Colossians 3:21 (GNV)

Passage

Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, least they be discouraged.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, loue your wiues, and be not bitter vnto them.

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all thing for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, prouoke not your children to anger, least they be discouraged.

Colossians 3:22 Seruants, be obedient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh, in all things, not with eye seruice as men pleasers, but in singlenes of heart, fearing God.

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoeuer ye doe, doe it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fathers", "prouoke", "children", "anger", "least", and "discouraged". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fathers" and "prouoke", 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 thing..." into verse 22's "Seruants be obedient vnto them that are...", so "fathers" and "prouoke" 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 "prouoke" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.