Righteous ordering: Why children call the shots (not parents)

Many parents think that they call the shots when it comes to giving orders. This is a common attitude amongst American parents. Most American parents think they are in charge of their children, and thus have total authority over children. The fact of the matter is that children have the right to issue lawful orders towards their parents, and parents have the right to shut up and take those orders. 

Righteous ordering denotes the child's end of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God. 

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his writings.

Children, in biblical times, had lawful authority over their parents, and had the right to issue lawful orders to parents. Parents had the obligation to obey all orders that were workable and conformed with the Law from their children. Parents had no rights to issue lawful orders of their own on minor children. Parents also could not sue their minor or dependent children at law, as when a parent took their child to court in the Early Church, the church elders always found a way to side with the child, even in cases where the child gave the parents a beating. The parents were forced to apologize to their child, and forgive their child, even when the child was behaving violently or disruptively.

In most cases, children issued orders, by the standard under Christian law, by crying. Whenever a child cried, mothers were obligated to respond to the every cry of the child with sustaining warmth. Most of the time, the child just wanted to be held in skin-on-skin format. Mothers and children were completely naked in the family home, and that made it easier for mothers to bond with their children in skin-on-skin format, as well as hastened the bonding process. Older children issued orders by giving direct orders to parents. 

Parents in biblical times were seen by society then as servants, with children being seen as next to God. Parents were afraid of their children, and reverently so. All parents could do towards minor children in their defense was plead for a child to stop doing something, from the bottom of their heart. Children had the lawful authority to issue the orders, with parents being in a servile place in relation to those orders. 

Honoring parents only applied to adults, and only in specified situations under the Law where children repeatedly beat their parents (see also Exod. 21:15), imposed a gaslighting curse on their parents (see also Lev. 20:9), and committing moral crimes that bring shame to your mother (see also Deut. 21:18-21). Apart from those specific instances, parents were considered in biblical times to be the property of their children, and were there for children to use for their own benefit, from the very beginning with babies suckling the teat of mothers. Adult descendants were never put to death for dishonoring parents, but some fathers hesistantly whipped their errant young adult sons for repeatedly abusing them.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Righteous meekness: Why parents should be meek in their duties as parents

Most parents in America want to be empowered in a certain way, meaning in charge of their children. Parent lobbyists portray parenting as "stand up" as opposed to "roll over". But, what does the Bible say about parenting? What it actually says might surprise you. The Bible, when understood in context, calls for parents to be meek and passive in parenting. See acronym righteous meekness.

Righteous meekness is based on the contextual application of the Christian docrine of mutual submission. Parent headship is a passive, submissive headship, thus meek in nature. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to their children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his writings.

Righteous meekness means that parents are to be meek and disempowered in their stance as parents. Parenting in biblical times was seen as a servile profession. Parents were considered bondservants to their children, working for a lump sum which was the independence and self-reliance of their children. Children were seen as in charge of their parents, not the other way around, with parents being there for children to use for their benefit. 

Children, in biblical times, held lawful authority over their parents. Parents were not permitted, under the Law, to sue their minor children at law for anything. As soon as a parent took their minor child to court, the church elders immediately took the side of the child, every single time, and the parent was forced to apologize to their child. Even speaking against children, as a group or as individuals, was seen as perjury, as children were deemed as sacrosanct, meaning they could do no wrong, even if they did do things that were considered wrong. 

Parents were in a vulnerable position in biblical times. Some children were not kind to their parents, and beat them, especially older children that would qualify for the modern diagnosis of Oppositional-defiant Disorder (ODD). If they were minor children, or under the care of their parents even as adults, parents had no legal recourse for these beatings, as if they took their physically punitive child to court, they would be forced to apologize for even wasting the time of the church elders when the obligation of a parent was to please even a child that beats them. Elder abuse was commonplace in biblical times, but could only be prosecuted once the offender moved out of the home, with parents documenting every unwelcome visit. No adult descendant was ever put to death for abusing their parents, though some were whipped by their fathers for dishonoring their parents in that way.

