Colossians 3:18-21·~1 min
Christian Households
Paul speaks directly into the household, telling wives to submit to husbands as is fitting in the Lord, husbands to love without harshness, children to obey in everything because this pleases the Lord, and fathers not to provoke their children lest they become discouraged.
W18ives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.
Section summaryPaul addresses wives, husbands, children, and fathers in brief, placing each relation under what is fitting and pleasing in the Lord. Submission, love without harshness, obedience, and fatherly restraint are all presented as concrete expressions of life in Christ within the household.
Role in the chapterThis section carries the new self into family relationships. It shows household life reshaped by the Lord rather than left untouched by the gospel.