"Spare the rod, spoil the child": Why the rod verses in Proverbs are repealed passages

Many parents think that the Bible commands that children be spanked, at least some of the time. Most American parents think the Bible says "spare the rod, spoil the child". However, this specific phrase is nowhere found in the Bible. However, 6 verses in the book of Proverbs mention the rod of correction. With that said, these verses are repealed verses.

One commonly cited rod verse is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

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

The Greek root word translated "rod" is shebet and refers to a switch, administered to the bare back. The Greek root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. Ultimately, this verse refers to a form of judicial corporal punishment, namely the 40 minus 1 lashes. These punishments were not ever imposed on minor children. The 40 minus 1 lashes was a final warning before a criminal offender had to be put to death. Striking anyone outside of courtroom in the Old Testament was considered battery. Whipping a child at home was seen as domestic battery. The reason for this advice was that otherwise, the father would simply refuse to do what he was deputized to do, and refuse to whip his son. The book of Proverbs does not give commandments, but instead gives manly advice to young men and their parents.

The harsh punishments in the Old Testaments are repealed by Christ's Work on the cross. It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Christ would bring an end to the harsh punishments of the Law. He would do this by breaking the curse of the Law, and keeping ALL of the Law. 

The rod verses in Proverbs do not refer to a biblical 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 a child. It is not enough to stop spanking and punishing your child - you need to avoid offense in your child. The key to avoiding offense in children is be willing to give a meaningful apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings. In most cases, all that was necessary was a reassurance of good intent from parents. However, if you ever lose your cool as a parent, you definitely need to give a formal apology to your child, and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as losing your cool alone as a parent is entitlement, and was seen as unlawful entitlement even then. This commandment implies that spanking or punishing your child alone is unlawful, as punitive measures provoke children to anger. This commandment cross-references the Eighth and the Tenth Commandment, 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 measures 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.

The ultimate moral crime against a child is getting angry as a parent. Parent anger, when directed towards a child, was never allowed. The only reason parents were allowed to get angry was to protect their children. If a parent got angry with their child at all, they were charged with the moral crime of parental entitlement. Parental entitlement was not seen then as a necessary backbone, but was treated as a serious moral flaw. The ancients could surely get angry, and didn't need a backbone to assert themselves. Parental entitlement, including parent anger directed towards children, was included in the Greek root word πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektés). 

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.