Child authority: Why children have divine authority over parents

Many parents think that they are the authority figure over their children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents declare themselves the holder of a glorified title - the parent. However, this was not the case in biblical times. In biblical times, dependent children had eminent authority over their parents, and parents had to surrender to the divine authority of their children Ancient Jewish culture was a child worshipping culture, not a child enslaving culture.

Child authority was the receiving end 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul to delineate providing custody, which was based on a secure attachment between parents and children in the family home.

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 hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here is 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 eminent, divine authority over their parents, with parents surrendering to the divine authority of their children. Children could issue lawfully binding orders on parents, and parents, in most every case, had to obey the lawfully binding orders of children. The only time where parents to obey God over their child was if the orders given by their child were either unlawful or unworkable. If parents said "no" at all, they were required under the Law to reassure the child, or else be found guilty of provoking children to anger. Parents could not sue children at law under Christian law, even for acts such as physical aggression. If a parent took their child to court, the three elders presiding over the case would throw the case out of court, and force the parents to apologize to their child for the false accusation. If the parents did not apologize, they were excommunicated, and their child was collected from them and put in the care of non-contact pedophile caregivers. Parents were vulnerable to their child's orders and edicts, with children convicting parents of their duties with reverent fear and terror. 

Children were seen in biblical times as the salt and light of the world, sitting high atop a mounted hill, casting high judgment on the adults, discerning the sheep from the goats, judging the charity and goodwill of all adult-kind. Mothers in the Early Church feared reverently the rejection of their children, as when a child rejected his/her mother, the mother was accursed. Children were seen as sacrosanct, meaning they were seen as doing no wrong, even when they did do things that were considered immoral. Children were worshipped in biblical times as representatives of God, called to keep adults in line.

Especially in the first 6 years of a child's life (but also later), cries were interpreted under the Law as lawfully binding orders, meaning mothers had to respond to the every cry of a child, usually in the context of birth nudity, which was traditional among the Early Christians. Children had separation anxiety when under age 6, which the birth nudity brought out in the raw, and it was the lawfully binding duty of the mother then to accommodate the separation anxiety of children, usually by cooing and reassuring children of her presence. Young children, when out and about, were swaddled next to the bosom of mothers in swaddling blankets. Older children engaged in reverent rebellion, where they issued righteous demands towards parents, and parents obeyed the righteous demands of children, fearing the Lord in their children. 

Parents are not extensions of God in the lives of children, but instead are extensions of Christ. Christ serves God, and so children are extensions of God. Siblings make up collective Godhead in a household. Parents are to sacrifice for their children just as Christ sacrificed for His children, expecting absolutely nothing in return for their good works performed for their children. Parents are to serve their children as their enemy, seeking to be their friend, atoning for their depraved and decadent sin nature in the process. Dear parents, YOU are depraved and decadent sinners who are deserving of absolutely nothing. Not even from your child. Not even respect from your child. Not even forgiveness from your child. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Everything in parenting is earned through emulating Christ's sacrifice when caring for your children. This means, at the deepest level of Christian love, being willing to die for your child. Fathers are more likely to fully understand parent martyrdom than mothers.

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 day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!