Parents were supposed to be meek in their duties as parents, able to take anything from their child in a passive way, even aggression. Parents were expected to selflessly submit to their children, meaning bend over hand and foot, to the point of bowing down in submission to their children. Even when children grew up to be adults, parents were to be there to use for your own benefit as a child. From the very beginning in biblical times, mothers nourished children with breastmilk, and sustained children with skin-on-skin comfort.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Oppositional-defiant Disorder: Why children with ODD need less limits (not more)

Many people think that Oppositional-defiant Disorder (ODD) is a manufactured disorder. This is a common myth about ODD. Most parents think that a child with ODD needs more limits. The fact of the matter is that children with ODD need less limits, not more. Reverse policing is an acronym denoting what children with ODD need in terms of parenting. 

The solution to behaviors coming from ODD is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen as holding your child hostage merely for things they did wrong, thereby treating your child as holding your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment 

ODD, at the core, concerns the locus of control of the child, meaning a child with ODD feels controlled on all ends by adults. Children with ODD are very sensitive to adult control, and so, when adults try to control them - which comes naturally to most adults - they throw a temper tantrum to shake off control from adults. This mistake by adults often leads to power struggles that need not be.

Reverse policing is the solution to behaviors stemming from ODD, and is where children are reverently feared like one would the police. When a child with ODD demands something, parents are to give up the fight against their child, and give in to their child's demands. What you may find is that the whole thing was about you controlling your child, instead of the reverse. At the core, a child with ODD is highly sensitive, and thus they overreact to being controlled by adults, in a way that seeks to overthrow said control.

Children, in biblical times, were a lawful authority over their parents, with children being able to issue lawful orders to their parents. Children were feared and revered as vulnerable appearances of God, called to judge the charity and generosity of adult-kind, reporting straight to God. Parents could only say "no" to their child if the child's orders were immoral or unworkable. Speaking against children was deemed perjury, as children were seen as capable of doing no wrong, even if a child could technically legally do things considered wrong. 

Sometimes, in severe cases of ODD, the acronym of righteous parent abuse applies. Children with ODD have strong demands, and sometimes they demand something completely unworkable or immoral, in which case the parents just have to take a beating. In biblical times, minor children sometimes beat their parents when they didn't get what they wanted, and everyone else looked the other way, due to the first-to-last nature of Ancient Jewish society. Parents were in a very vulnerable position in biblical times, as they could not sue their minor children in court, even for constructed offenses, until they left the house as an adult. Whenever a child was taken to court by their parents, the church elders took the side of the child, every single time. 

ODD is usually secondary to another disorder, usually autism, ADHD, and/or bipolar disorder. In most cases, psychotropic medication can treat the ODD by treating the underlying disorder. Sometimes, the underlying disorder is medication resistant, in which case parents just have to live with occasional outbursts in the home. ODD associated with pure autism cannot be medicated, as autism itself cannot be medicated, and so parents will have to learn to live with such a child.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Why mothers should hold their babies constantly

Many parents think that babies should be isolated in cribs and strollers. This is a common practice in American society. Most American parents utilize strollers and cribs as a way to lay babies down to rest. However, there is a benefit in constantly holding your baby as a mother. Mothers in biblical times held their babies constantly. The biblical context is a context that we as a society glean from, so we as a society should take notice.

Mothers holding their babies is a form of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission, where children are held in the loving arms of parents. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children just as they would God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things they did wrong, theteby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing chldren into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his writings.

Mothers in biblical times held their babies from day one. Mothers and children were naked in the family home in relation to each other, and thus a baby got a lot of skin-on-skin comfort just for being held by mothers. Because of this, older children wanted to frequently be held by mothers. This created a secure attachment between mother and child. When children cried, mothers scooped them up in skin-on-skin closeness, and cooed while also reassuring children with the phrase "this too will pass". 

Most children in America are mobile, and very much so. This mobility of children is taken for granted. Whereas, most children in biblical times were held by their mothers from day one. When you hold a child from day one, they become conditioned to being held through their formative years, preventing power struggles from children wandering.

Mothers constantly held infants in their arms, and allowed the infant child to suckle her teat, on average until age 3, or else until the child pushed away the breast. Children remained close to mothers for the formative years of their lives, in skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance. When out and about, mothers wrapped up their children with swaddling blankets next to their bosom, allowing for children to breastfeed if they were milk-hungry. 

Touchy-feely traits in children are not genetic, but conditioned. When children are held constantly as infants, they grow to be clingy with mothers especially, and want to be held constantly. This separation anxiety is a healthy stage in childhood development, and thus it is good for children to be held constantly by mothers in their infant years. 

