Charles H.Spurgeon. “You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, training them up in God’s fear, minding the house, and making your household a church for God as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of Hosts.”
The Context for the Household Code is Ephesians 5:15-18
- Walk wisely
- Redeem the time
- Understand God’s will
- Be filled with the Spirit
- The Duty of Children
Ephesians 6:1 (NASB), “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.”
- Obey because it is right (v.1)
- Obey because it is commanded (2)
- Obey because of the promises (3)
- Obey in the Lord (1)
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- Ryle, “Parents, determine to make your children obey you, though it may cost you a lot of trouble, and cost them many tears. Let there be no questioning, and reasoning, and disputing, and delaying. When you give them a command, let them clearly see that you expect them to do it.”
- The Duty of Parents
Ephesians 6:4 (NASB), “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
The Negative: Do not provoke: “exasperate” The Positive: Bring them up: “cherish,” “nourish”
- Discipline means taking action: ”train,” “correct”
- Instruction means using words: “admonish,” “counsel”
- “...of the Lord.” This means the Lord is to govern the actions and words of the parents and the children.
Charles Spurgeon, “Train up a child in the way he should go but make sure you go that way yourself.”
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