2.23.2010
Dr. Moore on Gender Roles
Dr. Russell Moore came to Northwestern College three years ago and gave this talk at a gender matters student club event. It is a 38-minute lecture on Genesis 1-3 divided into four 10-minute segments. Click on the link below to check out the talk.
2.10.2010
Manhood: Servant Leadership
Being a godly man is really quite simple: all one must do is love God and love others.
True love for another begins with true love for God; true love for God depends on God’s redeeming love for us: “We love because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19). We are connected to God’s love if we believe that our true needs of having our sins forgiven (cf. 1 Jn 1:8-9) and the wrath of God appeased (cf. 1 Thes 5:9) have both been met in the atoning death of Jesus (cf. Rom 3:23-26). Consequently, we consider Jesus as having supreme worth (cf. Phil 3:7-11), for our own spiritual life depends on him.
Now we necessarily make the transition from loving God to loving others, because love comes from God and flows through us. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 Jn 4:7). Therefore, we are empty vessels that must be connected first to God, and love is a stream that flows from him, through us, unto others.
Only when we are men who love God and subsequently love others can we begin to fulfill our roles as men. Jesus, as the God-man, exemplifies manhood for all men. He portrayed his leadership in service (cf. Mk. 10:45), and he expects us to do the same (cf. Jn 13:12-17). In order to serve, we must first be humble; only as we are connected with Christ does God give us humility (Phil 2:1), characterized in “do[ing] nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself” (2:3).
Paul latches onto this vision of servant leadership in his exhortation to the Ephesian men. He states the husband’s role of leadership as being the “head” of his wife (5:22-23). The question then is: “In what manner shall he lead?” Paul’s only mandate for husbands in how they lead is that they love (5:25). The subsequent verses clarify the nature of this love.
Love that Paul writes about is modeled after Christ’s love for his church and is manifested in providing for a woman physically and spiritually. First, a husband must provide for his wife spiritually: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her . . . so that . . . she might be holy and without blemish” (5:25-27, emphasis mine). Just as Christ’s love for the church sanctifies her, so a husband’s love for his wife must lead her to holiness.
A husband must also provide for his wife physically. Paul writes, “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (5:28-29, emphasis mine). Paul does not so much command self-love as he presupposes it; thus, being one flesh with a woman, a husband must strive to make her interests his interests and her needs his needs.
The call to lead is not an excuse to be served but an exhortation to serve. Service is embodied in the husband’s roles of provision and protection. The husband bears the responsibility to lead his family physically and spiritually to God’s glory. Husbands should, like elders who shepherd the flock, pastor their families by example (cf. 1 Pt 5:1-4).
Young man, where do you stand before God? Do you humble yourself before God and his Word daily? Are you able to provide yourself with spiritual nourishment? If not, how do you expect to lead another (i.e. your wife) toward holiness?
We are here at college to pursue a career, but are we even considering becoming husbands who can love and serve according to biblical standards? We must start growing in these areas of biblical manhood now, because it does not happen overnight. Women, if the man you are interested in has no desire to even grow in these areas of love, humility, and servant leadership, let him go. Men, may you heed well the words of Paul for all godly men: “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Tm 6:11).
True love for another begins with true love for God; true love for God depends on God’s redeeming love for us: “We love because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19). We are connected to God’s love if we believe that our true needs of having our sins forgiven (cf. 1 Jn 1:8-9) and the wrath of God appeased (cf. 1 Thes 5:9) have both been met in the atoning death of Jesus (cf. Rom 3:23-26). Consequently, we consider Jesus as having supreme worth (cf. Phil 3:7-11), for our own spiritual life depends on him.
Now we necessarily make the transition from loving God to loving others, because love comes from God and flows through us. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 Jn 4:7). Therefore, we are empty vessels that must be connected first to God, and love is a stream that flows from him, through us, unto others.
Only when we are men who love God and subsequently love others can we begin to fulfill our roles as men. Jesus, as the God-man, exemplifies manhood for all men. He portrayed his leadership in service (cf. Mk. 10:45), and he expects us to do the same (cf. Jn 13:12-17). In order to serve, we must first be humble; only as we are connected with Christ does God give us humility (Phil 2:1), characterized in “do[ing] nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself” (2:3).
