84 家庭——基督徒的家乃一属灵单元The Family - The Christianhousehold is a spiritual unit
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to
Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
4 家庭——基督徒的家乃一属灵单元
The Family - The Christian household is a spiritual unit
“基督徒的家乃一属灵单元”又当存敬畏基督的心，彼此顺服。（弗5:21）
家庭（指家人，包括双亲、小孩，不论其外有无亲戚、朋友和仆人）是人类最古老、最基本的制度。圣经强调家庭的重要性，视它为一属灵单元，又是培训人有成熟品格的场所。
家庭有其自身内在权威的结构——丈夫是妻子的头，而父母则是小孩的领导。所有的领导权都应以服事的形态出现，而非作一暴政者，而且家中领导权的角色得在爱中付诸实践（弗5:22-6:4；西3:18-21；彼前3:1-7）。十诫中的第四戒要求家中的头要领导全家守安息日；第五诫要求小孩敬重并顺服他们的父母（出20:8-12；弗6:1-3）。耶稣自己也摆下了好榜样（路2：51）。日后，祂强烈地反对人以敬虔为藉口，来逃避自己对父母应尽之责（可7:6-13）；祂自己死前做的最后一件事，就是为祂母亲未来的生活作好安排（约19:25-27）。
家庭是教导、学习有关神和敬虔道理的社区。小孩一定要受这方面的教导（创：18:18-19；申4:9；6:6-8；11:18-21；箴22:6；弗6:4）；且要受激励把这些教训当作生活的根基好好学习（箴13:24；19:18；22:15；23:13-14；29:15,17）。正如同神家中的管教是有目的的、是凭着爱心执行的（箴3:11-12；来12:5-11），世人家中的管教也必须如此。
家庭应视为属灵的单元来运作。旧约时代的逾越节就是一个以家庭为单元而举行的活动（出12:3）。当约书亚说：[至于我和我家，必定侍奉耶和华]（书24:15），他就立下了一个榜样。在新约时代，家也成了基督徒委身的单元（徒11:14；16:15；，31-33；林前1:16）。担任教会职务的候选人，要看他们是否善于治理自己的家，来评估他们的适任与否（提前3:4-5,12；多1:6）。
当我们服事神的时候，建造稳固的家庭生活，永远应是我们的努力重点。
THE FAMILY
THE CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD IS A
SPIRITUAL UNIT
Submit
to one another out of reverence for Christ. EPHESIANS 5:21
The
family (i.e., the household, consisting of parents and children, with or
without relatives, friends, and servants in addition) is the oldest and most
basic of human institutions. The Bible stresses its importance as a spiritual
unit and a training ground for mature adult character.
The
family has a built-in authority structure whereby the husband is leader to the
wife and the parents are leaders to the children. All leadership is a form of
ministry rather than of tyranny, and these domestic leadership roles must be
fulfilled in love (Eph. 5:22-6:4; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Pet. 3:1-7). The fourth
commandment requires the head of the house to lead his whole family in
Sabbath-keeping; the fifth requires children to respect and submit to their
parents (Exod. 20:8-12; Eph. 6:1-3). Jesus himself set an example in this (Luke
2:51). Later, he fiercely opposed supposed gestures of piety that were really
evasions of responsibility toward parents (Mark 7:6-13), and his own last act
before he died was to provide for his mother’s future (John 19:25-27).
The
family is to be a community of teaching and learning about God and godliness.
Children must be instructed (Gen. 18:18-19; Deut. 4:9; 6:6-8; 11:18-21; Prov.
22:6; Eph. 6:4) and must be encouraged to take the instruction seriously as a
basis for their living (Prov. 1:8; 6:20). Discipline, which means directive and
corrective training, is necessary to lead children beyond childish folly to
self-controlled wisdom (Prov. 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15, 17). Just
as there is purposeful, loving discipline in God’s family (Prov. 3:11-12; Heb.
12:5-11), so there must be in the human family.
The
family is meant to function as a spiritual unit. The Old Testament Passover was
a family occasion (Exod. 12:3). Joshua was setting an example when he said, “As
for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15). Households
became the units of Christian commitment in New Testament times (Acts 11:14;
16:15, 31-33; 1 Cor. 1:16). The fitness of candidates for church office was
assessed by observing whether they had led their family well (1 Tim. 3:4-5, 12;
Titus 1:6).
The
building of strong family life must always be a priority in our service of God.