Fathers: July 2016
Table of Contents
The Apostle John’s Message to Fathers
We have already seen that among those the Apostle calls his “children,” there are “fathers,” “young men,” and “babes” or “little children.” The “fathers” are those who have grown old in the truth. The “babes” are those newly born into the family of God. The “young men” are a class between, who have the strength of manhood, being no longer children, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but have not yet reached that experimental knowledge by which they have learned the utter vanity of everything apart from Christ. The “fathers,” on the contrary, have had full experience and, like Solomon, have written “vanity” on all that is under the sun. They have learned to know Christ as their only and enduring portion. “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13).
It will be noticed that the Apostle addresses each class separately — the “fathers,” then the “young men,” then the “babes.” In verse 13 all three classes are addressed. Then in verse 14 the “fathers” and “young men” are addressed the second time, and in verse 18, the “babes,” the message running on to the close of verse 27. We will now look more particularly at the message to the “fathers.”
Fathers
We have already quoted from verse 13, where they are addressed the first time. When they are addressed the second time, in verse 14, the message is the same, and there is nothing added. It is simply, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning.” And this is most beautiful and instructive. There was nothing to warn them against, and there was nothing new or further to set before them — nothing which they did not already have. They had Christ — “Him that is from the beginning” — and that was enough. There was nothing to go back to — nothing to go forward to. To go back would be to return to the world, which they had found to be only vanity. There would be no gain in that. And they could not go forward to anything beyond without giving up Christ and Christianity, and there would be no gain in that. Christ was their all. They knew Him as the sum of all their blessing, their enduring, their eternal portion. This is what characterized the fathers in Christ.
No Need for Warning
I have said there was nothing to warn them against. They were acquainted with the flesh and its ways and with the world and its attractions, and they had judged both as worthless and evil. It was not something merely that they had been taught; they had learned it experimentally. In their own experience they had proved what the flesh is in its utter insubordination to God, and they had learned that God’s judgment of it in the cross and death of Christ was the only remedy for it. It was a judgment which was according to truth and holiness, a judicial ending before God of what was in a state of fixed and eternal enmity against His nature and incapable of being subject to His holy law (Rom. 8:7). They had learned the truth of this judgment and had bowed to it experimentally in their own souls. It was not something they needed to learn now, even in experience. They knew it in such a way as not to need any warning against it.
The World
So also it was as to the world, which is in enmity against God as well as the flesh and which also has been morally judged in the cross. To the fathers the world was but the scene in which the flesh flourishes — that to which the flesh in its nature and desires fully answers and which furnishes the food on which the flesh subsists. Moreover, the world had cast out and crucified God’s well beloved Son, and thus its whole status and condition was laid bare. The fathers had learned its true character. They knew it as an evil system estranged from God and governed by Satan’s will and power. Whatever might be its pretension, whatever its glitter and show, whatever its allurements and enticing temptations, to the fathers it was all a vain show, a scene of gilded sin and wickedness which could not endure in its midst the presence of the holy and blessed Son of God. And besides, there was nothing in it that could satisfy the soul or give real joy and happiness. To them it was practically a judged scene in which they had neither part nor lot. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, they had been delivered from it, and in their practical life and spiritual mode of existence, they were outside of it and had no desire to return to it. Happy deliverance!
But all this experience had been gone through in connection with the truth of Christ. Apart from Christ these things could not be learned. And the result of the experience was that Christ was known as the only worthy object of the heart. All else proved to be but vanity. When all else failed, Christ remained the same, the faithful, unchanging One, “the same yesterday, and today, and forever,” the One who will remain the same throughout eternity, filling and satisfying the soul, when experience has become a thing only of the past and when flesh and the world are no more.
Christ Known
This blessed Christ the fathers know. They have proved Him as the One in whom they can always trust. In all their varied experiences and trials, they have found Him faithful. In every time of need He has proved the succorer of their souls. He has been their joy in sorrow, their strength in weakness, their stay in adversity, their unfailing resource at all times. And He is the eternal Sun of their souls, the chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely, their all in all for time and eternity. They have followed Him, they have served Him, they have walked with Him, they have communed with Him, and they know Him, not merely by report, but by intimate and personal acquaintance. Blessed knowledge! It is what we shall have in eternity — only then it will be in glory and in a fullness far transcending anything that is known in the poor earthly body here. But the same thing is known in the soul now that will be known then, though the soul be fettered and held within bounds and limits. Now we see through a glass darkly; then, face to face. Now we know in part; then we shall know as we are known. There will be no fetters, no bonds then — nothing to hinder or cloud the glorified vision. Christ will be known then in all the brightness and blessedness it is possible to communicate to His glorified people.
