Christian Domestic Discipline

I know you probably are wondering what this is. A woman once asked what I thought about it, and I myself had to look it up to see what it was. Christian domestic discipline is where the husband punishes the wife for wrong doing. The woman who asked me about it was all for it, saying how wonderful it was, and quoting Scriptures to prove her point. Below is my response to this practice:

Have you looked up Chastening in a concordance? If you run the references it's always about a father and son relationship- never about a husband and wife relationship. In fact, when God chooses to chastise the world during the tribulation, he takes his bride out- RAPTURE. The bride of Christ is viewed by God as having no spot and no wrinkle (Ephesians 5:26-27) because of the blood of Christ, so there is no need for chastisement. Children need chistisement because the parent has to teach them right from wrong (Proverbs 22:6), yet when they are grown up they don't need it anymore. Hebrews 12:8-But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. He's referring to children, not marriage.I will tell you that I do know some people who practice this. The wives fear their husbands. They don't dare say anything wrong. And many of them were beaten by their husbands before they were saved, so this just justified their abusive tendencies.In Jeremiah 3 God is talking about his backsliding wife- Jeremiah 3:8- And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.  She was unfaithful and he didn't chasten her, he divorced her. Jeremiah 3:12- Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. God is a God of self control. He doesn't chasten his bride. The entire chapter is God pleading with her to put away her whoredoms and come back to him. Never does he even threaten to chastise her.There are no scriptures in the Bible supporting that men should spank their wives. There are many verses on wives submitting to their husbands, honoring their husbands, loving their husbands, obeying their husbands, etc. But the verses in the Bible about chastening are the Lord chastening us- never a husband chastening his wife.The Gentile King banished his Gentile wife in Esther- there was no mention of chastening.The Whore in Judges was sweet talked by her husband to come home- no chastening.When Michal scorned King David for dancing in front of the Lord when the ark was brought into Jerusalem, he only verbally responded to her- no chastening.There are no instances in the Bible where it tells of or even insinuates that a husband chastened his wife.Colossians 3- wives submit to your husands, husbands love your wives and be not bitterTitus 2- wives love your husbands, keep the house, love your children; husbands have one wifeI Peter 3- wives be in subjection to your own husbands, husbands honor the wife as a weaker vesselHowever, they ignore the previous verses which speaks of God as our Father. It also speaks of the Father/ Son relationship. NO WHERE IN THAT CHAPTER DOES IT MENTION HUSBANDS AND WIVES OR THEIR RELATIONSHIP. The whole idea is scripture taken out of context to build a doctrine upon.Colossians 3:19-Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. He is to love her, not get bitter because she does irrational or emotional things. Boy! I can do some stupid stuff!Ephesians 5:25-Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; He is to lay down his life for her, if needed. In fact, he is to treat her like he would treat himself- Ephesians 5:28-29- So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: So, unless he is spanking, or chastising, himself when he does his wife- he isn't being biblical.Ephesians 5- wives submit to your own husbands, husbands love your wife like Christ loved the church (be willing to die for her)- it doesn't mention chastening.We are not told to honor our children, we are to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We are not to spare the rod, but also we are to get their hearts and not provoke them to wrath.Their key verse is Hebrews 12:11- Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Scripture with scripture.I Peter 3:7- Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Peter says that if your relationship with your spouse is wrong, God won't hear your prayers. He is to protect her (not beat her) as the weaker vessel.If you think I'm wrong, please, provide me scripture that says for a husband to chastise his wife. Make sure it says Husband, wife, chastise, or something similar in the verse, not father, son, child.

This conversation was over three years ago and still I have not received a response from the woman. Either she is still trying to find the verses in the Bible, or she has decided that what she wants to believe is more important that what the Bible actually says.