Biblical counseling is any gentle instruction, encouragement, or rebuke of one brother or sister in Christ to another brother or sister in Christ. It happens both informally, (ie. while standing around after church), as well as formally, (ie. in a pastor?s office). It reflects and is based on sound Biblical teaching and a dependence on a risen Lord.

In one sense Biblical counseling can be hard to narrow down and put in a nice neat outline. On the other hand, it is beautiful and accessible when compared to the confusing array of competing systems offered by the world.

The following resources are to help you further understand parameters that help differentiate Biblical counseling from everything else that is out there.

• Affirmations and Denials: A Proposed Definition of Biblical Counseling. This excellent article by David Powlison is from the Journal of Biblical Counseling.
• Seven Truths That (Should) Permeate Counsel
• Toward a Definition of the Essence of Biblical Counseling. This paper by Pastor John Piper of Desiring God Ministries can be found on DesiringGod.org.
• Biblical Counseling Presuppositions
• Read the Southern Baptist Convention's Resolution on Biblical Counseling
• Quote from J.I. Packer on "Old vs. New Gospel"