bad parents
What does the Bible say about bad parents? These are the passages readers found most helpful — tap any citation to read it in context.
14 passages · most helpful first
10For my father and my mother have left me behind, but the Lord has taken me up.
21Fathers, do not provoke your children to indignation, lest they lose heart.
29Let no evil words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good, toward the edification of faith, so as to bestow grace upon those who listen.
15Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to take pity on the child of her womb? But even if she would forget, still I shall never forget you.
6The proverb is: A youth is close to his way; even when he is old, he will not withdraw from it.
8But if anyone has no concern for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith, and he is worse than an unbeliever.
20The soul that sins, the same shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son. The justice of the just man shall be upon himself, but the impiety of the impious man shall be upon himself.
4And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but educate them with the discipline and correction of the Lord.
7Do not choose to wander astray. God is not to be ridiculed.
14Behold, this is the third time I have prepared to come to you, and yet I will not be a burden to you. For I am seeking not the things that are yours, but you yourselves. And neither should the children store up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
3Be attentive to yourselves. If your brother has sinned against you, correct him. And if he has repented, forgive him.
12Honor your father and your mother, so that you may have a long life upon the land, which the Lord your God will give to you.
29Whoever troubles his own house will possess the winds. And whoever is foolish will serve the wise.
1Therefore, set aside all malice and all deceitfulness, as well as falseness and envy and every detraction. 2Like newborn infants, desire the milk of reasonableness without guile, so that by this you may increase unto salvation, 3if it is true that you have tasted that the Lord is sweet. 4And approaching him as if he were a living stone, rejected by men, certainly, but elect and honored by God, 5be also yourselves like living stones, built upon him, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, so as to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6Because of this, Scripture asserts: “Behold, I am setting in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious. And whoever will have believed in him will not be confounded.”