Class Notes: 8/3/2008

Eph 6:1-4 Eph 4:32 The mandates of the PPOG regarding parents and children

Continuing in our study of the mandates of the PPOG for the church age believer, we will now look at the mandates regarding parents and children found in Eph 6:1-4; and Col 3:20-21; in the context of the mandate found in Eph 4:32;

These passages restate the mandate found of the Fifth Commandment found in Exod 20:12;

Eph 6:1; Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.
v2 -Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),
v3 - in order that it may be well with you (in adulthood), and that you may live long on the earth (the reward for honor, respect, and obedience to parental authority).

The word translated "obey" is the present active imperative of the Greek word "hypakouo” that means "to obey as a result of paying attention". The Greek word "akouo" means to hear or listen.

This is the mandated response to legitimate authority from those who are subordinate in the Divine order as it is established by God in his system that is known as Divine Establishment. Rom 13:1;
The word translated "honor" is the present active imperative of the Greek word "timao" and means to show respect, give recognition or esteem as valuable.

We see from this that children are commanded to obey and honor their parents. The Bible specifically addresses the family with two parents because there are responsibilities given by God that are to be performed by each parent.

In the case of a single-parent family, the child’s parent has the challenge of functioning in both areas of responsibility, and though not ideal, it possible with the Grace of God as it is deployed through available channels of legitimate authority.

An example of this could have been Mary, Jesus’ mother because the Gospel record does not mention Joseph after Jesus began His public ministry and the record provided where he committed her care to John from the cross. John 19:26-27; since he was the oldest son it was his responsibility to support her and any of her other children if any of them were still living with her.

The corporate structure of the home is essential for the proper instruction of the child, the just administration of parental authority is required for the tranquility of its environment, and the obedience of the children is mandatory for their future well being as well as for the stability of the Client Nation.

Through these mandates, God is establishing the Family as the third Law of Divine Establishment as the basic building block of society and the first and most important classroom and training ground for children who are the means of the perpetuation of mankind on the earth.

The father sets policy for the establishment of organized humility within his household that are based on divine viewpoint and establishment viewpoint.

The object is to create an environment where love can have its maximum impact within an ordered environment.

The plan of God is designed to introduce authority, order, and discipline to children by means of the parents. Before children can come to know, trust, and obey God they are introduced to these concepts in the context of the authority of the home.

Children do not inherently obey their parents. This is a mental attitude that must be developed by the imposition of divinely established parental authority.

The biblical approach to training, instructing, and disciplining of children requires that the parent be filled with the Holy Spirit and motivated by unconditional love.

That Love that is deployed through the benevolence of Grace is to be the primary function of parental authority.

Benevolence is supported by severity when necessary. Prov 13:24;

This is the same grace policy that God uses toward his people. Rom 11:22; Behold then the benevolence "chrestos" of God and the severity "apotomia" of God. On the one hand, severity to those who fell, but, on the other hand, to you the benevolence of God, if you continue to persist in the sphere of the benevolence of God, otherwise you also shall be cut off.

This describes the shift from the blessings of benevolence to the discipline of severity from God's unconditional love as it executed from his righteousness and justice through his policy of Grace.

Obedience is a learned response to legitimate authority. However, abuse of this authority is sinful and evil.

Children should understand that it is generally their disobedience that is the cause for the parents' severity. Although on occasion parents may fail to balance severity with benevolence, what started the discipline was the child's disobedience.

Therefore the solution to the tension between benevolence and severity is found in the mutual submission of both the parents and the children when they are mature enough to the biblical mandate that is found in:

Eph 4:32; - But become kind, performing gracious acts toward each other the Greek word "chrestos": from a mental attitude of benevolence comes gracious acts, and compassionate, and keep forgiving each other just as God also by means of Christ has forgiven you.

In this passage the words translated "instead" or "but become" or "and be" is the second person present middle imperative of the Greek word "ginomai"

This is the same principle that Paul states in Eph 5:21; in the context of our passage before he addresses the issues of the Divinely established legitimate authority in the family.

The parents are in authority, but both the parents and the children are commanded to be submitted to each other in mutual reverence of TLJC because of his forgiveness of all. This puts both the parents and the children under the authority of TLJC.

The obligation and the objective of parents to bring the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is expressed in the second half of:

Eph 6:4; Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger " parorgizo" (to incite to motivational anger); but bring them up "ektrepho" (nourish them to maturity) in the discipline "paideia" (correction and punishment) and instruction "nouthesia" (the teachings, warnings, repetitions, influences, and soothings) of the Lord.

Here are found two mandates to parents, the first an imperative of prohibition and the second an imperative of command.

The word "provoke" is the present active imperative of, "parorgizo" which means "to incite to anger" it is a derivative of the noun "orge" which means anger.

In this passage, Paul issues a prohibition against inciting a child to anger.

If the mental attitude of anger "orge” is developed it is devastating to the child because it is a precursor of bitterness "pikria". If anger is allowed to grow into bitterness, the child will carry this bitterness around in their soul and when provoked it will ignite into a "thumos" or explosion.

Adults living in the PPOG are able to utilize the acknowledgement of their sin of anger to get control of their anger if they do so quickly.

Children may not be spiritually mature enough to manage anger in this way especially when they are provoked by an authority figure such as a parent.

Parents do not want to be the source of this. Instruction, training, discipline, and punishment must be administered through love. This love is only consistent when it references divine standards and enforces them under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit.

The teaching process or" nouthesia", is protected by discipline, or "paideia", motivated by benevolence, or "chrestos", and results in nurturing, which is "ektrepho".

The Scripture forbids that correction be administered in anger motivated by emotion or accompanied by outbursts.

The only proper motivation for correction is unconditional love.

In order for this to be possible the parents must have put off the OSN and be functioning in their new nature through the renovation of their thinking from the PMA of Bible Doctrine inside the PPOG. Eph 4:22-23;

The putting off the" lusts of deceit" of the kosmos in parenting has to do with instability, confusion, and doubt and ambiguity fostered by the OSN and the kosmic system.

The new lifestyle for the parent is founded on the imputed righteousness possessed by every member of the royal family of God which is enabled and empowered by God the Holy Spirit and Bible Doctrine.
With this system of integrity love in place, children are made free of fear and anger and parents are relieved of guilt and remorse.

This results in a relationship where the child's respect for the parents is established, and the parents' may nurture them to maturity by means of benevolence and reward that is backed by severity and punishment when appropriate.

In this way, parents are to communicate righteous standards based on Bible Doctrine and establishment viewpoint to their children.

Parents want to lead their children to a place of responsibility, self-control, and honor.

Children are to be treated with the same courtesy that the parents as members of the Royal Family would extend to any other member of society. In response, children are commanded to and must learn to treat their parents with honor and respect.

Respect must initially be demanded by the parents under enforced humility until it becomes a willing behavior pattern based on the child's function in genuine humility.


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