Paul latches onto this vision of servant leadership in his exhortation to the Ephesian men. He states the husband’s role of leadership as being the “head” of his wife (5:22-23). The question then is: “In what manner shall he lead?” Paul’s only mandate for husbands in how they lead is that they love (5:25). The subsequent verses clarify the nature of this love.
Love that Paul writes about is modeled after Christ’s love for his church and is manifested in providing for a woman physically and spiritually. First, a husband must provide for his wife spiritually: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her . . . so that . . . she might be holy and without blemish” (5:25-27, emphasis mine). Just as Christ’s love for the church sanctifies her, so a husband’s love for his wife must lead her to holiness.
A husband must also provide for his wife physically. Paul writes, “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (5:28-29, emphasis mine). Paul does not so much command self-love as he presupposes it; thus, being one flesh with a woman, a husband must strive to make her interests his interests and her needs his needs.
The call to lead is not an excuse to be served but an exhortation to serve. Service is embodied in the husband’s roles of provision and protection. The husband bears the responsibility to lead his family physically and spiritually to God’s glory. Husbands should, like elders who shepherd the flock, pastor their families by example (cf. 1 Pt 5:1-4).
Young man, where do you stand before God? Do you humble yourself before God and his Word daily? Are you able to provide yourself with spiritual nourishment? If not, how do you expect to lead another (i.e. your wife) toward holiness?
We are here at college to pursue a career, but are we even considering becoming husbands who can love and serve according to biblical standards? We must start growing in these areas of biblical manhood now, because it does not happen overnight. Women, if the man you are interested in has no desire to even grow in these areas of love, humility, and servant leadership, let him go. Men, may you heed well the words of Paul for all godly men: “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Tm 6:11).
Manhood and Responsibility
There is a difference between being macho and manly.
The macho man looks to himself and seeks to justify his manhood in superficial exploits. Whether it is athleticism, charisma, or worldly success, the macho man begs for respect with self-glorifying acts. On the other hand, the manly man looks to God to be conformed into the image of Christ. Manliness is Christ-likeness and displays humility, service, and love.
At the very center of a godly, mature man is a desire to embrace responsibility and to lead lovingly. It is not enough merely to accept responsibility begrudgingly.
From the very beginning, responsibility is distinctively laid upon man. God not only gave Adam a leadership role to provide for and protect Eve within the garden, he also held him responsible when he failed in his task. It was Adam who was told not to eat from the tree (Gn 2:17); when Eve was being tempted by the serpent, Adam stood passively by her side and followed her into sin (3:6). Although it was Eve who first took of the fruit, God addressed Adam individually and held him primarily responsible for the sin (3:9).
Christian man, do you fear God? You will one day be the leader of your family, so do not make the same mistake as Adam, failing to lead and love responsibly. Just as we see God addressing Adam for his sin, so also men will principally be addressed by God for their actions. At the judgment, you will stand before God to give an account of the state of your family, and you will be held primarily responsible for how you lead. Now obviously, Eve and the serpent were also addressed in the individual curses, but we as men should be sobered by the responsibility that comes with the call to lead.
Not only did God hold Adam responsible for the Fall, we all owe our sinful condition to Adam. Paul testifies, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom 5:12). As Adam failed in his task so will we, but Paul also gives us good news: “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (5:19). The failure to lead as we ought is a sin issue, but Christ came to redeem sinners. Therefore, grace enables us to keep striving to lead lovingly and well with faith-inspired obedience.
John Eldridge, author of the best-seller book “Wild at Heart,” claims that our culture has tamed men. He argues that men need to claim once again their wild spirit for adventure, but he almost completely glosses over the call for men to embrace responsibility. This sense of responsibility, however, is at the very crux of manhood. I fear that far too many young men read his book as an excuse for their boyish immaturity rather than growing up into practicing disciplined, God-honoring, and Christ-exalting behavior. Sadly, our nation, our churches, and our families are desperate for men like this.
There is a lie, however, that most of us have believed throughout our teen years and beyond. That is, who we are and what we do now has no effect on what kind of person we will be when we “grow up.” Men, you cannot flip the switch in becoming a responsible husband on your wedding day. If God has called you to glorify him as a married man in the future, that means embracing responsibility in the present.
To have truly heard this message, one must now feel a certain sense of fear and trepidation. By God’s grace though, this will not be a paralyzing but a holy fear which leads to right living. How are you handling your responsibilities? Your grades, your job, and your friends provide an excellent indicator of where you stand. Be faithful in these tasks as a single man; only then should you take on the responsibility of a wife and, God-willing, children. The next generation will be better off if we rise up as godly, responsible men now.
