Men

God created both men and women in his image and likeness. Scripture portrays men in both their strengths and weaknesses, their successes and failures. While noting that they are incomplete without women, and share equally in the privileges and tasks entrusted to them by God, men have nevertheless been given specific responsibilities by God.

The place of men

Men are equal with women in creation

Genesis 1:27 See also Genesis 5:2

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Men are incomplete without women

Genesis 2:18 See also Genesis 2:21–25; 1 Corinthians 11:11–12

The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”

Absence of men in society seen as a curse

Isaiah 3:1–3 See also Lamentations 5:14; Ezekiel 17:11–14

For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water, the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder, the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.

Men are equal with women in redemption

Galatians 3:28 See also Acts 2:17–18; Joel 2:28–29

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The role of men

As leaders in marriage and family life

Ephesians 5:22–24 See also 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 3:18–21

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

As leaders in Israelite society and worship

Numbers 1:16 See also Exodus 34:23–24; Numbers 3:10–15; Deuteronomy 1:9–15; 1 Samuel 8:1; Ezra 10:16–17

These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

As leaders in the early church

1 Timothy 3:2 See also Acts 6:2–6; 1 Timothy 2:12 The role of teaching and exercising authority is here restricted to men. Interpretations vary as to whether Paul is reflecting cultural circumstance or establishing theological principle; 1 Timothy 3:8

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

The character requirements of men

To be prayerful and godly

1 Timothy 2:8 See also Daniel 6:10–11; 1 Timothy 4:7–8, 1 Timothy 6:11–12

Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

To be courageous

1 Corinthians 16:13 While courage can be exercised by all, it is identified here as a specifically male characteristic. See also Acts 4:13, Acts 27:21–25

Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.

To be determined and decisive

Matthew 11:12 See also 1 Chronicles 12:38

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.

To be humble

1 Peter 5:5 See also Numbers 12:3; Daniel 10:12; Matthew 11:29

Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

To love their wives

Colossians 3:19 See also Proverbs 5:15–19; Ephesians 5:25–33

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

To be good fathers to their children

Ephesians 6:4 See also Genesis 37:3–4 Jacob's favouritism was the cause of resentment developing in the family; 1 Samuel 3:12–13 Eli is rebuked for having failed to father his sons properly; Colossians 3:21

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

To exercise proper sexual restraint

1 Thessalonians 4:3–7 That Paul is particularly thinking of men here seems apparent from the NIV footnote at verse 4. See also Leviticus 18:1–22; Proverbs 6:23–29; Matthew 5:27–28; 1 Corinthians 5:1–2, 1 Corinthians 7:2–5

For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.

Examples of godly men

Genesis 6:9 Noah; Genesis 22:1–12 Abraham; Exodus 32:30–32 Moses; 1 Samuel 24:1–7 David; 2 Kings 18:1–7 Hezekiah; Job 1:1–8 Job; Daniel 6:10 Daniel; Acts 4:13–20 Peter and John; Acts 7:54–60 Stephen; Hebrews 11:4–28 OT heroes of faith; James 5:17–18 Elijah

Examples of godly men who had moments of failure

Genesis 20:1–3 Abraham was deceitful; Numbers 20:2–12 Moses and Aaron showed unbelief; 2 Samuel 11:1–27 David committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted Uriah's death; 1 Kings 19:1–5 Elijah became fearful and wanted to die; Jonah 1:1–3 Jonah ran from God's call on his life; Matthew 26:69–75 parallels Mark 14:66–72, Luke 22:55–62, John 18:16–18, John 18:25–27 Peter denied Jesus Christ; Acts 16:36–40 Paul and Barnabas fell into sharp disagreement.

Examples of ungodly men

Genesis 19:4–5 The ungodliness of the men of Sodom lay in sexual immorality; Genesis 38:8–10 Onan's ungodliness lay in failing to fulfil his obligations to his brother's wife; Numbers 16:1–35 Korah's ungodliness lay in rebellion against God's leaders; 1 Samuel 2:12 Eli's sons' ungodliness lay in their abuse of the sacrifices; 1 Kings 16:29–33 Ahab's ungodliness lay in intermarriage and idolatry; 2 Kings 21:1–9 parallel 2 Chronicles 33:1–9 Manasseh's ungodliness lay in idolatry, divination and human sacrifice; Matthew 2:16 Herod's ungodliness lay in the wholesale slaughter of infants; Matthew 14:3–11 parallel Mark 6:17–28 Herod the tetrarch's ungodliness lay in immorality and murder; Acts 8:9–23 Simon's ungodliness lay in the practice of magic; Jude 1:4–19 The ungodliness of men in the church lay in their rejection of apostolic doctrine and lifestyle.

Examples of fearful men

Genesis 26:7–9 Isaac's fear of the Philistines led him to lie; Numbers 13:26–33 The spies' fear led them to give a bad report; 1 Samuel 28:5–7 Saul's fear of the Philistines led him to enquire of a medium when the LORD did not answer him; 2 Samuel 3:7–11 Ish-Bosheth's fear of his brother led him to stay silent concerning sin; John 19:4–16 parallels Matthew 27:19–26, Mark 15:9–15, Luke 23:13–25 Pilate's fear of the crowd led him to condemn Jesus Christ, even though he knew he was innocent; Acts 24:24–25 Felix' fear arose from the message of the gospel.

Examples of weak men

Leviticus 26:36–39 Men who are disobedient to God will be weak; 1 Samuel 3:12–13 Eli's weakness lay in failing to restrain his sons; 1 Kings 21:1–16 Ahab's weakness lay in his allowing his wife to rule his life and his kingdom.