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Male vs Man

¨Male (זָכָר - zakar in Hebrew, ἄρσην - arsen in Greek):

This term is primarily used to denote biological sex.

Genesis 1:27 (NIV): "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

This verse highlights the creation of humans as male and female, focusing on biological distinctions.

¨Man (אָדָם - adam in Hebrew, ἄνθρωπος - anthropos in Greek for human, ἀνήρ - aner for man specifically):

The term "man" can refer to humanity in general (adam/anthropos) or to an adult male human being (aner).

Genesis 2:7 (NIV): "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

Here, "man" (adam) refers to the first human being, Adam, emphasizing his creation and humanity.

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV): "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."

In this verse, "man" (aner) is used to describe an adult male who has matured.

Spiritual Man vs. Natural Man

Spiritual Man: A spiritual man is guided by the Holy Spirit and lives according to God's principles.

1 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NIV): "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments."

This passage contrasts the spiritual man with the natural man, emphasizing that the spiritual man understands and accepts spiritual truths.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

A spiritual man exhibits the fruit of the Spirit, demonstrating these qualities in his life.

Natural Man: A natural man is not guided by the Holy Spirit and lives according to the flesh or worldly desires.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV): "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."

This verse highlights that a natural man cannot understand or accept spiritual truths because they are not spiritually discerned.

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV): "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 

Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

A natural man is driven by fleshly desires and is hostile to God.

Responsibilities of a Spiritual Man

In the Church Body:

Leadership and Service:

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NIV): "Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 

(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap."

Spiritual men in leadership positions should exemplify these qualities.

Teaching and Encouraging:

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV): "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

Spiritual men have the responsibility to teach, encourage, and build up the church.

In the Family:

Leadership and Love:

Ephesians 5:25-28 (NIV): "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husband’s ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."

Spiritual men are to love and lead their families as Christ loved the church.

Teaching and Nurturing:

Ephesians 6:4 (NIV): "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

They are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of their children.

In the Community:

Example and Witness:

Matthew 5:16 (NIV): "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Spiritual men should be examples and witnesses in their communities.

Service and Compassion:

James 1:27 (NIV): "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

They should show compassion and service to those in need.