Hebrews 12:5-6: Why this passage is not a pro-spanking passage

Many parents think that the Bible condones or even commands the corporal punishment of children. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most parents cite 5 passages in Proverbs and 1 passage in Hebrews as their "proof' that spanking children is biblical. However, the case involving biblical spanking ultimately sits on Heb. 12:5-6. However, the argument in Hebrews ultimately sits on shaky grounds. This passage in Hebrews refers to enduring hardship, not punishment coming from an earthly parent.

God's Word on enduring hardship is spelled out in Hebrews 12:5-6 KJV:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The Greek root word translated "scourgeth" is μασιγόω (Latin: mastgioó) and can have z figurative meaning to it, as is the case here. This form of metaphor is known as rod language. Whenever a Christian man got home from a long day at work, he instead said "God whipped me hard today". God obviously does not come down from the Heavens and whip His children. However, God punishes His children, like only He can, sending trials and tribulations the way of the children that He loves the most. However,. God only punishes His children when it does not harm them. whereas earthy parents only punish their children when it does, in fact, harm them. This passage was seen as comfort for the Hebrew Christians in their persecution from Rome. 

The Bible does not legitimately support the use of corporal punishment in parenting. God does not want His Parenting methods being used by earthly parents, lest they get it wrong. However,, the Bible does touch in on the spanking issue, and then some. 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). This passage does not simply prohibit spanking children. It prohibits all entitlement in parents, leading to offense in children. Offense in children consists of hurt feelings in children where parents refuse to apologize to their child for hurting their feelings, at minimum. With that said, if you ever lose your cool with your child as a parent, including while setting limits, you definitely need to give a formal apology for hurting 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 a child alone 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 term 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. However, this commandment ultimately was received by the parish at Colossae as prohibiting causing offenses in children as 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.

The staple punishment in the broader Greco-Roman world was an open-handed spanking to a bare bottom. This sort of punishment of children was seen by most Christians of the time as pagan in nature, this to be shunned as of this world. However, some Greek Christians brought into the church with them their pagan parenting customs in this regard. The Apostle Paul would have none of it, and convicted these scofflaw parents in his epistles to the parishes at Colossae and Ephesus. 

It is a myth that the Early Christians were well-integrated into broader Greco-Roman society. Instead, the Early Christians lived in urban enclaves in major Greco-Roman cities, shunning the outside world. These Early Christians had their own culture, and even their own court system, with this court system being binding until the end of the 1st Century. 

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!