Righteous ordering: Why children have the right to issue orders

Many parents think that they are the one in the household with the right to issue orders towards their children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents think that orders should come from parents, instead of the other way around. The fact of the matter is that the Bible, when understood in context, allows for children to issue orders towards their parents, and mandates that parents obey those orders, with few exceptions. 

Righteous ordering takes place in the context 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 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 in his writings. 

Children, in biblical times, held lawful authority over their parents. Parents surrendered to the rule of their children, surrendering to God in the process. Children were seen as vulnerable extensions of God to serve as the "least of these". Parents reverently feared and revered the orders of children, just as they would the orders of God. Parents could not issue orders towards their children of their own, nor could they take them to court. Whenever parents took their children to court, the panel of three church elders unanimously agreed to force the parent to apologize to their child for speaking against him/her. Parents were not allowed to say "no" to a child unless the order from the child was completely unworkable or else was immoral in some way. Christian parents in the Early Church pleaded with their children, expecting absolutely nothing in return from their children, knowing that they would get nothing in return from their children. Children usually cooperated with their parents' requests, because they trusted in parents.

Parents were subject to orders from their children, to the point where parents were rendered vulnerable. In Ancient Jewish society, including the Early Church, most adults took the side of a child in a parent-child dispute, and ignored how the parent felt. Parents were seen merely as the trusty servant of children, and thus were expected to obey the orders of children. Parents could easily be manipulated by the lawful orders of children, as parents were seen as possessions of children to be used by the child for his/her benefit. Apart from that, parents were worthless, and children had all the worth.

The sentiment of most Christian parents in the Bible towards their children was one of accepting chains and shackles from their child, and perhaps a halter as well. But, parents in biblical times didn't want to trade in their servile duties towards their children for anything in the world. Children would issue a command towards their parents, and parents would usually just obey, like trusty servants, and no parent ever complained about their child in biblical times. Parents who did complain were the ones labeled entitled and lazy. The competition among parents then was which parent could be the most selfless and devoted towards their children. Children in the Bible could be very demanding, and so parents kept up with the pace by surrendering all their time and resources to their children. All of society, in fact, revolved around children then.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke 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!