Grow Up! Honoring Parents Biblically

Before doing this study, I recommend you read the 1-minute introduction Let's Grow Up!

It explains our need to:

1. Believe that God can use our parents' flaws for our good (Romans 8:28). 

2. Judge ourselves before judging our parents (Matthew 7:1-4). 

3. Forgive our parents (Ephesians 4:31-32). 

4. Honor our parents out of respect for God's commands (Ephesians 6:2-3).

Bible Study

If you think your parents need to “earn” your respect, you're wrong. God puts no conditions on His command to honor parents.

Some parents are genuinely evil, and God can give their children safe ways to handle such situations. But those cases are very rare. Sadly, it's become popular to make exaggerated claims about parents, calling them unsafe or toxic when they are simply annoying or imperfect. 

Exaggerating our parents' flaws is definitely a way to dishonor parents and dishonor God's commands at the same time. One reason God commands us to honor our parents is because it helps us to grow up in our faith, helps us develop mature people skills, and teaches us gratitude, grace, and forgiveness. 

Perhaps our greatest sin as adult children is underestimating the importance of God's Fifth Commandment. We not only hurt our parents when we do this, we hurt ourselves.

 

The following passage applies to all people, but I've made it specific to parents because they are so often judged:

Matthew 7:1-5: “Do not judge [your parents], and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat [your parents]. The standard you use in judging [your parents] is the standard by which you will be judged. 3 “And why worry about a speck in your [parents' eyes] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your [parents], ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your [parents' eyes].” 

For better understanding of this passage, read Do Not Judge.

1. Have you ever taken time to carefully examine your actions and attitudes toward your parents, both when you were living in their home and as an adult? Have you ever asked their forgiveness for being ungrateful, disrespectful, or inconsiderate?

2. Think about the last time you spoke to your parents: If someone witnessed that conversation, would they describe you as respectful, grateful, helpful, and considerate? 

Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others [this includes your parents] above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

3. Have you ever studied the word “honor” used in the original Fifth Commandment? Dennis Rainey explains it below:

In The Tribute Dennis Rainey explains:

In the original Hebrew language, the word for honor meant “heavy” or “weight.” ... “I weigh you down with respect and prestige. I place upon you great worth and value.”   

 

When God says we should honor our parents, He sets a high standard. 

Notice what example Jesus used to point out hypocritical faith:

Matthew 15:3-9: “Jesus replied, ‘And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’” (underlining mine)

This passage talks of helping parents in need, but Jesus quotes the command which describes our duty to our parents as “honor.” Honor includes helping parents in need, but it goes far beyond that.

God calls Himself our Father and uses the analogy of a father throughout Scripture (e.g., Hebrews 12:7-10; Luke 11:11-13; 1 John 3:1; Hebrews 12:14-15). 

Our perfect Father commands us to honor our imperfect parents, not because they necessarily deserve honor but because He does! 

If your parents are especially difficult, I encourage you to read We Can Be Victims or Victors. 

If you have cut off contact with your parents as advised by some psychological teachings such as “Boundaries,” please read about the errors of these teachings in the Boundaries' Unscriptural Foundation. 

Please check out Lies in Disguise to find out more about dangerous half-truths like the one discussed in this study. Click the image to discover the different subjects it covers and read reviews of those who've read it and found it helpful.  

It's available at a discounted price from the publisher for a limited time: Lies in Disguise. 

Also available on Amazon. 

And in the UK:  CLC-UK or Eden UK.

copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, edited 2026.

 

 

 

Learning From the Ethiopian Eunuch

As an introduction to this study, please read the 1-minute devotion 7 Things We Learn from Acts 8:26-29.

1. The gospel is for all nations and races (Revelation 5:9-10).
2. The gospel is for all classes of people (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
3. Without God's Spirit, Scripture is hard to understand (1 Corinthians 2:14 ; John 14:26).
4. Old and New Testaments are about Jesus (Luke 24:27).
5. Sincere seekers find Jesus (Jeremiah 29:13).  
6. Genuine conversion is more than words (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10).
7. Knowing Jesus brings joy ( John 15:10-11).  
 
Let's start by reading the entire text:
As you read it, note the 7 things mentioned above. Note the supernatural elements involved. Note the things which prepared the Ethiopian to receive Christ. 

Acts 8:26-39:  “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means 'queen of the Ethiopians').”

Sometimes God asks us to do something that we don't understand fully until we do it, as He did with Philip. And sometimes he only gives us one piece of the puzzle and we must wait for the rest to be revealed, as He did with the Ethiopian eunuch. See 4 Puzzle Pieces.

