“Family” is a very ambiguous[1]
term in the modern world. It can mean any of these things:
“A group of
individuals living under one roof”
“A group of
persons of common ancestry”
“The basic unit
in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children”
“Any of various social units differing from but regarded as
equivalent to the traditional family”[2]
But what is the does God mean
when referring to “Family” in the Bible? What is God’s definition of a family?[3]
What does that family look like?
Drawing solely from the scriptures
(God’s word), Family means: One man married to one woman for one lifetime,
(Gen. 2:24) blessed with children (Psalm. 127:4).
This family looks like Christ.
More specifically: Man leading his wife and loving her as Christ loves the
Church; (Eph. 5:25, 1 Cor. 11:3) woman reverencing her husband and submitting
to him as the Church submits to the Christ; (Eph. 5:24) the children being
trained up in the fear of the Lord, to become Christ-like adults (Prov. 22:6). The unit of the family provides an environment
for “iron to sharpen iron”[4]as
each member grows toward godliness.
A biblical definition of the
family is a perfect one, the highest goal, the ideal. God is perfect, His word
is inerrant; therefore, when God created the family, he created something perfect,
and called it “good”. God’s intent for the family was perfect, and His
definition of the family is nothing less than perfect.
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