Hebrews 12:5-11: Why this passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents believe that it is okay to punish a child. This a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents support child punishment, and do so for religious reasons. Most parents prefer religious advice over scientific adviice when it comes to parenting. The fact of the matter is that the Bible prohibits all forms of punitive parenting. One popular "pro-spanking" passage cited by pro-spanking pastors is Hebrews 12:5-11. However, this passage is not intended as a pro-spanking passage.

It says in Hebrews 12:5-11 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their pleasure; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness which are exercised thereby.

The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and refers to, literally, in the Hebraic context of this passage, the 40 minus 1 lashes. The 40 minus 1 lashes was seen in the Old Testament as a second chance at life, meaning that if an adult offender against the Law endured the 40 minus 1 lashes, and lived to tell about it, they got a second chance at life. Don't all trials and tribulations in society work the same way? God whips His children, like only He can. This means God sends trials and tribulations our way to make us stronger and more resilient. Trials and tribulations harden a Christian complexion, which is deserving of absolutely nothing, and grateful for absolutely everything. God only whips His children when it isn't harmful. Earthly parents only whip their children when it is harmful. Thus, earthly parents should instead bring up their children using natural parenting, meaning attachment parenting. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul as comfort to the Hebrew Christians who were experiencing persecution from the Romans.

Heb. 12:5-11 has nothing to do with earthly parenting. It simply refers to how God parents us, which is different from how earthly parents should raise their children, because God is Sovereign and so is His Kingdom. Christians should raise their children in an attachment parenting environment. Christian attachment parenting is based on the doctrine of mutual submission. See 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 in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children just as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

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 a child, including, but not limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming 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 punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. 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 under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict 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, speaking on behalf of children in his writings.

Children, in biblical times, wore absolutely no clothing, at all, until they became adults. Women only wore clothing when outside the home, and otherwise went in the nude, in order to serve both their husbands and their children. Mothers served their children by way of providing for them nourishment and sustenance, namely attachment parenting items such as breastfeeding and skin-on-skin comfort. Children, up until age 6, never left the side of mothers, ranging beside her when at home, clinging to her when crying or upset. Mothers held children close to her bosom in skin-on-skin comfort, reassuring her child with the phrase "this too will pass". Young children up until age 6 were worn by mothers in swaddling blankets, perhaps allowed to suckle her teat if milk-hungry. By night, mothers co-slept next to children in skin-on-skin format in order to form a secure attachment to them, and also in order to protect children from all predatory threats, including the sexual entitlement of fathers. Fathers also formed a secure attachment with their children, after witnessing skin-on-skin closeness and intimacy between mother and child, and wanting in on the action by way of a sexual attachment to a child. Fathers imprinted on children through masturbatory orgasm. This pro-social fantasy on the part of fathers about their children led to a secure bond between father and child, usually of a playful or silly type, and then of an encouraging type once children got older, encouraging bold feats of independence in children. Fathers reeled themselves down to the child's level, being a playmate for children. Mothers were the more serious parent in the home, but in a warm and loving way. Fathers could only have access to children with the permission of mothers, and could not even touch the children without the mother's permission.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their 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!