Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage is not a spanking passage

Many parents support spanking children. Most American parents support the so-called "right" of parents to spank and punish their children, with most parents citing the Bible as evidence that God somehow is pro-spanking. The main passage cited by pro-spanking activists is Heb. 12:5-6, with this passage being the core of the pro-spanking case. However, the passage in Hebrews has nothing to do with earthly parenting.

God's Word states in Hebrews 12:5-6  KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, not faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó) and refers to the rod of correction, with this word here being in its figurative tense. When this passage is understood properly, it is comforting to me. God punishes His children, like only He can. However, God only punishes His children when it doesn't harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does harm them. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul as comforting words for the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome. This passage ultimately refers to God sending trials and tribulations to the people He loves the most, using the rod of correction as a type of metaphor known as "rod language". Instead of saying "I had a long day at work", people then said then "God whipped me hard today".

This passage in Heb. 12:5-6 does not refer to earthly parenting, as God never intended for earthly parents to raise their children like He does with His children. However, God weighs in on earthly parenting, and the spanking issue in particular, in 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 here 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 is not enough to stop spanking and punishing children - you need to avoid the slightest of offense perceived by a child. Offending children is inevitable in parenting. Thus, the only way to fully avoid guilt under commandment is to be willing to meaningfully apologize to your child whenever you offend them. Even when setting limits, children can become upset if they can't accept the limits, thus offense, thus an apology is needed. Refusing to apologize to an upset child alone is entitlement. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christians who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase translating roughly to "power to the parent", including the power to spank and punish children. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive treatment of children in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians obeyed God over men, and did attachment parenting anyway.

Spanking was a common way for children in the broader Greco-Roman world to be punished. Roman law mandated that parents punish their children at least some of the time. However, the Early Christians righteously disobeyed Roman law, and obeyed God over men. The Greco-Romans hated the Christians largely because they were "too soft" on the discipline.

The Bible was mistranslated at the Latinate level, and the scope of this mistranslation is atrocious. The infallible Word of God is not found in any translation, but instead is found in the original Hebrew and Greek, as understood in its original context. The translation is simply a flawed guide as to what the Bible actually says.  

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!