Eph 6:4 What does it mean that fathers are not to provoke their children to wrath?
Eph 6:4 What does it mean that fathers are not to provoke their children to wrath?
Paul is admonishing fathers here to avoid doing anything that would make their children angry or resentful so as to make them indisposed toward parental obedience. This is the same teaching as Col 3:21 (CP Col 3:21).
Fathers should never display favouritism toward one child over another.
They should encourage as well as correct their children, and punish only intentional wrongdoing.
They should instruct them with patience, and dedicate their lives in love to them, with a heart of compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness (CP Col 3:12-14).
To bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord means that fathers have to systematically discipline, instruct and encourage their children to respect God's commands as the foundation of all of life, Godliness and blessing (CP De 6:6-7; 11:18-21; Psa 78:1-7; Pr 13:24; 22:6).
The word chasteneth in Pr 13:24 means to instruct, to educate, to direct. It refers to the activity directed toward the moral and spiritual nurture and training of a child to influence conscious will and action (CP De 8:5; Psa 94:12-13; Pr 3:11-12; 19:18; He 12:5-11; Rev 3:19).
See also comments on Eph 6:1-3 and author's study Husbands, Wives, Children - their Duties and Obligations to Each Other in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2).