Many parents think that the Bible supports or even commands that children should be punished for doing things wrong. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents cite several verses in the book of Proverbs. However, these rod verses are repealed verses, and don't refer much to raising minor children.
One commonly cited rod verse is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:
He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
The Greek root wore translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. This verse ultimately refers not to domestic punishments towards children, but instead refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, which was a form of judicial corporal punishment, meaning a sentence for a crime. A whipping then could only happen in the context of a courtroom setting, and only when the adult son was convicted of a crime, and only once - that any further recidivism would result in death on the spot.
Christ died on the cross not only to save us from sin, but also to abolish the abovementioned harsh legal punishments in the Old Testament. Christ's Work on the cross ultimately repealed the corporal punishment of adult children.
The Bible does weigh in on the spanking issue. 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 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. The understanding of child abuse in the Early Church came in the form of entitlement leading to offense. The way to avoid offense in children is to be willing to meaningfully apologize whenever you hurt your children's feelings, especially if you lose your cool with your child. Losing your cool with your child alone is entitlement. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandments, with the Apostle Paul here convicting a group of Greek Christian parents who brought into the church their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase that roughly translates to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanctions on children such as spanking or other forms of punishment. The most common punishment in Greek Christian households was spanking administered to bare buttocks. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.
The Early Christians were hated in the broader Greco-Roman world. This hatred ultimately was motivated by Christian parents being "too soft" on their children. The Early Christians were attachment parents, whereas broader Greco-Roman parents were very strict and punitive in nature.
Even in the Old Testament, King Solomon recommended attachment parenting to Jewish parents. All of the biblical writers advocated attachment parenting to parents in their secular writings. All of the punishments in the Old Testament were for legal adults.
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.
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