Yet even now, though it be not in the same brightness or fullness, because of the body in which we still groan, through all our varied experiences Christ reveals Himself to our souls in a most blessed way, and we learn to know Him as friends know friends — not merely as the One who has saved us from wrath and judgment, but as the One who is ever with us, bearing us on His heart, sustaining, comforting, blessing, and drawing our hearts and affections out to His own blessed Person. The fullness of His grace meeting all our need by the way is realized, the varied beauties and glories and perfection of His Person and character are discovered, and His unchanging and eternal love fills the heart and satisfies the affections He Himself has awakened. Blessed, glorious Christ! Infinite delight of the Father! Eternal brightness of God’s glory! Light and joy and center of courts above! Object worthy of eternal homage and praise! May we learn to know Him more and more. May we so learn to know Him that before the brightness of His presence every other object may fade away, leaving Himself the alone object of our hearts, our all-sufficient, our present and eternal portion.
A. H. Rule
The Character of a Father
As we considered the content of this issue one evening, my wife and I discussed those whom we had known in our lifetime as real spiritual fathers. It was interesting whose names came up! Very often they were not noted for having any outstanding spiritual gift, nor a winning personality in the natural sense. But there were certain characteristics that were common to all of them.
First of all, it became clear to us that being a spiritual father was not a spiritual gift, as we might think of a teacher, evangelist or pastor. Certainly a father might well possess one of these gifts, for to be a father and have a gift are not mutually exclusive. But it is clear that what qualifies someone as a father is independent of gift. This is especially true in the gift of a pastor, for we might well think that a pastor would make a good spiritual father. But there is a difference. A pastor might be of any age, young or old, and he has the ability to relate to people, their difficulties, and their problems. He can sense their feelings and their pain, and he knows just how to listen, to comfort, and to apply the Word to the situation. A spiritual father does indeed at times do this, but he is more. He has walked with the Lord and thus, to use the words of Scripture, has “known Him that is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13). As such, his character and walk have been formed by His Master, whom he seeks to imitate, and he does more by his walk than by his words. He commands respect and confidence more by what he is than by what he says.
Does Not Pretend
He is a person who does not pretend to be what he is not. While being a pretender has always been a fault of man in his pride, the day in which we live is witnessing an epidemic of pretenders. But those who observe the walk of pretenders can also detect the sin, and it erodes any confidence that they might otherwise have in them. A father avoids all this and goes on with the Lord, whom He has come to know and whose company He values. Doubtless he may, at times, make a mistake, for what believer can say that he never fails? But as another has aptly remarked, “An upright person is not one who never makes a mistake, but rather one who does not pretend to be what he is not.” Failure that is admitted and dealt with is not a sign of weakness, but rather of strength, and the admission of failure rather strengthens confidence in an individual, instead of eroding it.
Faithful
A father is also faithful, as well as being a good listener and counselor, and he is not afraid to confront and rebuke, if necessary. In the day in which we live, rampant pride and self-justification have made it difficult to point out wrong thinking and unsuitable behavior. But we read in Proverbs 9:8, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.” Unhappily, there are not many wise today, who welcome correction in their lives, but a father will not hesitate to correct, in spite of this. It is easy to pass over that which is unbecoming, in order not to offend, but a true father will be faithful, whatever may be the attitude of the one in need of it. Sad to say, sometimes he may have to do it “with grief” (Heb. 13:17), but his walk is before the Lord, not before men.
Balanced
Also, a true father is balanced in his outlook. He has seen the importance of keeping the truth of God in proper equilibrium, for often error in spiritual things is simply truth that has been forced out of its right relationship to other truth. Only communion with the Lord and subjection to the Spirit of God can do this, and a father is characterized by this. In this way he differs from a teacher, for while a teacher may present the truth of God in an organized and right way, the father speaks from experience and a knowledge of the One who is the truth. Scripture recognizes the difference between wisdom and knowledge, and a gift for each one (1 Cor. 12:8). But the father has wisdom, not so much from gift (although gift may be there), but rather from a walk with the Lord and having proved the Word by applying it in his own life.
