Topical Bible: Contempt: Forbidden Towards: Parents

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Topical Encyclopedia

Contempt towards parents is a serious offense in the biblical tradition, reflecting a broader principle of honoring and respecting one's father and mother. This principle is deeply rooted in the moral and social fabric of biblical teaching, emphasizing the importance of family structure and authority.

Biblical Foundation

The command to honor one's parents is explicitly stated in the Ten Commandments, which serve as a foundational ethical code in the Bible. Exodus 20:12 states, "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." This commandment underscores the promise of longevity and well-being as a reward for honoring one's parents, highlighting the significance of this duty.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reiterates this commandment in Ephesians 6:1-3 : "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (which is the first commandment with a promise), 'that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.'" Here, Paul emphasizes the righteousness of obedience and the associated promise of well-being.

Prohibition of Contempt

The Bible explicitly forbids contempt towards parents, equating such behavior with severe consequences. In the Old Testament, the gravity of this offense is evident in passages such as Deuteronomy 27:16 : "Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother." This curse reflects the seriousness with which God views the act of dishonoring one's parents.

Proverbs, a book of wisdom, also addresses the issue of contempt towards parents. Proverbs 20:20 warns, "Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness." This vivid imagery conveys the dire consequences of showing contempt, suggesting a loss of guidance and blessing.

Cultural and Theological Context

In the cultural context of the Bible, the family unit was central to societal stability and religious practice. Parents were seen as representatives of God's authority, and their role in teaching and guiding their children was paramount. Contempt towards parents was not only a personal affront but also a challenge to the divinely ordained order.

Theologically, the respect and honor due to parents are reflective of the respect and honor due to God. As earthly authorities, parents are to be treated with the same reverence that one would show to God, who is the ultimate authority. This connection is evident in the way the Bible often parallels the relationship between God and His people with that of parents and their children.

Practical Implications

For believers, the biblical injunction against contempt towards parents calls for a heart attitude of respect, gratitude, and obedience. It encourages children to recognize the sacrifices and wisdom of their parents and to respond with humility and honor. This principle extends beyond mere actions to encompass thoughts and words, urging believers to cultivate a spirit of reverence and love within the family.

In summary, the Bible's prohibition of contempt towards parents is a reflection of the broader biblical mandate to honor and respect authority, both human and divine. It serves as a reminder of the sacredness of the family unit and the importance of maintaining harmony and respect within it.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 23:22
Listen to your father that begat you, and despise not your mother when she is old.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

From the Fourth to the Seventh Commandment
... Q. What is forbidden by the Fourth Commandment? A. The Fourth Commandment forbids
all disobedience, contempt, and stubbornness towards our parents or lawful ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 33 from the fourth.htm

On the Effects of the Sin of Our First Parents
... and immediate effect of the sin which Adam and Eve committed in eating of the forbidden
fruit, was ... 2.) A denial of that towards which God ... 3.) A contempt of the ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xxxi on the effects.htm

Continual Union in Spirit with God the End of Man's Creation...
... But our first parents by a willful contempt and transgression ... so impetuously
precipitated from Him towards themselves ... of their souls by the forbidden fruit, the ...
/.../chapter i continual union in.htm

The Polity Settled by Moses; and How He Disappeared from among ...
... of this life; and since God has forbidden me to ... given so many indications Of thy
contempt of us ... is displeased with those that are insolent towards their parents ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 the polity settled.htm

Book ii.
... labors with fortitude, and for a contempt of death ... houses, like supplicants, we are
forbidden to slay ... as for attempts of unjust behavior towards parents, or for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/against apion/book ii.htm

On the Public Shows.
... Certainly it has forbidden gazing upon what it forbids ... by vulgar lasciviousness,
by the common contempt of all ... one naked man bounds forth towards you; another ...
/.../on the public shows.htm

The Praise of Men.
... with the exercise of love and reverence towards God ... We are forbidden to love the
world or any thing that ... you as are sensitive of the laughter or contempt of the ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon iv the praise of.htm

Of Sin by Imputation and Propagation.
... eat of no fruit but that which was forbidden,"there is ... and a propension and strong
impulse towards evil, even ... at, or in bitterness or contempt against, other ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xxiv of sin by.htm

The Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent
... Here's the utmost contempt put upon his threatening and his ... This answer is full of
insolence towards God, enmity ... that woman, I had not eaten the forbidden fruit ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the seed of the woman.htm

Letter ii (AD 1126) to the Monk Adam
... Thus, marriage is neither prescribed nor forbidden, but when it ... consent was not waited
for, a contempt which was ... therefore, was evil, which tended towards evil ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter ii a d 1126 to.htm