Children, obey you parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, for this is the first commandment with promise; That is 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 parents.
The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to a standard of Christian discipline, based on the attitude of being entitled to nothing, and being grateful for everything, leading to a chastened up, grateful attitude to model to children, backed up by rare verbal warnings not linked to any punishment whatsoever, as denoted by the Greek root word νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) which is translated "admonition". Gratitude is a product of discipline and self-control, meaning a denying attitude that gives to children and expects absolutely nothing in return from children. Gratitude is a special attitude where you notice what you don't deserve in a child, yet have, leading to you loving the child you already have, and then them loving the parent they already have.
The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure trust in parents. Replace "obey" with "trust" and you come to a roughly better translation. However, this commandment refers to a special type of trust, borne out of maternal trust and warmth. Attachment parenting was the tradition in ancient Israel and adjoining churches, with children up until adulthood swaddled next to mothers in swaddling bands, with children being snuggled in the nude, in skin-to-skin closeness. Children up until age 3 were breastfed then and were seen as infants. Child surrender is rest in the unconditional Christian love of parents, with children not having to work one bit for a parent's love. The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers to provocations to anger, meaning any and all offenses against children, as defined as the slightest of offense perceived by a child. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul as a prohibition against all punitive parenting, including any punishment or control in a family home, including spanking and corporal punishment. Paul here was admonishing Greek Christian parents for their pagan custom of spanking children. Corporal punishment only existed as a sentence for crime for ADULT children, and only in the Old Testament. Christ abolished both corporal punishment and capital punishment by experiencing it on the cross.
Gratitude is borne out of discipline and chastisement in an in an individual, with parents being the first role models of gratitude in this regard. Parents are their children's first role models, and thus parents should have the level of chastening and discipline they need to model to their children. Discipline and chastened up attitudes will get you far in life, and when children are allowed rest in their parents, they too will grow up, at some point, to be chastened up and disciplined, once they are allowed to go through the stages of child development naturally, resting in the submission and Christian love of parents, with parents expecting nothing in return from children.
This Christmas season, be grateful for your child. It will teach them gratitude as well. Be chastened up and disciplined in the Lord, entitled to nothing, but grateful for your child even being there with you. Then, you remember who really counts - your child. You remember who your child is now, and love and accept that child right now. Mutual submission. Mutual gratitude. With parent and child going hand and hand, and not to battle.
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 them descend into Hell and torment for all eternity, suffering God's Wrath! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Any comment that
1. Endorses child abuse (including pornography of such)
2. Imposes want to the point of imposition, meaning entitlement.
3. Contains self-entitled parent rhetoric, to the point of self-victimization
will not be published. Flexible application. Debate is allowed, but only civil arguments that presume the best of intentions in their opponent, on both sides.