What does the Bible say about authority over your children?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible teaches that parents have God-given authority to guide, instruct, and lovingly discipline their children, while children are called to obey and honor their parents in the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-3 and Colossians 3:20 present obedience and honor as fitting Christian duties, rooted in God’s commandment and promise. Parents are to teach God’s words diligently in daily life, as Deuteronomy 11:19 says, and to correct children with wise, hopeful discipline (Proverbs 19:18). Yet parental authority is not absolute or harsh: Colossians 3:21 warns fathers not to provoke or discourage their children. Christian parenting therefore reflects God’s fatherly care, exercising authority with truth, patience, prayer, and love.