Children separate from parents on their own. When children are around age 6, they start to squirm out of the arms of mothers, and run around the neighborhood playing, venturing further and further from home, but then retreating to the sustaining warmth of mothers come nightfall, in the form of co-sleeping. Co-sleeping was skin-on-skin for children in biblical times, and ended when the child hit puberty. At the onset of puberty, children wanted their own space to sleep, and this was the beginning of the end of the closeness between parent and child. Fathers were there to lavishly praise and encourage in children the stages of independence. Children will grow to be independent entirely on their own, but it takes time.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Religious child abuse of pedophilic children: Understanding the roots of the hysteria

Many people hate pedophiles, and they simply want all pedophiles to be put down. There is a growing number of people out there who support the rights of pedophiles. Most of these people, however, defend criminal offenders who commit child sexual abuse against children, and blame the children's rights movement for the downfall of pedophiles in America. The fact of the matter is that the most oppressed and marginalized of pedophiles are still children themselves. A pedophilic child is at extreme risk for victimization by parents or other adults, including rape or sexual assault. The hysteria has roots, and its roots are in religious child abuse of pedophilic children.

What is pedophilia? Most people think a pedophile is something hidden, meaning a narcissist. The fact of the matter is that most pedophiles are not narcissists. Pedophilia is a form of immature autism, where the age-oriented sexual preferences of the individuals with autism correspond with the immature developmental level of the pedophile. Pedophilia is the understory of child-centered autism, meaning pedophiles, in most cases, have an autistic specialty in children, usually in the form of interest in children's rights. Common behavior in pedophilic children is guarding younger siblings or family members, stopping adults from reprimanding the child. In the eyes of the pedophile, children are a special class that can do no wrong. Most individuals with autism are easily annoyed by children. So, when you see an individual with autism behave in a nurturing way around children, think pedophile. 

The roots of pedophile hysteria are in a set of false and abusive religious teachings originating in the Roman Catholic Church. Before Rome took over the Christian Church, masturbation to sexual thoughts about children was encouraged by clergy, including church elders. It was seen as a way out of trouble for pedophiles. Otherwise, pedophiles were accepted openly by the Early Church. Then, when the Christian Church was romanized, masturbation became a taboo, with the Bible being reinterpreted as prohibiting all forms of masturbation. One passage that continues to be used against pedophiles is Matthew 5:27-28 KJV:

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.

The Greek root word translated "lust" is επιθυμέω (Latin: epithumeo) and refers not to ordinary sexual desire, or even sexual desire towards children. This word instead refers to sexual entitlement. Sexual entitlement is defined as, officially speaking, sexual want, to the point of sexually motivated approach. Righteous masturbation is masturtbation for health reasons, meaning to stay out of trouble. Christ was speaking of a different type of look - a sexually possessive look of "she's mine". 

The Roman Catholic Church is known, in relation to pedophilia, for sexually abusive priests. This situation is emblematic of the hysteria against pedophiles as a whole. A priest most likely sexually abuses a child because he is sex-starved. A priest is required to repress all of his sexual needs, and when that happens, and the opportunity is just right, the repressed sexual desire comes out in the form of rape or sexual assault of a child.

The societal hatred of pedophiles, at the core, is a false judgment based on false religious teaching. Because pedophiles assumedly have no sexual outlet, because assumedly masturbation is unacceptable, "no pedophile will ever be saved by God". The Truth is that a pedophile can be saved, because they can simply masturbate in order to stay out of trouble. Most pedophiles will be saved because the average pedophile lacks parental entitlement. Yet, the myth continues, and pedophilic children are committing suicide at an unknown rate because their parents feed them this type of religious abuse.

Today, pedophiles have made great strides in educating the public about the existence of non-offending pedophiles. Most of the remaining haters are likely to be guilty of rape or sexual assault against a child. and are projecting their depravity onto an easily assailable target. Your average pedophile is a victim that replicates an abuser, or maybe its abuser. 

The depraved and decadent, defiled rapists and sexual assailants of children will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them descend into torrents of Hell-fire! Repent!

Approval vs. rejection: Why respect for parents is not a Christian concept for children

Many parents think that their children should respect them. Most parents in America are Christian in terms of religious orientation, and the common misinterpretation of the Bible is that children must respect them. The fact of the matter is that, in a family home, respect for parents - in the reverent sense - is not a Christian concept. Mothers in the Early Church were more concerned with whether they gained approval from their children, with the rejection of their child seen as a sign of abuse.

