What Does The Bible Say About Being A Man?
Video Timeline
WELCOME
0:00 - Welcome with Al & Phil
TALK with Matt Edmundson
04:10 - What Does The Bible Say About Being A Man?
04:57 - How Do Men Differ From Women According To The Bible?
06:29 - What Does The Bible Say About Masculinity?
08:33 - What Does The Bible Say About The Role Of A Man?
11:04 - What Does The Bible Say Is A Good Man?
20:24 - What It Means To Be A Christian Man?
PRAYER
25:53 - Prayer For Ukraine
WORSHIP
27:55 - Grace Alone with lyrics
CONVERSATION STREET with Matt, Al & Phil
34:34 - Loneliness
37:03 - It's A Journey
39:38 - Who Are Your Earthly Role Models?
46:30 - What Can Women Do To Support The Men In Their Lives In Being Godly Men?
54:34 - If There Was One Thing You Wanted Christian Men To Know, What Would It Be?
CLOSING WORSHIP
01:00:22 - The Lion & the Lamb with lyrics
Podcast:
What Does The Bible Say About Being A Man?
— Matt Edmundson
This is an important question to answer because there are so many conflicting views about what being a man is all about at the moment. From the belief that the patriarchy is the root of all the world's problems, to absent fathers, to “The Rock” - what should we make of it all? What it means to be a man is one of the most confusing ideas in our current culture. So to take a few minutes and look at what the Bible has to say has to be worth our while.
How Do Men Differ From Women According To The Bible?
I want to reiterate at the start that here at Crowd Church, we believe God did make us male and female, and in so doing made us different. There are differences biologically, some of which are obvious. He created men for a reason and women for a reason. I think God celebrates that and we should too. It is OK to be different, but that difference between us does not result in different value or worth. We believe that men and women are created equal, of equal value and equal worth. Men are not superior to women and women are not superior to men. When the Lord God formed us, we believe that he made it so that men and women do not differ in worth, value, or contribution. Men are not the root of all the world’s problems, nor are women. We believe that sin is the root of all problems, not gender. And to be honest, most of what we are talking about today applies equally to the sexes, but there are a few things that the Bible singles out for men.
What Does The Bible Say About Masculinity?
Wild at heart was a book released in 2001. It has been a best seller ever since and was based on the author's idea that men, especially Christian men, were pressured into becoming nice guys and had lost their passion and adventure in life.
I don’t know if you have heard of this book or even read it, but what fascinates me is not so much the content of the book but rather that a lot of men felt there was a need for the book. Men had somehow lost their masculinity and needed someone to give them permission to embrace their identity as men. Men everywhere needed to rediscover the passion of this God-life.
96% of the reviews on the book are four stars and above. That’s a lot of positive reviews. Yet, as you read through the negative reviews, it becomes apparent that most of them have been added recently rather than when the book first came out over 20 years ago. Why? It seems, in these modern times, it is no longer valid to use gender to explain why you may like or dislike certain things.
One reviewer of the book wrote: There are many opinions on how we should behave, or more recently, that we do not behave as men have in the past.
So being a man, even in the church, is being challenged again. And if you want to know my opinion, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Nor is it necessarily a good thing. I think it is good to challenge ideas, norms, and stereotypes, but that goes both ways.
So What Does The Bible Say About The Role Of A Man?
Over the years, I have often used the phrase, "Man up", but, I've realised, that phrase can have all kinds of connotations that are not helpful for men. It’s a phrase I am trying to use in a much more measured way because one of our stereotypes of men is that we bottle things up and don’t show weakness. And that is wrong. This is not manning up. But the Bible also talks about this:
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
So the Bible tells us to act like men. But what does that mean? Is this the Bible telling us, in effect, to man up?
So what I want to do is draw out some of the traits of what it means to act like men, and to do that, I want to zoom in on some verses from the New Testament, specifically 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. In these two portions of Scripture, the Apostle Paul gives his readers advice on what to look for in men that are to become leaders. What are some of the characteristics that he is looking for?
Before we get into Paul's 19 tips to becoming the ultimate male, let me tell you what it doesn’t say - because that is important. I don’t want you to listen to this list with some kind of bias. It doesn’t say:
• to rule over women,
• be crazy aggressive,
• bury your head in the sand,
• emotions are a sign of weakness
• you have to have an interest in sports and lift weights.
So what do you think would be on that list?
