Passing down the faith: How to instruct your child in the Lord without punishment or shaming

Many parents want their children to be instructed in religion. However, most American parents think that children need "the devil beaten out of them". This is a common attitude especially amongst fundamentalist parents. But, the fact of the matter is that passing down the faith can and should be done without punishment or shaming.

God's Law on religious instruction is spelled out in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This first stanza clarifies for the second that religious instruction should not hurt. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in children. However, hurting your child's feelings is inevitable in parenting, and thus you should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you cause your child to be upset. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology, and then committing to never losing your cool ever again, as losing your cool with a child alone is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents in the parish at Ephesus who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive standards on children, such as spanking or other punishment of children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Religion is not something you beat into children. Children have an inborn need for religion. The Greek root word translated "admonition" in the second stanza of this passage is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and is better translated as "instruction" in more modern versions of the Bible. This word, as understood in context, refers to a specific form of instruction. Starting at age 6, fathers left out a Bible for children to discover and explore. When children were caught in the act of studying the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement to keep up the good work, with fathers then saying "you can ask me anything about that book". From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer, with children being curious about Scripture, with fathers being quick to give pointers on the context. This form of religious instruction was part of the Judeo-Christian tradition of positive reinforcement, meaning the Hebraic tradition of catching children being good.

Children develop religion at their own pace. There is no need to hasten the religious development of children. For example, grateful postures are not something to force on children. Children grow grateful postures as they develop, and are a quick way to check on the progress of religious development. I tie my hands behind my back whenever I am out and about, and that is a reminder to others that they are in the presence of the elect. Nobody taught me - I learned it all on my own.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Back talk: Why back talk is not deserving of punishment

Many parent have to deal with it. Most children talk back to their parents at some point during their childhood. This is normal childhood behavior in children. However, most parents believe that children should be punished for talking back. But, the fact of the matter is that back talk is that children talk back when they cannot accept a limit. Whenever you refuse to apologize for hurting your child's feelings in this regard, you are guilty of child abuse.

God's Law on child abuse is spelled out in Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. The idea behind not abusing your child is to avoid offense in a child. However, it inevitable that children's feelings are going to be hurt in the course of parenting, and thus parents need to be willing to apologize meaningfully to children that they caused to be upset. Children oftentimes are upset when they cannot accept a limit. One way that children express displeasure due to set limits is by talking back. Whenever your child talks back to you, you owe them an apology. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent in parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you need to give a formal apology, and then committing never to losing your cool with your children ever again, as losing your cool as a parent is entitlement, with was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translated to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment of children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

Back talk is a common motive for parents to spank or otherwise punish their children. However, the main reason why children talk back is that they cannot accept a set limit. The idea is to reassure children of your good intent whenever they talk back.

It is good to set limits, but only when absolutely necessary. Christian parents in the Early Christian churches were only allowed to set direct limits when the child was behaving in an unsafe or immoral manner. Sometimes, children petitioned their parents for goodies, and they usually got what they wanted. However, if the petitioned request was unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral, parents declined the request. However, children were rarely told "no" flat out, and instead were given nicer-sounding phrases, such as "that won't work", "that can't happen", or "that isn't possible". When a child can't accept a limit, and talk back, it is good to apologize by way of reassuring good intent in parents.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Redefining child abuse: Why the Bible calls for expanding child abuse definitions

Many parents believe that the ancients in the Bible did not have a concept of childhood, let alone child abuse. Most American parents support the current child abuse definitions. However, the Bible has its own child abuse definition - whatever the child victim perceives as abuse.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement consists of a parent feeling sorely disappointed when their child does not give them what they feel that they deserve from children. Parents are deserving of absolutely nothing from children just for existing. Any parent anger directed towards children was deemed entitlement in the Early Church. When this sense of entitlement in parents was perceived by a child as offensive or damaging, it was deemed child abuse. See also Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The idea behind not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children, meaning that parents should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever they hurt their children's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give your children a formal apology, then commit never to lose your cool with your child again, as losing your cool with your child, in and of itself, is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. However, even bumping into a child in public is child abuse if you are unwilling to apologize to the child for invading their personal space. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translated as "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers to long-term damages, namely trauma. The ancients had a basic understanding of childhood trauma. Whenever a child grew up to be atheist, it was seen as a sign of child abuse.

The ancients even had a concept of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word denoting fornication is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to, in relation to children, any sexual interaction between an adult and a child. Any time a child in the Early Church perceived sexual advances from an adult, it was seen as child sexual abuse, even if the child liked it. Intergenerational marriage was banned in the Early Church, as marriages had to be equitable in nature, meaning the marriage had to be same age or else with a bride at least 4 years older than the groom. Pedophilia in and of itself was not unlawful, but sexual relations with a child was considered child sexual abuse. The only sexual outlets acceptable for a man in the Early Church were with his wife, and/or righteous masturbation without pornography.

Child abuse was prosecuted by church authorities in the Early Church. In most cases, the investigation started when an abused child confided into a church elder or deacon. From there, the parents were called before the council. If the parents were defensive at all, the council handed down the guilty verdict, and from there, the child was relocated, usually to a member of extended family. If nobody stepped up to the plate, a child savior took in the child, with the "child savior" being a non-contact pedophile who was charged with the foster care of children.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever endorsing the punishment of a child. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones, with the rod of correction referring to the 40 minus 1 lashes. 

