Control from beneath: Why children controlled parents from beneath in biblical times

Many parents think that they are in charge of their children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents think that their children have to answer to them, and when children refuse to answer to parents. The fact of the matter is that the Bible states it in the reverse - parents have to answer to their children.

Parents are to submit to their children dutifully and fearfully, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as extensions of God. Children are then to rest securely, in mutual submission with parents. 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 securely 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 in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating them 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 their children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his writings.

Parents, in biblical times, were under the lawful authority of their children. Children had every right to issue lawful orders and decrees to their parents, and parents were to obey and submit to the lawful authority of their children. Parents dutifully and fearfully submitted to children, from beneath yet from above, struck with reverent terror by the cries of the child, feeling compelled to respond to the every cry of a child.

In the Early Church, parenting manuals stated that the every cry of a child is law. Thus, refusing to respond to a child's cries in a timely fashion was seen as the same as refusing to give God what He needs from mankind. Children cast a dominion over their parents that never ended until the child left the house. Parents had no lawful authority over their minor children, and could simply make requests from the bottom of their heart, hoping that children trusted them enough to listen to their requests. 

Christian mothers in the 1st Century responded to the every cry of their children, even if they only wanted attention, following their instincts, motivated by the fear of God, with God represented in their children. Mothers usually gave children loving attention in skin-on-skin fashion, reassuring children that "this too will pass" with the child in skin-on-skin contact with their bosom, perhaps suckling her teat if milk-hungry. Even older children, who were more mobile than children under age 6, wanted sustaining warmth and closeness with mothers from time to time, usually at night when co-sleeping next to mothers in skin-on-skin format. The every cry of a child was seen as law, meaning it was a violation of Christian law to not respond to your child's cries. Not responding to the cries of children was deemed to be a provocation to anger against a child.

Children had much lobbying power with their parents. Children in biblical times usually got what they wanted, and always got what they needed. Instead of parents unilaterally deciding what a child needed, children decided what they needed, and lobbied their parents as to their every vulnerable need, as well as benign wants. Parents could only say "no" if the orders from their children were immoral or unworkable. Christian law put parents in a position where they could easily be manipulated by their children, and then parents had no legal recourse if backed into doing something wrong.

All of the abovementioned context is binding on America today just as it was binding on the Early Christians that received God's Word. God intended for ALL of the Bible to be understood in context, meaning the Hebraic context. God cast a dominion over all of mankind, yet only a few will heed the warning. America is a Christian nation, founded upon Judeo-Christian family values. The Bible is a founding document of this country, above even the Constitution itself.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger through punitive parents 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 tbe 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!