What Does The Bible Say Is A Good Man?
Gene Getz wrote a book called The Measure of Man that looked at these two scriptures in depth. He summarised them as this:
1. Above reproach (a man of good reputation - unquestionable integrity)
2. The husband of one wife (morally pure)
3. Temperate (balanced in words and actions)
4. Prudent (wise and humble)
5. Respectable (good role model)
6. Hospitable (unselfish and generous)
7. Able to teach (communicates sensitively in a nonthreatening and non-defensive manner)
8. Not addicted to wine (not addicted to substances)
9. Not self-willed (not self-centred and controlling)
10. Not quick-tempered (void of anger that becomes sinful)
11. Not pugnacious (not abusive)
12. Gentle (sensitive, loving, and kind)
13. Peaceable (nonargumentative and non-divisive)
14. Free from the love of money (nonmaterialistic)
15. Manages his own household well (a good husband and father)
16. Loving what is good (pursues godly activities)
17. Just (wise, discerning, nonprejudiced, and fair)
18. Devout (holy, devoted to God)
19. Self-controlled (disciplined)
That’s an interesting list, isn’t it? And men, that list will be on our website so make sure you copy it and regularly review it. Does it look like the list you had in your mind? Is this what acting like a man is like?
And ladies, you are not excused from these characteristics. You can't abdecate your responsibility to the men here. Sorry. That said, I am addressing men specifically here because I think we need to bring some Biblical balance back to masculinity and this is a good starting place. As a man that has been around for a few years, men need to measure themselves against this list.
And I would love to unpack each of these characteristics for the next 19 weeks, but I will have to save that for another time! So let’s jump on a few of them:
Above Reproach (a man of good reputation - unquestionable integrity)
Acting like men means being above reproach. This is an old fashioned word that we don’t use that much these days. Some translations use the word blameless. This doesn’t mean that we need to be perfect, far from it. But we should have unquestionable integrity - Paul talks about how a man of God should have a good reputation.
When the early church faced a significant problem, the apostles said,
“…seek out from among you seven men of good reputation…”
They were looking for men with a good reputation to solve a critical problem. A man of good reputation is spoken well of by those around him, especially his family and those that truly know him. And the Bible places a large emphasis on being men of good reputation.
The thing about reputation is that it takes a long time to build but a moment to destroy. Reputation is a long term investment into your character, making difficult decisions in difficult times. It's not the most straightforward thing to develop. You can't buy this, can you? You can't apply for it or get a scholarship. Reputation is forged over time. And it's worth doing. It's Biblical to be a man who is above reproach, a man of unquestionable integrity and a good reputation.
I find this deeply challenging and slightly uncomfortable if I'm honest, because it is asking a lot of me as a man.
Hospitable (unselfish and generous)
Another thing that characterises a man of God is being hospitable, unselfish and generous. This is not something that I would expect to be on the list. It wouldn't be in my blog post: 19 steps to becoming the ultimate man that's for sure.
Be hospitable. Welcome people into your home, into your community, into your tribe. And this is not just about being hospitable to your close family and friends. This is about being hospital to the stranger too.
Historically, the church has been pretty good at being hospitable. But if I can push a little here, it's usually because of our amazing wives rather than ourselves.
Be hospitable. Be kind, generous, and welcoming to people, even people you don't know.
This is more than just a meal. Often it is about being willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of others. When Paul wrote this list of characteristics that men should aim for, he wrote to people who mainly lived in one-room houses. And if they did have two rooms - the second room was a guest room. Think about how much of their homes would be devoted to hospitality. You can see how this would be a massive inconvenience, especially if you only have one room to live in. In the UK, we live in houses with an average of 5.2 rooms, yet we are significantly less hospitable. The bigger our houses get, the bigger the walls get around them.
I find this deeply challenging and uncomfortable too. I'd much rather someone tell me that I should learn to fire a bow and arrow to be a man of God. But the Bible doesn't say that. It talks about being hospitable.
Be of good reputation. Be hospitable. And then Paul talks about men needing to be just (wise, discerning, nonprejudiced, and fair).
Oh my.
Just (wise, discerning, nonprejudiced, and fair)
I think this is so counter-cultural at the moment. Culture is not just, especially because people find it impossible to take responsibility. They only 'own up' if they get caught out, or it is made public.
I heard a great quote that we judge others by their actions, but we judge ourselves by our intentions. That's not just. It's not right. Men are to be just, wise, discerning, non-prejudiced and fair.
