Godly Fatherhood | Proverbs 20:6-7

Godly Fatherhood as the Outflow of Biblical Manhood

Okay, let's turn in our Bibles to Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 20. I want to read from verses 6 through 7. Proverbs chapter 20. God's Word says, Many a man will call out his own lovingkindness, but a faithful man who can find?

A righteous man who walks in his integrity, how blessed are his sons after him? Amen. So, Happy Father's Day again to all. It's a blessing to be able to be here today to worship and to fellowship and to celebrate godly fatherhood.

That's what the message will be about today. And I'm really looking forward to diving into this subject matter because it's very important. And because our society has done a fine job of distorting what godly manhood and womanhood and fatherhood and motherhood are.

So we need to make sure that we have a good biblical understanding of what these things are. And so we can live them out and be salt and light. And to be a blessing to our children as well, as this verse says.

And you'll notice that this passage has a similar ring to the Proverbs 31 passage that I covered on Mother's Day. In Proverbs 31 verse 10, if you recall, it says,. An excellent wife who can find? For her worth is far above pearls.

And likewise, many a man will call out his own lovingkindness, but a faithful man who can find? A righteous man who walks in his integrity, how blessed are his sons. So in other words, it's a sort of a parallel here.

Because a righteous man, a faithful man, is a blessing, is a good thing, a very good thing, is a valuable thing, and it's hard to find. Yet his legacy is blessed after him. Because he is righteous and walks in his integrity according to God's ways.

Now, this should go without saying, as I covered in Mother's Day, that fatherhood cannot be considered in isolation. It cannot be considered apart from anything else that men are called to be and do. That is unbiblical.

That's impossible, in fact. Because biblical fatherhood necessarily presupposes other identities, roles, responsibilities, and relationships that we as men called by God have and do. And because God designed and instituted this logical and necessary creation order.

Creation order to our creation identities and roles as both men and women. There is a creation order, and God is obviously a God of order, of peace, of order. Sound mind. There's order, and in some sense, there's authority.

There's hierarchy in God's order that we need to respect and submit to. All of us do. Not just women. So, a godly father, therefore, is also a godly son. A godly husband. A godly man. And a godly Christian.

This is what a father is. A godly father is a composite of these roles and responsibilities. Godly fatherhood, like godly motherhood, is really the last link in the chain of manhood. Of godly manhood.

And it is the summation of his roles and responsibilities. Or the logical outflow and continuation of these prior creation roles and relationships. Very important to understand that. So, again, you cannot be a godly father without or apart from also being these things.

A godly son. A godly husband. A godly man. And a godly Christian. And as I mentioned before on Mother's Day, there may be exceptions to this. There may be situations of divorce or things like that. But it doesn't change the reality of this is God's order and this is what we should seek to follow.

Seek to follow and seek to be. And also because if you struggle as a man in any one of these roles, responsibilities, and relationships, you will struggle to be a godly father as well. Because they are all interconnected.

They are all interdependent identities and duties. God designed it that way. And men, like women, they also need local. They need a local example of godly role models and influences in their life to show them the way.

This highlights also the importance of the local church. We need role models in our lives. That's why in scripture you often see the apostles say, Imitate me. Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ. That's not just an abstract thing that we read from scripture.

It's also important for us to have living examples and local examples of what this looks like. That's how we learn. And that's why God designed the family the way that he did. Because the children are supposed to learn from the parents.

What a good man and woman, husband, wife, father, mother look like. That's what the family in part is designed to do as well. When it is according to God's order. God's creation and God's order. And the beauty of the local church is also when there are deficits in the family or dysfunctional homes and families, which is the normal these days.

Oftentimes, many of us, if not all of us, came from a dysfunctional past or family. Yet the beauty of the church is that it redeems the people to become godly models and examples for those of us who lack those things in our home or in our upbringing.

Judgment Day, Sanctification, and the Finished Work of Christ

And speaking of which, this is important to clarify at the outset, because you will often hear lordship salvation preachers like Paul Washer is a big, a big one who will say things like when they whenever they teach on manhood or fatherhood or marriage, they will say things like you men may like being in charge and having authority as a man.

But you will have to face God on judgment day to give an account of how you either used or abused your authority of how you treated your wife, his daughter, your children, and so on. You're going to have to give an account one day, so you better be careful.

It's trying to instill some kind of fear in men. But biblically, beloved, this is an unbiblical attempt to scare God's people into obedience or submission. This is not biblical. This is not how God works with his saints, with his people.

