Colossians 3:21 (WEB)

Passage

Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for 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 those who...", 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.