So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”
Acts 8 is first an account of evangelism, but it also provides a model for counseling. The text recalls the familiar story of the Ethiopian Eunuch. The wealthy Ethiopian had been worshipping in Jerusalem. As he returned home, he read the prophet Isaiah, and Philip approached him before he asked for guidance. Intrigued by it, he sought the help of someone who was capable of interpreting that text. The Ethiopian found an interpreter of Scripture, but also an interpreter of life.
Philip’s interpretation was not only Messianic, but also a fulfillment of Isaiah 52:14-15, which promised that Yahweh would sprinkle the nations. The Ethiopian was sprinkled/washed clean from his transgressions. He began to see that Messiah suffered so that he might have life.
This passage establishes in many ways the need for biblical counseling. Counselees are asking Philip’s questions. Their lives, torn by a host of events, have clouded their understanding of life, and sometimes even the Bible itself. Counselors must then come alongside the hurting and the needy and provide an accurate view of their lives through the lens of the Bible.
Jesus is the starting point of all healing. He is the suffering servant, who received no justice, according to Isaiah’s prophecy. The interpreter/counselor begins by pointing to Jesus. He guides the counselee to see that Jesus answers his despair. But he is not simply pointing him to a concept, but to a Person. Jesus, as a Person, died and suffered. Jesus, as a concept, offers no hope.
Notice that Philip ran to him. Philip understood the eunuch's pain and despair. Philip was troubled by the eunuch’s lack of knowledge. The Spirit guides us to those who are most troubled, whether rich or poor. Philip, the counselor, then asked a question.
A few observations concerning the text above:
Notice that Philip asked him a question. Counselors are in the question-asking business. A porn-addict may benefit from a stern rebuke, but he has already been rebuked by his own conscience, which is why he is seeking interpretation. A man enslaved by pornography needs to probe his motivations and his justifications behind his sinful habits. He needs to think through his worldview before he can see how deeply flawed it is. Questions will bring these assumptions to the surface.
Notice that the counselee needed help. Counselors cannot help those who do not want help. The counselee acknowledged that his answers, his attempts to be good, his efforts to get away from certain habits were not paying off. He realized that unless someone guides him, his efforts will all be in vain.
Guiding someone is a form of life interpretation. The counselor needs to take the counselee's assumptions about the world and dissect them so the counselee can see the context surrounding his sins. He may be oblivious to his own environment. He may not know that the culture he is imbibing is causing a greater urge to immerse himself in those sins. He needs guidance to see that his interpretation is flawed.
Finally, notice that the eunuch invites the counselor to come and sit by him. This is not always the case. The work of the Spirit, of course, was already humbling the eunuch. His encounter had already softened his own mind to seek wisdom. In some cases, the counselor needs to make the counselee aware that he needs help and guidance. At times, pride keeps the individual from seeking help. He is certain that his lack of knowledge of the text and his own life is not a problem and that, in time, he will learn to deal with it.
This is where community life becomes crucial.
If sins are seen as separate acts from the community, then they bear no weight on anyone besides the individual. If, however, sins are communal by nature, then making known to the addicted man that he needs guidance becomes a necessary component of community life. The hurting has little hope of finding the right interpretation if no one is willing to point out his need for one.
The eunuch was baptized. Philip’s interpretation offered him a perspective that changed him and caused him to act upon it. Counselors offer interpretations that change the counselee's course of action. By God’s grace, counselors offer a message of hope. Jesus is that hope. The One who received no justice offers justice in the sight of God to those who humble themselves and seek his guidance. Jesus sat with us and offered us an interpretation of our lives that made us whole.
Nuntium
I will be with my old friends, Jeff Meyers and Steve Wilkins, in St. Louis in a few weeks. I will be offering three lectures relating fatherhood and the home to the necessity of liturgical life and cycles.
I had a delightful time with the saints of King’s Cross in Columbia, TN, this past Lord’s Day. I baptized two little ones and administered word and sacraments. The saints were also cheerful and hospitable. Further, I cannot speak more highly of Chris Hwang, who is part of the leadership of this new plant. He was a great host and made me feel right at home. If you are in the Columbia area, please visit these guys.
I was also grateful to meet a fellow Brazilian who added tremendous joy to my visit. Hearty cheers to Matheus and Chloe.