The macho man looks to himself and seeks to justify his manhood in superficial exploits. Whether it is athleticism, charisma, or worldly success, the macho man begs for respect with self-glorifying acts. On the other hand, the manly man looks to God to be conformed into the image of Christ. Manliness is Christ-likeness and displays humility, service, and love.
At the very center of a godly, mature man is a desire to embrace responsibility and to lead lovingly. It is not enough merely to accept responsibility begrudgingly.
From the very beginning, responsibility is distinctively laid upon man. God not only gave Adam a leadership role to provide for and protect Eve within the garden, he also held him responsible when he failed in his task. It was Adam who was told not to eat from the tree (Gn 2:17); when Eve was being tempted by the serpent, Adam stood passively by her side and followed her into sin (3:6). Although it was Eve who first took of the fruit, God addressed Adam individually and held him primarily responsible for the sin (3:9).
Christian man, do you fear God? You will one day be the leader of your family, so do not make the same mistake as Adam, failing to lead and love responsibly. Just as we see God addressing Adam for his sin, so also men will principally be addressed by God for their actions. At the judgment, you will stand before God to give an account of the state of your family, and you will be held primarily responsible for how you lead. Now obviously, Eve and the serpent were also addressed in the individual curses, but we as men should be sobered by the responsibility that comes with the call to lead.
Not only did God hold Adam responsible for the Fall, we all owe our sinful condition to Adam. Paul testifies, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom 5:12). As Adam failed in his task so will we, but Paul also gives us good news: “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (5:19). The failure to lead as we ought is a sin issue, but Christ came to redeem sinners. Therefore, grace enables us to keep striving to lead lovingly and well with faith-inspired obedience.
John Eldridge, author of the best-seller book “Wild at Heart,” claims that our culture has tamed men. He argues that men need to claim once again their wild spirit for adventure, but he almost completely glosses over the call for men to embrace responsibility. This sense of responsibility, however, is at the very crux of manhood. I fear that far too many young men read his book as an excuse for their boyish immaturity rather than growing up into practicing disciplined, God-honoring, and Christ-exalting behavior. Sadly, our nation, our churches, and our families are desperate for men like this.
There is a lie, however, that most of us have believed throughout our teen years and beyond. That is, who we are and what we do now has no effect on what kind of person we will be when we “grow up.” Men, you cannot flip the switch in becoming a responsible husband on your wedding day. If God has called you to glorify him as a married man in the future, that means embracing responsibility in the present.
To have truly heard this message, one must now feel a certain sense of fear and trepidation. By God’s grace though, this will not be a paralyzing but a holy fear which leads to right living. How are you handling your responsibilities? Your grades, your job, and your friends provide an excellent indicator of where you stand. Be faithful in these tasks as a single man; only then should you take on the responsibility of a wife and, God-willing, children. The next generation will be better off if we rise up as godly, responsible men now.
1.16.2010
Gender Roles: Recovered in the Gospel
Our churches have debated it. Our school refuses to take a stance on it. Why then be so out-spoken about gender roles? We (the Gender Matters Club) are passionate about this issue, because we want the Gospel to define every area of our lives—including gender.
Most people are only aware of gender roles in the New Testament, leading to many accusations of these roles (“cultural regulations” they say) as being restrictive on our freedom in Christ. A fuller teaching, however, and a correct understanding of the redeeming work of Christ, will reveal God’s beautiful design in gender roles.
When Moses writes, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gn 1:27), he accomplishes two things. First, he establishes the equality of men and women. Since each are made in God’s image, both enjoy the benefits of knowing and enjoying God forever. Second, he not only clarifies that we glorify God as a race of “man,” he implies something very distinct in our being created “male and female.” This distinction is manifest in different roles.
God created Adam first (2:7), put him in the Garden (2:8), and gave him his primary roles: “to work and to keep it” (2:15). As God called mankind to “have dominion over . . . all the earth” (1:26), he gave man these roles of leadership and responsibility, duties summarized in provision and protection. Because God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, he created “a helper fit for him” (2:18): Eve. She was to come alongside Adam, to support and encourage him, as they together obeyed God’s command: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28).
