7, 8. (a) What are some situations in which counsel is expected in the Christian congregation? (b) On what occasions may a Christian not expect counsel but need it?

⁷ When should counsel be offered? Parents regularly have occasion to counsel their children, and children more or less expect this. (Proverbs 6:20; Ephesians 6:4)

It is true that, in the family, parents do not quote the Bible every time they counsel their children. Nevertheless, whether Christian parents are encouraging obedience, cleanliness, concern for others, punctuality, or anything else, there must always be a Scriptural basis for what they say. (Ephesians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Matthew 7:12; Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)