The Father's Authority

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 9
 
The father’s authority is supplementary to a husband’s, and combined with it invests a man with authority as the head of a house. Its existence is assumed and its exercise is clearly portrayed from the early chapters of Genesis on to the time of the giving of the law (Ex. 20). Then children were formally commanded to honor their father and their mother (she being viewed as one with the father in their joint care of their children). This in itself implies subjection, which is enjoined on the children of Christian parents (and on other children, too, who read or hear God’s Word). “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord” (Col. 3:2020Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)).
Is any father bold enough to assert that he has never abused his authority as a father? I’m sure not. Did not the Spirit of God foresee that Christian fathers would often fail in their exercise of authority, when He caused these searching words to be written, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged”? (Col. 3:2121Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (Colossians 3:21)). When does the God-given authority of a father over his children cease? When he fails in the exercise of it? No, only when the children leave father and mother to take up new relationships owned of God in nature. What is the divine remedy prescribed by the Lord for our children when we have abused our authority? SUBMISSION! “We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence.... They verily... chastened us after their own pleasure” (Heb. 12:9-109Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:9‑10)). Insubjection is a moral characteristic of the “last days,” as it is written, “Disobedient to parents” (2 Tim. 3:22For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:2)).