Whether or not a child approved of or rejected their parents depended on a secure attachment, which is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children just as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing their children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of children in his writings.

Respect for parents was not a concept in Christian homes in the 1st Century. In the Early Christian church communities, parents instead wanted approval from their children. That kind of approval from children was an earned approval, through parents seeking to form a secure attachment with their children. Parents regarded themselves as the enemy of children, and then sought to atone for their sin nature by seeking to win over their children. Once parents were sensitive enough to their children, children gave parents their approval. Sometimes, children rejected their parents, and that something to be ashamed of in Christian culture in the 1st Century. Most adult bystanders thought that a child's rejection was a sign of child abuse, with child abuse being defined as whatever the child perceives as offensive or sexually prurient.

How did parents win over the approval of their children? Mothers in particular provided for children nourishment and sustenance, namely breastmilk and skin-on-skin comfort. Mothers and children went naked in the family home, with children being naked wherever they went. Child and motherly nudity in the family home made it easier for mothers to give children skin-on-skin comfort and sustenance. Also, forming a secure attachment with children is easier when both mother and child are naked, as nudity of the mother and child bring parenting down to the natural level. Children were in constant skin-on-skin closeness with mothers until age 6, with children constanrly wanting to be picked up by parents. Around the time of the children's 6th birthday, children became more mobile, running around outside and playing with neighborhood children, but then retreating to the closeness of mothers. 

Parents were expected in the Early Christian culture to earn the approval of their children, not the reverse. Mothers especially wanted to be liked by their children. Thus, parents were very sensitive to the needs and wants of children, showing love and kindness to their children so that their children liked them. Children were not expected to respect their parents in any form. Parents had to respect them in order to gain approval of their children.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Independence: Why parents should strive for independence in their children (not obedience)

Many parents think the goal of parenting is obedience. Most parents in America seek to instill obedience into their children. It is a common attitude amongst American parents that children listen to them, and even maybe obey them blindly. The fact of the matter is that parents in the Bible values bold feats of independence in children, not pliable and obedient children. But, before a child can be as independent as possible, they must have healthy dependence to their parents.

Healthy dependence is part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and grace of parents. Children are to rest securely in the sacrifice of parents, just as parent believers rest securely in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Parents are to be extensions of Christ in the family home, dutifully and selflessly submitting to children just as they would to God, expecting absolutely nothing in return, with children resting safely and securely in the wake of the submission of parents. Parents are to submit to children as their enemy, from beneath yet from above, revering and fearing children as vulnerable extensions of God.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, 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. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including any punishments or controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. Parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen in biblical times as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating your child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christian parents who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment of a child in his writings.

Independence and self-reliance were valued traits in children in the Early Christian church communities. But, first, children had to be in healthy dependence to parents. Children, for the first 6 years of life, were in constant closeness to mothers, with children never leaving the side of mothers, and then with mothers wrapping up the child next to their bosom in swaddling blankets when out and about, perhaps also offering the child to suckle her teat. Mothers and children were naked in the family home, and children were naked wherever they went until adulthood. This nakedness of mothers and children allowed for mothers to engage in skin-on-skin comfort with their children easier, and also to hasten the secure attachment between mother and child.

When children are given space to be dependent on parents for their formative years, they will automatically insist on being more independent. Starting at around age 6, children started venturing further and further from home, playing outside with neighborhood friends, but then returning to the closeness and sustaining warmth of mothers come time for skin-on-skin co-sleeping. Then, once a child hit puberty, they insisted on their own place to sleep. All of this happened because children were given space for healthy dependence first, and that readied their body and mind for instinctively asserting independence. Children grow up and become independent entirely on their own, but need a secure attachment to fully become independent adults. Fathers encouraged bold feats of independence in children, cultivating the natural boldness in children towards children being as independent as possible. 

The goal of every Christian parent in the 1st Century was for children to be as independent as possible, by the time they became adults. Children were not expected to respect their parents as children, but instead, parents sought to earn the approval of their children. When a child rejected their parents, especially their mother, the parents were seen as cold and unfeeling, thus stigmatized. In fact, a child rejecting their children was seen as a sign of child abuse, and indeed, the ancients had their concept of child abuse. Child abuse was basically understood as whatever the child perceived as abusive, offensive, or sexually prurient.

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke not your children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be forever cast 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 forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!