Righteous ordering: Why children call the shots in Christian homes

Many parents think that children are to obey them. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents want children to obey them. The power structure in most American homes is top down. The power structure in biblical times, however, was bottom up. Ancient Israel and the Early Church were child worshipping societies, in first-to-last format. 

Righteous ordering means that children call the shots. This is part of the Christian 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 submission 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 wake of parent submission. 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 children into the church. Paul. contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his writings.

Children, in biblical times, held lawful authority over their parents. Parents had to answer to the court of their children, and could not defend themselves against their court. When parents took their children to court, they were forced to apologize to their child for committing perjury against the child. Children were seen as having valor, meaning they could do no wrong, even if they did technically do things lawfully wrong. Biblical culture was a child worshipping culture, and so children were seen as extensions of God called to rule over their parents.

Children had eminent authority over their parents. Children could issue lawfully binding orders towards their parents, and parents had to comply with those orders, or else they could be taken to court by their children, meaning put before a panel of 3 elders that could excommunicate the parents if they disobeyed their child at the wrong time. The time to righteously disobey their children was when their orders were either unworkable or in violation of the Law, in which case parents were required to comfort children. 

Children were considered vulnerable extensions of God, called to judge righteously the charity and generosity of adult-kind. Parents, and all adults, surrendered to the eminent authority of children, revering children with trembling reverent fear and terror. A mother's worst fear was her child rejecting her, as that made her accursed. So, mothers served children without expecting anything in return, seeking a secure attachment with their children.

Young children's cries were seen as lawfully binding summonses, in which case mothers responded to the every cry of their child, perhaps breastfeeding them if the child was milk-hungry. Children were in constant closeness to mothers up until age 6, meaning that wherever the mother went, so did the young child. When out and about, mothers swaddled their young children next to their bosom in swaddling blankets, tucking the young child underneath her thin, revealing dress which was similar to an apron. Older children knew how to use the ordering system and issued lawfully binding orders to both parents. Parents could easily be used for the children's purpose, and parents then were happy to be of use, with children objectifying their parents, and with parents delighting in being needed in an objectifying way. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them forever be 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!