We as parents must train as God instructs if we wish to train our children for God.

We must train as God would if we wish to have God-pleasing results.

But some of God’s ways and a few of His instructions in this regard are — well, what would you say about this one?

“Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beatest him with the rod, he shall not die” (Proverbs 23:13).

Beat the child with a rod?! That sounds mighty harsh and abusive. I wonder if the translators of my Spanish Bible found less “savage” terms than the translators of the King James Version….

OK, here’s my translation from Spanish: “Do not refuse to correct the child, because if you punish him with the rod, he won’t die.”

I do not believe God intends for this verse to be applied abusively.

Can you refer us to verses that show that?

from Proverbs 23:16