Child discipline: How to properly discipline your child (meaning without punishment or force)

Many parents believe that their child needs discipline. This is a common belief amongst American parents. However, most American parents think that discipline means punishment. The fact of the matter is that discipline is a father's way of nurturing from afar, in a teaching way.

God's Law reads 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 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 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 secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, 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 specific form of nurturing from fathers, namely of the teaching sort. Whenever children were caught in the act of good behavior such as showing patience or self-control, they were lavishly praised and encouraged to keep up the good work. The more the child showed patience or self-control, the more they were praised and encouraged to keep showing discipline. 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 to the Christian warning of fathers. Religious instruction started out with parents leaving out a Bible after the child turned age 6. When children were caught in the act of exploring the Bible, they were given lavish praise and encouragement for reading God's Word. From there, religious instruction came in the form of question and answer format, with children being curious about Scripture, and with fathers giving pointers on the context.

Children mainly found grounding and discipline in their religious beliefs. Religious education, in Christian households in the Early Church, usually started around age 6. From there, children studied the Bible and then asked parents questions as to what the Bible meant. The religion served as a form of teaching good behavior. 

Children growing up in the Early Church came to religious conclusions entirely on their own. Most children then found grounding and discipline in the Christian faith. There was no need to lecture children on good behavior - children then learned to center their countenance though their religion alone. 

Before children turned age 6, they were in constant closeness to mothers, meaning wherever mom went, so did her child. Children were either held in mom's arms during the first 2 years of childhood, and from there, children were seemingly attached at the hip with mothers. When a child had all of their needs met during the first 6 years, they were resilient and ready to take on the world.

Children are perfectly capable of accepting Christ on their own. It is a myth that children need their will broken in order to accept Christ as their Lord and Savor. Most children will become religious at some point in their childhood. Religion is a human need for children and adults alike.

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.