Mothers
Finally, we might mention that while Scripture refers to fathers as having “known Him that is from the beginning,” it does not exclude mothers from the same privilege and influence. In the same chapter, we read of “young men” who are addressed as being “strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14). Surely this can also apply to young women, who can also have the Word of God abiding in them and can thus overcome the devil. So also, we would suggest, there can be spiritual mothers whose main characteristic is having “known Him that is from the beginning.” There is no higher qualification, for while gift is desirable, one can have gift without real godliness. But the wisdom and godliness that come from a walk with the Lord transcend gift.
W. J. Prost
Fathers
“I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning” (1 John 2:14). This term fathers marks out attainment, and that alone. “Fathers” are not necessarily old believers, though it will be generally true that the “fathers” will mainly be composed of such. Still, it is to be remembered that many old Christians — old in the sense of the length of time they have been believers — are yet but babes, while in some cases those who are comparatively young believers may, from their rapid growth in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, be found among the “fathers.” The important thing is to see that this class includes all, of whatever age, who are distinguished by the spiritual characteristic of knowing Him that is from the beginning.
“From the beginning” in John points out a very distinct epoch. It is not, as in his Gospel, “in the beginning,” which dates from eternity itself, but from the beginning; that is, from the time Christ as the eternal life was introduced into this scene, for as soon as Christ was born into the world He was the second Man, though it is also true that He did not take the place of such until after the resurrection. Nor was He indeed in the condition of the second Man (as to circumstances) until after He had risen from the dead. “Him that is from the beginning” will therefore indicate Christ as He now is at the right hand of God, as the firstborn from the dead and the beginning of the creation of God (Col. 1:18; Rev. 3:14). Together with the cross, and by means of the cross, God closed up His relationship with Adam, the responsible man, and thereafter everything dates from the Man of His counsels, the ascended and glorified Christ. Hence, according to the testimony of John, blood and water flowed out from the side of a dead Christ — the blood that expiated sin, and the water that cleanses or purifies — in token that life is not in the first but in the last Adam. Christ therefore is, as Paul speaks, Himself our life, and He is on this account the true beginning, inasmuch as He is the firstborn from the dead.
Christ As He Is
To know Him that is from the beginning is thus to know Christ as He is and where He is as the eternal life “which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us,” as all that He now is in Himself, as the glorified Man at the right hand of God. But it is sometimes asked, “Do not all believers know Him?” Yes, all believers more or less know Christ as their Saviour and own Him as their Lord, but this is a far different thing from knowing Himself. To know Him in any character is blessed, but the knowledge of which the Apostle here speaks embraces what He is, apart from any special presentation or character. For example, we who live in England may know the Queen as our sovereign without any personal acquaintance at all with her. Her children, on the other hand, while they do not forget that she is the sovereign, know her rather as what she is in herself — her mind, character and ways. So the fathers here have risen beyond any character, office or relationship which He may sustain towards them and find their delight in Himself, in what He is, in all His moral beauties, perfections and excellences.
The Highest Attainment
And this is the highest and last attainment to be made; there is nothing beyond. When converted, we are occupied mainly with the work of Christ and the grace of God; afterward we delight in truth. But finally, if we press on to the things that are before, Christ Himself absorbs our attention, and then only do we become “fathers,” in the meaning of the Apostle. Some time back it was our privilege to visit a saint in great bodily suffering. His hands and his face were alike distorted by the severity of his affliction. But though suffering most acutely when we saw him and with scarcely any temporal comforts to alleviate his condition, he did not for one moment speak of himself or his pains. His conversation turned entirely on the Lord. In the course of our visit, he used words to this effect: “For the first ten years of my Christian life I knew and enjoyed the efficacy of the precious blood of Christ. After that, the whole circle of church truth dawned upon my soul, and, while I did not lose the blessedness of the value of the blood, the new truths that had been opened out to me formed the chief subject of my meditations. But now,” he said, “through the goodness of God, I have been introduced into another circle, where Christ Himself fills my vision. Not that,” he continued, “the other truths are less precious, only Christ Himself is more precious still, and I feel that now I want nothing beside. No,” he concluded, “it is Christ Himself now, and only Christ.” This saint of God was, as the reader will perceive, a true father, and his experience marks the order of Christian growth and justifies the statement already made, that the knowledge of Christ Himself is the last attainment reached.
