Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

“Man up and show affection for one another.”

Well now, that’s a bit unusual.

You’ve probably seen or heard of things that don’t typically go together, fire and water, orange juice and milk, orange juice and oreos ☹, chocolate and mustard, dogs and cats, chocolate and your pocket on a warm day, your grandma and breakdancing, a shared entrance for a candy store and kids yoga studio, and the list could go on . . .

some of you are thinking it went on longer than it should have already.

I suppose it’s a bit of cliché or a broad generalization but men and affection often don’t seem to get placed together.

Let me point you to the two verses that, at first glance, seem to communicate this.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Let all that you do be done in love” ( ESV).

We’re going to take a deeper look at these phrases, but before we do, let me offer a statement that more accurately portrays Paul’s sentiment rather than, “man up and show affection.”

Purpose Statement.

Spiritual maturity and healthy community require intense spiritual strength accompanied by abundant affection.

A Courageous Community (16:13)

Be Watchful.

Be alert.

Be vigilant.

Of course this word is used in a number of different context – moments as literal as Jesus telling his disciples to not fall asleep in the garden.

But, when used in a more figurative manner, it usually refers to two types of alertness.

(1) First, we are to be alert and waiting for the return of the Lord.

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” ().

While we ought to always be alert for the return of the Lord, this is probably not the meaning of the verse in 1 Corinthians.

(2) Secondly, this word is used in the context of being alert for the attacks of the flesh and Satan.

Paul is calling these Corinthian believers to be spiritually alert to the reality of spiritual warfare, similar to the charge Peter offers in his epistle.

Paul doesn’t want these believers to be lulled into a state of complacency.

There is never a moment we get to turn off our alertness.

We are always on spiritually.

This can be challenging though.

Paul doesn’t want these believers to be lulled into a state of complacency.

There is never a moment we get to turn off our alertness.

We are always on spiritually.

This can be challenging though.

Consider having people in your home, friends or family.

While they are present, you have a sense of obligation to them.

You feel responsible to entertain them.

Probably your family conversations are more guarded.

You probably wear different clothes when guests are over.

You never really rest in the same way that you would when it’s just your family at home.

You are always on.

You are always alert to your words and actions (or at least hopefully you are).

When your guests leave, the pajamas and the normal family mocking and sarcasm come back in force.

So then, let’s tie that idea to what Paul is commanding here.

While we are still present within this world, we don’t ever really get to the place where we can turn off our alertness to the reality of the presence of sin and evil forces lurking around us.

We are always turned on.

Always spiritually awake.

Don’t ever let your guard down.

Satan is always looking for ways to cause us to stumble and destroy us.

Stand Firm in the Faith.

To stand implies stability, firmness and steadfastness.[1]

In this context it communicates the idea of “I’m not moving.”

But upon what are we standing?

We are to stand in the faith.

We are not standing in our faith.

Our faith is weak and unstable.

We stand in “The Faith.”

While faith can refer to our personal trust, it can also refer to the content in which we trust.

Paul writes similarly to the Thessalonians.

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us” ( ESV).

Similarly, Jude writes, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” ( ESV).

But upon what are we standing?

We are to stand in the faith.

We are not standing in our faith.

Our faith is weak and unstable.

We stand in “The Faith.”

While faith can refer to our personal trust, it can also refer to the content in which we trust.

Paul writes similarly to the Thessalonians.

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us” ( ESV).

Similarly, Jude writes, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” ( ESV).

Be Courageous and Strong.

I purposefully place these two imperatives together, and I will explain in a moment.

Before I do, let’s wrestle just a bit with their meaning.

The ESV and NAS translate the first command as “act like men” and the KJV offers the even more confusing phrase, “quit you like men.”

Other versions translate this word as “show courage” (NET) or “be courageous” (NLT, NIV).

Our modern colloquialisms “man up” or “put your big boy pants on,” while probably a bit insulting and demeaning, are equal in meaning to this Greek word.

In a technical sense, it is entirely appropriate to translate this word as “act like men.”

The Greek word for man is at the root of the word,[2] but as one commentator wrote:

Thiselton.

But here the gender issue threatens to obscure the force of be a man! ἀνήρ has two semantic oppositions, not one: it does not simply pose a contrast with supposedly “feminine” qualities; it also stands in contrast with childish ways, as strikingly in . . .

(I had a childish mind-set, attitude) but I set all this aside . . .

(when I became a man).

Hence the Greek suggests both maturity and courage:[3]

So then, the statement is not intended to command everyone to be like a man in contrast to a woman, but instead be mature in contrast to being childish.

Be courageous in contrast to being driven by fear and emotion.

Paul likely purposefully placed these two commands to be strong and courageous together.

It is very reflective of a common command throughout the Old Testament.

Three times in Moses farewell address in , Moses charges the people of Israel to “be strong and courageous”.

Don’t fear for the Lord God will go with you (, , ).

Joshua offers a nearly identical charge to the people of Israel as they enter the promised land.

“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land” ().

“Be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law” (, Cf. 1:18).

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed” (, ).

This same charge to be strong and courageous rings throughout the Old Testament, whether it’s reminders to Moses command (), David’s exhortation to Solomon in the building of the temple (), amidst the fear of an attacking enemy (), or general exhortations in the Psalms (27:14, 31:24) and Prophets (, ).

At each point, the people of God were in a precarious position, a position that would naturally insight fear.

God calls them to look to Him and not be afraid.

Similarly, the believers in Corinth find themselves in a precarious position.

They were being drawn away from the truth.

Paul offers them a very common clarion call, “be courageous, be strong.”

An Affectionate Community (16:10-24)