetic counselor believes that all that is needed to help another person love God and his neighbor as he should, as the verse above indicates, may be found in the Bible.

By confrontation we mean that one Christian personally gives counsel to another from the Scriptures. He does not confront him with his own ideas or the ideas of others. He limits his counsel strictly to that which may be found in the Bible, believing that

All Scripture is breathed out by God and useful for teaching, for conviction, for correction and for disciplined training in righteousness in order to fit and fully equip the man from God for every good task. (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

The nouthetic counselor believes that all that is needed to help another person love God and his neighbor as he should, as the verse above indicates, may be found in the Bible.

By concern we mean that counseling is always done for the benefit of the counselee. His welfare is always in view in Biblical counseling. The apostle Paul put it this way: "I am not writing these things to shame you, but to counsel you as my dear children." (1 Corinthians 4:14) Plainly, the familial nature of the word noutheteo appears in this verse. There is always a warm, family note to biblical counseling which is done among the saints of God who seek to help one another become more like Christ. Christians consider their counseling to be a part of the sanctification process whereby one Christian helps another get through some difficulty that is hindering him from moving forward in his spiritual growth.

The regularity and intense nature of Paul's counsel during his three-year ministry at Ephesus is emphasized by these words. If Paul found it necessary to counsel nouthetically for that entire period, as he said, surely our churches need it, too.

By change we mean that counseling is done because there is something in another Christian's life that fails to meet the biblical requirements and that, therefore, keeps him from honoring God. All counseling—Biblical or otherwise—attempts change. Only Biblical counselors know what a counselee should become as the result of counseling: he should look more like Christ. He is the Standard. Biblical counseling is done by Christians who are convinced that God is able to make the changes that are necessary as His Word is ministered in the power of the Spirit. It is their hope to help every interested church develop a nouthetic counseling program that will be a blessing to all of the members of that congregation. The importance of such counseling in churches is underscored by the words of Paul as he described his ministry in Ephesus:

Therefore, be alert, remembering that for three years, night and day, I didn't stop counseling each one of you with tears. (Acts 20:31)

“Revelation-Based Learning”

&

“Lamad” Learning

For both the Recovery center and our Hope Bible College & Seminary we use another different type of learning method called; Revelation-Based Learning or Lamad Learning

How is Revelation-Based Learning Different?

A biblical word which captures the concept of “Revelation-Based Learning” is “Lamad”

The spoken word Lamad. The Hebrew language uses one root (lamad) which is translated “to teach” and “to learn”. In the Hebrew culture, the teacher has not taught unless the student has learned. All learning and teaching are ultimately to be found in a reverence for God. The goal of teaching is not the recitation of facts but the changing of lives. For the Hebrews, knowledge (yada) involves personal encounter and response to God’s revelation.

 In the lamad method of learning, we are returning to the Hebraic concept of education, including this personal encounter and revelation. The gathering of Christians becomes a place of impassioned discussion and the sharing of real life experience. It is a place where we meet God and share in the life experiences of others. This becomes a place where we practice truth. The classroom is not separated from life but is actually part of our lives.

The Key Components to Revelation-Based Learning

Lamad Illustration 1

Learning is to be lifelong. It is impossible to cram education into the early years of our lives. Learning, transformation, assimilation, and creativity are lifelong matters, with extended periods of time being given to first one topic and then another, until one’s giftedness has been multiplied manifold (Matt. 25:20).

Lamad Illustration 2

The Greeks emphasized “detached information,” while the Hebrews stressed “personal encounter”. It was important to the Hebrews that each learner personally encounter and be transformed by what was before them. Spiritual encounter and response to the revelation of God are the central dynamic of Scripture. The classroom is life. If we offer classes, we must make sure they are life encounters in which we practice truth.

Lamad Illustration 3

Revelation based learning recognizes the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5). You will notice that all of these are heart realities. The mind is made to serve the heart. All training is to be heart focused. Mankind has been forbidden to eat from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil”. Instead, we are to eat from the “Tree of Life,” Jesus Christ!

Lamad Illustration 4