“This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.'

This Ethiopian had somehow heard of the God of Israel and came to worship Him. Perhaps he had read the promise in  Isaiah 56:3: “Let no foreigner who is bound to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.’ And let no eunuch complain, ‘I am only a dry tree.’”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked. 31 'How can I,' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

In this situation, we so clearly see God's love for each of us. He knew this Ethiopian was seeking and he sent someone who could help him understand! 

 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: 'He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.' 34 The eunuch asked Philip, 'Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?' 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

The Old Testament tells us of Christ before He is fully revealed! See Hisses and Whispers. 

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, 'Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?' [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing." 

What a miracle! 

[37] Some manuscripts include this verse 37: "Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'"  (NKJV)  

Why is Acts 8:37 footnoted and not considered part of the text in most translations?

Newer translations of the Bible are translated from the oldest manuscripts, some of which were found after the older Bible translations (like the KJV) were written. (See Dead Sea Scrolls.) Bible authorities believe that verses like Acts 8:37 were not part of the original text but added later. Nothing in these added verses changes the doctrine of Scripture. But for the sake of accuracy, they are omitted and footnoted in newer translations. Read more HERE. 

What did it mean to be a "eunuch" in Old Testament times? 
From Got Questions:
"The eunuchs of the Bible were usually castrated males or those incapable of reproduction due to a birth defect. A eunuch could also be someone who performed work typical of eunuchs, although he remained perfectly capable of having sex—i.e., 'eunuch' in some cases was simply a title. The purpose of intentional castration was to induce impotence and remove sexuality. It was a common practice in ancient times for rulers to castrate some of their servants and/or advisers in order to subdue and pacify them. It was especially common to castrate men who tended the royal harem. Queen Esther’s eunuchs are mentioned in Esther 4:4."

Gay Revisionist False Claims 

Gay revisionists claim that eunuchs represented LGBTQ people, and since their lifestyles were respected in Old Testament passages, they are meant to be treated with respect now. This is complete fiction. The Old Testament clearly condemns all sexual behaviors except heterosexual intimacy in marriage.
 
Ethiopia in Old Testament passages:
The conversion of this foreigner was not "routine" in any way. God supernaturally arranged for it to make an important point: His salvation is available to every genuine seeker. Christ-followers come from every nation and race.

Ethiopia was called "Cush" in the Old Testament and these psalms predict that believers will come from Ethiopia:

Psalm 68:31: "Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals; let Ethiopia bring tribute to God."   

Psalm 87:4: "I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me— also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!"


copyright, 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BibleLoveNotes.com, edited and updated in 2020.

Image from LaVista Church

 

Mistreated But Mature In Christ

Before doing this Bible study, please read the one-minute introduction Prospering in Prison - Or Whining in Freedom. It explains the difference between Joseph who overcame great mistreatment and Cain who killed his brother and whined as if he was the victim. You can also watch the devotion on YouTube HERE. 

See Don't Pull the Victim Card—It'll Ruin Your Life for more insights on Cain's attitude, an attitude that's becoming more popular in our culture.

Now Let's look at the good example of Joseph:

1. Well-known Verses:

We often hear these verses recited. But do we really believe them? When we can't understand something, do we trust God with our confusion? Do we believe He knows what we're going through and can turn it to good in our lives?

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Romans 8:28: We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2. Will We Serve God in Adversity?

As a slave, Joseph did his best and became one of the most trusted servants in his owners household. 

Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters... 

3. Can We Forgive Cruelty?

Joseph's brothers first tried to murder him but decided to sell him into slavery instead. Because of them he suffered separation from his father and homeland. He had every reason to take revenge on them. It must have been especially hard for Joseph because his brothers apparently made no attempt to repent to Joseph until their father died. And they appear to have repented out of fear, not genuine sorrow for what they'd done to Joseph. Yet Joseph said this to them:

Genesis 50:19-20: “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”  

See I Doubt They Genuinely Repented and Joe's Secret for more on this incredible statement.

“Joseph recognized that judgment belongs to the Lord, not to those who have been wronged. God had used his brothers’ evil intentions to preserve the family of Israel during the famine, yet their sin did not give Joseph the right to act as God’s judge. His refusal to retaliate anticipates the biblical command to leave vengeance to the Lord and displays the mercy that God calls His people to show.” (Biblehub)

See also Genesis 45, especially verses 4-5, 14-15  

 

copyright, 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BibleLoveNotes.com, updated 2026