It's this it's this mentality of like, oh, you're going to get it. Just you wait and see what God is going to do to you on judgment day. And but this is clearly false and misleading because that's not what scripture teaches us.

Judgment day is not something that we have to fear or or a dreadful expectation of because judgment day is not a day of judgment for believers. It's a day of celebration and rewards for believers. Now, as believers, that the reason is because as believers, we will not face God on judgment day as a judge.

But rather, as our father. God is our father now. And Christ is our paraclete. If you recall, when I preached on first John chapter two, Christ is our paraclete. He's our advocate. He is our defense attorney.

So this picture of judgment is completely different and transformed for the believer. And that is why I've often preached on this verse in John 5, 24, which we all should memorize. Truly, truly, I, Christ, say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life now already and does not come into what?

Into judgment. He does not come into judgment or condemnation, but has passed out of death into life. Amen. So biblically, according to God's order, what this means is that we deal with our issues and our sins now in this life.

That's what the process of sanctification is for. We as believers judge ourselves in this life. And the church also judges sin, is also tasked with disciplining and judging sin and believers in this life.

That's what the true church is in part for. It's to help us to deal with our sin, to confront our sin, and to judge and discipline our sin. Especially when we don't see it or recognize it or repent of it.

Now, that being said, let's turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 27, as we find a good explanation of what this means and looks like. You'll recall this passage is something that we read every time we partake of the Lord's Supper.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 27, the Apostle Paul, through his God-breathed words, explains these things, very important things to us, that many in the churches today completely miss or fail to do or they neglect almost entirely.

He says, For he who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason, many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, truly, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged for sin or things like that, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. Amen. That's the purpose of the church, beloved. That is the purpose of judging ourselves, of examining ourselves.

And Paul later on says those things. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, unless you fail the test. We are called to judge ourselves now and not dread what happens on Judgment Day. No.

God has given us means to judge ourselves, to examine ourselves, and to partake of the Lord's Supper. But putting in a checks and balances on the Lord's Supper so that we properly test ourselves and do not partake in an unworthy manner.

So that judgment, all of that discipline and sin against sin is happening now, beloved, in this life. We deal with our sin now, not later on Judgment Day. Why? Because we don't have a final reckoning on the Day of Judgment.

Because Christ is our final reckoning. Amen. Christ is the one who finished it all on the cross. He is the reckoning of our sin. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

That is the blessing of double imputation, beloved. God takes our sins and places them on Christ at the cross. He nails them on the tree. Forgives us fully. And we, in turn, receive the righteousness of Christ, the perfect lived out righteousness of Christ, on our behalf.

Legally. Perfect righteousness. Such that we are sinless according to Christ's sinlessness. That is the blessing of imputation, beloved. This is so important for us to understand. And that is why when we fall short of fatherhood or manhood or biblical standards, we have a means of restoration in the church and in ourselves through repentance and mortification and participating in the Lord's Supper.

All of these things are means of God's grace to help us to grow in sanctification and holiness and in the good works which God prepared beforehand for us to partake of and to do. Beforehand, according to His will, like I preached on the last time.

So we cannot understand godly fatherhood without first having a foundational biblical understanding of these identities, roles, responsibilities and relationships, beloved. We need to understand how God works as well.

And how God works in us and through the church. And how these things are accomplished and can be accomplished and be made a reality in our lives. And if you recall, not all of these roles are necessarily strictly male.

But they also pertain to both men and women, though they may look different according to each gender or each gender role. Such as being a godly Christian. Some things overlap, but not always. Because there are differences that God has instituted in the natural creation order.

Authority, Submission, and the Fifth Commandment

So then, a godly father is a godly son. Is a godly son. First. And since a father is a leader who has been called to lead and have authority and exercise authority over his wife and family, a godly father must first learn to submit to authority as a son.

That is God's order. You don't just come out of the womb bossing, exercising authority. That's not how it works. There's a process. God has a process for these things. There's order and decency to all of these things.

Even if you became a Christian later on in life, it does not matter. God still has a process of order and submission for everyone to follow. And the truth is that everyone is called and commanded to submit to someone according to God.

And rather, not just someone, but rather to various kinds of authorities. Because God commands it. We are all required to submit to someone. Everybody has to submit respectfully to elders in the church, for example.

