'Children' in the Bible

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.

A voice was heard in Ramah,weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children;and she refused to be consoled,because they were no more.

And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death.

“To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to each other:

Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

Now those who ate were 4,000 men, besides women and children.

“I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them.

Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.”

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.

When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that He did and the children shouting in the temple complex, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant

and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?”“Yes,” Jesus told them. “Have you never read:You have prepared praisefrom the mouths of children and nursing infants?”

“Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing!

All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Some people were bringing little children to Him so He might touch them, but His disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

“I assure you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields because of Me and the gospel,

who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come.

Then brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and put them to death.

But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

And he will go before Himin the spirit and power of Elijah,to turn the hearts of fathersto their children,and the disobedientto the understanding of the righteous,to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.

Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other:We played the flute for you,but you didn’t dance;we sang a lament,but you didn’t weep!

Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

So He said to them, “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God,

They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.

and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children.

But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children.

But to all who did receive Him,He gave them the right to be children of God,to those who believe in His name,

“Our father is Abraham!” they replied.“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did.

and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children of God.

“Children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ so now I tell you.

For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:You are My Son;today I have become Your Father.

When our days there were over, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, escorted us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray,

But they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk in our customs.

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,

and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac.

That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.

I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.

For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God.

I speak as to my children. As a proper response, you should also be open to us.

Now I am ready to come to you this third time. I will not burden you, for I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elemental forces of the world.

My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.

These things are illustrations, for the women represent the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar.

Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

For it is written:Rejoice, childless woman,who does not give birth.Burst into song and shout,you who are not in labor,for the children of the desolate are many,more numerous than thoseof the woman who has a husband.

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—

Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right.

Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.

Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.

As you know, like a father with his own children,

one who manages his own household competently, having his children under control with all dignity.

Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently.

But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God.

and is well known for good works—that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work.

Therefore, I want younger women to marry, have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.

one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion.

so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children,

Again, I will trust in Him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave Me.

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil—

But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance.

just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.

They have eyes full of adultery and are always looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse!

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

I am writing to you, little children,because your sins have been forgivenbecause of Jesus’ name.

I have written to you, children,because you have come to know the Father.I have written to you, fathers,because you have come to knowthe One who is from the beginning.I have written to you, young men,because you are strong,God’s word remains in you,and you have had victory over the evil one.

Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard, “Antichrist is coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour.

So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.

Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident.Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.

Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey His commands.