Biblical Foundations Essay
Brent J. Lake
THEO 330
November 24, 2018
The Bible certainly has absolute authority over all aspects of our lives. In every corner of
life, we can turn to the Word for foundational truths. In the area of family, the Bible depicts
many foundations in which we should strive to obey so that we may receive the abundant
blessings God has for our household.
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus speaks these words, “Therefore everyone who hears these
words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did
not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash.” (NIV) This passage from the Sermon on the Mount can very much apply to our
families and how we structure or build our values and belief system within our families. The
world in which we live in is filled with families who have not established their foundation on
Biblical teachings and therefore are stuck in a cycle of continually repairing and patching the
effects of their way of life. The focus for families should be turned towards the biblical
foundations of a family.
The Biblical foundations of the family can be found throughout the Old Testament and
the New Testament alike. A Christian home should consist of a man and a woman as husband
and wife. Manhood and Womanhood are centered at the foundation of the structure or idea of
what a family is and it is critical that these roles are understood for the longevity and strength of
the family itself.1 Regardless of what culture or society suggest, the Bible calls for one man and
one woman to be married and become one. (Genesis 2:22-24)
1Stinson, Randy and Timothy P. Jones, Trained In The Fear Of God:Family Ministry in
Theological, Historical, and Practical Perspective. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal Academic &
Perfessional, 2011).
God provided us with the Trinity as the theological foundation for ministry within the
family. Ware points out that, “… the Trinity provides us with a model in which we understand
the members of a family as fully equal in their value and dignity as human beings made in God’s
image.”2 So we may look at the model of the Trinity and compare some of the roles and the
responsibilities therein to that of the family.3 Further breaking down this analogy, the Father is
the supreme authority of the Godhead, the Son is under the Father’s authority and the Spirit is
under the Son and the Father.4
Family discipleship within the home is important as to build discipline, instruction of the
Lord and encourage praise unto God.5 It is the responsibility of the parents to lead their children
to the Lord and educate them in the Biblical truths so they may learn to love the Lord. The
ultimate responsibility holder in this arena is the father of the home.
The habits of a Christian family should be built upon a Biblical foundation. The small
steps we take in life are the culmination of what our life looks like in the big picture. Schemm
suggests incorporating the following habits into the household; reciting the Apostle’s Creed
together, reading scripture together, practicing catechesis together, singing together, morning
and evening prayer together, and talking at the table together.6 The goal as stated by Schemm is
to develop, “… gospel-centered relationships where the grace of God is rehearsed in our
households.”7
The goal of this short foundational essay is to have depicted a glimpse of the Biblical
foundations of a family. It is not possible to go into extreme depth in any area for then it would
2 Ibid, 67.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid, 33 and 45.
6 Ibid ,179-190.
7 Ibid, 191.
be necessary to neglect another area. The overall concept is to consider the fore mentioned as a
starting point on which one may begin to build.
Bibliography
Stinson, Randy and Timothy P. Jones, Trained In The Fear Of God:Family Ministry in
Theological, Historical, and Practical Perspective. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal
Academic & Perfessional, 2011).
