The best way to avoid being taken in by a counterfeit is to study what is genuine. In our day, when Christianity, and specifically parenting, is awash in a flood of deceitful false teachers, Paul provides desperately needed instruction in discernment. Fathers must be able to pick out the voice of the Good Shepherd amidst the howls of Satan’s wolves. A true godly dad can be recognized by his relationship to Christ (vs. 7), his impact on the church (vs. 8), his compassion for his family (vs.9), and his intolerance of carnality (vs. 10-18).