“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13
Fundamentals of Biblical Manhood
Fundamentals are important in every area of life. By focusing on these “first principles,” the desired outcome will take care of itself.
The Basics
For example, research reveals the fundamentals of learning to play golf does not begin with the swing—the swing is simply a by-product that comes after mastering the basics.
The four fundamental basics of hitting a golf ball are grip, stance, posture, and alignment. There is no need to focus on the swing until you master these simple basics; the swing begins to take shape as part of the process. Thus, rather than working on the swing, I must focus on these fundamental basics if I ever want to learn the game.
Act Like a Man
When it comes to “acting like men,” Paul describes the fundamentals when addressing the men at Corinth. Notice Paul’s charge—“be watchful, stand firm, be strong”— is focused on the spiritual aspects of manhood, not the physical. His challenge to “act like men” in this passage aligns perfectly with the biblical definition of manhood we learned in our first few sessions of MD5.
Consider the following:
1. “Be watchful” - Accept Responsibility to be watchful in your role as a husband, father, leader, and servant of God.
2. “Stand firm in the faith” - Reject Passivity by standing up for what is right; do not be passive in your role as a husband, father, leader, and servant of God.
3. “Be strong” - Lead courageously in the face of fear and invest eternally in that which has everlasting value.
For the Glory of God
Today, may we be reminded of these fundamentals of biblical manhood, and may it produce the outcome in us that Paul yearned to see in the men at Corinth for the glory of God.
Steve Crawley
MD5 Facilitator