Since my last article on Christian divorce sparked more debates than a family reunion, I thought I’d dive headfirst into yet another topic I know nothing about—biblical parenting.
And why not just rip the band-aid off and get the pain over immediately? In this first article on the subject, we will tackle the one topic parents don’t want to talk about—corporal punishment. More specifically—spanking.
The Cultural Shift of Spanking
Have you ever wondered when parents stopped spanking their kids for bad behavior? Before the 1960’s, spanking was widely accepted and often recommended by parents, schools, and churches. It was after this that attitudes began to change as psychologists, pediatricians, and child-development researchers started questioning corporal punishment.
Benjamin Spock and Murray Straus, prominent children’s researchers, were very outspoken against corporal punishment and are two individuals most often cited as having the greatest influence on changing mainstream attitudes. The American Academy of Pediatrics played a much broader role, even to this day, in shifting professional and public opinion by discouraging it and advising against it altogether.
The movement against spanking was tied to a much larger cultural shift from the 1960’s onward:
- Greater emphasis on child psychology and emotional development.
- The rise of children’s rights movements and state agencies like the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS).
- Declining acceptance of physical punishment in schools and institutions.
- The potential risks associated with corporal punishment as opposed to nonphysical discipline.
Many countries, such as Sweden, banned the practice altogether in 1979, when Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking, became a prominent public advocate against it.
Laws Associated with Child Discipline
It’s important to know what your state laws say regarding child discipline because it helps parents best discipline their children in a way that won’t break any laws. As Christians, we still need to obey the law, as long as it doesn’t infringe on God’s Word.
Many states are stepping forward to ban corporal punishment in schools, reflecting a growing understanding of effective educational practices. While at home, there are important guidelines that promote safety and well-being. Laws exist to ensure that physical discipline is carried out with care, emphasizing the importance of leaving no bruising or marks. By doing your research on reputable platforms, you’ll find a wealth of accurate and trustworthy information that can empower you to make informed decisions.
But What Does the Bible Say About This?
On the other hand, from a biblical worldview, things look a whole lot different. It’s a lot like the difference between Creationism and Evolution. Both see the same evidence in nature, but, looking through the lens of their own worldview, come to very different conclusions about how it got there. It’s the same when it comes to parenting a child.
The Bible says much about disciplining your child for the purpose of correcting them. Here are several of them:
- Proverbs 13:24 NKJV – He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
- Proverbs 19:18 NKJV – Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.
- Proverbs 22:15 NKJV – Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
- Proverbs 23:13-14 NKJV – Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.
- Proverbs 29:15, 17 NKJV – The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. … Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul.
Did you catch that? From a secular worldview, it sees spanking as “corporal punishment,” but from a Christian worldview, it’s seen as “discipline.” And that’s the crux of the matter right there, and to go any further, we need to examine these perspectives.
- Punishment (secular) is retributive justice. Its primary aim is to remove a threat from society or to satisfy a law, rather than to improve the character of an individual. It’s what happens when chastening doesn’t work. It’s an end result. There is no moving forward.
- Chastening or discipline (biblical) is a corrective action. As to chasten children so that they grow up to thrive in society. Its aim is to help them become well-behaved, obedient adults and get them on the right path when they have veered off course.
The primary goal from a biblical position is to effectively guide children, ensuring they grow into thriving adults within society. Punishment should be a last resort, reserved for those who remain unmanageable despite attempts at gentle correction. The essence of discipline lies in training, empowering them to learn valuable lessons from their mistakes.
Provoking Children to Wrath
What happens, though, is that we get these things mixed up. The secular worldview wants to only punish children and spank them because of something they did. The Bible says that it is provoking your children to wrath.
- Ephesians 6:4 NKJV – And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
- Colossians 3:21 NKJV – Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Children only get angrier when you spank them for something they did, without showing them the path they should have taken. Children are still in the learning process, and when they feel they keep doing wrong without a path forward, that is discouraging. When they keep making the same mistakes without correction and a way out, it provokes them to not even try. The end result will be the same, so why bother.
Also, spanking for something they confessed to and are repentant of, I imagine it would discourage a child. If the child is crying, saying he or she is sorry for doing something, is there really a need to spank them when they are obviously repentant?
Another way to provoke children to wrath is to chasten them in anger. While administering spanking or any other physical discipline, it needs to be done in humility and love, knowing it is for their good because that’s how the Lord deals with us. Afterwards, the child needs to know that the parent loves them, cares for them, and wants nothing but the best for them.
We’ve all seen unchastened children who grow up to be unruly adults. Prison systems are full of inmates who did not have a father in the home, were not raised to respect the Lord, or love others as themselves. It’s a vicious cycle.
There’s also this misconception that when the Bible speaks of a “rod,” it means something like torture prisoners of war would receive, that the lashings would cause their backs to be exposed and bleed out. Maybe if we studied the Bible in its historical context, we could conclude that it is a corrective tool, and not a torture device. More of a flexible stick like the tip of a fishing rod.
Why Studying the Bible is Important
Therefore, we can only assume that if parents and researchers had just read the Scriptures and understood discipline in its historical context, how it was done, within the boundaries it was designed, then maybe it would still be widely used today. Society would look a lot different if we didn’t throw out the rod of correction altogether.
We all have our opinions of what the “rod of correction” was. Some may think of a torture device like a bamboo cane used on Prisoners of War captured during the Vietnam War. Others may think of it as symbolic of something other than your hand to inflict pain. I, for one, imagine it like a small flexible reed, like the top portion of a fishing “rod.” But if we don’t understand the Bible for what it says and means, we can veer off course in imaginations it never intended.
And this is where I feel we’ve messed up. Because it is not done within the proper guidelines and in the context in which it was designed, institutions and government would like to ban the practice altogether.
One of the best resources I found on the topic of spanking is the above video from Alex Clark on her conversation with Doug Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. In it, they dive deep into the who, what, where, when, why, and how of correcting a child. It is a fascinating conversation, and one of my top five videos of all time. Yes, it is that good. You will not be disappointed. So, if you are a parent-to-be, new parent, or one with young kids and want a change of behavior — this is for you.
In Conclusion
It’s understandable for those of us without children to feel like “armchair quarterbacks” in matters that require personal experience. We could delve deeper into the nuances of homeschooling versus public schooling, Christian education versus public education, the debate over children’s ministry versus keeping kids with parents during Sunday service, when to give a child a cell phone, allowing them on social media, and so much more.
However, as parents navigate these important decisions, consider turning to the Bible for guidance on what might be best for our families according to our Creator. Too many times, the Bible is looked on as outdated, archaic, and insignificant for today. But when we observe what is written, interpret it in context, and apply its principles, we can glean wisdom in any area of life where we need help. Even in 2026.
Oftentimes, I observe from the outside perspective. It seems as if we care more about our comfort and convenience in the moment than what could be in the future if we do the small things in the here and now. Counting to three in hopes that the child changes does no good when the consequences are never administered. But since that never ended well for those in Scripture who took a perceived easy road, why do we in 2026 think we have it all figured out, and it would be different?
Though this is a never-ending, controversial subject I never needed to learn, it was interesting to think about. However, I will quit while I still have friends and not get into other topics relating to children, like school choice, homeschooling vs. public schools, children’s ministry vs. keeping kids in the sanctuary with the parents. Prepare for an addendum to this article.
Pens & Wrenches 
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