Discipline: Why it is for parents (not children)

Many parents value discipline in their children. Most parents in this country impose discipline when they should be teaching it. Teaching does not involve punishment at all, but instead a good example based on the Living Example of Christ.

It says in Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is rights. Honor thy father and mother, as 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 in this context to Christian discipline in parents, meaning parents are entitled to nothing from children, but are to be grateful for the every joy their child brings them. This means taking up a disciplined example for children, just like Christ gave the perfect example for adult believers. Discipline here means not demanding anything from a child, and when one feels like demanding things from a child, do the exact opposite and stifle your ungrateful, entitled anger. Children owe parents nothing, and parents owe children everything, with parents expecting absolutely nothing in return for the Christian love and service towards their child. This sort of disciplined attitude should be modeled to children, with parents being a child's first role model. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to setting boundaries and limits with children, including the rare word "no" and also compromise with the child. This is a rare warning that is agreed upon between parent and child. This is all weighed by the Greek root word παροργιζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers to "bitter anger" and refers to provocations to anger imposed by parents, namely offenses against children, as defined as the slightest of personal offense perceived by the child. Paul intended this to prohibit corporal punishment and all forms of punishment and control, as Paul was rebuking here Greek Christians in the Ephesian church for the Greco-Roman tradition of spanking children, which was defended under Roman law but never the Jewish law that Jesus fulfilled until His last days on earth, when He Rose. Paul would have none of it, and delivered a command to all churches, binding as God's Word, enforcing the church prohibition of punishment. Corporal punishment existed for ADULT children in the Old Testament, but only as a sentence for a crime, with Christ abolishing all capital and corporal punishment by enduring it with His Sacrifice.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to rest and trust in the love and grace of parents, just as adult believers rest and trust in the love and grace of parents. Replace "obey" with "trust" and you come to a roughly better translation. This trust was radically different than what is understood as trusting parents today. This trust was a warm, maternal form of trust towards parents that was earned. It was based heavily on open and honest communication, meaning children could tell their parents anything and everything under the sun, and expect no punishment and retribution in return. Child surrender is running to the loving arms of parents, being doted upon, and allowed to speak up. Children co-slept with parents every night in the nude, and this was to build trust in parents, so that children would follow their parents' Christ-like example. 

Parents in the Early Christian churches did not discipline their children by being strict with children, but by modeling strictness and charity in an encouraging way. The value of charity in particular was taught by parents being charitable to children, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Imparting an example as an extension of Christ required the parent to expect absolutely nothing in return in terms of progress in terms of their child's emotional development. All development in a child was to be a child's gift to parents, for earning cooperation with the parents' trustworthiness, with parents never even imposing any punishment upon children. The Early Christians were mocked by the Greeks and Romans for being "too easy" on children, and the Early Christians simply owned that stereotype. Christendom was intended to be child friendly like Judaism, but Rome ruined it all for children.

The depraved and entitled parents 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 accomplices! Let the evildoing parents who spank and punish descend into a Hell of fire and torment! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!