Every year, during the Holy Week, devoted religious people perform what they call self-flagellation. In the Philippines, there are still various places where people perform self-flagellation or what we locally call as “Panata.”

Self-flagellation is the act of hitting oneself with a whip or other instrument as a form of religious devotion or penance. People who practice self-flagellation believe it is a way for them to repent of their sins, show their commitment, and even gain the favor of God.

Why do people perform self-flagellation?

Now, you might ask, why do people do self-flagellation, especially during the Holy Week? Well, the number one reason is for Religious Devotion. Some individuals believe that self-flagellation is a way to demonstrate their piety and devotion to their faith.

They may see it as a means of imitating the suffering of Jesus Christ. Aside from that, self-flagellation is often performed as a form of penance or repentance for sins. The physical pain inflicted upon oneself is seen as a way to atone for wrongdoing and seek forgiveness from a higher power.

However, in the midst of this religious fervor, we need to ask, is God happy when people hurt themselves? Obviously, no. This is not what God wants from people who want to follow and obey Him.

Why self-flagellation is wrong according to the Bible

Let me give you 3 reasons why self-flagellation is wrong according to the Bible.

Number 1: Our Body is the Temple of God

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we read:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

This passage tells us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated with utmost respect and care. Engaging in self-harm through self-flagellation is definitely not a way for us to take care of the temple God has given us.

Number 2: We are forgiven through the grace of God

Self-flagellation is and will never be the right way for us to ask for God’s forgiveness. The Bible never teaches us to hit or wound ourselves in order for us to be forgiven. Instead, we read in Ephesians 1:7:

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

We don’t have to go through self-flagellation. In 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Instead of helping us to ask for forgiveness, self-flagellation shows a lack of trust in God’s grace and forgiveness for sins, as it suggests that additional punishment or penance is necessary beyond Christ’s sacrifice. What’s more, engaging in self-flagellation as a form of penance could be viewed as relying on human effort rather than on God’s grace for salvation.

Number 3: We are called to be a living sacrifice

We read in Romans 12:1-2:

​I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Notice, instead of beating ourselves with whips and sticks, we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service. This means that we serve God and others. Hurting ourselves doesn’t serve anyone. It is an unnecessary and useless sacrifice that God doesn’t accept.

The danger of self-flagellation is that it can be a form of false piety or an outward display of religious devotion. It is simply a show. In fact, in some places, people get entertained when they watch people hurt themselves. This tells us that self-flagellation diverts people from what truly matters. Instead of showing people how sorry you are for hurting yourself, why not focus on renewing your mind and doing your best to align your heart with God’s will and purpose for you?

Final Words for self-flagellation

As you can see, self-flagellation is wrong. It is unbiblical. It is a demonic deception that needs to be stopped. God is not pleased with self-flagellation. Instead, do your best to obey Him, which is truly the right response to God’s overwhelming love, grace, and mercy.

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