Nothing More Needed
Another thing may be added. As it is the last attainment, so when this is possessed, nothing more is needed, except an ever fuller and increasing knowledge of the One we know. This is shown from the fact that when John turns to address the several classes, he has neither counsel, warning nor exhortation for the “fathers.” He simply repeats, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning” (vs. 14). This is easily understood. These “fathers” were wholly occupied with Christ Himself, and they had therefore discovered the secret of all growth, progress and safety, for conformity to Christ is produced, through the power of the Spirit, by the contemplation of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). The one object of the Christian life is to learn more of Himself, and Satan cannot find entrance into a heart that is full of Christ. John therefore needed not to say anything to these, for, in fact, they wanted nothing. Take, for example, all the precepts of Scripture, and what are they? They are but the embodiment of some trait of Christ, and hence in knowing Him these “fathers” possessed all, or were at the source of all, that was necessary for their sustenance and growth in the divine life. If they needed encouragement, wisdom, guidance, consolation or admonition, as well as all the blessings secured for us in redemption, they possessed them in the One they knew.
Contentment
It may be that but few are really “fathers.” But the question for our souls is this — shall we be content to be anything else? The child of today is the man and the father of the future. Should it not be the same with us spiritually? Alas! that so many of us are so dwarfed and stunted. The consequence is that many never pass beyond the stage of childhood. As we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews, “When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Heb. 5:12). But if we would know the full blessedness of the Christian life, or rather if we desire to learn more of the boundless treasures that are contained for us in Christ Himself, we must press on with full purpose of heart in the study of all the blessed unfoldings of His person, of His graces, beauties and moral perfections which are contained in the Word of God. If indeed we sit daily, like Mary, at the feet of the Lord, to hear His Word, we shall be on the road to become “fathers” in the family of God.
E. Dennett (adapted)
The Role of Fathers
The Apostle John writes of “fathers” as those who have grown from being “babes” and “young men.” This maturity of “fathers” is spoken of as being the result of the relationship of their knowing God — Him that is from the beginning. In distinction from this, the Apostle Paul’s references to “fathers” is presented in connection with their ability and diligence in practical oversight and care of God’s children: “Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me” (1 Cor. 4:16). Maturity in both of these areas is important in order to be a good “father.” This role of “fathers” mentioned throughout the epistles in the New Testament is in reference to “spiritual fathers” — the mature ones who are born again and are a part of the family of God or the church of God. The Lord Jesus in the first three Gospels often referred to “your Father which is in heaven” when speaking to His disciples. This was regarding God as Father in the natural realm. It was only after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus that we could know God as Father in the intimacy of being children of God, as we now know Him. Knowing God as Father in the spiritual sense only came into being after the Lord rose from the dead and appeared to Mary and said, “Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God” (John 20:17). In taking up the subject before us, we believe it is beneficial to consider both the spiritual and the natural relationships. Our knowledge of God as Father exceeding the relationship in nature that the disciples understood should not make us discount the references the Lord made to them about “your Father” in the Gospels. They are role models for spiritual fathers too. The Lord gave them as an example of what our heavenly Father is like. As other articles in this issue take up the subject of what John and Paul say, I will limit my comments to the examples of the Father given in the Gospels.
Your Heavenly Father
When it comes to learning how to be a good father, surely there is no better way than considering the example of our heavenly Father. In Matthew 5:48 we are told, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” He is our one and only role model. We have a perfect example to follow, yet how few are those who replicate the model!
Throughout the Gospel of Matthew we have several other examples given to us of our heavenly Father. In chapter 5:45 it says, “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust,” indicating that He acts from Himself in blessing. His actions of blessing come from His own goodness, and not because of merit in the receiver. The Lord has given us an unlimited source of blessing to draw upon and pour out to those around us. A good “father” will do this.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is another characteristic of the Father, which we are to extend to those who trespass against us, as seen in Matthew 6:14-15. This example of forgiving is incumbent on us to imitate, because, being saved sinners, we depend on His forgiveness to be accepted in the place of blessing before God. If we do not forgive, we are liable to come under governmental judgment from Him. Matthew 18 enlarges on this point as a similitude of the kingdom of heaven — the present dispensation in which we live.