Men and women. And not just women to their fathers and husbands, but sons also to their fathers. Last time, I preached from the larger catechism on the fifth commandment. This time, I want to read from the 1695 Baptist catechism.

Starting in question 69. Which is the fifth commandment? The fifth commandment is, Honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Amen. What is required in the fifth commandment?

The fifth commandment requires the preserving, the honor, and performing the duties belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, such as superiors, whether as superiors or inferiors or equals.

There is a submission to all of these places and relations that we are called to follow. And the larger catechism in question 114 explains, if you recall, To whom does father and mother refer in the fifth commandment?

A father and mother refer not just to our natural parents, but to all superiors in age and gifts. And specifically, to those whom God has ordained to be over us in positions of authority. Whether in our family, the church, or civil government, civil magistrates, civil rulers, etc.

What is forbidden in the fifth commandment according to the Baptist catechism? Question 70. The fifth commandment forbids the neglect of or doing anything against the honor and duty which belongs to everyone in their several places and relations.

Part of this, beloved, is because we are all made in God's image. Men and women. All of us bear God's image. And as God's image bears, there is a certain honor and respect that we owe to all men. In a certain respect.

That looks different according to, like the catechism says, Our various places and relations, statuses, roles, identities, but nonetheless. Now, what is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment? Attached to the fifth commandment?

The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise. Is a promise of long life and prosperity. As far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good. To all such as keep this commandment. I love how comprehensively and biblically it explains this promise, beloved.

Because, of course, you find prosperity preachers and heretics who distort this to say, Well, yes, it's material wealth and prosperity and all that stuff. No. It's not primarily that. It's as far as it shall serve for God's glory.

God's will and glory and for our own good. Beloved. But. That is a promise of blessing. For those who honor their parents. And by way of contrast, if you dishonor your parents, your life may be cut short.

Sin leads to death. And there are consequences for sin. Even as believers. So. First Peter. 217, which the catechism also refers to. First Peter 217 says honor who? Honor all people. All people. In a general sense.

Love the brethren. Love the brethren, the fellow believers. Fear God. Fear God. Honor the king. Honor the civil magistrate. The civil rulers. The president. Our politicians. Our sheriffs. All of these people in government who have authority.

Ordained by God over us. Not indiscriminately. You know that at a certain point. We have to judge whether it is right to obey God rather than men. There is a line that sometimes needs to be crossed. But.

In general. We are called to honor all people. And to love the brethren. Fear God. Honor the king. We are to respect authority. In other words. Whether spiritual authority. Or. Earthly authorities. And similarly.

In Romans chapter 12 verse 9. Let love be without hypocrisy. Without hypocrisy. By abhorring what is evil. Clinging to what is good. Being devoted to one another. In brotherly love. Giving preference to one another.

In what? In honor. Giving preference to one another. In honor. Beloved. Regarding others as more important than yourselves. Like it says in another passage. That is what we are called to do as believers.

To all. To all. Even to the extent of loving our enemies. Beloved. That's. The kind of. Love. Honor and respect. We are called to give all. Of course. We have to draw a line sometimes. If you're a rank heretic or a false teacher.

Then you deserve the anathema of God. And you need to be exposed and called out. Accordingly. But. This is God's. General. Order. For. How we are. To conduct ourselves before all. Strive to live peaceably with.

All men. All men. Even though. In some cases. Peace. In order to obtain peace. Their first must be. Warfare. Spiritual warfare. We have to fight sometimes. Spiritually. With the weapon. With the armor of God.

The spiritual armor of God. Now. That being said. Us men. Who are fathers. Are we godly sons. Do we have. A godly relationship with our mother and father. And with those who have authority over us. This is what we need to ask ourselves.

Including our equals. As well as our inferiors. You know. There's circumstances that we sometimes find ourselves with. That you have. You have people who feel they may be entitled. To disrespect you. Or they don't honor their equals or their inferiors like they should.

That also dishonors God and is sinful. We have to honor all. According to those relations and places that God has. Ordained for us. Because we. Now and again. Do you love. Do you love. Your mother and your father.

Your father. Honor and respect them. Your neighbor. Your brothers and sisters in Christ. Even our enemies. We believers. Are his workmanship. His workmanship. Including us sons. Created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Which God your father. Prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. According to everyone's distinct. Roles relationships and responsibilities. Including fathers and sons. That's Ephesians 2 .10.

