Spare the Rod

The concept of corporal punishment in Christianity has been a given for ... well ... forever, I think. I offered a host of passages that describe parenting with the use of this method. A common tool of discipline described in these passages is the "rod". That's why a particular segment of our society, bent on changing this forever-concept of corporal punishment as a biblical tool for parenting, have decided to revisit the texts to redefine the concept. Eliminate the biblical concept and you eliminate the parenting concept for Christians, right? So, here's what they do. "You know," they tell you, "you've all misunderstood that term 'rod' as it is used in Scripture."

Go, first, to the passage that everyone seems to know -- the 23rd Psalm. You know it. Quote this part with me.

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me (Psa 23:4).

(Isn't it funny that everyone quotes that in King James English?) There it is; that word "rod". David says it comforts him. Now, look, in what possible sense would anyone say that "That device you use to inflict physical harm to me brings me great comfort"? There, you see? Can't be that the rod is a method of discipline. What then?

Many in the "pro-corporal punishment" side will tell you of the story of the shepherds who, in order to teach wayward lambs not to stray, use their rods to break the lamb's leg and then nurse it back to help. Nice story. Doesn't actually seem to be possible in real life. And no existing shepherd would likely allow it. The "anti-corporal punishment" side will argue (rightly) that this story is a fabrication. They'll argue that the rod was not a tool for injuring sheep, but for "a variety of purposes, primarily to protect the flock from enemies, direct behavior and examine the well-being of individual sheep." There you have it! Not for whacking! Done! But is it? As it turns out shepherds use their rods, as indicated in the quote, to "direct behavior" by throwing the thing at the sheep. That's right. Not too hard. Don't harm the sheep, of course. But give that sheep a thump to get his attention. So, apart from nice analogies without any real-life sources, what does the Bible mean when it speaks of the "rod"?

Here's what we know. It comforted David (Psa 23:4). It was used as a product of love (Prov 13:24). It was not drastic, not supposed to be fatal (Prov 23:13-14). It was used to strike (Prov 23:13-14). In Ezekiel we read of "passing under the rod" (Ezek 20:37). This appears to be a counting method (Lev 27:32). God outlawed killing a slave with a rod (Exo 21:20). He spoke of disciplining with a rod which would produce "stripes" (2 Sam 7:14; Psa 89:32). It was used on the back (Prov 10:13) Job found the rod to be difficult to tolerate (Job 9:34). Solomon compares it to a whip and a bridle (Prov 26:3). It was used to beat things (in this example, dill) (Isa 28:27). Paul gave his readers the option: "Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?" (1 Cor 4:21). In Revelation the rod was used for measuring (Rev 11:1; 21:15-16). Another version was "a rod of iron" which appears to be threatening (Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15).

That's what we know. Arguing that "the rod is a gentle device used just to be nice to sheep", you'd have to discard what we know. It is unavoidable that the rod was used to strike as well as to count, measure, and other non-violent things. It is used in Scripture repeatedly to point to painful events. So when you hear it argued that we've all misunderstood "the rod" for all these centuries and are fed a nice version based first on "that kind of rod wouldn't comfort me", don't listen. Be consistent with the Scriptures when you're looking to the Scriptures. Always a good plan. And then you might want to reexamine what comforts you. Does it comfort you that God conforms to what you like, or does it comfort you that He always does what is right, even if that's painful?