as our own personal grooming and consistency of life can have a great bearing on what we say. Speak the truth in love but make certain of all these other areas as well. Q. Sacramento, Calif. " The Bible says that we will have to give an account of every idle word spoken. This sort of frightens me. What does Scripture mean by it?" A. Certainly we should have a very sensitive conscience relative to our speech. Paul says that it should be
"seasoned with salt." This passage about which you have written, from Matthew 12, is not addressed to true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Idle" word in the original means that which is "useless." Re member that all of our sins are under the blood of the Saviour because of His finished work on Calvary (Romans 8:1). We will not come into condemnation (John 5 :24 ). Those who were being judged in this passage had been attributing Jesus' works and power to the devil.
SPECIAL PANELS Dr. J. Richard Chase President Dr. Vern Lewis Associate Professor of Psychology H. Norman Wright Assistant Professor of Christian Education—Talbot
babies because they are irritated by their crying. We certainly can not condone this. Psychologists to day know the importance of prop er punishment and of making the discipline fit the misdemeanor. God has always challenged par ents to use this means of directing and molding their children. In training our children we need to start at the earliest age possible. Take the baby's little hands in the beginning critical periods and show him the way to do things proper ly. As a parent, live consistently before him as a model in keeping with Scripture. When this life reaches youth and teen years you should be able to trust the train ing and entrust the life continually
EDITOR'S NOTE: Material contained in these panel discussions is abridged from ad lib radio broadcasts. It is not intended to be a full treatise on every subject con sidered, but is intended to present various ideas which we prayerfully trust may be challenging and stimulating to the reader. Q. Kansas City, Mo. "We have some Christian friends who say that God's Word commands parents to beat even tiny children when they are disobedient. Is this too strict?" A. It certainly is and is a misinter pretation of Scripture. The Bible reminds us that to spare the rod may mean in essence to spoil the child. Discipline and child mistreat ment, however, are two different things. How sad to read in our newspapers about those who beat
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