Withhold Not Correction (Bruce Ray)

Withhold Not Correction

In today’s society, where parental authority is being compromised more than ever, this Proverbs 23:13 command may seem nearly impossible to obey. The line between discipline and abuse has been blurred and now appears ready to vanish.

As both father and pastor, Bruce A. Ray understands the difficulties facing modern parents, and he points to firm, biblical discipline as the solution. In this practical guide, Ray offers direction to all parents who struggle with doubt or indecision in their roles as God-ordained disciplinarians. With timely and inspiring wisdom, Ray exposes the emptiness of contemporary advice and clearly outlines from Scripture the duties of every Christian parent.

When I first read Standing on the Promises by Doug Wilson, my reaction was “This is great! Why didn’t anyone ever tell me these things?”  But when my wife Debbie first read the book, her reaction was “This is great! But how?”  Here’s an answer: you’ll find Bruce Ray’s Withhold Not Correction to be a valuable supplement to Standing on the Promises precisely because of its emphasis on the practical application of biblical principles in training up a child. As the writer considers each issue in turn, he shows through real-life situations how the relevant principles can be applied consistently and effectively.

An Example from Withhold Not Correction:

One example: Ray establishes that it is good and proper when disciplining a child to review the portion of God’s law (usually found in Proverbs) which has been violated. Not only does he provide an excellent appendix in which verses from Proverbs and other relevant scripture references have been categorized by type of infraction, he recommends that these verses be given high priority in the child’s Bible memory work, so that when discipline is necessary the child himself will be able to cite the verse he has transgressed.

About the Author

Bruce A. Ray (BA, The Master’s College; MDiv, Philadelphia Theological Seminary) is senior pastor of Juanita Community Church in Kirkland, Washington, and author of Celebrating the Sabbath.

Contents

Foreword by Jay Adams

1. Knowing our Children
2. The Biblical Necessity for Correction
3. The Biblical Motives for Correction
4. God’s Authority in Discipline
5. The Place of Prayer
6. Love and the Rod
7. The Rod and Reproof
8. Discipline by Measure
9. Correction Within Reason
10. Persevering Consistency
11. Partners in Management
12. Children in the Congregation
13. An Honest Confession

Appendixes:

1. Evangelizing Children
2. The Rod and Correction
3. Parents’ Topical Reference