That’s a good question. Patriarchy is not very popular these days in our culture. Many would say patriarchy refers to the intentional marginalization of women and children by powerful men, somehow preventing them from becoming who God intends them to be.
I’m not so sure that is the case. I am beginning to see that a genuine patriarch is one who takes his role as husband and father seriously, and works sacrificially to lead, protect, and provide for his family.
Patriarchy means “rule of the father,” and unfortunately the word rule is what throws critics off. Biblically speaking rule means giving guidance and direction. It does not mean authoritarian dictatorship. Rule is accomplished from a covenantal commitment from the heart, not for personal gain. It is always in obedience to God.
Paul gives guidance in Ephesians 5:25-31. Using the relationship of Jesus to the Church as metaphor, Paul calls on husbands to love their wives sacrificially, giving his life for them, setting them apart as special and holy, and guiding them to holiness and honor.
As I gain and document insights from studies in biblical patriarchy I am discovering I will post my thoughts and learnings on genuine masculinity, what it means to be a husband, and fatherhood. I am seeking to understand how these relate to our cultural mandate to live in the image of God and to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28).
What I want to do more than anything is to learn how to be the man God wants me to be, and hopefully take a few other men along on the journey. As we catalogue our findings I hope you will enjoy the Patriarch’s Journal.
I’m not so sure that is the case. I am beginning to see that a genuine patriarch is one who takes his role as husband and father seriously, and works sacrificially to lead, protect, and provide for his family.
Patriarchy means “rule of the father,” and unfortunately the word rule is what throws critics off. Biblically speaking rule means giving guidance and direction. It does not mean authoritarian dictatorship. Rule is accomplished from a covenantal commitment from the heart, not for personal gain. It is always in obedience to God.
Paul gives guidance in Ephesians 5:25-31. Using the relationship of Jesus to the Church as metaphor, Paul calls on husbands to love their wives sacrificially, giving his life for them, setting them apart as special and holy, and guiding them to holiness and honor.
As I gain and document insights from studies in biblical patriarchy I am discovering I will post my thoughts and learnings on genuine masculinity, what it means to be a husband, and fatherhood. I am seeking to understand how these relate to our cultural mandate to live in the image of God and to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28).
What I want to do more than anything is to learn how to be the man God wants me to be, and hopefully take a few other men along on the journey. As we catalogue our findings I hope you will enjoy the Patriarch’s Journal.
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