Independent Fundamental Baptist

I have to be honest, this isn’t an easy topic to discuss. Parenting is highly individualized and each child is unique. The type of discipline one child responds to may not be the type of discipline that another child or even a sibling responds to. To assign one major discipline technique and use it in a cookie cutter approach to discipline and behavior modification is at least dangerous if not abusive. The idea behind discipline is to modify behavior and to teach/mold/shape a child. To that end discipline methods should be carefully chosen and implemented based on the child’s personality and needs.

This topic could essentially go in many different directions. Talking about spanking could lead to parenting styles (i.e., Baby Training vs. Attachment Parenting), child personality development, conduct disorders, and so forth. The main goal of this section, however, is to discuss the idea of spanking and the dangerous manner in which the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination teaches and promotes it.

Now before I get started let me set the record straight on how I feel about spanking:

• Do I think that spanking done in the proper context and in a loving, non-harsh, and proper manner is harmful for a child? Not really.


• Do I think that spanking demonstrates aggression and that children who are spanked will tend to be more aggressive? Not really.


• Do I think there are better, more effective ways of disciplining children? Absolutely!


• Do I think that spanking can be very dangerous when done in anger? Absolutely!
  


• Do I think that people blindly follow what is being taught in the church about spanking without thinking it through? Unfortunately Yes.
  

Spanking, if done at all, should only be used as a last resort.

My focus here is on the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination’s mentality regarding spanking and the manipulation of scripture they used to justify it. I will also be talking about the abusive manner in which the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination promotes spanking and the parents who blindly follow the instruction without regard to child differences, parenting style or any other unique facet of parenting and child growth and development.

I did a meta-analysis in my Masters Program on spanking and the empirical evidence both against and for spanking is inconclusive at best. I have made the Introduction section of my paper available online. If you would like to read it Click Here to open it in a new window. It is in .pdf format.

One of the things that makes me so angry about this issue is the blatant misuse and misinterpretation of the scripture used to support spanking. The reason for this misinterpretation is due to the use of the King James Version. You can read more about KJV Onlyism by Clicking Here. The focus of the controversy regarding this topic is with the word that had been translated as “rod”. As I researched scripture and sought guidance on the original language I don’t think there is any question as to the proper translation of this word. Almost everyone agrees that the “rod” connotes some type of physical or corporal punishment.

But is that were we should stop when interpreting scripture? Absolutely NOT!!! When a group makes a literal interpretation of a verse or a group of verses and neglects to consider them within the contextual theme of the passage, chapter or book, misinterpretations abound. The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination has made such an error. Taken literally, the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination promotes the idea of physical punishment as the best means of child discipline. If you read the context surrounding the major verses used to promote spanking, you can see that there is a different theme to the passage than one of corporal punishment. Furthermore, anyone who has even the least amount of training in child behavior or child development knows that corporal punishment is not only the least effective way to discipline, but also carries with it the risk of backfiring and the risk of abuse.

With that in mind let me go over a few of the verses that the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination uses to support their promotion of corporal punishment. There are actually many verses in the KJV Bible (I’m referencing the KJV since it is the version that the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination use) that use the word “rod”, and there are several uses for that word. The word “rod” can be used for:

• It is used in regard to punishment:
• Pr 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
• Pr 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
• Pr 23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
• Pr 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
• Pr 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
• It is used to reference an instrument or tool of a Shephard:
• Leviticus 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
• Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
• Psalm 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
• Isaiah 28:27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
• Exodus 21:20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
• It is used as a symbol of Godly Heritage:
• Psalm 74:2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
• Jeremiah 10:16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
• Jeremiah 51:19 The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.
• It is used to symbolize the authority of the wicked:
• Psalm 125:3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
• Proverbs 22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
• It is used as a punishment for a “Fool”:
• Proverbs 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
• Proverbs 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
• It is used as a symbol of man’s authority:
• II Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
• Ezekiel 19:11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
• Ezekiel 19:14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
• It is used as a symbol of God’s authority:
• Job 9:34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
• Job 21:9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
• Psalm 89:32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
• Isaiah 10:5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
• Isaiah 10:15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
• Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
• Lamentations 3:1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
• Micah 7:14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
• Ezekiel 20:37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
• Ezekiel 21:10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
• Ezekiel 21:13 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.
• It is used to symbolize the authority of a Nation:
• Isaiah 9:4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
• Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
• Isaiah 30:31 For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
• Micah 5:1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

It’s important to distinguish, here, the verses that the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination uses to promote Corporal Punishment. Every time I’ve heard an Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination church teach on spanking or defend it’s practice they will use a combination of several verses in Proverbs. They are:

• Pr 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
• Pr 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
• Pr 23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
• Pr 23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
• Pr 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Now at first glance it would very much seem that those verses are promoting spanking. The problem is, however, those verses are almost always taken out of context. To understand the context of Proverbs, it’s important to look at the theme of Proverbs.

