Be a Man

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (1 Cor 16:13)

Odd. It doesn't say, "Get in touch with your inner child" or "Get in touch with your feminine side." It doesn't suggest, "Don't act like a man; all men are bad." Worse, this wasn't even written to men only; it was written to "to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 1:2) There are certainly women under that heading. So, is Paul actually telling women to "act like men," too? (If so, as it appears to be, then it is not saying, "Don't get in touch with your feminine side.") What is he saying? Here's what it says more completely:

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor 16:13-14)

I think, then, that this isn't about the male or female. This is about adulthood, about maturity. The contrast here isn't "Act like a man as opposed to a woman." It's about "Act like a man as opposed to a child." On the other hand, the characteristics that Paul is urging are often equated with "masculine," but, I would argue, mistakenly. If we wanted to urge a boy, for instance, to be brave and strong, we might say, "Man up." Does that mean we don't want girls to be brave and strong? By no means! We want girls to have those same "masculine" characteristics as well. So, what characteristics is Paul urging ... on all believers?

Be watchful
It's not just here (e.g., 1 Peter 5:8; Acts 20:31). Believers need to be watchful. We need to "Look out for the dogs," (Php 3:2), the wolves (Acts 20:29), those who would "climb in by another way" (John 10:1) "to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). We need to be watching our brothers and sisters so we can restore them if they're caught in a transgression (Gal 6:1). It's not just in this verse. But we? We're pretty lethargic. We can be quite embracing. "Don't question their salvation. Don't be judgmental. Don't point out their sin. Don't bring an accusation against 'the Lord's anointed.'" Paul disagrees. He urges here that we be watchful. No, not judgmental, but neither should we be complacent. No, not accusatory, but neither should we pass over transgressions. We should watch for false teachers (Matt 7:15-16; 1 John 2:18-19) to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3-4) and for believers in sin to restore them (Gal 6:1), for instance. Be watchful "as men."

Stand firm in the faith
Again, this "stand" command isn't just in this text; it's all over (e.g., 2 Cor 1:24; Gal 5:1; Php 1:27; Eph 6:13). We aren't fighting earthly foes; we're in a spiritual battle (Eph 6:10-12) requiring spiritual weaponry (2 Cor 10:4-5). Stand firm "as men."

Be strong
"Be strong" isn't merely from Paul. He says it elsewhere as well (Eph 6:10), but it is a recurring theme in the Old Testament as well (e.g., Deut 11:8; Deut 31:6-7; Josh 1:9; 1 Chron 22:13; Psa 27:14; Psa 31:24; etc.). In all those references the concept is "be strong in the Lord." It isn't talking about mere human strength; it's the strength exercised by His people supplied by God for God's purposes. Be strong "as men."

Do all you do in love
These characteristics are distinct but not separate. We are to be watchful while standing firm, standing firm while being strong, and being strong while being watchful. So this last one actually encompasses and shapes them all. We are to be watchful in love, standing firm in love, and strong in love. Love is to motivate it all. No, of course not "warm affection" love. That's nice and all, but this is the love that we choose, the love that works for the best of others. It's the love that considers others as more important than I am (Php 2:3), that regards giving glory to God as the highest love (Matt 22:37-38), the love that doesn't hold grudges and rejoices with the truth and does not seek its own and believes the best of others and never fails (1 Cor 13:4-8). Love like that. Let everything you do be in love like that "as men."

In the end, then, this isn't about "maleness" or "femaleness." It's about being "a mature man" in the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13), "no longer children, but speaking the truth in love" and growing up "into Him who is the head" (Eph 4:14-15). Act like that mature person.