And godly fathers. Are. Fundamentally. And most importantly adopted sons. Of their heavenly father. Our heavenly father. We are sons and daughters of our father in heaven. Adopted by God's grace and Christ.

Perfect finish work. And because true love is both horizontal and vertical. Which reflects itself in every relationship that a son has. With those who are in authority. And with everyone else. That's why.

Like Peter. First Peter says. Honor all people. Love the brethren. Fear God. Vertical. Horizontal. Horizontal. Vertical. Honor the king. That's also. Horizontal in the human sense. Even though it's vertical.

And that the king is. Has authority. Over us. Now. Let's turn over to Proverbs chapter four. To find more. Detailed instruction about. Fathers and sons. First Proverbs chapter four verse one. Some of the richest.

Most detailed instruction. About. Family life. Husbands and wives. Mothers and fathers. Men and women are in the book of Proverbs. So it's not surprising to find. Many chapters dedicated to this subject.

Among many. And notice the emphases. As we read this passage beloved. Proverbs chapter four verse one. Hear oh sons. The discipline of a father. And pay attention. That you may know understanding. The emphasis there.

For I give you. Sound learning. I your father give you sound learning. Do not forsake my instruction. My teaching. Listen to this. When I was a son to my father. So when I was a son. To my father. Tender and the only son before my mother.

Then he instructed me and said to me. Let your heart hold fast my words. Keep my commandments and live. Acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding. Do not forget and do not turn away. From the sayings of my mouth.

Do not forsake her. And she will keep you. Love her and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is. Acquire wisdom. And with all your acquiring. Acquire understanding. There's the emphasis again. A double emphasis.

On these same things. Prize her. And she will exalt you. She will honor you if you embrace her. She will give for you. For your head. A garland of grace. She will present you with a crown of beauty. Hear my son.

And receive my sayings. And the years of your life will be many. I have instructed you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in the upright tracks. When you walk. Your steps. Will not be impeded. And if you run you will not stumble.

Seize. Discipline. Do not let go. Guard her. For she is. Your life. Amen. This is a powerful passage. And there's many others like this in Proverbs. Seize discipline. You look at that. That is the definition.

Really one of the defining aspects of a godly man. Discipline. Character and discipline. Discipline is acquired by. Knowledge. Wisdom. Understanding. Instruction. And holding fast. To the traditions of our fathers.

That's what it says. Here. It's a generational. Passing down. Of truth. Of instruction. And of modeling. Godliness. From generation to generation. That is. The blessing. Of. God's people. A godly son.

Recognizes. The generational wisdom of his spiritual. Forefathers. Who came before him. He recognizes the importance. Of. The church historic. The history of the church. The history of God's people. Where they came from.

And what they handed down to us. This is clearly what it's teaching us here. Even though we may not have had. Godly fathers. To teach us these things. God gives us. Fathers. And sons. Through the church.

He blesses us through the church. Not just the church that's alive today. In this. Present. Age. But the church. Historic. Beloved that came before us. It is very important not to miss this. Because many disregard the past.

And they do so to their own. Demise. And destruction. And downfall. Because if you. Prize. The wisdom of the past. She will guard you. And keep you. And exalt you. That is a blessing. Of. The traditions.

According to God. And his word that have been handed down to us. From. God's people. All the way back to the old testament. On to the new. And on to the. Early church in the medieval. Church the faithful church not the church of Rome or the.

Orthodox church that corrupted these doctrines of truth. With with their own man-made traditions. And on through the reformation. And on and on. God has his people. At every times. Every time. And is handed down.

Because the church of the living God is the pillar and buttress of the. Truth that hands that preserves the truth. In society and hands it down. To the next generation. Beloved. It functions that way as a family.

With fathers and sons. And in the church. In the church. With elders. With men. Faithful men. Like the word says. To teach these things and hand them down. To those whom God has called. To pass. To take up the baton.

And to teach those. After them. A a a godly wise. A godly son in other words is a wise son. And a wise son. Is not foolish enough. To think. That he has it all figured out. Apart from submitting to the wisdom.

Of other godly influences and authorities. Human. Wisdom and influences and authorities. Human examples of godliness. Beloved. Very important to understand. This is very often missed today. In these people who say.

Oh no creed but Christ. No book but the Bible. I don't need anybody to teach me the Bible. I don't need anybody to show me. You need no man teach you these things. They twist and butcher. The scriptures to their own destruction.

