ROD OF DISCIPLINE
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15
This passage makes two bold assumptions: One, children have a spirit of folly (disobedience) and two, discipline, particularly spanking, discourages that disobedience.
I’m working on an exegesis of all the spanking verses in Proverbs. It is turning into a fairly lengthy paper. Proverbs certainly approves of spanking for disobedience. I am aware that many in our society today do not like it as a form of punishment. But, if we are Christians, we have to deal with the fact the Bible approves of spanking if it is done appropriately.
There are some things that should never characterize a spanking. For example:
One, spanking should never be a substitute for teaching.
Two, it should never be done to alleviate the frustration of parents.
Three, spanking should never be abusive. That is, it should never cause any kind of permanent damage to the child.
There are three things that a spanking should be or accomplish.
One, a spanking should be an act of love by the parent.
Two, it should shape the will or heart of a child.
Three, it should reinforce verbal instruction.
I’ll write more later. For now, think about the implications of Proverbs 22:15 and the role of spanking in the home. Fathers, we are responsible for the moral and ethical development of our children. Are we responsibly involved in the process?
Warren Baldwin
