The Word Counsel and Its Derivatives - Essay Example

____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Question Complete a 12-15 page research paper defining and describing biblical terms used for counseling, detailing a couple of biblical situations reflecting student understanding of the concepts involved, comparing/contrasting biblical and professional views of counseling, and making personal application of what has been learned. Higher grades will be awarded to papers that demonstrate personal mastery of course content including identity development, ethical practice, and effective communication. The word "Counsel" is defined by Black's Law dictionary1 as "advice or assistance", or as "one of more lawyers who represent a client e.g. the client acted on advice of counsel". Some of its derivatives include, but are not limited to, advisory counsel, appellate counsel, assigned counsel, corporate counsel, general counsel and King's Counsel. Under the Old Testament the word "counsel" and its derivatives, (which include "counselor") appear 118 times along the span of a number of constituent books that, on the whole form the first part of the Bible. Some of these Books (along with a selection of the references) are listed herein below.2 Please note that the relevant words are italicized and that, more importantly, these are not an exhaustive list.3 More specifically the term "counselor" is defined by Easton's Bible Dictionary4 as: "An adviser (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22), a king's state counsellor (2 Samuel 15:12). Used once of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6). In Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50, the word probably means a member of the Jewish Sanhedrim." It is clear, whether used as a verb, or a noun, the term "counsel" remains remarkably similar in use and in definition, as exemplified in the references above, to the definition provided by Black's Law Dictionary. It is to this extent, that we may deduce the word to mean "advice" or "advice"/"advisor". Furthermore, please note the use of the term in the New Testament. As mentioned above, the references are only to provide a guideline of what is the prevalent position of the term and are not a conclusive list of its appearance in the New Testament.5 It is clear that the use of the term does not differ much from its use in the Old Testament. It is to this effect, that it can seen that the use of the word "counsel" to be synonymous with the word advice. On a clear and literal interpretation of the word, counsel and advice, or, in addition, counselor and advisor mean much the same thing. Healing through Jesus Christ has many biblical examples like the story of the healing at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-15. "In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water," (John 5:3 ). The word wisdom is generally associated with its root word "wise", which is defined Showing good judgement or the benefit of experience." although this takes the form of the adjective; the noun is defined by Wiktionary6 as either the element of personal character that causes one to distinguish the wise from the unwise, a piece of wise advice, the discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good.7Furthermore the Dictionary also describes it as the ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge was gained. According the Oxford English Dictionary wisdom is the capacity to judge rightly in matters relating to life and conduct and allowing soundness of judgement in our daily decisions in a more practical way. Wisdom is defined by Easton's Bible Dictionary as: "A moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless (Psalm 14:1; Comp. Judges 19:23; 2 Samuel 13:13). True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it (Job 28:12-28; Proverbs 3:13-18; Romans 1:22; 16:27; 1 Corinthians 1:17-21; 2:6-8; James 1:5). "Wisdom" in Proverbs 1:20; 8:1; 9:1-5 may be regarded not as a mere personification of the attribute of wisdom, but as a divine person, "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). In Matthew 11:19 it is the personified principle of wisdom that is meant." The word wisdom has been used in the Bible in many of the Books. In the Old Testament, the references to the use of the term are as follows:8 In the New Testament9 there are, similarly, many references to the term "wisdom", some of which are as follows.10 It is quite obvious that the use of the term "wisdom" has been extensively used for the Prophets of God, with exceptional references to King Solomon and numerous indications to Jesus himself. The large division of the Old Testament called "Wisdom and Worship" literature includes poetry, psalms, stories, and more. Here, wisdom sayings and proverbs have a unique style which makes them read like common sense sayings, and reflections about the world, God, and the place of human beings. Wisdom sayings fill a book like Proverbs, but they can also be found in other books. Books like Ecclesiastes and Job offer wisdom along with the kinds of philosophic reflections listed above. Wisdom writings usually do not give much direct information about Israel's history. Instead, they raise questions about moral issues, and ask hard questions about life. Some of these Wisdom writings are attributed to Solomon because he was known as Israel's wisest king, but were probably written after his time and credited to him as a way of honoring him. Wisdom sayings are also an important part of the New Testament. Examples can be found in Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" Matt 5-7 and in Jas 3.2-8; 4.13-17. Some men were thought to possess wisdom above that of ordinary men. In fact wisdom became the collected account of the experiences and observations of such men.11 The word plan is generally known to mean to be a set of intended actions, through which one expects to achieve a goal12. Oxford English Dictionary13 defines the word "plan" as: "An organized (and usually detailed) proposal according to which something is to be done; a scheme of action; a strategy; a programme, schedule. Also in weakened sense: a method or way of proceeding; an intention or ambition for the future (usu. in pl.)