Generous Good Gifts
The giving of good gifts is another characteristic of our heavenly Father mentioned in Matthew 7:11. This kind of giving would not be limited to material possessions, but includes time, energy and all things done for one’s good. It becomes fathers to be giving persons. Included in this is not only the act of giving, but knowing what things are best to be given. In Luke 11:13 where this is recorded it says, “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” indicating that He gives the very best gifts to His creatures. A good father knows how to give the best gifts. Because he is generous and also knows better than the receiver what is good, the father does not simply give what the receiver wants. Maturity and experience help us know when and what to give. This is apparent in the way the father of the prodigal son gave generously. We will notice more in the application of this story later.
“Father of Spirits”
In connection with knowing what is best not to give, we have an example in Hebrew 12 where the chastening of a father is mentioned. The Lord is referred to as “the Father of spirits” (vs. 9), indicating how He perfectly understands our inner spirits and chastens or withholds from us what is not for good. A good father will do this for those in his care. It is love that motivates him to do so. A good father knows how to combine the two for good. “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
Merciful
Luke the evangelist adds another characteristic of our heavenly Father which is very relevant to our subject. “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). An elderly brother who is now with the Lord commented to me that he thought we should become more mild as we age, and that something was wrong if we did not. It seems to me that this is somewhat the thought of a father being merciful. This mercy is in no way at the expense of truth, but is to be as it says in Proverbs 16:6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged.” Our Father is an expert at finding ways to be merciful without compromising truth. “Fathers” ought to be known for their propensity to show mercy.
The Prodigal Father
This brings us to the well-known story of Luke 15 — the prodigal son, which many of us have enjoyed as a demonstration of how our Father has forgiven and received us back to Himself. As we grow in appreciation of the story, it becomes more and more a story of the Father than of the son. We see in this story all the characteristics we have mentioned: mercy, forgiveness, and the giving of good gifts, besides many others not mentioned. It is a story that reveals our heavenly Father as a role model for fathers. When we as fathers emulate this example, Christ is glorified. He did the work so that sinners could be received into such a place of privilege. Only those who despise grace will not appreciate such favor. May these few comments encourage us to be like our heavenly Father.
“Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord. Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder [a father], which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matt. 13:51-52).
D. C. Buchanan
Spiritual Fathers
When a child is born, it receives the life and nature of its parents. As a newborn, he does not know them and he does not know his relationship to them. In the natural family, the babe soon begins to “know” its parent. Like natural birth so is the new birth. After a soul receives the gospel of their salvation, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who gives them the conscious knowledge of their new relationship with God, and they can say, “Abba, Father.” As the child grows and matures, it gets to know the heart and will of its father. When the relationship develops according to God’s will, the child comes to enjoy fellowship with his father as “son,” sharing the same interests. The heart of the father cares for and provides for every need of the growing child. The child needs to learn to be obedient, so there is the “bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” The spiritual father helps the little child to become a young man, who overcomes the world, and then to be a father himself. The “spiritual father” is one who has learned to share with God his Father, the Father’s delight in the Son of His love. May we all keep growing and help one another to grow.
To the Parents of My Grandchildren
New Testament
(Although these comments were originally made for fathers in a natural family relationship, we venture to repeat them here, as many of the same principles apply to spiritual fathers.)
There are instructions — very few and very simple — for fathers. Many a heartache will it save, if only these few words may find a permanent place in the father’s heart.
Ephesians 6:4 reads, “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” The Greek word for “do not provoke” is one that is rarely used. The only other place we find it in the New Testament is in Romans 10:19. The noun formed from it is found in Ephesians 4:26, but nowhere else in the New Testament. There it means “irritation.” You have been irritated, and the Lord says, “Let not the sun go down upon your irritation.” Perhaps the exhortation to the fathers might be rendered, “Ye fathers, do not irritate your children.” How easy it is to irritate them. The word is not as strong as to make them angry. Perhaps it includes the teasing that so often we are tempted to indulge in towards our children. Perhaps we think we have a right to do this and that it is good for them. On the contrary, it is direct disobedience to the Word of God and will most surely bring a harvest of sorrow. We are to “bring them up.” The word translated in this way is used again in Ephesians 5:29, where we read that Christ “nourishes” the church. We are not to “drive” the children, but “bring” them, and what a difference! We are to bring them up in the “nurture ... . of the Lord.” This word translated “nurture” literally means “the rearing of a child.” We find it again in 2 Timothy 3:16, where it is translated “instruction.” In Hebrews 12:5,7-8,11, we find it again, translated, this time, “chastening.” This includes the disciplinary spankings and other punishments that we are responsible to give our children, and the Scripture tells us that at the time this “does not seem to be a matter of joy, but of grief; but afterwards yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it” (Heb. 12:11 JND). We are disobeying the Lord when we do not chastise our children, and we have noticed this when speaking of Eli and his sons. But let us bear in mind that to bring our children up in the nurture of the Lord, chastisement is included. This word also includes training, learning, instruction and discipline: Each one is most important for the child in its own way, and all are included in “nurture.” But there is another word. We are to bring them up in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” The word “admonition” literally means “putting in mind.” Perhaps most children are forgetful, and part of their training is to put them in mind. What patience is needed for this! Perhaps the word also includes teaching, exhortation and warning; surely not threatening. All these we must have, but all are to be “of the Lord.” And let us remember, never are we to irritate them.
