WLC 129

Q129. What is required of superiors towards their inferiors?

It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors; to instruct, counsel, and admonish them; countenancing, commending, and rewarding such as do well; and discountenancing, reproving, and chastising such as do ill; protecting, and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body: and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honor to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.

Proof texts

• Col. 3:19 — [19] Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
• Titus 2:4 — [4] and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,
• 1 Sam. 12:23 — [23] Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
• Job 1:5 — [5] And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
• 1 Kings 8:55-56 — [55] And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, [56] “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.
• Heb. 7:7 — [7] It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
• Gen. 49:28 — [28] All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.
• Deut. 6:6-7 — [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
• Eph. 6:4 — [4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
• 1 Pet. 3:7 — [7] Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
• 1 Pet. 2:14 — [14] or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
• Rom. 13:3 — [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
• Esth. 6:3 — [3] And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
• Rom. 13:3-4 — [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4] for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
• Prov. 29:15 — [15] The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
• 1 Pet. 2:14 — [14] or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
• Job 29:12-17 — [12] because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. [13] The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. [14] I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. [15] I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. [16] I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. [17] I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
• Isa. 1:10,17 — [10] Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! [17] learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
• Eph. 6:4 — [4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
• 1 Tim. 5:8 — [8] But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
• 1 Tim. 4:12 — [12] Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
• Titus 2:3-5 — [3] Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, [4] and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, [5] to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
• 1 Kings 3:28 — [28] And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
• Titus 2:15 — [15] Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Col. 3:19 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 24 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WSC Q45 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. HC Q92 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q45 · HC Q92