." The word has few references in the Old Testament, and most, (not all), have been reproduced below:14 In the New Testament, the references are far fewer: In Matthew 28:12 it is written, "When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money ". In Acts 9:24 "but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him." In Acts 27:43 it is stated, "But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land." The word is, more or less, being used in terms of design, whether for good or evil, depending on the person scheming. What is recurrent throughout is the fact that the ultimate planner is the Lord, or God, and no plan in the world could be elaborate enough to thwart divine order. One of the examples of such a plan is where Pharaoh, of Egypt decided to lay in ruins the growing number of Israelites . After Joseph died, the children of Israel lived in Egypt for three hundred years. They became a very great nation and the new Pharaoh in Egypt was afraid of them. So, he decided to make life hard for them by making them slaves. He hoped that they would become a weak nation. Pharaoh's plan did not work and he decided to have the midwives kill the baby boys when they were born. However since midwives were not afraid of the King but they feared the Word of God and this what led Israel continued to grow.Even when the arrogant Pharaoh commanded the death of all baby boys and yet this plan bore no fruit, as ironically, the very reason why he executed such a plan, was defeated when Moses not only survived, but grew up in his palace.15 The Oxford Dictionary defines help as an act of supplementing someone's action, or even in the nature of aid, assistance, succour.A more biblical nature of the definition can be see in the Easton's Bible Dictionary which defines the term as: "( Corinthians 12:28) may refer to help (i.e., by interpretation) given to him who speaks with tongues, or more probably simply help which Christians can render to one another, such as caring for the poor and needy, etc." The references to the term "help" in the Old Testament are herein below. Please note that these are not an exhaustive list of the word. In Genesis 4:1 it is written, "[ Cain and Abel ] Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." In Exodus 1:16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." In Exodus 2:23 it is mentioned, "During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God." In the use of the term in the New Testament is as follows: In Matthew 15:5 it is stated, "But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God '" In Matthew 15:25 it is mentioned, "The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said." In Matthew 25:44: "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you" In Mark 9:22: "From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." In Mark 14:7: "The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." In Luke 4:38: "[ Jesus Heals Many ] Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her." In Luke 5:7: "So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink." In Luke 7:16: "They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people."" In Luke 11:46: "Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." In John 12:6: "He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." In Acts 2:23: "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." In Acts 20:35: "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."" In Acts 21:28: "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." Every story and tale in the Bible is that of help, for the Bible was intended to help mankind to lead an existence that was in consonance to divine order and design. As it is written in Luke 11:46, God has come to help his people - and that is all of mankind. The Bible is the personification of help, guidance and assistance, which in the context of all of the above are synonymous with each other. 2. Counseling. This theoretical and methodological knowledge is important to being effective as counselors and therapists. People must have some understanding of human social problems, how they arise, the context of their emergence, and how they might best be resolved.16 There must also be a familiarity with counseling skills and techniques, and a manifestation of certain qualities in the character of the therapists and counselors. There are sources in the Word of God, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the love of Jesus, who is the best model of an effective counselor and therapist. It is said that Jesus used a variety of counseling techniques, depending on the situation, the nature of the issue, who the counselee was, and the specific problem. Also at times He listened to people carefully and without giving much overt direction. On other occasions He taught decisively, accepting people who were sinful and needy, but also demanding repentance, obedience, and action.17 Biblical principles are to be used in making