A Stress Test of Scriptural Sufficiency – A Review of Counseling the Hard Cases edited by Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert

We live in a world that loves pithy little statements that roll off the tongue. Whether a marketing slogan, a life principle, or a platitude meant to dispense wisdom, catchy sayings that we can offer others seem like a great idea. But too often, we offer bits of supposed wisdom that are empty of any real hope or power. This is evident in moments of pain and loss when we are told, “Time heals all wounds,” or “This too shall pass”. Followers of Jesus have the added danger of misconstruing God’s Word as we would a pithy platitude. In doing so, we can rob God’s Word of its power by our misuse. One of those phrases some claim is a misconstrued platitude is, “Scripture is sufficient for life and godliness.” This concept comes from Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). Some claim the modern biblical counseling movement is reading these verses wrongly, applying sufficiency to life when it is merely meant regarding salvation. Is this the case? Have biblical counselors built their ministry on the misapplication of these verses?

Illustrating Scripture’s Sufficiency

Counseling the Hard Cases is an exercise in stress testing the sufficiency of Scripture. The authors make the claim that these are not verses wrongly applied but that God’s Word has the power to handle the most difficult issues faced in the care of souls. Heath Lambert explains the aim of this book, writing, “It is one thing to hear that God’s categories in the Bible rightly identify and engage all the different problems people face. It is another thing to show how that looks when encountering a complex, secularly defined problem like dissociative identity disorder. That gap is precisely where this book is meant to fit.”[1] Following Lambert’s explanation of the sufficiency of Scripture is a series of case studies showing the power of God’s Word and the sufficiency of Scripture for life. The book shows sufficiency is not merely a platitude but a reality that brings hope to the most confounding issues in the care of souls.

Showing Others Scripture’s Sufficiency

In both pastoral and academic ministry, I have had numerous people who are skeptical of Scripture’s sufficiency. Their objections are for a variety of reasons. However, as we engage in conversation, a resource that I have often recommended is Counseling the Hard Cases. It gives tangible examples of Scripture’s sufficiency that display the power of God’s Word for life and godliness. Maybe you are wrestling Scripture’s sufficiency in matters of the soul yourself or know someone else who is. This book may be the potent evidence that displays Scripture’s sufficiency that you have been seeking.

[1] Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert, eds., Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God’s Resources in Scripture (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2012), 24.