In Nov. 2007, the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) purchased a building across the street from the main campus for its new Biblical Counseling Institute (BCI). Here ministers may become skilled in applying scriptural instruction for life on a one-on-one basis, that is, through biblical counseling. Proficiency in this dimension of discipleship has become increasingly imperative as more individuals, families, and churches encounter heart-rending situations.

Early in 2008, Dr. George Scipione formally agreed to establish BCI as well as become its director. In addition, he would serve as adjunct professor of pastoral theology and expand the seminary’s course offerings in counseling. Dr. Scipione has been a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for nearly 35 years. He is the founder and former director of the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship in San Diego, Calif., a ministry dedicated to the training of church officers and laymen in the principles and practice of counseling based on the Word of God as the fully sufficient guide. He also is a supervising fellow and board member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors.

RPTS President Dr. Jerry O’Neill expressed his appreciation for the counseling excellence Dr. Scipione brings to BCI: “His leadership in the startup and direction of our Biblical Counseling Institute will be invaluable. He has the mind of a theologian, the humble spirit of a true servant of Christ, and the practical expertise to serve us well.”

BCI will be a significant means to further disseminate and plant the Word of God in hearts and lives. Its potential to advance the growth in grace and knowledge of the Lord in ministers and individuals for the building up of the church cannot be overstated. Dr. O’Neill believes “the Biblical Counseling Institute may well prove to be the greatest single advancement in our training of pastors for gospel ministry that we have witnessed in our generation.”

Applying the Plumb Line of Scripture

BCI will teach and guide students in the practice of nouthetic counseling. Nouthesia is transliterated from the Greek to retain the richness of its meaning. Essentially, it denotes confronting another person verbally with the truth of Scripture, not to embarrass or punish or injure, but in love to help bring change for the person’s good and God’s glory. We find nouthesia throughout the New Testament. For instance, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “I did not write these things to shame you, but to confront (noutheteo) you as my beloved children” (1 Cor. 4:14). The apostle assured Ephesian believers that, as their pastor, he had never “ceased to warn (noutheteo) them with tears.”

Simply put, nouthetic counseling teaches and trains in godliness by applying the words of Scripture. It aims to convict and bring change so that the person may become complete in Christ. In pattern and substance, it imitates God’s way of bringing up His own dear children—with words, plain and clear, in tender mercy.

“This method of counseling is biblical and balanced,” says Dr. Scipione. “It relies on the power of the Holy Spirit to effect re-creation in the image of God as scriptural counsel is embraced. All non-organic problems are solvable through the normal discipleship process, and that’s what nouthetic counseling is—discipleship training.”

Not surprisingly, the nouthetic method contrasts sharply with other approaches to counseling. The method necessarily reflects and incorporates the essence of the desired objective; the paradigm reflects the philosophy and purpose. Secular methods, thinking man innately good, assert that if a person can only talk out his situation, he can actualize out the solution. Integrationist or eclectic counseling (often termed “Christian counseling”) refers to Scripture yet uses neutral psychological techniques (often antithetical to Scripture) to effect desired change. But as Dr. Scipione points out, “Trying to blend God’s wisdom with man’s is specious. It denies the complete sufficiency of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit. The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men; the weakness of God is more powerful than the power of man. Psychology can only reach the emotions, what is ‘soulish.’ The essence of a person is his spiritual nature, his heart. God’s words are spirit and they are life.”

The Heart of the Issue

Out of the heart flow all the issues of life. In Hebrew, thoughts are understood to reside in the heart; to speak with kindness and comfort is to speak from the heart. “The human heart is where the image of God is reflected,” Dr. Scipione explains. “We are not defined as bodies with souls, but image-bearers of God. Man is a covenantal being, created by God to be in relationship with Him. As such, man’s core need, his most basic need, is to be right with God and to walk in fellowship with Him.

