Train Up a Child In the Way He Should Go?

Proverbs 22:6 and the Misuse of “Train Up a Child”

Proverbs 22 6 train up a child in the way he should go even when he is old. He will not depart from it. So as long as you teach your children what the Bible says and how to follow it then when they grow up they will be Christians.

Right. And if they don't become Christians well you must have done something wrong in your parenting huh. That's not quite how to read that verse. Proverbs is wisdom literature guiding God's people to live in a way that honors the Lord.

Proverbs as Wisdom Literature, Not Promises

It is not a book of promises. Look at Proverbs 15 1 which says that a soft answer turns away wrath. This is generally true but not always. There are some people you could give a gentle answer to and still get an angry response.

By reading Proverbs 22 6 as a command. With a promise we run into some theological problems. First of all it will heap a burden on parents. They cannot bear driving them into a man-centered results oriented system of raising children.

Faithful Parenting and the Spirit’s Work in the Child

Then if their child grows up and doesn't follow the Lord we're quick to say the parent did something wrong. Yet God is described as the parent of Israel. And they acted like a rebellious child. Does that make God a bad parent.

Did he not follow Proverbs 22 6 correctly. We need to be faithful parents not driven by results. Be faithful to train and disciple your children rather than trying to get them to conform to something on the outside.

Look for how the Spirit is changing them on the inside. When they rebel as we all have and you discipline them as we all need. Do they experience remorse for that rebellion. That's the work of the Spirit.

Do they hunger and thirst for God. That's also the Spirit who transforms the heart even in a child. When we understand the text.