Fond and indulgent parents, let me present for your instruction the directions given in the Bible for dealing with a rebellious son: “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them; then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” {4T 204.3}

Eftergivende forældre, lad mig, til jeres belæring, give de anvisninger bibelen har for behandling af en oprørsk søn: »Når nogen har en vanartet og genstridig søn, der ikke vil adlyde sine forældres røst og, selv når de trygler ham, ikke adlyder dem, så skal hans forældre tage ham med magt og føre ham ud til de ældste i hans by og til porten der og sige til byens ældste: »Vor søn her er vanartet og genstridig: han vil ikke adlyde os, men er en ødeland og drukkenbolt.« (205) Derpå skal alle mændene i hans by stene ham til døde. Således skal du udrydde det onde af din midte og hele Israel skal høre det og gribes af frygt."