Well, Larry, you asked, so here it is.......... but first, allow me to lay a foundation, of sorts, for what I am about to write for your consideration of its merits.
Firstly, Paul instructed Timothy, saying,
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (
II Timothy 3:16). Simply stated, we are to employ the sacred written principles of the Bible to establish the truth of all things.
Secondly, Solomon, writing by inspiration of the Holy Ghost (
II Peter 1:20-21), advises -
"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell" (
Proverbs 23:13-14). Again, simply stated, here we discover God, through the pen of His servant Solomon, advises you and I to inflict corporal punishment (i.e., physical pain) upon our children in an effort to correct a fault in them.
Would God instruct you and I to do such a thing, yet Himself refrain from such action when it involves His own children? Of course not! With this thought in mind then lets examine an example of this action by the Lord in the writings of the New Covenant, and where better to find this than in the writings of Paul:
Referring to one's participation in the sacred symbols of what is commonly called The Lord's Supper, Paul writes -
"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (
I Corinthians 11:26-30). And so I am compelled to ask you:
Who brings sickness, yea, even death, upon that one who fails to properly discern the bread and the cup, but chooses instead to partake of these sacred symbols unworthily? Surely you do not suggest that Satan would do such a thing, for it should be rather readily acknowledged that he, in fact, takes delight in such an act of unrighteousness, does he not? Indeed, the source for the sickness noted here is, in reality, a direct consequence of an unrighteous deed that results in a
"sickness that is unto death" (see
I John 5:16).
Indeed, apostle Paul even attributed such a deadly sickness as an act of chastisement which the Lord inflicts, for we find this written in the succeeding passages:
"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (
I Corinthians 11:32). Simply interpreted, should one partake of the sacred symbols of The Lord's Supper who is unworthy of doing so, then it is the Lord Himself who chastises them for this unrighteous deed (i.e., brings sickness [physical pain] which, if such an act is not repented of, will result in their death).
This is also why James was inspired of God to write to inform that saint who has been "afflicted" (chastened of the Lord) to pray for their own healing, for he was referring to the selfsame thing, that is, physical pain which the Lord has inflicted as a direct consequence of an unrighteous act having been accomplished by the one that is "afflicted." (see
James 5:13)
So, my friend, there you have indisputable evidence in the writings of the New Covenant, which tells of the Lord inflicting physical punishment for the purpose of correcting a fault (and remember, Paul's words of I Corinthians were written as admonishment to those who were saved).
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