It's really challenging, isn't it? That is hard to do, and it is really hard to understand what that means when all your see around you is a cancel-culture that still likes to operate in the shadows and secrecy to get away with as much as they can, that pushes all of the blame onto someone else and accepts zero responsibility for their own lives.
So what can we do when faced with ideas that are so counter-cultural? Where do we learn what it means to be a man?
What It Means To Be A Christian Man
The good news for us is that all of these characteristics, all of these qualities, are found and demonstrated in Christ.
Jesus shows us what it means to be a man. He is above reproach and has unquestionable integrity. He is faithful to His word; his yes is yes, and His no is no. He has a good reputation. No character throughout human history has had a reputation like Him.
Jesus shows us how to be hospitable and care for people that are strangers, that don't deserve His mercy. He shows us how to respond to people who are different to us and how to be extraordinarily kind and generous to people. He was a big hit with children and also made time for people, both men and women. Jesus shows us that love really does win and that it really will change the world when people see his kindness.
He shows us what real justice is all about. He advocates being meak, which means having a hidden strength. But He also turned tables over in church and threw out corruption and injustice. He shows us that justice starts with ourselves and how personal responsibility and personal accountability can lead to world transformation. He shows us that mercy and justice are interwoven and how one without the other doesn't work.
Jesus is the ultimate male role model and hero. He shows us what it means to be a man and how being a man of God is still radically counter-cultural. And it if sounds difficult, it sounds hard to do, and that's because it is. Being a man of God is not straightforward. It demands a lot from you.
So Jesus not only shows us what it means to be a man, He helps us become that man too. When we walk with Him, we see what being a man is all about. And through His Holy Spirit, He transforms us into God-men as long as we stay humble before him, listen to him and do what He tells us to do.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
He is all about making us whole and complete. He is about equipping us. Amazing really. That's the gospel - he has not left us alone. Brilliant! Being a Christian man is all about recognising that is a high calling and that you cannot do it apart from Him, so you receive His help, His grace sometimes willingly, sometimes begrudgingly! But I tell you what, my experience is that this is the most exciting journey to be on! It is one heck of an adventure!
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Act like men. This idea has hopefully become a bit clearer. But notice the context in which Paul wrote this - being watchful, standing firm in the faith, be strong. These all talk about the ability to stand for the long term. And that's critical. To become a man of God is intentional. It is also a long term investment; it is about daily choices that happen over the years.
I don't know about you, but that sounds like something worth devoting my life to. I won't be perfect. I'll mess up. But Jesus can handle my failures. It's my inaction that He has a hard time with. So I'll keep going, working on this because it is so worth it. Jesus, would You help all of us to become men of God?
CONVERSATION STREET
With: Matt Edmundson, Phil Watson & Al Marshall
What is Conversation Street?
Conversation Street is part of our live stream, where the hosts (in this case, Matt, Phil & Al) chat through Matt’s talk and answer questions that were sent in through the live stream. To watch the conversation now, click here.
Al: Well, just as a springboard off that, I think one of the interesting thoughts that kept going through my mind as you were doing your talk, and as we were listening, and we were interacting with each other is this is an enormous subject. And if you asked the question 40 years ago you would have had a different answer. And if you had 20 years ago, you had a different answer. And, you know, we're men of a certain age, and we're asking questions now. I am in my 50s. And all that list that you read out, they're all big hits aren't they? But, you did mention that on several occasions that we are on a journey. And if you listen to them in total, you come back with a concept of "that's overwhelming". And yet, the three of us have all found ourselves in situations where we have journeyed into our age, and into our conclusions and into our emotions.
Loneliness
Phil: Well, I don't know whoever, wherever you're watching this, in the church we go to, if I needed help, I've got 10 or 20 fellas that I could ring and say, you know, I'm struggling with X, Y or Z. And every one of them would go, right, I'll put down what I'm doing, and I'll find time to talk to you. And I think that's a wonderful privilege to have that. And I wonder, the thing about hospitality was really interesting because again you talked about "man up", and there's another phrase isn't there that we use a lot about having a man cave. How many men go into their own little world, their own little man cave, either literally or metaphorically? You were saying about being hospitable, and part of that is being hospitable to the stranger, the refugee? Or if you want to foster... I think there's something isn't there about being hospitable to other men, and being the one that's active and says, and you see this in the Bible all the time, Jesus going into houses to talk, being with men going, "let's walk, let's talk". And sometimes we have to be proactive which is not necessarily, how we like being and go, right, I will make a point of going for a walk, going for a drink, doing something active with another man to build that relationship because for a lot of men, they lose their friends, they somehow shred their friends. And you know like you were saying Al, the women I know have got a relatively large network, not exclusively, but men sometimes shrink their networks or friendship groups.
