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INTRODUCTION:
The title of this article may seem like a “no-brainer,” but it isn’t. It can become a very complicated
problem for the counselor. I will attempt (operative word) to use the balance of this article to provide
some insights and counseling skills when you encounter this issue.
THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH
Over two thousand years ago, a political figure posed the following question to a prominent religious
person. Pilate asked Christ, “What is truth?” That question and the quest “to know” still baffles
hundreds of thousands today.
One on-line dictionary defines truth as “most often used to mean in accord with fact or reality or fidelity
to an original or to a standard or ideal.”1 Another boldly declares, “We begin by admitting that we do
not have a definition for the word Truth. Yet we need to use the word in our attempt to define it.
Therefore, we have no choice but to begin with an intuitive concept of Truth.”2 Again, “FIDELITY,
CONSTANCY; sincerity in action, character, and utterance; the state of being the case: FACT (2) : the body of
real things, events, and facts : ACTUALITY.”3 Still another defines truth as “a verified or indisputable fact,
proposition, principle, or the like.”4
Accept for the atheist, no one denies the concept of truth. The debate is over how one determines what
is true – which theory to embrace to determine the truthfulness that “snow is white” as an example.
The theory (or source) of truth indeed determines the truthfulness of truth. I am not trying to be a
philosopher. What one refers to as the source of truth is what one believes and what one believes is
allowed to control how one behaves.
If the source of truth is evolution, then only the strong will survive and the weak are expendable. This
was part and parcel for most of Adolph Hitler’s “superior” race. If the source of truth is financial, then
humanity will hoard, squirrel away, and accumulate like the Rich Man and the parable of his barns
thinking he could avoid the inevitable and secure insulation from harm. If the source of truth is self,
then human emotions dictate all human responses and my emotions made me a mass murderer. Sadly
this is reinforced by television detective shows where the defense offers such theories for their client’s
actions. Psychology follows suit when they tell someone they are justified to “feel” and to “act” in
accordance with their feelings.
Therefore, what one refers to as the source of truth is what one believes and what one believes is
allowed to control how one behaves.
Hence, conflict arises because very few agree upon a singular source of truth to filter reality, reach
proper conclusions, and make responsible decisions. Even among those who would agree with a brand
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth
http://truth-defined.com/1-TheNatureOfTruth.htm
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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truth
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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/truth
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of philosophical truth there is disagreement among themselves on the interpretation which will affect
application.
If our premise is “truthful” about the source of truth determining through and behavior, then we must
believe and search for a source of truth that is consistent to reality.
My research revealed a common belief that there are four levels of truth. Below is a synopsis:
1. Personal truth. A personal truth is what is true for an individual. For example, one person may
believe that chocolate ice-cream is the best. Nothing said could alter his/her perception that “it is
so.” He or she may consider your own favorite, strawberry to be inedible. Personal truths reflect
physiological attributes, psychological tendencies and the learning and experiences of an
individual.
2. Social truth. A social truth is what a distinct group perceives to “be so.” Social truths reflect
group history, customs, and values. For example, to group “A” it may be true that the
neighboring group, group “B,” is the enemy and thus a threat. But group “C” might not find this
to be so. Or group “A” may believe that Saturday is the holy day, while group “B” claims it is
Sunday.
3. Human truth. A human truth reflects and pertains to the universal dispositions and abilities of
our species, Homo sapiens. To one human being there is nothing more beautiful than another
human being of the opposite sex (at least for heterosexuals). But to say we are the most
beautiful of creatures would reflect species-centric thought. Many things that we consider to be
inherently true probably reflect distinctive features of human psychology. For instance, because
human beings are primates that readily establish and acknowledge dominance hierarchies, the
human individual may be predisposed to feeling that there is or could be some entity “greater
than me,” whether or not that happens to be true.
4. Universal truth. A universal truth is one that all sufficiently intelligent and educated observers,
from this planet or any other (should they exist), would conclude to “be so.” For instance, the
proportion of a circle’s circumference to its diameter is 3.141592 ( . . . ). This is a universal truth.
Any capable, unbiased individual could verify that truth. Similarly, that energy is equivalent to
rest mass times the speed of light squared is also a universal truth. A universal truth is the only
type of truth that is not relative to the person or group making the claim. Science, by and large,
provides us with universal truths. Or it at least aspires to. 5
Yet it appears that truth, no matter which level one adheres to, tips the scale from objectivity to
subjectivity. As Dr. Bill Goode, co-founder of NANC, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette, IN., now
rejoicing in Heaven above the fray, wrote, “All truth is not God’s truth.” We must conclude that there is
a level of truth, much avoided by the majority, that is objective reality and in direct correspondence with
its representation. Stated differently, there is truth that reflects the reality of the world we live in and
those who live in it. The source of that truth is God for God must be true and every man proven a liar.6
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http://evolvingmind.info/blog/four-types-of-truth/
Romans 3:4
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Truth in Counseling
As you have read thus far, the concept of truth can help or hinder the counseling process. What causes
the source of truth to be questioned? To be challenged? Too be discarded? To be doubted?
False teaching. The counselee has been exposed to a false teacher and false teaching. The boundaries
of truth have been stretched. The boundary marker has been moved by the enemy. The line is blurred.
