An Examination of Two Biblical Cases for One Approach to the Sufficiency of Scripture

Abstract

This article explores the twofold key claim often made within the Biblical Counseling Movement: (1) that doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture necessitates a Biblical counseling approach that is predominantly or exclusively derived from Scripture and (2) that the counseling approaches derived from the secular mental health professions are either unnecessary or so inherently defective as to be improper resources for counseling by Christians. Particular focus is given to two key passages used to support this perspective: 2 Peter 1:1–11 and 2 Timothy 3:1–17. It is argued that neither of these passages provide Biblical warrant for the sufficiency of Scripture doctrine as sometimes advanced by the Biblical counseling movement.