There's this code isn't there? We watch football, or sport or whatever, or whatever it is, but we don't actually talk about how we feel. And certainly, I'd say in our western culture has become very, very normal. And I'm guessing it's been like that for some time. And if you look at the example of Jesus, we go to the emotional, and the depth of conversation and relationship very quickly. And that's just a wonderful place to be you know, with like yourself Alan with Matt, but loads of other photos as well. And if you're watching this, and you are struggling with loneliness then get in contact with us. I don't know where you are, but even if it's on the internet, we can try and find some help. Or we can find somehow groups to patch you in with because being lonely is just awful.
It's A Journey
Al: What was really interesting, just on the springboard, is the fact that you mentioned how we learn to be men. The example that we follow. And as members of a Church, our example is Christ. That's how we learn. That's how we follow the teachings, the example, the emotion and the sensitivity, but also the strength within Jesus Christ, the perfect man. There is our perfect example. But unfortunately, we aren't perfect. So to be together is the beginning of perfection, to actually help each other. It says about iron sharpening iron, to be vulnerable, to be understanding. And if people have had an absent father, or have had an abusive relationship with a male role model, then that's how they perceive God. And that's not what God is. And that's not, God has never been that. You know, we're very fortunate the fact that we've been able to process together these obstructions and even our physical manifestations of pain or discomfort that can be caused by deep rooted hurt and wounds. And I think it was brilliant that within your talk, you kept bringing it back to this is essentially a process.
Matt: Yeah, it is. It's definitely not an instant transformation, as we can attest to. The reason I'm excited to be on this broadcast with you guys is because we have known each other for a long time. We have walked through some stuff. And one of the things that we were involved with for a long time was a group where every week we would get together, we would chat, we would pray, we would think about the things of God and we would be open and honest, and we would be accountable. And they were some really great times for me. And so I think you're right Al, I think we do go on a journey. And Phil, I think you're also right, you need men around you to help you on that journey to get around men, and be transparent and honest with men.
Who Are Your Earthly Role Models?
Matt: And I think this is an interesting question. I guess, do men have role models? And who are they? What do you reckon, Phil?
Phil: I think first of all, you have to realise whoever you've got as a role model, if they're a human being, they will let you down somewhere along the line. I like a lot of sports. I'm not a Liverpool fan, but I find Jurgen Klopp a fascinating character because whatever you say about him, whatever you think, he brings out the best of people around him. Not just, here's the tactics, go left, go right, pass it this way. He somehow brings a mental strength and an emotional strength and I enjoy his emotional honesty. I enjoy it when he's being interviewed, that you can see him being up, excited, you can see him going, "not as good as I wanted". But, whilst he wants to win, he does seem to go, this is important, but it's not vital. And the first verse when I became a Christian, the first verse I ever learned in the Bible, it's also the shortest, which is why it is a great one to learn, is "Jesus wept". So Jesus burst into tears, as far as I can tell, because his friend had died. And I remember getting a very clear, "hang on a mintue, this guy has emotions". I think a role model for me, has to have emotions, and is quite okay to show them. In fact, you should show them, you should be in touch with your emotions. There is no strength whatsoever in suppressing how you actually feel. When I was when I was a kid, if somebody said, How'd you feel? I'd have gone, "hungry, tired, excited." Those were probably my emotional states. That isn't helpful, and again, whether you're married, whether you've got a partner, girlfriend, whatever your situation, knowing how you feel and being able to express that is really important. Because if you don't express it clearly in a way that somebody else can understand, you're going to express it another way that isn't helpful at all.
Matt: It always comes out, right? It always comes out.
Phil: It can really go one way or the other. And it comes out as poor health, or alcohol. We like to talk about, you know, addictions, destructive behaviour. So you either get violent or you get drunk, or you go into yourself, none of those things are helpful.
