Honor your parents?
孝敬父母? 百行孝為先?Exodus
出埃及記:20:12 當孝敬父母, 使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上, 得以長久.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Honor does not equate 孝敬, or filial孝順的.
We are taught in the Bible and in the law of Moses(The 10 commandments) to worship and honor God first and only.
Exodus
出埃及記:20:2 我是耶和華你的神, 曾將你從埃及地為奴之家領出來.
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
20:3 除了我以外, 你不可有別的神.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20:4 不可為自己雕刻偶像, 也不可作甚麼形像, 彷彿上天, 下地, 和地底下, 水中的 (.百物.)
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
20:5 不可跪拜那些像, 也不可事奉他, 因為我耶和華你的神是忌邪的神, 恨我的, 我必追討他的罪, 自父及子, 直到三四代.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
20:6 愛我守我誡命的, 我必向他發慈愛, 直到千代.
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
首先順神。
首先聽神的話語。
不可神化祖先或父母親。
先取悅神。
The defintions of 孝敬 in Chinese philosophy vary from text to text and from system to system.
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In one system, 3 things are regarded as 不孝.
And not bearing or producing offspring is regarded as the greatest不孝.
There is no mentioning in Scripture that not bearing offspring or not having offspring is violating the law of Moses(The 10 commandments).
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In another system, this(not bearing kids) is not memtioned.
First and formost, honoring ones parents is 孝.
Second, not insulting or causing shame for ones parents is 孝.
Third and least, feeding and clothing ones parents is 孝.
The first and foremost rule seems to resembling the law of Moses(The 10 commandments).
Honoring is not insulting ones parents. Unrighteously causing shame to ones parents is wickedness, mysery, hurt and sin.
Witholding available food to parents is wickedness, evil and sin.
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There is another system of thought putting filial action/behaviour as the first of all action to consider and act upon
百行孝為先.However, the Bible teaches that we ought to fear God and obey His commandments first and last.
Ecclesiastes傳道書 12vv13,14:
12:13 這些事都已聽見了. 總意就是敬畏神, 謹守他的誡命, 這是人所當盡的(.本分.). ((或作這是眾人的本分))
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
12:14 因為人所作的事, 連一切隱藏的事, 無論是善是惡, 神都必審問.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
This is the Law of God for all mankind and creation.
1Corinthians哥林多前書
11:12 因為女人原是由男人而出, 男人也是由女人而出. 但萬有都是出乎神.
For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
God first
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However, the contentious point in the whole subject and exercise is whether one ought to listen to ones parents first, to the exclusion of the commandment and admonition of God; or at least paralled to the word of God.
The law of Moses and the 10 commandments(Ex20vv2-6) explicitly command us to put God first. Therefore this is not a sin or wickedness.
Filial behavior is mounting to Idolatry, and sin.
Leaving God out of the picture does not cause happiness or goodness.
Prov.3:5,6 - "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths".
Psalm 119: 105
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Love God that one may love others.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.
Romans 8v28.
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1Corinthians
哥林多前書7v14:7:14 因為不信的丈夫, 就因著妻子成了聖潔. 並且不信的妻子, 就因著丈夫成了聖潔. ((丈夫原文作弟兄)) 不然, 你們的兒女就不潔淨. 但如今 他們是聖潔的了.
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
Husband and wife is one unit, one person, one family. This excludes the parents and ancestors.
We do not exclude Christ Jesus, our God and Lord for He is the husband of the church. God is with us (Emmanuel) through the Son, Christ Jesus/Yeshua.
God can do this. Our parents and ancestors, and ourselves cannot.
Ephesians
以弗所書5:28 丈夫也當照樣愛妻子, 如同愛自己的身子. 愛妻子, 便是愛自己了.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Parents and ancestors are not mentioned here. It is a matter of 2 people/persons.
Agape love is about relationship. The relationship taught here is that between the husband and wife; it is the relationship of the married couple, and not about a family or a clan with parents and ancestors in consideration.
Ephesians
以弗所書5:31 為這個緣故, 人要離開父母, 與妻子連合, 二人成為一體.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
5:32 這是極大的奧秘, 但我是指著基督和教會說的.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
5:33 然而你們各人都當愛妻子, 如同愛自己一樣. 妻子也當敬重他的丈夫.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband
.This is not about filial action or requirement towards the parents and ancestors. The whole exposition is around the husband and the wife, the God-ordained family unit.
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Ephesians
以弗所書6:1 你們作兒女的, 要在主裡聽從父母, 這是理所當然的.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
6:2 要孝敬父母, 使你們得福, 在世長壽.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
6:3 這是第一條帶應許的誡命.
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
6:4 你們作父親的, 不要惹兒女的氣, 只要照著主的教訓和警戒, 養育他們.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We are not taught to obey the/our parents foremost and above all things. We are taught to obey our parents who are in the Lord God, or acting in the Lord God. This obedience requires Godly parents doing Godly things in the first place.