You will be able to detect this in the counselee’s speech and responses. The counselee will make such
statements as, “that’s not what I have been taught.” Or, “that doesn’t apply to the Christian today.” Or,
“That’s your interpretation.” You may detect it in how they describe why they have come to counseling.
They had an affair, not adultery. They hold fast to a label such as alcoholic rather than someone with a
life dominating sin. The counselee often has an eclectic understanding of the fundamental doctrines of
the faith. God loves but God would never send anyone to hell. The Bible says if I just have faith in God I
can ask anything and it will be mine.
Ruling emotions. Imagine a young female teenager who passionately loves the Lord. She attends
youth group. She is actively involved with her peers in evangelism. She is the poster-girl for modesty
and propriety. But she suffers a violent rape. For weeks the doctors, friends, and family help her to
cope and recover. They do their best to help her make sense of this traumatic event. Their efforts leave
her confused about the nature and character of God. She grows despondent and withdrawn. She slides
into depression and despair. She isolates herself. The wounds grow into roots of bitterness and
resentment. Some who try to help experience her outburst of rage and wrath. They ask you to help.
With great tenderness, compassion, and sympatric tears you share God’s Word, how God is sovereign,
omnipotent, and will execute justice and bring forth righteousness. She balks. Her tone is cynical and
her words mock you. Her emotions are interpreting truth. She is preventing truth from helping her
make sense of her emotions.
Life’s Experiences. Similar to what I wrote above, perhaps with less drama, a person’s experiences
become the filter for what is true and what is false. If what they hear aligns with their experience then
what they are hearing must be true. If what they are hearing does not align itself with their experience
then it is false. It is not unusual for me to experience “push back” when I teach one aspect of the 30
hours of basic biblical counseling. That one topic that often creates the most push-back is the
psychological/medical issues from a biblical world view. Here, more than any other area of this
instruction, someone inevitably will challenge the truthfulness of biblical statements revealing that their
experience proves that medical/psychological experience and the necessity of anti-depressant or antipsychotic medications. Regardless of clear evidence that the cause for this issue has yet to be
identified, evidence presented by the medical/psychological experts, someone will say they are doing
better because of such n’ such; or they know of a loved one who without such n’ such would be
incarcerated in a mental institution. Here we hear experience as the source of determining other truth
as true.
Bill Goode answered his own question in the article Is All Truth God’s Truth when he clarifies that only
that which is absolute is God’s truth. Bill discusses “empirical truth” which are conclusions based on
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hypotheses. However, change any of the conditions of the hypothesis you change the conclusion, thus
changing the truth.
We have all read or heard this from a media source. A health beat reports that wine causes a form of
cancer. Days or weeks later the same health beat reports that a glass of wine improves digestion
improving a person’s health. This type of reporting on truth cannot be trusted.
Okay, A Real Life Case Study
A couple comes to you for counseling. They are having marital problems. She claims the problems
existed before they got married but she married him anyways. The man confesses he has not lived with
her in an understanding way. They live separately.
A number of sin issues are discovered. The wife is quite clear about the issues and the husband agrees
with her assessment. Instruction is provided on confession, repentance, and forgiveness. This teaching
is evidently new to them both although they have been involved in the local church for over two
decades.
The husband agrees to accept responsibility for his sinfulness and agrees to follow the biblical
procedures of confession, repentance, and forgiveness.
The next counseling session she tries to assume control and points out that her husband was only doing
what you told him to do. She judged him as not being sincere. She points to the past when he followed
the same procedure but there was little evidence of change. She also dredges up “hurt feelings” but is
unable to identify any of those hurt feelings with biblical language. “He didn’t respond soon enough to
my texts or requests. He seemed irritated that I asked him to do such n’ such. He acted unhappy.
He….”
When using Scriptures to circle the wagons around truth, emotions and experience rose to the top
filtering biblical truth as non-applicable. There was the present of false teaching mixed in.
You will know you are engaged in a battle between God’s truth and man’s truth because the session
often is combative. It becomes a contest of God’s will waging war for supremacy over the counselee’s
will to be punitive.
The effort to keep God’s truth in the fore front often angers the counselee who is operating by selftruth. If rebellion to the Holy Spirit continues counseling ends; either the counselee will terminate
counseling and go to the next counselor looking for agreement to self-truth or the counselor must
suspend counseling until God be true and everyman a liar.
God does not need to defend His truth. Neither does the counselor need to defend God! That does not
mean we do not explain God’s truth. We do. But when the counselee becomes a Pharisee or
Sadducee7, we must heed the Lord’s instructions to His disciples whom He sent out to counsel. If you
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And they can and often do when the source of truth is rejected, modified, marginalized, or experiencialized.
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are not received they were to shake the dust off their feet and leave. He told them it is unprofitable to
continue to cast pearls before swine.
Jesus did not argue with the Pharisees or the Sadducees. He explained, answered their questions; but
when they became “holier than thou” He departed. Such counselees think they are well and fail to see
they are in need of a doctor.
You suspend counseling. You pray for them as the Lord reminds you. You have a wiling spirit to resume
counseling with them only when they truly demonstrate a broken and contrite heart. How do you as a
counselor avoid a Pharisaical attitude? Interview the counselee who is asking to return. Ask them what
has happened that they want to return to counseling? What have they been doing during the time of
suspension for their spiritual walk? Etc. Ask the tough questions regarding their motivation, surrender,
willingness to be directed not to direct, and who do they really want to please.
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