Rule from beneath: Why power structures in biblical times favored children

Many parents think that the biblical context is in their favor. It is a common belief among American parents that parents were in charge, and that children had to obey parents or else face punishment. This is a common narrative about the biblical context. However, it is historically inaccurate. The fact of the matter is that children ruled their parents from beneath, through issuing righteous demands and righteously judging their parents.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this 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, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, sacrificing for their children, just as Christ sacrificed for His children, with children being a Godhead for parents to serve, with children resting in the submission of parents, owing absolutely nothing to parents. Parents are the enemy of children, just as mankind is the enemy of God, with parents being subservient to them just as they are to Him, expecting absolutely nothing in return from children or others.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by the child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by the child, coming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishment or controlling demeanor towards a child. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined as any damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen then as holding your child hostage merely for things they did wrong. Paul here was lifting up this legal context to a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child. Paul was lifting up the Law in order to educate the Greek and Roman parent newcomers to the Christian Church on proper Jewish parenting, with the Early Church being considered a sect of Judaism in the 1st Century.

Children ruled their parents from beneath. Parents were clearly the head of household in the eyes of a child, but children wielded much lobbying power with parents and other adults. The main tool of child empowerment in biblical times was righteous demand, where children demanded things from their parents, usually in a policing manner intended to break down the parents as to their desire to use benign deprivation tactics on children. Parents didn't have a choice - they had to be charitable to their children, or else face the wrath of their children.

Children were not calm and docile then like they are today. Children had a certain wrath to them. They would use "morning breath" tactics to gain the cooperation of their parents on what they needed. Children acted wild, and it was up to the parents to appease their children and keep them happy. Children were allowed to be themselves, to the fullest capacity possible under the Law. Children even tried to initiate sexual relations with their children, with this being about the only place where parents were firm in setting limits. Children lobbied their parents incessantly day and night, and parents bent over backwards to keep their children happy and pleased. 

In the biblical tense, it is the parent's job to keep children happy and pleased, and it is up to the child to demand their needs, policing their parents from beneath. Children in biblical times were wrathful in the raw towards their parents, and parents toiled constantly to please children and keep them happy. Parents didn't get much thanks until the end, when adult descendants gave back to parents by providing for them, out of grace and not lawful obligation. The provisions of parents towards children reassured their wrath, and made them want to return the favor in terms of charitable treatment.

Children, in biblical times, wore no clothing, at all, until they were adults. Women only wore clothing when outside the home, and otherwise, went in the nude in order to serve their husbands and their children. Mothers served their children by way of providing for nourishment and sustenance, namely breastmilk and skin-to-skin closeness and intimacy. Children demanded by crying and screaming for the attention of their mother, and quite surely, they got the attention of their mother. Most of the time, the attention came in the form of skin-on-skin co-snuggling, where mother and child co-snuggled in order to reassure and appease the child's high emotions. Children then had high emotions, and were very demanding, but retired to home base every night and day, with "home base" referring to closeness with mothers. Fathers stood guard over mother and child, holding a rod to beat intruders with. Children were not beaten with the rod, but were protected with the rod. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!