Fiddle Vs. Violin; Staff Vs. Rod

Fiddle vs. Violin? Staff vs Rod?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr Kyfingers@aol.com

INTRODUCTION:

Seems many people today do not know the difference in punishment and correction. I was speaking at a church in Clinton, Ky. The Sunday School teacher did a very good job. In his lesson he said there should be a role in the church for correction and rebuke. He said this should be taken seriously and not without prayer

and wisdom, but he said we need a balanced correction system within the church.

I thought much on these words. I agree with him, and he started me thinking and pondering. What is good correction? Is punishment within itself correction? The more I thought, I concluded that often parents punish their kids but rarely correct them. I started a Bible study and we did this lesson at church.

What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin?

NOTHING! They are the same instrument, tuned the same way.

If you play Boil the Cabbage Down Boys, it is a fiddle.

If you play Mozart’s concerto #18 it is a violin.

This is also true of the rod and the staff, the rod is punishment; the staff is correction.

Psalms 23: 4 Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

I. IF WE FORGET THE LESSON ON CORRECTION FROM WITHIN

WE MIGHT BE IMMATURE AND EASY TO FAINT. THERE IS A ROLE OF PROPER EXERCISE TO DEVELOP SELF DISCIPLINE THAT CORRECTS AND IS MORE THAN JUST PUNISHMENT.

Let’s see what the Bible says:

Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children, My Son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of Him: 6: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He

receiveth. 7: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8: But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards

(illegitimate) and not sons. 12: Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised

thereby.

II. DEFINITIONS:

A. CHASTISE: to inflict punishment to correct; to pay a penalty, alter -- change

B. PUNISHMENT: 1) suffering, pain, loss that serves as retribution. 2) penalty inflicted on an offender

C. DISCIPLINE: instruction that develops; training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; control gained by OBEDIENCE; self-control; system of rules, pattern of behavior; to bring under control; to keep your actions and words under close control

D. REBUKE: to call to account bad behavior, reprimand; to return to corrected behavior; strong disapproval

E. CORRECTION: to set right, remove errors, RECTIFICATION, agree with right to bring to a standard; something substituted in place of what’s wrong, rehabilitation, reform and improvement

III. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY LETS LOOK AT TWO

KINDS OF DISCIPLINE.

A. DISCIPLINE BY OTHERS

Growth within it self is not a goal. We could have 270 pound babies that can do nothing mature.

Discipline by others is a mark of immaturity. It is embarrassing to be corrected by others.

A discipline that goes along with the crowd and peer pressure can be dangerous, going with a crowd can be immaturity?

This could be like the lizard, a chameleon that can change it’s color with whatever environment it is in?

Children are often corrected by their parents, by their teachers, or by authority.

It is a true mark of immaturity when other people have to correct you all the time.

B. SELF DISCIPLINE

Self-discipline: correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement should be our goal.

What your character is -- in the dark! Enjoy what you ought, hate what you ought.

Every teacher, every parent should focus their work on developing each individual to correct and improve without external correction.

C. Once I was teaching in an elementary school and a girl caused some serious problems. She came in the office and gave me a sob story so I let girl off as she cried, I thought she had learned her lesson. Later on break, I was walking down the hall, passed the bathroom door and I heard through the vents, the girl was bragging all you have to do when you get in trouble is cry and Mr. Hughes will let you off. In a few days, she was back in the office and turned on the tears, and I knew her manipulation skills and this time she was in trouble.

D. A few years later I taught school and the 6th grade teacher called a boy out in the hall and had me come out into the hall to witness corporal punishment.