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. The Bible is a founding document of this country, even above the Constitution itself. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to live and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes are based off of Judeo-Christian values. It just so happens that the Bible was grossly mistranslated at the Latinate level. However, the Bible is clear on one thing - do not offend your child. The translation of the Bible is fallible, with the original Greek and Hebrew, as understood in context, being the Infallible Word of God. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torrents, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents believe that the Bible commands spanking and other forms of punishment. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents cite a group of passages in Proverbs and one passage in Hebrews as their so-called "proof" that God is pro-spanking. However, the key passage for pro-spanking advocates is the passage in Hebrews 12:5-8 sits on shaky ground, and ultimately has nothing to do with earthly parenting.

God's Word on trials and tribulations is spelled out in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

 And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

When interpreted correctly, this passage is comforting to me. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and can have a figurative meaning to it. Ultimately, this word is a metaphor for trials and tribulations sent the way of the believer. This type of metaphor is considered rod language. Instead of saying then "I had a long day at work", you said "God whipped me hard today", God punishes His children, like only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of the believer. However, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does harm them. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul to reassure the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome.

God does not want His Parenting methods to be used by earthly parents, as earthly parents would get it wrong and cause harm to children. Heb. 12:5-6 does not talk about earthly parenting. However, God des weigh in on the spanking issue, as well as proper parenting in general. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in a child. Hurt feelings in children are inevitable in parenting. The key to avoiding offense in children is to be willing to apologize whenever you hurt your child's feelings. Usually, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from a parent. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translated to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

A common punishment in Ancient Greece for children was a spanking to the bare bottom. Spanking originated as a pagan form of behavioral modification in children. Paul would have none of it in the churches that he oversaw as a deacon. When Rome took over, those customs were absorbed into the Roman Catholic Church, and that's where we get the concept of spanking from.

Not only was spanking banned in the Early Church, but so was any parent anger directed towards a child. Parenting then was not motivated by anger, but instead was motivated by worry or concern. Any parent anger directed towards a child was seen then as akin to a viper lashing out at its prey. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let then be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Mutual respect: Why respect is earned in parenting

Many parents think that they are entitled to respect from a child. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. However, most parents need an attitude adjustment on the issue of respect coming from children. Respect is earned in life, with parenting being a part of life.

The Bible touches on respect in parenting. See Colossians 3:20 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and is more aptly translated as "trust", as in "trust your parents in all things". This commandment was ultimately written to parents, with children reading the commandment aside of parents. This commandment ultimately refers to resting in the Agape love of parents. Ultimately, this verse refers to a secure attachment between parent and child in the family home. The biblical context, when being used as a guidepost, tells us how to form a secure bond with a child. 

Respect for parents was a thing in biblical times, but came in the form of closeness to parents, not fear of parents. For the first 6 years of childhood, children were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning that wherever mom went, so did her child. For the first 2 years of childhood, children were constantly held by mom, either in her loving arms, or else on mom's back in a papoose bag when her hands were full. Between ages 2-6, children ranged next to mothers, seemingly attached to mom at the hip, not leaving mom out of their line of sight, morbidly fearing that mom would "go away and never come back". Whenever a child cried, mothers cooed before picking the child up, and from there. she diagnosed the need before meeting that need. Maybe the child was tired. Maybe the child was hungry. Maybe the child needed mom's milk. Maybe the child needed mom, period. Whatever the child needed, they got it. Whenever mothers and children were out and about, mom wrapped up her young child in swaddling blankets, with these swaddling blankets being tucked underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress worn by mothers that resembled an apron. Come nightfall, Christian parents in the Early Church co-slept next to their children, with this co-sleeping setup ending once the child reached the onset of puberty. Children went naked wherever they went, with mom also going naked within the confines of the family home. This birth nudity setup helped facilitate easy skin-on-skin sustaining warmth, with children receiving the rays of skin-on-skin contact even when picked up.

The primary attachment figure of children then was usually the mother. Children ran to mom for refuge and shelter. However, sometimes mothers died in childbirth, in which case the father nurtured children up close, even lactating for his child. Men have nipples for a reason - in case the mother isn't there to meet the child's needs in terms of nourishment. Usually, fathers in the Early Church were a secondary attachment figure for children, meaning they nurtured from afar, in the form of teaching children about the Bible. Fathers then were the disciplinarian, but disciplined children using praise and encouragement, not punishment or shaming.

Respect is earned in life, meaning not handed it out on a silver platter. One place where respect in life is definitely earned is parenting. The idea is to form a secure attachment for the first 6 years of childhood. After that secure attachment was given in the Early Church, children respected parents, in the form of looking up to them out of closeness. They usually grew up to have fond memories of their parents, as well as were cooperative to parents when in the latter years of childhood. 

The parent entitled parents who demand respect from children without earning it will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into the abyss which is the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent! 

