Catching children being good: How to discipline your child the right way

Many parents want their children to have discipline. This is a common wish on the part of parents. Most American parents catch their child misbehaving, and then punish them. However, the fact of the matter is that parents in the Bible instead caught their children being good, and encouraged more of the same.

God's Word states in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to wrath" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers here 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 was understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, or other 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. The parents who punished their children were initially 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 Christians in the parish at Ephesus 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 secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women, but he sure loved children, and even took in a few orphaned children during his time as deacon.

The Greek root word translated "nurture" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers here to a special form of nurturing, namely nurturing of the teaching type. Whenever children were caught being good, fathers lavishly praised and encouraged children for more of the same. Christian parents in the Early Church set a good example for their children, and backed up that example by way of praise and encouragement, as opposed to backing it up with punishment or force. Children also need religious instruction, as religion is a human need for children and adults alike. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers here to warning, as in hearing out the Christian warning of fathers. This warning came in the form of praising and encouraging children when they were caught in the act of reading the Bible. From there, religious education came in the form of question and answer, with children asking parents about the Bible, and fathers informing children as to the biblical context. Religion is a human need in a child. However, religious trauma happens when children are punished in the name of religion.

Catching children being good was always a Jewish tradition, including during the time of Christ. All of the biblical writers -  all of whom were Jewish - endorsed a form of nurturing where children are caught being good. No Jew worth mentioning ever endorsed punishment as a form of discipline. Child discipline in the Early Church instead came in the form of praising and encouraging good behavior in children.

It is a myth that fathers in the Early Church used "hand-me-down-the-slate" gaslighting. The fact of the matter is that Christian fathers in the Early Church instead disciplined through positive reinforcement, meaning catching children for being good, and giving them praise for more of the same. Mothers nurtured up close, with fathers instead nurturing from afar in a teaching way. Fathers in the Early Church masturbated righteously in order to imprint on his son or daughter. 

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