What is the difference between punishment and discipline?
Question:
Good day, Minister.
Thank you for your labor in God’s vineyard. God bless you. My questions are:
- Is there a difference between punishment and discipline in the Bible?
- At what point can one say “I am being punished by God” in today’s dispensation?
- Do you have any write-up or material that explains what exactly grace, mercy, and faith are?
Answer:
Punishment
There are several Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as "punishment." One of the more common words is 'awon, which means "iniquity." It is derived from the idea of bending or twisting something that is good into something wrong. The same word for sinful behavior is also used to refer to the punishment imposed for that sin (Genesis 4:13; Job 13:26). Sin, guilt, and punishment are seen as connected ideas. Another Hebrew word commonly translated into English as "punishment" is paqadh. It means to visit, to attend to, or to pay attention to. The word emphasizes that God doesn't overlook sin. He takes note of it and does something about it (Exodus 32:34).
In Greek, kolazo and kolasis derive from a word meaning "to prune" and refer to physical punishment, perhaps in the sense of cutting off continued bad behavior. The word timoreo refers to avenging one's honor by punishing the misdeed (Acts 22:5; 26:11).
The idea is that sin is punished as a penalty. Sometimes it includes the idea of encouraging a correction in behavior, but not always.
Discipline
In Hebrew, yasar, means to instruct or rebuke (Deuteronomy 4:36; 8:5). It emphasizes that the goal is to improve behavior. Another Hebrew word is musar, which means discipline, instruction, warning, or chastisement. It is a derivative of the Hebrew word yasar. It covers both positive instruction and negative correction.
Paideuo, in Greek, is sometimes translated as "punishment," but it means to train, teach, correct, or chastise. It is most commonly used in connection with raising children (Titus 2:12; Hebrews 12:6). In the sense of punishment, it conveys the idea of teaching someone to refrain from misbehaving. But it also includes teaching children to be disciplined in their behavior and learning.
Thus, discipline is imposed to improve a person and may not always be due to misbehavior.
As with many of God's operations in the world, we might suspect God's hand behind what is happening, but we are rarely certain since God doesn't tell us what He is doing.
Regarding mercy, grace, and faith, see "Grace and Mercy," "Mercy and Grace," and "Salvation by Grace Through Faith."
