Colossians 3:21 (ASV)

Passage

Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord:

Colossians 3:23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fathers", "provoke", "children", and "discouraged". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fathers" and "provoke", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Children obey your parents in all things..." into verse 22's "Servants obey in all things them that...", so "fathers" and "provoke" belong inside that flow. In Colossians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fathers" and "provoke" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.