Act Like Men – Live in Love

OneThing [28Dec10]

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

     At the end of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he gives them parting instructions.  In the midst of many specific instructions to the church, the reader finds this exhortation: “act like men.”  What does this mean?

     In the context of the paragraph, it means that men of the faith are vigilant for opposition and when attacked, they do not give up their ground because they are strong.  And they do all this in love.

     In the context of the whole book, men do not quarrel with one another.  They do not engage in sexual immorality.  They do not sue their fellow believers, but they give preference to others and take care to not injure another believer’s conscience.  They surrender their rights for the sake of the gospel and do everything to glorify God.  They are sensitive to the needs of others and work well with others.  They prioritize love above all.  They endeavor to benefit the whole body and to help church services operate smoothly.  They stake all their hope in the resurrection of Christ and long for their own resurrection.  They are sacrificial with their resources and honor more mature Christians.

     It should be noted that 16:13 uses the illustration of manhood similarly to 13:11 which says,

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

This verse speaks of all earthly things passing away.  Only love will remain.  So it can be inferred that acting like a man means putting away the childish, earthly, things and  living for the things of eternity, namely, love.  Our speech, thought, and reasoning much be built of that which will endure.

     Acting like a man means many things.  Those listed above are merely the pebbles laying on the surface of a much deeper topic.