Honor thy parents: Understanding the Fifth Commandment in context

Many parents feel deserving of being honored. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents think that they can demand respect and honor from their children. However, honoring parents refers to something different in the Old Testament - care for your parents as they age.

The Fifth Commandment is stated in Exodus 20:12 KJV:

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

This commandment does not mean that parents have the right to insist on respect or honor. All that the believer has to do is take loving care of their parents, as they age. This however only happens when children have a secure attachment with parents. A believer has the right to shun their parents when parents were abusive in their childhood. The only way a child has the duty to forgive their abusive parents is if they give a genuine apology, with the genuineness of the apology being determined by the child. Even then, it doesn't hurt to remember the abuse you suffered as a child.

Many times, perceived disrespect in parenting is a motive for parents to punish their children. However, the Bible opposes the punitive treatment of children, and commands parents not to even offend their children, lest it be considered child abuse in the eyes of God. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key to abstaining from abusing your child is to avoid offense in children, meaning be willing to apologize meaningfully whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely should give a meaningful apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool with your child at all, in and of itself, is entitlement. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power of parents to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking and other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over me.

It is okay to speak against your parents. If your parents were abusive in any way, they are not deserving of forgiveness. The only exception is if they made a genuine apology. Even then, you can always shun them again if they violate a promise in their apology. The key to look for in a parent is non-verbal apology. My parents turned away from their punitive ways, and so I forgive them without forgetting. Forgiveness is simply acknowledging an apology from an abusive parent.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Expanding child abuse definitions: Why the Bible calls for expanding child abuse definitions

Many parents think that the ancients in the Bible had no concept of childhood let alone child abuse. This is a common belief amongst American parent. Most American parents support the current child abuse definitions. However, the Bible has its own definition of child abuse - whatever the child victim perceives as abuse.

The Greek root word denoting parental entitlement is πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and is defined as, officially speaking, wanting things from children, to the point of imposition. Unofficially speaking, parental entitlement consists of a parent being sorely disappointed when they don't get what they feel that they deserve from children. In fact, any parent anger directed towards a child was deemed parental entitlement then. Whenever this sense of entitlement in parents was perceived by a child as offensive or damaging, it was deemed child abuse. See also Colossians 3:21 KJV:

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers here to offenses or damages, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. Child abuse in the Bible, as a legal concept, consists of entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. The key behind not abusing your child is to avoid offense in children, meaning be willing to meaningfully apologize to a child whenever you hurt their feelings. It is inevitable that children's feelings end up being hurt in the course of parenting, and so parents should apologize whenever they cause their child to be upset. In most cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent from a parent. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you should definitely give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool as a parent ever again, as losing your cool at all with your child, in and of itself, is entitlement. This commandment implies that spanking or other forms of punishment is child abuse, as punishment from parents is always motivated by parent anger. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translated to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive measures on children, such as spanking and other forms of punishment in parenting. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting of a child in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.

The Greek root word translated "they be discouraged" is αθυμέω (Latin: athumeo) and refers to long-term damages, namely trauma. The ancients had a basic concept of trauma in children. Whenever children grew up to reject their parents, they were seen as having trauma, not as being defiant. Most parents were well cared for as they aged, and so when a child refused to care for their aging parents, shame fell onto the parents that were being rejected.

The ancients even had a concept of child sexual abuse. The Greek root word translated "fornication" is πορνεία (Latin: porneia) and refers to anything considered sexually amoral as understood then. This word prohibits, among many other things, any sexual interaction between an adult and a child. Whenever the child perceived sexual advances from an adult, it was seen as child sexual abuse, even if the child liked it. Child sexual abuse was rare in biblical times, meaning next to non-existent. However, sexual fantasies about children were acceptable then, and most men in particular usually masturbated to sexual thoughts of children, yet were commanded to avoid pornography, including that which depicts children. Sexual attraction to children was on the surface level, with adults showing risk to children if they repressed their sexual desires for children, and they stuck out like a weed. Any time a pedophile was disclosed in biblical times, they were given help, in the form of allowing the pedophile to talk out their intrusive sexual thoughts.

Child abuse was prosecuted in the Early Church via an internal investigation. The investigation usually started with a child confiding into a church elder or deacon for help. Then, the council subpoenaed the parents to testify before the council. If they defended themselves at all, as opposed to answering to the court directly, they were excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God.

The Bible is an anti-spanking document. All 88 books of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - were written by Jews, with no Jew worth mentioning ever defending the so-called "right" to punish a child. Even King Solomon recommended attachment parenting for the little ones, with the rod being spared for when an adult son is convicted of a criminal offense, meaning the rod of correction was a sentence for crime, in the form of the 40 minus 1 lashes.

America is a Christian nation, founded on Judeo-Christian family values. The Bible is a founding document of this country, even above the Constitution itself. We as a society glean from the Bible and its context as to how to get along and treat each other with respect. Even our legal codes are based in Judeo-Christian values. It just so happens that the Bible was poorly translated at the Latinate level, with this being partially intentional in order to keep the pagan tradition of spanking going. However, upon a second glance, Col. 3:21 spells out God's definition of child abuse just fine in the text - do not offend your child by provoking them to anger.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torrents, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!