Many parents think that the Bible condones or even commands that parents spank or otherwise punish children. Such parents usually cite a few verses in Proverbs and one passage in Hebrews. With that said, the main passage holding together the case for spanking is Heb. 12:5-6. However, this argument exists on shaky ground, with Heb. 12 not even dealing with earthly parenting.
God's Word is stated in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:
And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
When interpreted correctly, I find this passage to be comforting. The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μαστιγόω (Latin: mastigoó), with this word having a figurative meaning to it. The mention of the rod here is a metaphor for enduring hardship, with this type of metaphorical language being known as "rod language". Then, if you had a long day at work, you instead said "God whipped me hard today". God punishes His children, like only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of the believer. However, God only punishes His children when it does not harm them, whereas earthly parents only punish their children when it does harm them. This passage was intended by the Apostle Paul to the Hebrew Christians as comfort in their persecution from Rome.
This passage in Hebrews is not about earthly parenting, as God does not intend for His Parenting methods for human use. However, the Bible does chime in on the spanking issue. See also 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, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards a child. It is not enough to avoid spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in your child. However, hurting your child's feelings is inevitable in parenting, in which case you should be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you should definitely apologize deeply for losing your cool as a parent, and then commit never to losing your cool as a parent ever again, as losing your cool as a parent alone is entitlement. This verse implies that spanking and punishing children is child abuse, as it always comes from entitled anger, and always offends the child, with this legal concept constituting child abuse. 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 with them their pagan custom of patrias potestas, which is a Latin phrase roughly translating to "power to the parent", including the power to impose punitive sanction on children, such as spanking or other forms of punishment. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punitive parenting in his secular writings. Attachment parenting was banned under Roman law, but the Early Christians did it anyway, obeying God over men.
The concept of spanking children is a pagan custom. In Ancient Greece, children were spanked on the bare bottom when they misbehaved. Paul would have none of it in the Early Christian Churches of God. Greek Christians who punished their children in any way were treated as church infiltrators. Punitive parents were brought before the council of 3 elders, and if they were defensive at all about their actions toward their children, they were swiftly excommunicated from 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!
