I remember speaking to Rev. Serena Lin about how if I have done wrongly, I sometimes face God's punishment. She replied very quickly "Not punishment" in a worried manner, attempting to encourage.
It has gotten me thinking about the attitude of Ameristians ever since. Do they believe if they believe in Jesus they will never face punishment? Did she misinterpret it as "Curse" or "eternal damnation"? Or did I not know the term "punishment" correctly?
As preachers and pastors love to pour out astonishing amount of love to all especially those within the body of the church, the lack of church discipline these days is a problem, nonetheless.
Discipline, chastisement, punishment. They are all the same. Granted, the KJV Bible uses the term "punishment" for many occasion of God's final judgment, but it is also used in edifying situations in Proverbs 19:18-19, Ezra 9:13, etc. Not to mention the term "chastisement", which is more often applied to God's children.
I use the term, to promote the fear of God. I wonder, why Serena, would not. Perhaps she worried that I would commit suicide.
It is troublesome, to say the least, for those claiming to be psychologists, avid students of the minds and emotions, to think they know better than others while be ignorant of careful analysis before making textbook judgment. And how are they increased that trouble me. I see it even in my current church, other fellowships, street ministries, etc.
Maybe it was the mode of punishment that's in question. Physical punishment or verbal rebuke? Can I not say, "verbal" punishment? Or "physical" chastisement? Proverbs 13:24 and Hebrews 12:6 explain the permission of the physical, very plainly. Holy anger is required of all God's children, provided, any anger that exhibits one's superiority or selfish satisfaction is not a holy one.
I call this a brief analysis, because given time, I could have done more with the multiple terms used in Hebrew and Greek.
It would appear that even John MacArthur and Tim Keller both made a fine line between discipline and punishment when it comes to parenting - to correct children.
They both emphasize that parents should discipline but not give punishment to the children. From what I understand, they disagree using punishment because it would be as if the child is kicked out of the house, as God did to the Israelites when they disobeyed God.
I would just call it reprobation.
I don't know how these American counselors approach these terms, but from my understanding:
Discipline is the principle to correct a child and punishment is the act upon which the discipline is exercised.