Sidebar:
I very much dislike the word “beat” used in the KJV in these passages. We all hopefully know that it’s NEVER right to beat a child. Unfortunately there are Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination church that take a literal interpretation too far here and teach its congregation that God is instructing parents to actually beat their children into submission and obedience.

Example:
• Jack Hyles, founder, Hyles-Anderson College, as quoted in his book How to Rear Children (1972)
• Sometimes spanking should leave stripes on the child.
  Citing Proverbs 20:30
• The spanking should be administered firmly. It should be painful and it should last until the child’s will is broken. It should last until the child is crying not tears of anger but tears of a broken will. As long as he is stiff, grits his teeth, holds on to his own will, the spanking should continue.
• The [spanking] ritual should be deliberate and last at least ten or fifteen minutes. … It should be a ritual dreaded by the child. He should not only dread the pain but the time consumed in the ordeal.
• Don’t bother buying the book or reading it. It’s pretty much worthless and full of VERY dangerous errors like the ones quoted above. Unfortunately his book is available online for free, but I’m not going to provide a link. I can’t in good conscience promote it. If you really want it you’ll have to find it on your own.

This is one of the reasons I don’t like the KJV. It uses words that are either out dated or have a VERY different meaning in today’s society. It can be VERY dangerous and lead to some awful misinterpretations. I talk more about this in the KJV Onlyism section.

When interpreting Proverbs, it’s important to remember that the Proverbs were written by Solomon and are about wisdom. The central theme to the book of Proverbs can be linked to Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This theme of centrality of the knowledge of God runs through the entirety of the book. The instructions that are given, although they are for everyday circumstances, allude to humankind’s uprightness before God. The thought pattern that the reverence and respect for God in all circumstances brings true knowledge is encouraged in this book.

The book centers on the willingness to learn as important. God’s people were taught to believe that God’s law is something that is part of life and is a duty, and this required obedience. Proverbs calls this kind of obedience the fear of the Lord. This obligation, which is similar to the knowledge of God that they had from the prophetic books, involves reverence, gratitude, and commitment to do the will of God in every circumstance. The main goal of Proverbs is to define clearly what it means to be fully devoted to God’s will and seeing his will accomplished in this world.

Given the theme of Proverbs and the context, to take a literal interpretation about the “rod” is to miss the greater picture of what the Lord is attempting to communicate with these passages in proverbs. If you read the context of these passages, you will see that the whole idea is one of discipline, NOT JUST spanking. The message is that parents shouldn’t be worried that their punishment will harm a child or make a child love the parent any less. See parents who fail to properly discipline their children often fail because they are worried that their harsh discipline will hurt the relationship between them and their children and that the child will despise the parents for the punishment which is not true. In fact the opposite is true.

Most parents today are more concerned with being a friend to their children then they are being a parent or authority figure. Believe it or not, children want parents to discipline them. It helps the child know that the parent cares enough to protect, shape, mold, and teach them. Children often act out as a way to gain the authoritative attention from the parents that they crave.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist I see families with a child who is misbehaving. We call this child the symptom bearer of the family dysfunction. The misbehaving child is the one who is most burdened with the family dysfunction and it trying to find a way to help. The “symptom bearer” is often the most healthy member of the family. Parents often make the mistake that their child is misbehaving because they are bad. In actuality the child’s misbehavior is an attempt to keep the family together and decrease the dysfunction. The child unconsciously reasons that the family desperately needs to be united and the only way he/she knows how to do that is to act out so that the family unites to solve his/her misbehavior.

I believe that the Lord, in His infinite Wisdom, knew this and that’s why He wrote Proverbs. These passages in Proverbs are about this very thing. When parents properly discipline their children, the children will respond naturally by behaving properly which will in the future guide them to making right decisions which will lead to their safety and moral growth. Their Salvation will be easier for them to grasp which will keep them out of hell (see Proverbs 23:14). A parent shows more love to their children when they discipline, whether it is in the form of spanking, time out, grounding, etc. then when they let their child do whatever they want (see Proverbs 13:24).

Another VERY important thing to remember here is that ALL 36 references in the Bible to the “rod” are in the Old Testament. As with Tithing, it’s important to remember that we are no longer under the Old Covenant. To my knowledge, someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, there is no reference to “the rod” in the New Testament. It is an exclusive interpretation from the Hebrew. We should be careful about taking verses from the OT literally since they often reflect ceremonial and other laws that NT Christians are not required to follow.

The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination has taken these verses (see above) and developed an entire philosophy of child discipline on them! The Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination tells parents to use spanking as a primary form of punishment or discipline, but this teaching is not found in the Bible.

When we read about Jesus, we read that Jesus is described as a shepherd who gently guides and corrects us. He is “long suffering” and patient with us. The shepherd used his “rod” to guide the sheep, not to beat them! Psalm 23 uses “shebet” to describe the shepherd’s “rod” which is the same word “shebet” that is used in the Proverbs verses above.

Needless to say, I hold to the figurative interpretation of these verses.