Many parents just quote a paraphrase of Eph 6v1 as their authority to rule over their children, without being Godly, able to show or prove Godliness, or acting according to Eph 6v4.
Parents are not to provoke their children to anger or wrath. Children can/could be more righteous and Godly than their parents, and stand alone as righteous.
Parents are to bring children up according to the nurture and admonition of the Lord God, and not according to Chinese traditional teaching/philosophy or any extra Biblical teaching or tradition.
Colossians
歌羅西書3:20 你們作兒女的, 要凡事聽從父母, 因為這是主所喜悅的.
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
3:21 你們作父親的, 不要惹兒女的氣, 恐怕他們失去志氣.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Similarly Col 3v20 could be quoted for authority to rule over children. This is taking pretext out of Scripture. We ought to take Eph6vv1-4 and Col3v21 into account.
Col3v20 also reminds us of orders and admonition according to Godliness and the Word of God( by which are all things judged and measured).
Col3v21 is similar to Eph6v4.
This is a very different to the anti-Yhwh pictures of Chinese philosophy of filial behavior and duties.
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2Timothy
提摩太後書3:2 因為那時人要專顧自己, 貪愛錢財, 自誇, 狂傲, 謗讟, 違背父母, 忘恩負義, 心不聖潔,
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3:3 無親情, 不解怨, 好說纔言, 不能自約, 性情兇暴, 不愛良善,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
3:4 賣主賣友, 任意妄為, 自高自大, 愛宴樂不愛神.
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
3:5 有敬虔的外貌, 卻背了敬虔的實意. 這等人你要躲開.
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Tim3vv2-5 give very different picture to Eph6vv1-4.
It speaks of a time of godlessness, a time of rebellion in general.
Anyone who use 2Tim3v2 as text to show their kids are not filial ought to read the rest of the passage and know that by the same token they are in a time when people are selfish and boastful, proud and blasphemous, not worshipping the true God. They could be unholy and unthankful. They themselves could be void of natural affection(we see more and more of such moral and behavior in our modern societies and education nowadays). We may lack self-control and have become despisers of those that are good; and God is punishing us with people and things around us.
2Tim3v4 speaks of the violation of God-ordained relationship and the lack of love for God.
2Tim3v5 warns us of superficial appearance.
So, shrink from earthly/worldly philosophies. Draw near to God and fear Him only.
God is our shield and our pride and our sure foundation.
All other grounds are sinking sand.
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There is a myth that parents must be loving parents to their children; hence worth the respect
Trial of 66 in child prostitution ring begins in France
The trial of 66 people accused of prostituting children and babies in exchange for food and money began Thursday in France.
Thursday, 3 March 2005 7:38 EST -CBC News
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March 3, 2005 -- Gary M. said he was trying to give Sirita Sotelo, a foster child in his care for more than a year, a second chance at having a loving family, but the little girl kept being returned to members of her troubled biological family.
In January, several months after Sirita left Gary's home and moved in with her biological father, she wound up dead. She was just a few weeks shy of her fifth birthday. � CBC News
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Canadian News
Toronto girl thrown onto highway clings to life
The five-year-old girl thrown off a bridge by her father onto the country's busiest highway last weekend is unconscious and breathing with the help of a ventilator.
Wednesday, 9 March 2005 4:50 EST - CBC News
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Here's my illustration. You all remember that we had a wonderful Christmas Eve service here at the church. I busted my hump getting ready for it. I worked really, really hard to make it a special and joyous time for everyone who came here. Well, one of our young member's mother, who had never joined the church, who would only drop her child off here so the child could sing and be on stage, then, afterwards, might come in, say hello to everyone, then walk up to me and say something like, "I just want you to know I won't be coming back." This happened repeatedly. I never expected the person to come in the first place, and certainly never expected her to "come back". She was more than happy to let her kids come here, take advantage of the hospitality and friendship offered, then turn around and spit on that very fellowship. Truly, a wicked woman. � Rev. D Ford - March 23, 2005, 4:00 pm
This illustrates that parents might not even love or honor people who take care of their kids or establishment they leave their kids in. Very often, parents just like to exploit the facilities of churches for their gains.
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PUT CHRIST FIRST, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE FAMILY OR PROPERTY
"You will receive 100 times as much in this life, and eternal life." [Mark 10:28-30]
DO NOT WORSHIP IDOLS - PUT GOD FIRST & MAKE MONEY SERVE YOU
"You cannot serve both God and money." [Luke 16:13 / Exodus 20:3]
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Mother bound me, girl testifies
Apr. 6, 2005. 06:48 AM � Toronto Star
For more than a year it was the same, a young girl told a hushed courtroom yesterday. Every night, her mother would tie her hands behind her back and bind her legs, making her sleep on a hard bedroom floor, with only sheets to cushion her. Peter Small reports.
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