Question
Is there a verse in the bible that says “A strike unto a child is like a strike unto the Lord”? Are there any verses in the bible that advocate beating your children?
Answer
As to the verse, I am not sure, but let me give some passage that speak about the roles of parents and children and what these involve, especially in regard to the scope of parental discipline taught in the Bible.
First, the basic obligation of parents to children and children to parents. Parents are to love, provide for and teach their children according to the way of the Lord and if necessary when this teaching does not correct a child, discipline children, not in a brutal, abusive manner, but in a manner that gets attention and set boundaries. If that should involve some type of physical punishment, not unrestrained beating and torturing of children, then this is permitted according to Scripture.
As to children, they are to obey, honor, respect and eventually, if necessary, provide for their parents. To do less, is to bring disgrace upon themselves and displeasure to their parents and especially to God.
Even though the world would have parents believe that their only function is to cater to their children’s every desire and the children’s function is to do whatever they desire to do, either with or without the parents’ consent, this is not the way of the Lord. And, all we have to do to see the results of such foolish thinking is, look at the moral chaos in our society. Discipline, although unpopular, reflects the Divine nature and should be a part of being a godly parent, no matter what society may think about it. The passages below should reflects the points that I have made in giving this answer.
EPH 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
EPH 6:2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),
EPH 6:3 that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.
EPH 6:4 And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
PRO 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.
PRO 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
PRO 19:18 Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death.
PRO 23:13 ¶ Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you beat him with the rod, he will not die.
PRO 23:14 You shall beat him with the rod, And deliver his soul from Sheol.
PRO 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
ROM 1:28 ¶ And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
ROM 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
ROM 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
ROM 1:31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
ROM 1:32 and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
HEB 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
HEB 12:5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
HEB 12:6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives. ”
HEB 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
HEB 12:8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
HEB 12:9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
HEB 12:10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
HEB 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
By Gary Hunt