“What can go wrong with a person is either physical or spiritual—there is no other category to work with,” Dr. Scipione continues. “Confronting issues at the source, the heart, cuts through a lot of superfluous nonsense. Life problems are heart issues, and the exclusive instrument to reach and resolve those issues is the Holy Spirit’s use of the Word of God.”

Such Were Some of You

The epistles are addressed to saints—all once dead inside, without God, without hope, slaves of sin. But then appeared the kindness and love of God. In some people, transformation is sudden and drastic, as Paul’s on the Damascus Road; in others, the sanctifying work becomes increasingly evident over the course of time. Dr. Scipione comments, “We’ve seen people walk away from 30 years of crack-cocaine addiction and never, ever take it again. But we also see quiet, gradual restoration in lives.” The fact that the epistles major in instructing believers how to live as new creatures shows that being made conformable to Christ requires lifelong, diligent learning applied to the heart. God is true to His Word. As the mind is renewed through the Scriptures, life attitudes and actions are transformed accordingly.

Apprenticeship

A good definition for disciple, it has been said, is apprentice. An apprentice not only receives instruction from his master but enters into a relationship with him and works with him. It is the ideal way to learn and hone his skill. We see this in Jesus’ calling His disciples to be with Him (Mark 3:14) that they would become like their master (Luke 6:40). Later, when they went forth to make disciples in their master’s name, it could be seen that indeed “they had been with Jesus.”

BCI is envisioned as a counseling workshop for future pastors. “First, the cognitive, scriptural, exegetical basis for the nouthetic method will provide ministers of the gospel with a biblical construct to confront life-problems and move toward godly, viable solutions,” Dr. Scipione explains. “They will learn how to disciple someone out of sinful behavior into Christ-likeness.” A significant aspect of instruction will be the students’ observation of quality, seasoned counselors engaged in real-life counseling. Even as the Apostle Paul enjoined Corinthian believers to follow or imitate him as they saw him follow Christ, so these counselors-in-training will be able to model experienced nouthetic counselors as they see them wrestle with people’s real sins, real issues. Students will engage in practice counseling sessions as well as actual sessions with mentor oversight.

In preaching, RPTS students not only study in the classroom; they also preach a number of sermons which are then critiqued. In evangelism, they not only study in the classroom; they also do inductive Bible studies with unbelievers and are shown how to do door-to-door outreach. In apologetics, they not only study in the classroom; they also have an “apologetic encounter” in the community. Until now, RPTS has not been able to provide this kind of interactive training in biblical counseling. BCI will equip future ministers with a skill and confidence that comes from apprenticeship.

“The opportunity to apply learning is invaluable,” Dr. Scipione notes. “It puts those in training for the ministry in touch with the complexity of real-world dilemmas that are afflicting lives. It helps them to become street-smart, too. Pastors will be prepared to lead sheep through the land mines of life.”

Willing Hearts and Minds for the Work

The work of renovating BCI’s building is multifaceted. The skills of many members with a mind to work are needed to transform what was for a long time a notorious East End bar into the Biblical Counseling Institute by the end of August 2009 in time for the fall quarter. With the current economic situation, larger grants have not been received. To help defray the estimated $700,000 for the purchase and renovation of the building, last December more than a dozen friends of the seminary (including a professor emeritus, students, alums and supporters) invested a combined 150 hours of labor in tearing down and taking away interior walls and fixtures. But much remains to be done. Contributions of skilled labor and monetary donations are necessary to complete this work.

The Seminary also is looking for congregations to participate in the BCI church support program. Similar to other counseling training institutes, multiple levels of support for church sponsorship will be offered and include free attendance for several church representatives at the annual BCI conference, the first of which is being planned for the winter of 2010.

To learn more about BCI, visit www.rpts.edu/bci.php

—Beverly Simpson

Beverly Simpson is a part-time student in the master of theological studies program at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) in Pittsburgh, Pa. A seminary feature appears semiannually in the Witness.