There has been a lot of discussion as of late within Christian circles about the nature of masculinity. Part of this discussion centers around the notoriety of a particular social media influencer known as Andrew Tate. This person is well known for being outspoken on what it means to be a man, which mostly involves muscles, women, and money. Tate made a lot of wealth as an Only Fans pimp, pushing women into sexually depraved acts online for money. While he claims to be of the Muslim faith, he spends a great deal of time bragging about his sexual escapades and denouncing marriage as “gay.” Some individuals, including professing Christians, try to find upstanding qualities in Tate by pointing out things such as his encouraging young men to get physically fit and to be willing to fight against a culture that hates men and seeks to demoralize them. These defenses are offered as a great need within the church to emulate persons like Tate so that men within the church pursue genuine masculinity.

The question that should be asked is not how can the church create Christian versions of Andrew Tate for young men to emulate but what is the biblical definition of masculinity and how should it be modeled in the church? Much is made today about the externals of masculinity, the visible and tangible aspects of what men do and what they look like. Being tough, hitting the gym, building things with one’s hands, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and other acts are often promoted as idealistic masculine activities. Similarly, calls for men to act as dominating forces in relationships with women and to never allow women to take anything that may be interpreted as a leadership role are prolific. This focus on the externals of masculinity is in direct response to the secular and feminist attacks on men in general. Everything that is termed “toxic masculinity” by the culture tends to be elevated as the masculine ideal by those seeking to find a Christian Andrew Tate. However, one must question not only what the Scriptures call men to be externally but also what must be the condition of their hearts and minds.

In writing to his son in Proverbs, Solomon states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Prov. 9:10). Biblical manhood calls men to start with the pursuit of the knowledge of God. As we grow in our understanding of God and His word, we are led to pursue lives pleasing to Him. While there is a temporal benefit to working on externals, such as pursuing physical fitness, growing in Christ has benefit to us both in this life and spiritually (1 Tim. 4:8). This is because, the more we grow in the word, the more conformed we are to Christ. Our minds are transformed day by day as we put off the deeds of the flesh. We have a greater desire to live in such a way that we are pleasing to God in all things. Men, therefore, have a heart that desires to act as men in the way that God has made them. Whether they are an accountant, solider, a writer, or a ditch digger, they work heartily as unto the Lord. In their relationships, men will sacrificially love and lead as humble servants because that is how their Lord loved and led. The pursuit of godly wisdom gives men truly masculine minds.

In the study of Scripture, another aspect of true masculinity is maturity. In writing to the Ephesians, Paul speaks of the various offices and gifts God gives to His people in the church. The purpose of these giftings is to build up the church, to make the body fit for God’s use. To that end, Paul writes that this occurs, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph. 4:13-14). Mature manhood is a necessity within the church to keep Christians from chasing after every idea or scheme that promises some benefit to the people. Christian men are not to eschew growth in Christ but rather they are to desire heartily the maturity that comes from being taught and served by the leadership of the church. As men grow in knowledge and as they work in service to the body, they learn how to identify the false ideologies that would lead themselves and others astray. Much like a child grows into adulthood and learns to make wise decisions because they have learned at the hands of their parents, Christian men should desire maturity so that they too may lead younger Christians one day. Maturity encourages patience, and thoughtfulness, and tempers one’s tongue. It does not misuse or misapply Scripture to suit its purposes and lusts. It bows at the feet of God’s word and seeks to conform its life and practice to Christ. Biblical masculinity requires men to be mature.

In His preaching at the Sermon on the Mount, Christ gave His disciples what are termed the Beatitudes. Among those Beatitudes, Christ taught this, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). Meekness is not a lack of strength or weakness, rather it is power under control. One analogy might be that of a wrecking ball. When used, a wrecking ball can bring about great destruction. The massive swing weight demolishes almost anything in its path. Therefore, the operator of this device must take great care to use it properly and precisely so that no unnecessary damage occurs. When Christ calls His disciples to show meekness, He is not preaching for them to be spineless, afraid, or ashamed. Rather, He calls them to understand that they have great power in God and that power must be understood and called upon rightly. The prophets of old understood this as we see in Elijah who prayed that it would not rain in Israel (1 Kings 17:1) and later called upon God to consume his offering before the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:36-38). The prophets knew that they were not to tempt the Lord their God and call upon His power flippantly. Yet, Christ’s own disciples, James and John, were angry at how they were treated by the Samaritans, they petitioned Christ for the ability to call down fire on the people, for which they were promptly rebuked (Luke 9:54-55). These men lacked meekness and sought to wield strength as a cudgel by which they could punish anyone who got in their way. Christian men must be those who do not seek strength and power for their benefit but see themselves as humble servants whom God strengthens to be used for His purposes.

These are just a sampling of the internal requirements of the heart that Scripture requires of men. These spiritual truths are transformative of men in mind, heart, and body. If we desire men to act like men, then we must call them to conform to the requirements of Scripture internally and spiritually before we ever try to focus on them externally. Furthermore, if Christian men are called to have wisdom, maturity, and meekness, they will display truly masculine traits regardless of their external abilities. A biblically masculine man who is incapable of physical strength due to disability will still pursue strength of mind and heart seeking to be wise. A masculine man will do all he can to lovingly lead his wife and family with meekness to Christ even when there is discord in the home. He will not be a tyrant who demands obeisance because he is the man of the home. A man who pursues biblical masculinity will demonstrate a hard work ethic in any career field, whether it is building with his hands or creating spreadsheets because he is mature in understanding he serves the Lord. Men who are led to desire these internal changes will be the strongest masculine men the church can offer and they will be a model for young men to emulate for generations to come.  

NOTE: This article was also published at X.com.