Gender roles are assigned to men and women in creation, in a world without sin. Therefore, when God looked upon these assigned roles on the sixth day, he declared them “very good” (1:31). When Paul wrote Ephesians 5 with the Genesis account on his mind, he calls the husband the “head” in part because he is to provide for and protect his wife as a servant leader. He calls the wife to “submit” in part because she is to help and encourage him, affirming his leadership.
Adam and Eve, however, did not fulfill their roles. As Satan tempted Eve, Adam stood passively by her side (3:6) and did not protect the Garden from sin. Eve also, rather than affirming Adam’s role to “keep” the garden (2:15-16), usurped his headship and took the fruit.
Subsequently, the curse twists these very roles, as God addresses Eve, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (3:16). This verse is illuminated by God’s address to Cain just before he killed Abel: “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (4:7). Just as sin desired to control Cain like a puppet, so too, joyful submission in women is now supplanted by coercion and manipulation. In the same way, as Cain was to rule over sin, so too, loving headship in men has given way either to passivity or to unloving authoritarianism.
Even though gender roles are twisted in Genesis 3, and the whole world becomes enslaved to sin, the Messianic hope dawns as God addresses Satan concerning an offspring of the woman: “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (3:15). This hope grows (12:1-3; 22:18; Jer 4:2; Gal 3:16) and becomes manifest in the God-man Jesus Christ (Acts 3:26). Through his atoning sacrifice, he not only pardons all who come to him in faith, he also ushers forth his sons and daughters to once again regain loving headship and joyful submission in marriage. This is evidenced by Paul each time he addresses gender roles (1 Cor 11, 14; Eph 5; 1 Tm 1), when he also references the creation account (1 Cor 11:8-9; 14:34; Eph 5:31; 1 Tm 2:13-15).
Fellow students, let us glorify God as men and women, freed by Christ to live in the Genesis 2 world. Take your gender seriously and submit to the authority of Scripture on this issue.
Most people are only aware of gender roles in the New Testament, leading to many accusations of these roles (“cultural regulations” they say) as being restrictive on our freedom in Christ. A fuller teaching, however, and a correct understanding of the redeeming work of Christ, will reveal God’s beautiful design in gender roles.
When Moses writes, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gn 1:27), he accomplishes two things. First, he establishes the equality of men and women. Since each are made in God’s image, both enjoy the benefits of knowing and enjoying God forever. Second, he not only clarifies that we glorify God as a race of “man,” he implies something very distinct in our being created “male and female.” This distinction is manifest in different roles.
God created Adam first (2:7), put him in the Garden (2:8), and gave him his primary roles: “to work and to keep it” (2:15). As God called mankind to “have dominion over . . . all the earth” (1:26), he gave man these roles of leadership and responsibility, duties summarized in provision and protection. Because God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, he created “a helper fit for him” (2:18): Eve. She was to come alongside Adam, to support and encourage him, as they together obeyed God’s command: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28).
Gender roles are assigned to men and women in creation, in a world without sin. Therefore, when God looked upon these assigned roles on the sixth day, he declared them “very good” (1:31). When Paul wrote Ephesians 5 with the Genesis account on his mind, he calls the husband the “head” in part because he is to provide for and protect his wife as a servant leader. He calls the wife to “submit” in part because she is to help and encourage him, affirming his leadership.
Adam and Eve, however, did not fulfill their roles. As Satan tempted Eve, Adam stood passively by her side (3:6) and did not protect the Garden from sin. Eve also, rather than affirming Adam’s role to “keep” the garden (2:15-16), usurped his headship and took the fruit.
Subsequently, the curse twists these very roles, as God addresses Eve, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (3:16). This verse is illuminated by God’s address to Cain just before he killed Abel: “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (4:7). Just as sin desired to control Cain like a puppet, so too, joyful submission in women is now supplanted by coercion and manipulation. In the same way, as Cain was to rule over sin, so too, loving headship in men has given way either to passivity or to unloving authoritarianism.
Even though gender roles are twisted in Genesis 3, and the whole world becomes enslaved to sin, the Messianic hope dawns as God addresses Satan concerning an offspring of the woman: “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (3:15). This hope grows (12:1-3; 22:18; Jer 4:2; Gal 3:16) and becomes manifest in the God-man Jesus Christ (Acts 3:26). Through his atoning sacrifice, he not only pardons all who come to him in faith, he also ushers forth his sons and daughters to once again regain loving headship and joyful submission in marriage. This is evidenced by Paul each time he addresses gender roles (1 Cor 11, 14; Eph 5; 1 Tm 1), when he also references the creation account (1 Cor 11:8-9; 14:34; Eph 5:31; 1 Tm 2:13-15).
