Biblical Psychology, Part 1

August, 2003

by: Justin Erickson

“Psychology” — the study of the soul. This word comes from two words, “psyche” meaning “spirit or soul” and “logy” or “ology” which refers to a “science, theory, study.” Many today undertake this study, to know what man is made of from within, in his immaterial part. We have so many questions: What makes man tick? What makes men fulfilled and unfulfilled? Why does man do the things that he does? Why are some men worse than others are? What is the possibility of reforming men in their behavior? What is the chief end of man? What does history teach us about men? Where can we expect history to be headed for man?

These are questions as old as time. The answers would be the keys to unlock the understanding that all of us need to deal with life in such a broken world. One could say with some certainty, if only man could be figured out and these questions answered, dealing with man and his problems would be easy. Prisons would be empty, crime would disappear, men would live in harmony, life would be fulfilling, and hope would abound.

However, a cursory glance at a daily newspaper or a few moments of CNN demonstrates that such lofty hopes of an ideal world are being dashed away. We are nowhere near the ideal, even with advances in technology, medicine, science, etc. The culture in which we live is dissatisfied with our ability to find meaning and answers to life's complexities so far, and the prevailing attitude is to give up altogether and abandon or redefine morality to accommodate the relativistic standards of each individual.

We are at a crossroads, and must recover from the tailspin we are in before all hope is lost. The solution seems the same — discover what is inside of man, deal with him on that level, and eliminate the disastrous symptoms. The bigger question then seems to be how do we properly understand man so as to deal with who he is, and then why he responds to the issues he faces the way he does. Once that is known, we can then properly diagnose his problem, and provide an application to his inner man that will effect permanent change from within.

Clearly the only change that will occur within the life of a person is internal. External behavior modification cannot produce any lasting change because the person is the same on the inside. He can be motivated to modify his outward actions by many means, but his inward thoughts, motives, and purposes remain the same. Changing a person from the outside in is not tenable as an option. A pig can be taken from the mud, cleaned, groomed, brought into the home as a pet, and wear a pretty ribbon on his head, but he is still a pig who craves the mire, and, when given the chance, will return to it. So man will act according to his nature, unless his nature be changed.

We need to break through in our understanding of man and lead him to the place of true change. But where do we start? Whose philosophy and methodology do we use? What has worked so far? Is the answer in chemicals? Laboratories? Studies on animals? Who is qualified and capable of bringing a definitive and authoritative solution for man in the real issues of life, which he faces? We will examine the attempts that have been made and decide whether they are valid to pursue further as a legitimate discipline, or whether they should be jettisoned in favor of a new discipline. The next series of Calvary Reviews will address the main issues related to Psychology and whether it has a place in the life of a Christian. As we do, read ahead and ponder the realities that the following Scriptures force us to face: Psalm 1; Psalm 19:7-9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Colossians 2:3-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; and 2 Peter 1:3-4.