HomeQuotesPaul the Apostle
Literature and scripture
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Colossians 3:21 (ESV), c. 60 AD
Translated by English Standard Version · Literature and scripture
✓ Checked against the sources below

What this means, and why it matters to a father

Paul's letter to Colossae was written around 60 AD during his Roman imprisonment. His instruction to fathers is the shortest and perhaps most specific in the New Testament: the danger is not harshness in general, but the specific spiritual consequence — discouragement.

There is more to this one. The full context — the events behind the words, what the author was living through, and how it applies to the specific situations of fatherhood — is in the app under Deeper Understanding.

Read the full context in DadVice

Sources

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