"Discipleship" refers to parental relationships with children no where in the Bible is an unhelpful framework for family life. In "The Covenant Family" it becomes really clear the advantage of Fathers relating to their sons from Gen 12; Deut 6, 7; Prov1-5 discoverbooks.com/B00458PD1Y-The…
"The purpose of children is for the continuity [God's] covenant relationship with his people & for the continuing work of the kingdom according to God's will & plan" (pg 112). In this framework, grace is at the center because that's the model of God's fatherliness in the OT/NT.
Covenant Fathers aren't raising "modern day knights." Their sons are future prophets, priests, & kings. It's not a teacher-student relationship. It's modeled after God the Father. Such a different approach when fatherly grace, connection, sharing wisdom, etc. are the center.
The home isn't "ministry." The family isn't a mini-church. For Van Groningen, home is primarily of place of nurture. And a father who nurtures his son, as God did Israel, grace leads, "walking along the road," preparing him for adulthood, are priorities over moralism & legalism.
Covenant theology has so many more resources for parents because it encourages them to use the entire redemptive story to build up their children. The Bible doesn't tell dads to relate to their sons as "disciples." It makes more sense after reading Van Groningen, Deut 6:1-9, etc
In fact, Van Groningen doesn't use the word "discipleship" once as it relates to the family life. He prefers words like "love," "nurture," "training," etc. because the goal isn't ministry, the goal is building them up as agents in the cosmic kingdom(which is not just the church).
I have no idea where/why evangelicals created the idea that "discipleship" is a parenting model but it explains so much of the research regarding the lack of nurturing intimacy between fathers/sons, the moralism, the legalism, low youth retention, etc. in conservative families.
Covenant theology is not evangelicalism because it maintains the OT/NT framework that the primary means that God grows & sustains the people of God is through the family. As Van Groningen says, "the family is the very heart of the cosmic kingdom" and the mission of God. (pg. 50)
The covenant home is different because it's more concerned about children experiencing grace as preparation cosmic kingdom agents than checking off a list of moralistic actions & church activities as cultivating adult faith. Van Groningen presents freedom for parents. 👍🏾
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