"Biblical spanking": Why the rod verses in the book of Proverbs are repealed verses

Many parents think that it is acceptable to spank a child. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents find a religious excuse for spanking a child, namely 5 verses in the book of Proverbs. However, the rod in Proverbs refers to a sentence for a crime, not a domestic punishment in a home setting.

There are exactly 6 passages in the book of Proverbs that mention the rod. One common rod verse cited to argue for a "biblical spanking" is Proverbs 13:24 KJV:

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

The Hebrew root word translated "son" is ben and refers to a mature adult son. The Hebrew root word translated as "rod" in Proverbs is shebet and refers to in the book of Proverbs to the rod of correction, namely a switch. The rod verses in Proverbs ultimately refer to the 40 minus 1 lashes, applied to the bare back, in a courtroom setting, as a sentence for a crime. Under Jewish law, it was unlawful to strike a fellow Jew outside of the context of a courtroom. Striking a minor child was prohibited then in all settings. The reason for this commandment is that, otherwise, fathers would refuse to whip their adult children when they run afoul of the law.

Christ died and Rose on the the Third Day in order to abolish the harsh punishments of the Old Testament. Christ abolished all corporal punishment by enduring it unjustly before being nailed to the cross. The Early Christians did not use corporal punishment as a form of church discipline, with the church instead excommunicating scofflaw members. 

The teaching of a "biblical spanking" is a man-made teaching. Nowhere in the Bible is spanking legitimately condoned or commanded, with the passage in Hebrews 12:5-6 referring to trials and tribulations from God to His children. The book of Proverbs does not mention any parenting of minor children. However, the Bible does touch on the spanking issue, and then some. 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, stemming from entitlement. It is one thing to stop spanking your child. However, it is not enough to stop spanking your child, or even stop punishing them altogether for that matter. You need to avoid offense in children. Avoiding offense in children is the same as avoiding offense in other adults. If you hurt someone else's feelings, you need to apologize. It works the same way with children when dealing with them. Thus, in order to avoid offense in children, you need to be willing to apologize for hurt feelings in children. In many cases, all that is necessary is a reassurance of good intent coming from parents, in the form of an informal apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings with limits not set out of anger, such as "I'm sorry, but I had to set X limit for Y reasons". However, if you ever lose your cool with a child, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology whenever you hurt your child's feelings with your anger, such as "I apologize for hurting your feelings with my temper", and then commit never to lose your cool with your child ever again, as any parent anger directed towards children is entitlement, and was seen as entitlement in the Early Church. 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 or other forms of punishment of children. But, this commandment was ultimately received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing any offenses in a child as was perceived by a child, at minimum. 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.

Pro-spanking parents were seen in the Early Church as church infiltrators, with Greek Christian parents sticking to their pagan parenting customs. The Apostle Paul would have none of it, and sent an epistle to the parishes at Colossae and Ephesus. These pro-spanking parents even misused the book of Proverbs to justify their punitive parenting. 

The rod verses in the book of Proverbs are repealed verses. Nowhere is the rod of correction cross-referenced legitimately in the New Testament. The book of Hebrews does mention a rod, but not the rod of correction, with the whipping in Heb. 12:5-6 being a metaphor for enduring hardship. 

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be case 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!