Matt: Yeah, that's really interesting. Al, here's an interesting comment from Matt Crew. And I'm kind of pre empting what you would say to this question, who is your earthly role model, principally, because I've heard you talk a lot over the years. Matt Crew says, "I'm blessed to have had my dad, he's a legend and my granddad. I love my granddad, still do but he died 30 years ago. Miss him every day." How close are we as men to our fathers? Are our fathers our role models? I think there's something in that Al. What do you think?
Al: Well, I think that's an enormous plus to be honest, to have a positive male role model. I was very blessed to have a very strong man, a male role model in my dad, and also my grandfather. But they both died just before my 16th birthday. And there was a hole in my life because of the loss of those significant men. But I was very fortunate in the fact that I was brought up in a close church. Other men just stood in the gap, and asked me how I was doing. They were genuinely concerned and genuinely affectionate towards me and wanted to see me succeed. And that gave me an opportunity to actually see the even though I'd lost my earthly father, and my earthly Grandfather, I had a heavenly father and an example of other men within that community. They say, it takes a village to raise a child. Well, I'm gonna go one step further on that, it actually takes a group of men to support a group of men. And that's one thing that as guys, I think that we're quite poor at. As Phil mentioned earlier, you know, I did a little bit of a straw poll a little while ago, and I asked a lot of our female friends who that they would go to, and they had nine or 10 names that they would speak to. And when I've asked men in the church and outside the church, they gave me one to two names of people that they would go to, and I find that really impressively disturbing. If you lose one or two friends, then you're alone. And I think there's loneliness within all areas of our community. Of course there is. And it's not just masculinity, and it's not just male, but I do think it's a significant thing. If you haven't got a go to guy or support. There's so many people who have inspired me.
You know, when the question is asked, am I my brother's keeper? The answer within society would be no, not really. And I think that is completely counter what Jesus taught. We are our brother's keeper. And I think from a perspective of this conversation about men, I think it's really important for us to actually appreciate that there is a space. Be a man. There's a space to grow into being the man that God asked us to be. But also, using the concept of emotional, physical and spiritual, all of these men, all of these aspects of our character, and these things that we need to work on. And we need support to work on because we all have gaps. And to attain that list that you talked about, we need support, and we can do it, if we have support.
Matt: We can, I totally agree.
What Can Women Do To Support The Men In Their Lives In Being Godly Men?
Matt: Sharon has out here, if you have a partner, a wife or a life partner, which all three of us have, what can women do to support the men in their lives in being godly men? What do you reckon Phil?
Phil: Well, that's a very good question. The peculiar thing about men is we like to pretend that we find things out for ourselves, but we don't. It can put a woman who loves you in a predicament, because she might go it's so obvious what you need to do. And, yet we are the last people to cross with it. So the classic one is, we'll all be flippant, which is typical of us isn't it? We'll go from very serious to jokey. I don't go to the doctor until my wife says "you are ill, you are going to the doctor". It's a no brainer to go. Sharon, that is a million dollar question. I would love to be able to give you a three point answer. What we're not saying here is encouraging you to manipulate anybody. What we're saying is, helping people to be comfortable with themselves, to be happy with who they are. And I'm gonna say very generally speaking, if you find something that somebody's doing well, I'm talking as a teacher, as well as a dad and a human being, if you can find what somebody's doing well, and focus on that, (maybe not quite as simplistic as this) and say, "I like the way you do that". This is a great way of helping somebody to feel comfortable. It's about building up somebody's confidence because I'm wondering whether with a lot of us, a lot of men, a lot of it is bravado, and machismo. So we're pretending when we really feel quite insecure. We talk about as dads. I've said this before, I write to my kids quite often. I write them letters and when they get to 18 I go, here's all the letters I've ever written you. And each letter ends with, I'm doing the best I can with the information I have. And if you are angry with your dad because he wasn't as good as you want and he did X Y or Z, or you're angry with him because you never knew him, or he left, or he died, then you might need some therapy, you might need somebody professional to help you, but actually I think forgiveness is a really important part. Going, "I need to forgive this person". Because you know what? If you spend your life angry with your dad, you are ruining your life. And I'm going to suggest to you that it's going to make it very difficult for you to be a good Dad to the children that you have. And even the person with a great Dad will say, Oh, but they could have done a little bit more and I think it's a sign of maturity isn't it where you go, actually I've got to move on from the situation with my father. I'm now a grown up, I need to work on myself. How would I be a good dad or a good man to the people around me? And like you said in your talk Matt, so many good things, Jesus was phenomenally comfortable.
