There’s a place for masculinity in the kingdom of God. We learn this in Paul’s advice to the Corinthians. I’ll quote 1 Corinthians 16:13 from several versions to help us see what Paul intended for the church.
- “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” – NIV
- “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” – NKJV
- “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” – KJV
- “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous [Be men.]. Be strong.” – NLT
- “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” – NASB
As you can see, I highlighted part of the verse. It’s a verb (andrizomai) that occurs only here in the Greek New Testament. At the root of this verb is the noun (aner) which is rather common, occurring 216 times in the GNT. The noun can refer to men in a general or abstract sense, but it’s also the term the NT writers use for “husband.” I’d say that aner designates a mature male, a guy old and responsible enough to begin and run a family.
The two primary responsibilities men have for their families are provisions and protection. Judging by the other imperatives in the verse, it looks Paul has protection in mind. So he casts the noun as a verb to stress the need to take action.
But he isn’t talking about families in the natural sense (a husband, a wife, and 2.3 children). The apostle’s thinking about the church, God’s spiritual family. As a nuclear family needs protection, so also does a church. And as that duty falls to husbands, so Christian men have to develop and use enough strength to shield them.
That’s why Paul tells the Corinthian men to guard the body of Christ. It takes vision and vigor–the discernment to see trouble coming and the power to thwart it.
Three of the five versions I listed above refer to courage or bravery. Three of the five refer to masculine behavior. I realize this adds up to six out of five, but wait, there’s an explanation! The New Living Translation adopts “Be courageous” but acknowledges in a footnote that “Be men” is a viable (or preferable) alternative.
(And I should add that the word “quit” in the King James Version must have meant something like “act” in Elizabethan English. Unless Paul was telling all the guys to give up and leave their jobs!)
As I mentioned above, Paul’s the only one who uses andrizomai in the New Testament, and in this verse alone. But the verb occurs 21 times in the Septuagint (LXX), which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. In the NASB, 17 of those verses mention having courage or being courageous. Also, 15 of the 21 verses urge the hearers to “be strong and courageous.” The Old Testament combines courage and strength; so does Paul.
It’s God’s will that Christian men grow mature so they can defend the faith and secure the church. In short, we have to learn how to fight, but not by the standards of this world. The kingdom of God, which one day will be universal, operates within the lives of disciples of Jesus. His is a kingdom ruled by love. So as we follow our Lord, we will learn His loving ways. He’s building us up so we can look after His loved ones. And in imitation of Christ, we serve the saints out of love. As Paul concludes,
“Do everything in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14
God calls men to walk in power and love. Like Jesus did. And like God Himself is.
“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to You, God, 12and with You, Lord, is unfailing love’; and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’” – Psalm 62:11-12
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