"Spare the rod, spoil the child": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed verses

Many parents think that the Bible allows for, or even commands, the punishment of children. American parents usually cite 7 verses in Proverbs that mention the rod of correction as a means to excuse their punitive parenting of their children. However, the fact of the matter is that the Bible is an anti-spanking document, written by an anti-spanking God. 

The rod is mentioned multiple times in the book of Proverbs. One popular verse is in Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he who loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Greek root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to a switch in the context of Proverbs. The word "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. This passage does not refer to any domestic punishments, as punishing a minor child for anything was unlawful then. This passage, and the other like it, refers to the 40 minus 1 lashes, which was a final warning before putting the errant son to death. This judicial whipping could only happen in a courtroom setting, with the father being deputized to administer the stripes. The reason for this commandment was that, otherwise, fathers would simply refuse to whip his son. 

These passages in Proverbs are repealed verses. Christ died and Rose so that we could be free from the harsh punishments of the Old Testament, including the 40 minus 1 lashes. The idea was to open up the gates of Heaven and Hell for humans to inhabit. Christ repealed all capital and corporal punishment with His Work on the cross.

Proverbs does not give us advice on the issue of spanking. However, 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, with this entitlement including any parent anger directed towards children. It is not enough to stop spanking or punishing children - you need to avoid offense in children. One way to avoid offense in children is to be wiling to give a meaningful apology to children, lest it be officially an offense. However, if you ever lose your cool with your child, you definitely need to apologize for your parent anger, and then commit to never losing your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool as a parent, in and of itself, is entitlement. However, even refusing to apologize to a child that you upset alone is entitlement. This passage implies that spanking a child is morally wrong, as it always comes from parent anger, with any parent anger alone being considered entitlement then. 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 roughly translating to "power to the parent", namely the power to impose punitive sanctions on children, such as spanking and 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.

Spanking originated as a pagan custom in the broader Greco-Roman world. The main punishment for children in Ancient Greece was an open-handed spanking to the bare bottom of a child. However, this form of parenting was banned in the Early Church, with punitive parents being treated as church infiltrators. Punitive parents were swiftly excommunicated from the Early Christian Churches of God.

Parent anger directed towards children alone was banned in the Early Church as a form of entitlement. Most parenting done in the Early Church was motivated by worry or concern, not anger. Anger was intended then to be shielded from a children by parents, or else was used in protective format on behalf of a child. Parent anger directed towards children was seen then as akin to a viepr lashing out against an innocent child.

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!