Christian Universe ™
Home | Christian Resources | Christian Links | Links | Site Map
Parents and Children, version 2
December 18, 2016
Parents have a responsibility to rear their children in the ways of the Lord, and to treat them kindly and help them to grow and develop. This includes discipline, administered for the purpose of correction, not abuse. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord's teachings, showing respect, and caring for them into old age. This is how the Lord has made it: parents support their children and care for them when they are too small to do so themselves; children are to support their parents and care for them when they are too old or sick to care for themselves. - Bernie Parsons
Parents and Children v.2
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 12-18-2016
Presented to Load church of Christ on 01-01-2017
In the last sermon, I examined with you the role of husbands and wives.
I want to follow that with a review of the relationship between parents
and children.
Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is
well pleasing unto the Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be
discouraged."
The goal is not to irritate and agitate your children into behaving as
you would like them to, but rather to encourage them to do right, to do
good. God commands children to obey their parents in those things that
He instructs and demands.
Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is
right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with
promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
First, let us look at Ephesians 6:4, where Paul told the believers at
Ephesus that the fathers are not to provoke their children to wrath, as
we have already seen, but also to “bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord.”
The Greek word translated “nurture” refers to “education or guidance”,
while “admonition” means “warning or counseling”. Fathers are to guide
and counsel their children in the ways of the Lord.
This parallels the commandment to the fathers and grandfathers under the
Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 4:7 "For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh
unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him
for?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so
righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou
forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from
thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy
sons' sons;
10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb,
when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will
make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days
that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their
children."
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine
heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk
of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the
way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be
as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy
gates."
The father of the family has the obligation to teach the commandments
and ways of the Lord to his children, and their children. The women also
have an obligation to teach the younger women.
Titus 2:3 "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as
becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers
of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own
husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
Discipline is not excluded from the education of the young, and
specifically, the young man, as we see in both Old and New Testament
writings.
Proverbs 23:13 "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou
beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from
hell."
“Beat” actually means “strike” and does not necessarily mean a severe
beating, as some imagine.
Hebrews 12:8 "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and
we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto
the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;
but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby."
Now, we turn our attention to the other verses from:
Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is
right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with
promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the
earth.”
The apostle Paul repeats the advice given to the believers at Colosse,
to those at Ephesus, but expands upon it a bit. He also reminds children
to honor their fathers and mothers. Many think that this means to say
“Yes, sir!” and “Yes, ma’am!” and rise to offer a seat. It goes beyond
that, meaning that children are to help look after the financial needs
of their parents.
Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of
God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth
father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban,
that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which
ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."
In the above, our Lord Jesus rebuked the Jewish leadership for allowing
people to donate money to the temple treasury – Corban – while
neglecting to take care of their parents. That tradition of donating to
the treasury in lieu of helping parents was a tradition that violated
God’s laws. But, it goes beyond children, including extended family.
1 Timothy 5:4 "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn
first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is
good and acceptable before God."
1 Timothy 5:8 "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for
those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an
infidel."
1 Timothy 5:16 "If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them
relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve
them that are widows indeed."
We find that believers who have parents, aunts and uncles, or other
family members, such as widows, who need financial assistance, are to
provide that help. Family takes care of family first. Even infidels –
unbelievers – are known to do that. A follower of Christ who will not
help his or her own family is worse than an infidel!
The relationship between parents and children is an important one, and
one that is governed by the instructions of God. With love at the center
of this relationship, the results are good. Unfortunately, our society,
by leaning toward socialism, strips away family obligations, even
destroys the foundational family itself.
Only by building upon the teachings of the Holy Word of God do we
realize the benefits from honorable family life.