application to problems of a social nature. Such principles as "By beholding we become changed" (see 2 Cor. 3:18) and "As [a person] thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7) are examples of biblical principles that can be used as counselors and therapists execute their responsibilities as professionals within the context of the church, or otherwise, as a collective support system. For discovery and application, we the Spirit of God can guide. The testament thus provides us with a formula for operation, "When it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort is man's best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine merit." The formula for success is: human effort plus divine intervention equals success. The Bible puts it this way: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt.19:26). If a person allows divine insights to define and inform his/her perceptions and interpretations of situations, conditions, and circumstances, he/she is assured of making appropriate decisions and choices, which will give rise to behaviors and actions that are within God's will and purpose for his/her lives. The Bible is a divine library that reveals to human beings the mind of God, the state of humanity, the destiny of believers and sinners, and the plan of salvation. Those counselors and therapists who apply Bible principles to human situations will find the Bible a light to direct, comfort, and cheer individuals. It is a treasure mine of information on maintenance of mental and physical health. Persons suffering from loneliness, fear, abuse, feelings of inferiority, frustration, burnout, persecution, mistreatment, emotional pain, anxiety, and stress may be administered to by persons whose orientation embraces a social-psychological perspective and training that is grounded in biblical foundations. Seeking help from secular professionals may be of help as well. Prophecy and the Bible may be one of the sources professional counselors and therapists. God has given talents, abilities, and gifts to people in and outside the church. Therefore the need for training is not precluded. Care must be exercised in selecting the sources and content for training, planning, and execution. Human beings live group-life, and it is the very nature of group-life that human beings seek to fit their actions to the actions of one another.18 Problems, challenges, conflicts, and difficulties are all a part of the modern mechanized life and emerge within the context of societal interaction and therefore it becomes imperative to have a greater understanding of the scientific ways that generate knowledge and information on human behavior in societal interaction. Furthermore it becomes crucial to understand the meanings and choices made within this context. This is not just a physical struggle but a part of a larger spiritual, effort where divine insights and intervention become important to use. 19 So far, I have come to believe that faith has a large role to play in a persons recovery. Whether it be faith in Jesus, or faith in God, or faith in any other religion, there is little to help one if he/she cannot bring himself/herself to believe in the possibility of a better future that hinges on a higher power helping him/her out. It is of paramount importance that the counselling one receives is from a person well versed on the subject and the medium of faith being employed. This is so because true conviction in the healing powers of an omnipotent being has resounding repercussions on a persons' self-esteem and introspection. It is ultimately faith in oneself and the ability to do better and strive for a brighter future that is brought about with repeated inculcation of divine forces at work to bring about the desired change. Rooting therapy in the Bible, or other religions, gives it the force and reason to come through against all odds. While the methods and the techniques adopted may be secular and involve the application of theories that may even stem from existentialist literature, there really can be a harmony in the eventual treatment of the patient. The best way to proceed would, in my opinion, be to edify and school oneself concurrently in religion and secular aspects of education. One cannot counsel and instruct without accommodating the broader picture, which would include matters which are devoid of divinity. It should be noted that many a person are afflicted by circumstances and disease that are the very essence of depravity and ignorance. One cannot preach God and Jesus without instilling self will and that requires communication with the patient or person seeking counsel on a level that he/she can comprehend. This communication includes a thorough understanding of their pain and many a time this involves matters not pertaining to religion or any divine order. Bibliography 1. The Bible (Old Testament) 2. The Bible (New Testament) 3. ebooks.gmpsoft.com/ebook_excerpt/c5/AStCommenoCorint.html - 977k - 4. Black Seventh-Day Adventists And Counseling And Therapy by Alex Swan, Ph.D available at www.oakwood.edu/ocgoldmine/ldoc/perspectives/perspective20.pdf - 5. Black's Law Dictionary, Abridged Seventh Edition, Bryan A. Garner, Editor in Chief, West Group, 2000 6. http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/quicksearch=counsel&qs_version=49 7. Wonderful Counselor, Chris Temple,available at http://www.dtl.org/ethics/article/wonderful.htm 8. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wise 9. Easton's Bible Dictionary available at www.eastonsbibledictionary.com ____________________ Read More