Dignoscentia

Article Topics
[ The Doctrine of the Christian Life -- Christian Behavior ] :: [ The Doctrine of the Christian Life -- Marriage and the Family ] :: [ The Doctrine of the Christian Life -- The Law of God ] ::

These are the duties of parents toward their children as described in the Bible:

• Love them.

• “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.” Titus 2:4.

• Children must be born out of love and out of the mutual desire of both spouses, not from pleasure, sin, or happenstance.

• “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; 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 4:9, 10.

• “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.” Deuteronomy 6:7.

• “For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” Psalms 78: 5-7.

• “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6.

• “And ye, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4.

• Each one should look to his own deeds and see that they are righteous, instead of looking at what others are doing.

• “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” Psalms 33:11.
• “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7.

• “And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? That thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.” Exodus 13: 14-15.
• “We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.” Psalms 44: 1.
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

• “For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.” Proverbs 4: 3-5.
• “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.” Timothy 3:4.

• “And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Genesis 48: 15, 16.

• “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Psalms 103: 11-13.

• “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.” Deuteronomy 8:5.
• “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” Proverbs 3:12.
• “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Proverbs 13:24.
• “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” Proverbs 19:18.
• “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” Proverbs 22:15.
• “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” Proverbs 23: 13, 14.
• “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” Hebrews 12:7.

• “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4.
• “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” Colossians 3: 21.

• “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children.” Proverbs 13:22.
• “Or what mans is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matthew 7: 9-11.
• “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11: 13.
• “Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” II Corinthians 12: 14.
• “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.” I Timothy 5:8.

• “And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.” Job 1:5.

• “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22: 6.

Adapted from:
Balan, Ioanichie (1984). Convorbiri Duhovnicesti. Romania: Episcopia Romanului si Husilor.