Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child?
Proverbs 13:24 says:
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
Is the Bible seriously advocating spanking with this verse?
YES! Yes, it is.
Physical discipline, corporal punishment, whatever you want to call it – it is a common instruction in the Book of Proverbs. Because…
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15)
But… understand the motivation behind this form of punishment – it is not anger, but love.
He who loves him is diligent to discipline him… (Proverbs 13:24)
Spanking should not ever be something a parent uses to vent their anger. It is to lovingly teach a child.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Make sure your child understands why they are being punished. This will help to bring them to an awareness of their sin, then use that to point them toward the saving power of the Gospel.
These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
The harshness of the rod in Proverbs is not spared in the New Testament. Hebrews 12 uses the same words from Proverbs to describe the Lord’s discipline.
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
For the moment all discipline seems to be painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)
It’s true that there are a lot of cultural stigmas against spanking. But, do not be intimidated. Spanking is not child abuse. As Proverbs 23:13 says:
Do not withhold discipline from a child. If you strike him with a rod he will not die! If you strike him with a rod, you will save his soul from the grave.
In fact, when used lovingly and Biblically, it will help to save your child from death.
…When we understand the text!
(This video is by WWUTT. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central.)