Does the Bible Have a Little or A Lot To Say About Parenting?

For parenting to be such an important aspect of our lives as a followers of Christ, does it not seem strange that there is seemingly so few passages in the Bible that address parenting? There are a total of two passages in the New Testament that deal with parenting and they say essentially the same thing. In the Old Testament the focus of parenting is mentioned in only two chapters of Deuteronomy and a few passages in the Book of Proverbs.

Why so few passages that deal directly with parenting?

William P. Farley's answer in Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting:

The scarcity of parenting texts is deliberate, premeditated, and precise. God knows there are only two in the New Testament: this is no mistake. Why so few? The answer is so simple and probably so obvious that it is easy to miss. There are so few Scriptures because the gospel is the classroom that teaches us everything we need to know to become effective Christian parents. If we really understand the gospel, and how to apply it to our marriages and parenting, we have all the tools we need to pass the baton to our children.

Farley then lists seven ways in which the Gospel affects parents,

1. The gospel teaches Christian parents to fear God.

2. The gospel motivates parents to lead by example.

3. The gospel centers families in their male servant leaders.

4. The gospel teaches and motivates parents to discipline their children.

5. The gospel motivates parents to teach their children.

6. The gospel motivates parents to lavish their children with love and affection.

7. The gospel is the solution for inadequate parents.

I'll try to share how Farley fleshes each of those out through the rest of the book in the coming weeks.