Marital Counseling & Christian Counselors

Adams, J. (1983). Solving marriage problems: Biblical solutions for Christian counselors. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.

Two essay questions are presented and discussed for each of the seventeen chapters that comprise the book.

(1)What is the biblical view of the institution of marriage?

The biblical view of marriage holds that it is the first and most fundamental of the institutions created by God. Husband and wife are called to exemplify the relationship of Christ to his church (a relationship of love and devotion, respect and guidance).

Through providing the world with a living embodiment of this relationship, the marital relationship itself becomes an overt testimony to the saving grace of God. In other words, people who are not saved should be able to look at that couple and see that they have something special, something which they would like for their own marriages.

Also, the Bible teaches that the relationship between husband and wife is related to their communication with God. In 1 Peter 3:7, the Bible teaches that disharmony and lack of respect in marriage (especially on the part of the husband) causes disruption in the couple's prayer life. Thus the relationship between husband and wife can be a contributor to either an enrichment and deepening of the couple's rel

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be the central problem in troubled marriages; what does this mean? Adams notes that today's society has institutionalized the placing of self as one's first priority. Most who espouse this view push self-image as opposed to true self-love and the difference between these two characteristics is almost never distinguished by those (some of whom are even Christians) who support this view. This psychological perspective when accepted by marital couples adds to spouses' own general degree of self-centeredness causing many marital problems. The self-love view, Adams points out, is not in accord with Jesus' words (see: Matthew 16:25) that one who loses his life for Christ's sake will find it. Self, ego-self, and self-image must be denied; however, the by-product of putting Jesus first is actually an enhancement of self-esteem. Further, the Bible reports that God honors those who put Christ first. On the other hand, self-centeredness in marriage makes for trouble because the essence of marriage is putting the other first--putting his or her concerns above concerns of one's own. Even marital vows address the renunciation of self. The counselor's task is to help clients recognize that marriage reflects Christ's relationship to Hi
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Approximate Word count = 8080
Approximate Pages = 32 (250 words per page)

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