CCC - ENewsletter

The Chastening of the Lord
BOOK REVIEW
By Stanley O. Williford
Director of Publications

Most people shrink from the idea of a chastening. Who wants to be chastened? Doesn’t chastening (or chastisement) imply punishment and pain?

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Tenth Edition) defines the word chasten to mean “to correct by punishment or suffering,” among other meanings.

But God doesn’t use the word chastening that way.

Hebrews 12:5-11 employs the word quite a bit:

And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

*

Apostle Price in his book, The Chastening of the Lord, explains how God uses the word:

“One of the primary challenges we have had in learning about the chastening of the Lord has been a misunderstanding in the meaning of the word, chasten. . . . this word literally means “to child-train.” It does not mean ‘punishment.’ God does not punish His children, but He will chastise them.”

So we have a conflict in the way God uses the word chasten when we compare it with the way the world uses the term. To the world it means punishment, but to God it means to “train up a child, i.e. educate, or (by implication, discipline). While it does also have a secondary meaning to punish, the first meaning has to do with training.

Apostle Price makes a good point when he says, “Actually, the Lord does not have to punish you. Your disobedience to His Word will do that. Getting out of line with God’s Word will place you in a position to be bombed out by the devil. Satan, technically, is the punisher. Actually, he is trying to kill you, and that in itself is punishment.”

Job 5:17 shines even more light on God’s idea of chastening:

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.”

“It sounds more like chastening in these verses has something to do with correcting, not punishing,” Apostle Price points out. “That would square with the definition of chasten we described earlier – namely, “to teach, instruct, train as you would train up a child.”

“We have traditionally accused God of putting sickness, disease, or calamity on us to train us,” he writes. “That is what churches and ministers have been saying: ‘The Lord is testing you. The Lord is training you.’ You know what that would be in our society?” Apostle Price asks – “Child abuse. Yet we have accused God of doing just that.”

In Chapter 2, Apostle Price points out that “the reason God chastens us is that He loves us. He wants us to succeed, to live the overcoming Christian life to the best of our abilities. Psalm 94:12 tells us,

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach us out of Your law.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, we have this statement:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness . . . .

”The word instruction in this verse, in the Greek, is the same word translated as chasten in Hebrews 12. We could read 2 Timothy 3:16 like this:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for chastening in righteousness . . . .

“Again, chastening is instruction. Instruction is not punishment. Another facet of the chastening of the Lord is found in Ephesians 6:4.”

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

“The word in Ephesians is also the same Greek word for chasten in Hebrews 12. To train is the same as to instruct, or point in the right direction. Training, instructing and chastening all refer to the same thing.”

In summary, what Apostle Price is explaining in this wonderful little book is that there is no reason why Christians need to ever fear that the Lord is out to harm them or punish them. He wants to teach them and train them, and He does that through His Word.

In fact, except through His chastening, there is perhaps no better way to understand how much God loves His people.

https://eifm.netviewshop.com/shopDetail/FPB35



The Chastening of the Lord BOOK REVIEW By Stanley O. Williford Director of Publications Most people shrink from the idea of a chastening. Who wants to be chastened? Doesn’t chastening (or chastisement) imply punishment and pain? Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Tenth Edition) defines the word chasten to mean “to correct by punishment or suffering,” among other meanings. But God doesn’t use the word chastening that way. Hebrews 12:5-11 employs the word quite a bit: And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening* of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;* For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened* us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.* Now no chastening* seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.* * Apostle Price in his book, The Chastening of the Lord, explains how God uses the word: “One of the primary challenges we have had in learning about the chastening of the Lord has been a misunderstanding in the meaning of the word, chasten. . . . this word literally means “to child-train.” It does not mean ‘punishment.’ God does not punish His children, but He will chastise them.” So we have a conflict in the way God uses the word chasten when we compare it with the way the world uses the term. To the world it means punishment, but to God it means to “train up a child, i.e. educate, or (by implication, discipline). While it does also have a secondary meaning to punish, the first meaning has to do with training. Apostle Price makes a good point when he says, “Actually, the Lord does not have to punish you. Your disobedience to His Word will do that. Getting out of line with God’s Word will place you in a position to be bombed out by the devil. Satan, technically, is the punisher. Actually, he is trying to kill you, and that in itself is punishment.” Job 5:17 shines even more light on God’s idea of chastening: “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.” “It sounds more like chastening in these verses has something to do with correcting, not punishing,” Apostle Price points out. “That would square with the definition of chasten we described earlier – namely, “to teach, instruct, train as you would train up a child.” “We have traditionally accused God of putting sickness, disease, or calamity on us to train us,” he writes. “That is what churches and ministers have been saying: ‘The Lord is testing you. The Lord is training you.’ You know what that would be in our society?” Apostle Price asks – “Child abuse. Yet we have accused God of doing just that.” In Chapter 2, Apostle Price points out that “the reason God chastens us is that He loves us. He wants us to succeed, to live the overcoming Christian life to the best of our abilities. Psalm 94:12 tells us, Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach us out of Your law. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we have this statement: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness . . . . ”The word instruction in this verse, in the Greek, is the same word translated as chasten in Hebrews 12. We could read 2 Timothy 3:16 like this: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for *chastening* in righteousness . . . . “Again, chastening is instruction. Instruction is not punishment. Another facet of the chastening of the Lord is found in Ephesians 6:4.” And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. “The word in Ephesians is also the same Greek word for chasten in Hebrews 12. To train is the same as to instruct, or point in the right direction. Training, instructing and chastening all refer to the same thing.” In summary, what Apostle Price is explaining in this wonderful little book is that there is no reason why Christians need to ever fear that the Lord is out to harm them or punish them. He wants to teach them and train them, and He does that through His Word. In fact, except through His chastening, there is perhaps no better way to understand how much God loves His people. https://eifm.netviewshop.com/shopDetail/FPB35

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