by Greg Gifford, PhD
There are a few passages within biblical counseling that encapsulate tenets that are crucial to counseling—Proverbs 4:23, the heart; Matthew 12:34, communication; 1 Corinthians 10:13, hope; Ephesians 4:22-24, the process of change. Having an understanding of these passages is important for the faithful use of Scripture and the process of biblical counseling.
Within those crucial passages, biblical counseling teaches a process for change based off of Scripture that goes something like this: put off the old man (Eph. 4:22), be renewed in the Spirit of your mind (v. 23), and put on the new man (v. 24). If you’re new to biblical counseling, welcome and know your Bible will soon automatically fall open to Ephesians 4 and 5! This blog will offer a few exegetical notes on Ephesians 4:22-24.
The process for change is really a section of Ephesians 4 that is an indirect discourse. Paul uses three infinitives that we, as biblical counselors, have highlighted with the process of change: “put off,” “be renewed,” and “put on” (vv. 22-24). Each of those infinitives seem to be referencing the main verb of this section, “were taught” from verse 21.[1]
Paul is suggesting that by putting off
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