Many parents think that the Bible says "spare the rod, spoil the child". This is a statement frequently attributed to the Bible. However, the Bible itself is an anti-spanking document, meaning that Proverbs is widely misused as an excuse for punishing a child.
One notable passage in the Old Testament is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:
He who spareth the rod hateth his son: but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
This passage does not refer to any old whipping, but instead referring to a specific form of corporal punishment of the judicial kind. The 7 verses in Proverbs that mention the rod ultimately mention the 40 minus 1 lashes. The writers of all 88 books of the Bible recommended attachment parenting, including even King Solomon. King Solomon lifted up customary law in his secular writings on parenting, with customary law itself commanding parents to bring up children as comes naturally. The reason for this commandment is that if the father was left to his own devices, he would refuse to whip his son when his son ran afoul of the Law.
The harsh legal punishments in the Old Testament were repealed by Christ's Work on the cross. The Law still applies when repeated in the New Testament, but minus the harsh punishments found in the Old Testament. The passages found in Proverbs have nothing to do with raising a minor child, as the Hebrew word for "son" in Prov. 13:24 referring to a mature adult son. The word for "child" in Proverbs refers to a young adult.
The book of Proverbs is simply wisdom literature, in poetic tense. It was never intended by God to be a source of parenting advice. However, God's Law does touch on proper parenting, and prohibits all forms of punitive parenting. See Colossians 3:21 KJV:
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to offenses or damages, 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. It isn't enough to stop spanking or punishing a child - you need to avoid any and all offense perceived by a child. The only way to avoid offense in children is to be willing to give a meaningful apology to a child at a moment's notice, especially when you lose your cool. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, and was intended by the Apostle Paul as prohibiting the pagan custom of patrias potestas, meaning "power to the parent", and was a "duty" under Roman law to spank children when they misbehave. Christian parents then righteously disobeyed these laws, and did attachment parenting anyway. This passage alone repeals the verses in Proverbs that mention the rod of correction.
The rod of correction was a final warning before a criminal offender was put to death. The offender was initially charged with a capital offense, and was given many warnings before being brought before the Sanhedrin. When the offender was found guilty, his father whipped him with 40 minus 1 lashes to the back with a switch. However, this procedure only applies to adult children - whipping a minor child was a capital offense in and of itself. Parents who whipped their minor children were charged with kidnapping, meaning it was seen then as a form of hostage-taking worthy of death and punishment in and of itself.
Spanking was a common way that children in the Greco-Roman world were punished. The false teaching of "biblical spanking" ultimately comes from European pagan influence on the Western Church. "Biblical spanking" was a pagan custom in the days of the Early Church, but the Christians then shunned that pagan custom, treating pro-spanking parishioners as infiltrators bringing their pagan custom of spanking children into the church.
The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger 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!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Any comment that
1. Endorses child abuse (including pornography of such)
2. Imposes want to the point of imposition, meaning entitlement.
3. Contains self-entitled parent rhetoric, to the point of self-victimization
will not be published. Flexible application. Debate is allowed, but only civil arguments that presume the best of intentions in their opponent, on both sides.