Fellow students, let us glorify God as men and women, freed by Christ to live in the Genesis 2 world. Take your gender seriously and submit to the authority of Scripture on this issue.
Gender Matters For Singles
Gender matters.
Moses agreed. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gn 1:27). Mankind alone bears the image of God, and he made us distinctly male and female. Don’t you think this matters?
Paul also thought gender matters; Peter agreed. Have you ever noticed though that they only write to husbands and wives? Thus, many are left wondering how much gender matters for single people. It is true, gender roles are addressed to husbands and wives because the teaching comes to fruition in marriage, but what about those who are single like Paul? Does gender still matter?
Yes.
All men should grow to maturity as fathers; all women should grow to maturity as mothers. Whether you ever get married and start your own family, this is your calling because you belong to the family of God in a local church.
The family unit each of us grew up in is simply a microcosm of the Church. Paul calls the church the “household of God” (1 Tm 3:15), and he uses the family as a training ground qualification for elders: “[F]or if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (3:5).
In fact, the family structure is modeled after this truer spiritual reality. Notice how Paul addresses Timothy (“my true child in the faith,” 1 Tm 1:2) and Titus (“my true son in our common faith,” Titus 1:4). A family relation in blood can be superficial if there is no family relation in the Spirit. What joy is ours then when these ones we care for the most are also a part of the “household of God” (Eph 2:19)!
Paul never had any biological children, but he fathered many spiritual children. Along with Timothy and Titus, Paul mentions another: “my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment” (Phl 10). Paul was a mature man of God, and he fathered several individuals and entire church families.
Paul, as a single man, thought that gender matters, and he met numerous needs within the church family; are we able to see those same needs? Timothy had no father figure as he was raised by his mother and grandmother (cf. 2 Tm 1:5), and there are many children and young adults like Timothy in our churches. We need more people like Paul: older men to teach younger men and older women to teach younger women (cf. Titus 2:2-5).
Paul, who wrote extensively on gender roles, heeded his own teaching, though he himself was single. Everyone is commanded to be a mature believer: for men it means being fatherly, for women it means being motherly. The family of God is huge, and so are the needs, which should be nurtured by mature men and women—married and single alike.
Moses agreed. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gn 1:27). Mankind alone bears the image of God, and he made us distinctly male and female. Don’t you think this matters?
Paul also thought gender matters; Peter agreed. Have you ever noticed though that they only write to husbands and wives? Thus, many are left wondering how much gender matters for single people. It is true, gender roles are addressed to husbands and wives because the teaching comes to fruition in marriage, but what about those who are single like Paul? Does gender still matter?
Yes.
All men should grow to maturity as fathers; all women should grow to maturity as mothers. Whether you ever get married and start your own family, this is your calling because you belong to the family of God in a local church.
The family unit each of us grew up in is simply a microcosm of the Church. Paul calls the church the “household of God” (1 Tm 3:15), and he uses the family as a training ground qualification for elders: “[F]or if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (3:5).
In fact, the family structure is modeled after this truer spiritual reality. Notice how Paul addresses Timothy (“my true child in the faith,” 1 Tm 1:2) and Titus (“my true son in our common faith,” Titus 1:4). A family relation in blood can be superficial if there is no family relation in the Spirit. What joy is ours then when these ones we care for the most are also a part of the “household of God” (Eph 2:19)!
Paul never had any biological children, but he fathered many spiritual children. Along with Timothy and Titus, Paul mentions another: “my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment” (Phl 10). Paul was a mature man of God, and he fathered several individuals and entire church families.
Paul, as a single man, thought that gender matters, and he met numerous needs within the church family; are we able to see those same needs? Timothy had no father figure as he was raised by his mother and grandmother (cf. 2 Tm 1:5), and there are many children and young adults like Timothy in our churches. We need more people like Paul: older men to teach younger men and older women to teach younger women (cf. Titus 2:2-5).
Paul, who wrote extensively on gender roles, heeded his own teaching, though he himself was single. Everyone is commanded to be a mature believer: for men it means being fatherly, for women it means being motherly. The family of God is huge, and so are the needs, which should be nurtured by mature men and women—married and single alike.
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