We get another little word for the fathers in Colossians 3:21. It is only one line in my Greek Testament, but how much is found in that one line! “The fathers, do not stir up your children, in order that they may not be disheartened.” The word for stir up (or provoke) is found also in 2 Corinthians 9:2; not elsewhere in the New Testament. God our Father is the God of all encouragement, and we are not to do anything that will dishearten or discourage our children. Our character towards them is to be the same as our Father’s character towards us — encouragement. May the Lord Himself teach us how to do this according to His will — to imitate (literally mimic) Him (Eph. 5:1).
Old Testament Admonitions
Let us look together at a few of the Old Testament exhortations to us who are parents or grandparents, for we find both are included.
“Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons” (Deut. 4:9). A word for each of us there.
“These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house, and on thy gates” (Deut. 6:6-9).
These Scriptures may well give us to understand the urgency of teaching our children the Scriptures. As they get older, schoolwork and homework will take up their time, and year by year you will find your opportunities grow less. While they are little children is the time to teach them this blessed Book. When we were children, my mother used to gather us every day, and she would read aloud to us. Our father, too, taught us in the daily morning and evening readings, and we had an aunt and a grandmother who also taught us these holy Scriptures.
Proverbs
There is one more scripture which I would like to remind you of: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). This seems to me to be a very encouraging promise for the parents, and one that we may well take to heart to cheer us on the way, as we seek to train up our children in the way they should go.
The words of the grandfather are ended, but they have greatly condemned him. They have made him feel how he has failed and how utterly unqualified he was for such a work. But within these pages are promises and warnings, counsel and encouragement, from “Him who faileth not.” On these we may rest with implicit confidence. These can surely guide us aright even through these last days when we know that difficult times must come (2 Tim. 3:1 JND). Our own failure and frailty may often cast us down, but let us ever “look off unto Jesus.” There alone will we find strength for the day. And let us ever and always remember, “God is faithful.”
G. C. Willis (adapted)
Walking With God
How lovely are the faces,
Of the men who talk with God;
Lit with an inner sureness
Of the path their feet have trod.
How gentle is the manner
Of a man who walks with Him;
No strength can overcome him,
And no cloud his courage dim.
Such lives are free from doubt and
fear,
While others merely plod,
But lovely faces mark the men
Who walk and talk with God.
Author unknown
Yet Have Ye Not Many Fathers
The scripture from which the title of this article is taken is found in 1 Corinthians 4:15: “Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers.” Corinth was a proud, wealthy and educated city; it was also morally a corrupt place. Yet when Paul first visited that city, the Lord could say to him, “I have much people in this city” (Acts 18:10). Under the Lord’s protection, Paul was able to stay there a year and a half, and there was a great deal of blessing. However, there were false teachers (probably most of them were Jews) who despised Paul, as not being an impressive man, either in speech or bodily presence. They tried to take over the work of the Lord in Corinth, and the pride and worldliness among the believers there constituted them fit subjects to be seduced by them.
In writing to them, Paul had to correct many wrong practices in the assembly there, but as to himself, he answered all their criticisms in grace, taking the low place. If they despised his person, he said in effect, “I didn’t want you to be occupied with me anyway.” He sought to point them to Christ, while reminding them of his labors among them and his care for them. Many of those who were ready to instruct the Corinthian saints were teaching a worldly form of Christianity that wanted to mix the grace of God with a loose walk, after the thoughts of the natural man. As a result, Paul has to categorize the saints there as being carnal, and not yet spiritual enough for deeper truths that he would gladly have taught them.
