And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son who he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons: for what son is he who the father chasteneth not. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards, and not sons.
The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoo) and literally refers to judicial corporal punishment in the Old Testament. Such punishment was administered to adults, not children, and turned out to be a figure of speech for enduring hardship in terms of natural consequences, with the imagery of physical chastisement being imagery to enduring hardship as an adult by going through an ordeal that renders you stronger in the end. This verse has nothing to do whatsoever with the punishment of a child. Corporal punishment in the Bible was only for adult children, not minor children, and consisted of 40 minus 1 lashes with the rod of correction, with an elder striking an adult offender with a switch in a courtroom, and if you lived through it, you got a second chance at life. This legal punishment did not exist in the Early Church as a literal option, with Christians disciplining each other with pro-social non-association. Corporal punishment was seen as a symbolic analogy to enduring an ordeal that gave you a fresh face, and a second chance at life. Maybe you didn't see to the end, but there was an end, and you lived through it, and survived.
The Bible, in fact, prohibits the corporal punishment of 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 be discouraged.
The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, warm rest and trust in the love and grace of parents, just as adult believers rest and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ our Risen Savior, with parents forgiving and showing grace to children. Respect then meant intense closeness on the level of sustenance, leading to fondness and admiration, then honor. Parents are to be a child's best friend and trusted confidant, with children being able to talk to parents about anything, and not expect any sort of punishment or reprisal. Children can petition for their every need and a redress of grievances, and have their voice heard and hearkened to. Children were seen as holy and next to God in ancient Israel and adjacent cultures, with children up until age 3 treated as infants, and children co-sleeping next to parents, with attachment parenting being the conventional parenting of ancient Judeo-Christian society. Children demanded and petitioned, with parents then righteously giving in and surrendering to the petitions of their children, then children being grateful, usually in an excitable type of way. The idea was to keep children happy, or else they will take over your life. Children were seen as naturally rebellious, but the parenting goal then was to appease the rebellion, just like you appeased God, with the demands and petitions of children being seen as an extension of God in the family law. Parents in biblical times were afraid of their children, but not in a displeasuring way, totally accepting their children from day one.
The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers literally to "stirring up" upset and resentment in children, as in the Jewish idiom of "stirring the pot" in terms of a child's emotional welfare. This refers to provocations to anger imposed on children, or offenses against children, with this being defined as the slightest of personal offense perceived by the child, including, but not limited to, physical or other forms of punishment, threats, or menaces, regardless. The Apostle Paul gave the command against provocation to anger to Greek Christian parents, with spanking being the cultural norm in Greco-Roman parenting, as well as affirmed under Roman law. Paul would have none of it in his churches, as preceding Jewish law forbade the use of corporal punishment on a child, and deemed it kidnapping, meaning it was seen then as worthy of death, even as Christ forgave it on the cross.
Parents in biblical times feared the anger of their children in a reverent way, and avoided making children unhappy, seeing children as extensions of God. Parents then saw their children as naturally rebellious, but in a way that was justified due to their small size and immature traits, with parents then feeling pressured to righteously give in to a child's every petition for a need or redress of grievances. Striking or punishing a child was seen as not an option by most Christian parents in the 1st Century, with Christian parents being seen among the Greek and Romans as "soft" or "mollycoddling" for refusing to punish their children, in the way that was the norm in Greco-Roman society.
Christian parents in biblical times loved their children with Agape love, denoted by the Greek root word αγαπαο (Latin: agapao). Children were seen as flawed human beings, but parents loved children FOR their rebellious flaws, not despite, relishing emotionally in their reverent rebellion, seeing rebellious and bold traits as endearing and adorable. Free thought and freedom of opinion was valued in children, and thus Christian children were outspoken and empowered despite technically being subservient to adults. To be clear, flat out defiance was not seen as a good thing, as too much defiance was seen as reflective of anger in parents. However, children were allowed their own opinion and own worldview.
Children usually listened to their parents at some point, but usually not until they were older. Older children could live away from their parents in an adaptable way, but immediately bonded with parents to the point of compliance as they got older. Secure attachment in adult children usually implies that the child is compliant and cooperative, meaning they naturally want to work with and please parents.
The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them burn in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his angels! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
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