The Fifth Commandment: What it really means (and why it is written to parents, not children)

The Fifth Commandment is a misunderstood commandment in the Bible. I honor and respect my parents, meaning I value them. But, that's because both of them just gave up trying to force me to respect them and started respecting me first, after making an apology to me. The Fifth Commandment is not exactly written to children, but more so the parents, when understood in context.

It says in Exodus 20:12 KJV:

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

This refers to an abolition of child sacrifice, and so this commandment is why we don't follow pagan customs of sacrificing children and other human beings who were condemned due to crimes committed. In Caananite times, parents held children captive as property, whereas this commandment frees the children from enslavement, and establishes them as separate from their parents. This turned the prosecution of stubborn and rebellious children to the legal system, where only a handful of parents tried to put their adult son on trial, and then every one of them recanted because of the stigma of having a stubborn and rebellious son. "Honor" means family honor, and the errant son was seen as a reflection of his family, meaning parents who arrested their adult children and brought forth charges were seen as guilty of a form of abuse towards the child, as why else would they be so combative, aggressive, and delinquent? Where did they learn that behavior from?

The commandment itself is written to parents, not children. It says in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things, as is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they become discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure and comfortable rest in the care, support, and protection of parents, owing absolutely nothing in return from parents. Parents are to love their children, knowing their sin nature and place in relation to children, knowing that they will never more know more about what it is like to be a child, submitting to children as their enemy, just as mankind submits to God as His enemy, turning away from sin accordingly. Parents are to sacrifice themselves, taking up the cross for their child just as Christ took up the cross for His children. Parents are to render themselves lower than their child, in a way that is attendant to their every vulnerable need, like waiter or waitress at a restaurant selflessly serving a customer with a smile.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to the offenses in the Bible, meaning whatever offends the child, meaning the slightest of personal slight at the din level, is abuse to the child, when motivated by entitlement of some sort, as denoted by the Greek root word πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés) and refers to wanting things from children in a way that seeks to impose said want onto a child, leading to damages inflicted upon a child.

Col. 3:21 repeals the parent protection laws, as it renders things such as striking a parent as understandable, meaning incurred by the parent. The idea behind honoring parents was that while living with them, your behavior got them in trouble if it ran afoul of the law. Child behavior is like a mirror in relation to the attitudes and behavior of parents, meaning whatever disrespect a parent held against their child is what parents got in return. They didn't stone to death any stubborn and rebellious son in the Early Church, as they were completely against the death penalty imposed by Rome. Corporal punishment was also never used. No punishment, in neither the Old or New Testament, was ever inflicted on a child.

The depraved and entitled parents will BURN! Punishing nor coddling a child will ever be acceptable, even if it is accepted by some or all in this country. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!