He was comfortable in his own skin wasn't he? So he wept, he's happy to cry. I also think it's interesting that he slept a lot. He also was very comfortable with the kids. That great bit where the children were hanging around him and disciples went, "oi get away, kids". Jesus went, "no no no". And I just think, what a magnetic personality where he was very happy to be in a society where children were not esteemed, but he was happy to be with them. He also was happy to talk to people that, (it's hard for us to understand) were very much marginalised. So take this however you want. It was a patriarchal society. He talked to women, and for a man to talk to women, and treat them with respect, particularly foreign women. There's a very good story about the Samaritan woman. Samaritans were not liked by Jewish people. Jewish people didn't like Samaritans. Jesus spent time talking to this woman at a well, so a communal place. And you're thinking, that's a remarkable man who is very comfortable with who he is, who will talk with anyone. And you know, you mentioned being hospitable, and his reputation was amazing. But he also was prepared to risk it to talk to people. Society would have gone, you don't want to talk to them, they're Romans.
I think being positive has more impact and encouraging on somebody than being negative. Telling people what they can't do, and what they're not good rarely helps. It's trying to find good.
Al: Just as an aside, I think when you're in a maturing relationship, communication is key. And that was always the example that we've been given. Pastor David Connolly used to say, you ask the last question first. I always think that was a really wise thing to say because sometimes, the last thing that I'm going to say to my wife is probably the first thing I should say. I would suggest over the years that our responses to each other have matured. For two decades we've been married, I think. I'll get in trouble if that's wrong. But I definitely think that there is an element of encouragement and mutual respect. interestingly, I was reading somewhere that in the beatitudes when the word meek was used, it referred to a soldier who was able to keep their sword sheethed. And I found that really interesting when I read that, because I'd never heard that before. And somebody can tell me if that's right or wrong, but I just love the idea of the person being able to use the weapon, but choosing to keep it under control. And I think that's the maturity of masculinity, the maturity of what a man is. Somebody who can choose, and as Phil was saying, I think it's really important to actually look at how culturally men are perceived. Seriously, if you do need help, as a man, if you do need somebody to talk to, and it's a big talk, then obviously, it is important, but there are so many ways to start that conversation about your journey into wholeness.
If There Was One Thing You Wanted Christian Men To Know, What Would It Be?
Matt: So you're talking to Jamie, what's the one thing you want him to know?
Phil: This going to sound ridiculous. There's a strength in weakness, knowing what you can't do. That's actually wonderfully strong. There's a phrase toxic masculinity, which is perhaps described as just bullying, and bullying people is wrong, toxic masculinity is wrong, but there's a strength in going, I'm not very good at that. I don't feel good about that, and expressing that. Express your emotions.
Al: Yeah, I think that's really important to actually admit that you have emotions, to admit that we need to express them, and that we need to process. I think processing is really important. Don't be afraid to process and work on your prayer life. Within my prayer practice, I stay silent a lot. And that's something that I've learned over the years. So my encouragement, and it would be an encouragement is to work on your prayer life. Read the words that Jesus said, as they are spectacular. He is still the most perfect man.
Phil: Again, it's a journey, but when you know that God loves you, and you fully understand that, or you fully embrace that (I'm not sure it's possible to fully embrace it entirely while we're alive), but you actually have a sense of self, a sense of security, a sense of confidence. It means you don't need to metaphorically or literally use your sword. You know, bullies and aggressive people are hurting people. It doesn't excuse what they're doing, but when you are comfortable with who you are, and you know you are loved, it's like other people are less of a threat. When we see everybody around us as a threat, then it's wonderful. We can be hospitable, we can be who God made us to be. And you look at Jesus with the women I've mentioned, the children, but the other men he was able to talk to. Very powerful people and people who were very marginalised, and he treated everybody the same because Jesus was absolutely comfortable and content with who he was because he knew who God had made him to be.
More Bible Verses About Men
Ephesians 5:22 - Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also is the head of the Church.
Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 - We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
1 Timothy 2:11-12 - Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
1 Corinthians 7:2-4 - Let each man have his own wife and each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife her due; but let the wife also do likewise to her husband. The wife does not exercise authority over her own body, but her husband does; likewise, also, the husband does not exercise authority over his own body, but his wife does.
1 Timothy 3:2-4 - Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands love your wives just also as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
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