QUIT YOU LIKE MEN
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” I Corinthians 16:13
Paul’s admonition to the members of the Corinthian church is very much needed today. The phrase, “quit you like men,” means to act like men or to be manly. What a great need there is in our generation for godly men! Although there are those who might consider this phrase to be discriminatory or chauvinistic in our society, their sentiment only reinforces the need we are discussing. Obviously, this does not exclude the importance of holy women and does not negate their great contribution to the service of our Savior. However, the role and the responsibilities of men and women differ according to the unchanging Word of God. That being said, the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God calls for men to be men and to act like men.
The very phrase, “quit you like men,” clearly teaches that men and women do not act the same way. This is a message that will seldom be heard in our culture. As a matter of fact, the very opposite is being heralded. The feminization of males is a part of the present day’s agenda. Women are urged to demand their equal place in the workforce and occupy roles that have traditionally been held primarily by men. Increasingly, women are looking more manly and acting more manly. At the same time, men are discouraged from assuming a masculine identity. Men are praised who stay home and keep the house while the wife pursues a career, while women are belittled for being committed to being keepers at home. The clothing and jewelry of males is becoming more feminine.
There is a culture war raging in our society. The lines that reflect the distinctiveness of the genders are being blurred. More and more women are occupying the pulpits and preaching to men, which is strictly forbidden in the Bible. The media wants to portray men in the ministry as being soft and effeminate. The Word of God includes the “effeminate” with the fornicators, idolaters, drunkards, and others who will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:10).
We need men who will act like men. We are in a spiritual war. We are to be alert; “Watch ye.” We are to be determined, trustworthy, and resolute; “stand fast in the faith.” We are to be spiritually “strong.” This does not imply or excuse rudeness, harshness, or arrogance; but it is a cry for strength and leadership from our men.