What does the Bible say about Christian fathers?

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What does the Bible say about Christian fathers? We're going to answer that question. You can also discover more on GotQuestions .org.

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The greatest commandment in scripture is this, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

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Going back to verse two we read, so that you, your children, and their children after them may fear the

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Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

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Jumping ahead we read, these commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts.

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Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

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Israelite history reveals that the father was to be diligent in instructing his children in the ways and words of the

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Lord for their own spiritual development and well -being. The father who was obedient to the commands of scripture did just that.

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Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. To train indicates the first instruction that a father and mother give to a child is early education.

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The training is designed to make clear to children the manner of life they are intended for.

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To commence a child's early education in this way is of great importance.

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Ephesians 6 .4 is a summary of instructions to the father, stated in both a negative and positive way.

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Fathers do not exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the

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Lord. The negative part of this verse indicates that a father is not to foster negativity in his children by severity, injustice, partiality, or unreasonable exercise of authority.

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Harsh, unreasonable conduct towards a child will only serve to nurture evil in the heart.

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The word provoke means to irritate, exasperate, rub the wrong way, or incite.

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Such provocation will produce adverse reactions. A wise parent seeks to make obedience desirable and attainable by love and gentleness.

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The positive part of Ephesians 6 .4 is expressed in a comprehensive direction. Educate them, bring them up, develop their conduct in all of life by the instruction and admonition of the

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Lord. This is the whole process of educating and discipline. The word admonition carries the idea of reminding the child of faults constructively and duties responsibilities.

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The Christian father is really an instrument in God's hand. The whole process of instruction and discipline must be that which

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God commands and which he administers so that his authority should be brought into constant and immediate contact with the mind, heart, and conscience of children.

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The human father should never present himself as the ultimate authority to determine truth and duty.

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It is only by making God the teacher and ruler on whose authority everything is done that the goals of education can best be attained.

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Martin Luther said, Keep an apple beside the rod to give the child when he does well. Discipline must be exercised with watchful care and constant training with much prayer.

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Chastening, discipline, and counsel by the word of God, giving both reproof and encouragement, is at the core of admonition.

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Christian discipline is needed to enable children to grow up with reverence for God, respect for parental authority, knowledge of Christian standards, and habits of self -control.

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All scripture is God -breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

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A father's first responsibility is to acquaint his children with scripture. The means and methods that fathers may use to teach

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God's truth will vary. As the father is faithful in role -modeling, what children learn about God will put them in good standing throughout their earthly lives, no matter what they do or where they go.

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That answers the question, what does the Bible say about Christian fathers? On our website,

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