A Rejected Christ
Among other things, Paul reminded the Corinthians that we follow a rejected Christ and that God had chosen the apostles to share this despised place perhaps more than any others. Paul had suffered the loss of all things, while they were reigning as kings (1 Cor. 4:8). They were enjoying life down here, while he had labored with his own hands to support himself. They were taking a proud and exalted place in this world, while the apostles were made “as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things” (1 Cor. 4:13). In all this he does not defend himself, but addresses them as “his beloved sons” (1 Cor. 4:14) and reminds them of his character towards them — that of a father. They might have many instructors, and Paul does not dwell on the substance of that instruction, whether it was good or otherwise. But were there those who had the character of a father? No, they had not many fathers, and the same is true of the church today. Many may instruct, but how few care as a father!
A Heart of Love
There are characteristics of a father that no amount of mere instruction could give (although instruction would certainly form part of a father’s role). But a father would, first of all, have a heart that loved his children. Just as a natural father loves and cares for his children in a special way, so a spiritual father would have that love for those who had been given to him by the Lord, to nurture in the things of the Lord. While a good father has no favorites in his family, he does not treat every child in the same way. He takes a special interest in each one, teaching, admonishing and guiding according to that child’s temperament and ability.
Willingness
Second, a father is willing to use all the time and resources at his disposal in order to see his child go on well and develop in a right way. No effort is too great, no expense too extravagant, if it will benefit that child in the right way. And Paul had done this for the Corinthians, with a tender care that only a walk with the Lord could have taught him. He could say of the Thessalonians, “We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children” (1 Thess. 2:7). Was this Paul’s natural character? No, for he could describe himself in his unsaved days as having been “an insolent overbearing man” (1 Tim. 1:13 JND). Yet the grace of God had made him into one who could look at the saints with the heart of Christ. He never had natural children, but he acquired the loving disposition of a father towards his spiritual children and was willing to give all that he had to see them advance in spiritual growth.
No Wrongs Overlooked
Third, a true father does not overlook that which is wrong and ultimately detrimental to the child, even though it might be easier for that child in the short term. In raising children, it is easier to pass over wrongdoing, rather than go through the pain of having to administer punishment. This is true among believers too, for it is easier to avoid facing problems among the saints, rather than confronting those who need correction. A true father’s love will not shrink from dealing with such things, while feeling very much the pain and burden of it all.
In connection with dealing with wrong, a father with experience will exhibit tenderness and understanding, while not palliating the evil. Having walked with the Lord, he has learned the tendencies of his own heart and how easily he too can be tempted. He is willing to “eat the sin offering” and to identify himself with the sin into which others have fallen. He has learned the ways of the world and also “the sin which doth so easily beset us.” He does not treat failure in a cold, legal way, but rather with tears and with sorrow, as he feels the sin in the Lord’s presence. But he seeks restoration and blessing, for he has also learned the grace of God.
Walk With the Lord
Fourth, he knows the Word of God and, by walking with the Lord, knows how to apply the Word to different situations and different individuals. This is not merely head knowledge, for a proper reading of the Word brings us into the Lord’s presence and leads to a knowledge of Christ Himself. We are drawn closer to Christ Himself and have His thoughts about all that we encounter in this world. Souls are drawn to one with a father’s heart, just as children are drawn to a natural father who loves and cares for them.
Inspiration for Following Christ
Finally, a true father inspires us to want to follow Christ. He does not seek to attract to himself, although souls are attracted to him, but his joy in the Lord causes others to want what he has. Thus he ministers far more by his spirit and attitude than by what he says.
Such fathers are much to be desired in the assembly, although they are rare. In saying this, we would not overlook the need for mothers in the assembly too, for a true spiritual mother is also rare. But for the moment we are considering fathers and their character.
Some may ask, “What if there are no fathers in our assembly?” In these last days, when there is much disorder and confusion among the people of God, there are often situations where helps and gifts that would normally be present are not there. But if we are gathered together in His name, He is still in the midst. As Son over His own house, He will surely provide for His people. Whatever lack there may be, if we look to Him, He will make it up to us. Of course, we can pray that He will raise up fathers among us, but if, because of the failure of man, these are not present as they should be, surely our Lord Jesus is the same “yesterday, and today, and forever,” and His Father is our Father too.
W. J. Prost