Discipline: Why parents need it, not children

Many parents believe in disciplining their children. Discipline is an important part of life. I myself am a very disciplined person in my personal life, meaning I am the quiet, reserved individual. I can be talkative on rare intervals, but usually am silent in terms of personality. Parents should be the ones focusing on discipline, not children.

It says in Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, as is this is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long upon the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to a specific form of discipline, known as Christian discipline, meaning being disciplined in the selfless way that Christ was, in the sacrificial way that Christ was. Parents then turned their entitled instincts towards their children inward, doing the opposite of what their sin nature told them to do. It is centering one's anger and sexual entitlement towards children, in an exemplary way that models self-control to children. Parents were to impart the Living Example of Christ, which was self-discipline in a giving, charitable manner. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to setting limits, namely with the word "no". It is one thing to model discipline in children, which works well enough most of the time, but sometimes children need a warning, meaning a verbal warning that their behavior is unacceptable and/or unsafe, with this warning being rare and not being backed up by punishment. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and literally translates to "bitter anger" and refers to the moral count of provocation to anger, meaning offenses against children. This means the slightest of offense perceived by the child. This included, by the Apostle Paul's intent, any punishment or control of a child, including corporal punishment. The Apostle Paul was chastising parents of Greco-Roman origin for using punitive tactics with their children. Greco-Roman culture relied heavily on spanking and corporal punishment, whereas Judeo-Christian society then did not use corporal punishment or any form of punishment, with corporal punishment in the Bible being related to the death penalty under the Law of Moses. Christ abolished both capital and corporal punishment by experiencing both on the cross. Corporal punishment in the Old Testament involved 40 minus 1 lashes as a last warning before being put to death, and if you endured it, you got a second chance, and that was the meaning of it all. Only adults were whipped, with most subjects being male.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to closeness to parents leading to respect for parents, but in a policing manner that is selfless for the parent. Children demand anything and everything from parents, and parents provide and supply needs, with children being able to say anything and everything under the sun. Children are more likely to heed the example of parents when they have open trust and dialogue with parents, meaning they can confide into parents about anything, and rest in the love and grace of parents just as parents rest in the love and grace of Christ Himself. A child that trusts a parent vulnerable and warmly, meaning without being forced to, also trusts the example that a parent imparts to a child. Children in ancient Israel and adjoining churches were breastfed by their mothers until age 3, and treated as infants in terms of childhood emotions up until then. Children, right up until adulthood, slept in the nude with mothers, in skin-to-skin closeness, forming a secure parent-child bond. Fathers encouraged learning and spiritual growth in children, and supervised free play, which was within the range of their mother's eyesight. 

Parents are to be a child's first role model. Children learn by taking after their parents, but that only fully works if you don't punish or control a child. If you simply let them develop naturally, and form a close bond with your child, they will take after you and your family values. There is no need to punish a child, and attachment parenting is a command from God, meaning form trust and cooperation through attachment instead of entitled parental demand.

The depraved and entitled parents will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Let them burn and suffer in the lake of fire and brimstone forever and ever, suffering the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!