Marriage, Family and Parenting: Paul Washer (Transcript)

Full text of Paul Washer’s talk titled ‘Marriage, Family and Parenting’ which was presented at 2021 Fellowship Conference.

Listen to the MP3 Audio here:

TRANSCRIPT:

Paul Washer – Founder of HeartCry Missionary Society

Several years ago, I was doing a marriage conference in Russia, and I had to preach, I think, I forget what it was, but it was somewhere around 18 or 21 sermons that week on marriage. And I had gotten into, I don’t know how many sermons, but we were way over halfway. And one of the leaders came up to me and goes, ‘Brother Paul, you have not yet preached on marriage.’

And I said, ‘I know. What have I preached on?’

He said, ‘The fruit of the Spirit.’

So, if I had a man who knew all the principles of marriage, but he’s not filled with the Spirit and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, all those principles really aren’t going to matter. If I have a man who is filled with the Holy Spirit, bearing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, he’s going to do alright in marriage.

Now, you need both, but nothing takes the place of transformation. As a man, you see, when you talk about authority, you have to be very careful you don’t put authority as a man in the context of Caesar. This is in the context of Christ.

How do I have authority? I have authority to serve. I have authority to make every decision I make for the glory of God, for the benefit of my wife, for the benefit of my children. And what about me? I’m not in the formula.

Authority with regard to an elder. He has authority to serve to the glory of God, for the benefit of God’s people. And he doesn’t fit in the equation.