Correction and Discipline
Correction and Discipline
Hebrews 12:6 (KJV 1900)
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
This passage has caused all sorts of unrest for believers. None of us wants to experience the pain of punishment from the Almighty God. This passage is doubly difficult to swallow because there is a second troublesome word. In the King James Bible this word is translated “scourgeth.”
The word in Greek is (GK: μαστιγόω mastigo'o) and indeed when it is used elsewhere in the New Testament it means flogged or scourged. That makes this particular passage even more difficult to swallow.
Hebrews 12:6 is a quote from Proverbs 3:12 which reads, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (KJV 1900) The Hebrew word translated “correcteth” carries some sense of unpleasant rebuke, but it does not carry the idea of scourging, whipping, or flogging.
My view on this passage is that the word correcteth is the key to our understanding. While Father does not bring calamity into our lives, it seems very certain that He teaches, or corrects, us through it. When we face persecution and suffering, we learn about ourselves. We also learn to reach out to God for mercy and grace. Difficult circumstances are opportunities for us to know Father more intimately and consequently, to grow to trust Him more.
We see Paul struggling with a thorn in the flesh which he attributes to God see 2 Corinthians 12:7 and following. He also speaks of being persecuted and facing all sorts of other dangers, trouble, and pain. Because of it, he said that he had learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself in (see Philippians 4:11-2). There are a number of other places in the New Testament where we are told to expect persecution and the pains of living as ambassadors in the kingdom of our enemy.
To me, this is the chastening we receive. Father does not exempt us from the earthly consequences of our behavior. For example, if we mistreat those close to us, our relationship with them will be damaged. He allows us to continue to choose, for better or worse, and we can observe the outcome and learn. I know that has been painfully, and joyfully, true in my life.