You're not going to have wisdom. You're going to have. You're going to be imbalanced. And like and fall. You will fall into error. Because of that neglect of. The wisdom that has been handed down. Through God's people.

Who came before us. Let's turn now beloved to 1st Corinthians chapter 4. 1st Corinthians chapter 4. Verse 14. 1st Corinthians 4 14. I. The apostle Paul. Do not write these things to shame you. But to admonish you.

As my beloved children. In the faith. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ. Yet you would not have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus. I became your father. Through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you.

Be imitators of me. Be imitators of me. And of my example. For this reason. I have sent to you. Timothy. Who is my beloved. And faithful child. In the Lord. And who will remind you. Of my ways. Which are.

In Christ. Just as I teach everywhere. In every church. This is a powerful example. Of what this godly tradition looks like. In the church. Beloved. The apostle. Hands these things down to his younger.

Protégé. His younger successor. Timothy. He teaches him these things. Sound doctrine. Faithfully. He becomes. Qualified. And ordained. To. Spread these things to. The churches. After Paul. Because he is a faithful child.

In the Lord. And. One who has been fathered by the preaching of Paul's. Gospel. Just as the apostle teaches everywhere. And in every church. Beloved. This is extraordinarily important. That we understand.

And that we do not neglect. Because. God's church is a family. It's a larger extension of the local. Of the nuclear family. So we need to recognize these things. Beloved. We have to recognize these things.

Very important for us to understand. And it is also important to have a balance. And to not corrupt these things. Like the Roman Catholic Church does. Who call their priests fathers. That's an unbiblical.

That's an unbiblical respect. Because. Christ said to call no man father. For you have one father in heaven. We have to be careful not to abuse these titles. Or these things. Even though there is a sense in which.

Those who preach the gospel to us. Father us into the kingdom. But it's because of the gospel. It's not because of. Anything inherent in the man. It's because of God. God's spirit and means of grace. Because the gospel itself.

Is the what? Is the power of God. Unto salvation. To everyone who believes. Now. A godly father. Is also a godly husband. Amen. A godly father. Is a godly husband. That's God's order. Let's turn over now.

To Ephesians chapter 5. In this amazing chapter. Where God lays out many of. The callings. And the roles. And the duties of. Men, women, households. Slaves, master and so on. Ephesians chapter 5. I want to begin.

In verses 1 through 2. And then skip over to verse 15. Ephesians chapter 5. Verse 1. Therefore be imitators of God. As his beloved children. And walk in love. Just as Christ. Also loved us. And gave himself up for us.

An offering and a sacrifice. To God as a fragrant aroma. Amen. Verse 15. Therefore look carefully how you walk. Not as unwise but as wise. Redeeming the time. Because the days are evil. On account of this.

Do not be foolish but understand. What the will of the Lord is. If you recall that passage. That I preached on last time. And do not get drunk with wine. For that is dissipation. Disorderly. But be filled with the Spirit.

Speaking to one another in psalms. And hymns. And spiritual songs. Singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. Always giving thanks for all things. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. To God.

Even the Father. And being subject to one another. In the fear of Christ. Being subject to one another. In the fear of Christ. Now. Beloved. Feminists. And evangelical egalitarians who believe that. Men and women have no real.

Order to submit to. They believe that. Women can be pastors and teachers. And deacons and all that stuff. Feminists like to use this verse. To claim that there is no. Male headship or patriarchy. In the New Testament.

Because here. It says to be subject to one another. In the fear of Christ. So it's a mutual submission. So they say. Now. In order to correct this. Again this twisting of the passage. To their own destruction.

You may have heard a phrase. Never read a Bible verse. Never read a single Bible verse. Because if you do. You are very likely to take it out of context. When you read. You need to read what came before it.

And what came after it. To help you to not. Misunderstand what the verse means. And also in addition to that. You have to exercise the analogies. Of scripture and of faith. So that you interpret scripture.

Alongside the rest of scripture. Because all of scripture. Is consistent with itself. So one passage cannot. Contradict another. Doesn't matter whether it's in the Old Testament. Or in the New Testament.

Or in a different letter. And the analogy of faith. Such that what the Bible teaches us. Doctrinally. Cannot contradict another passage. Or another doctrine. That is God's system of checks and balances.

And not only that. But in this matter. The very next verses. Explain exactly. What it means to be subject. To one another. It's not in the same respect. Ephesians 5 .22 says. Wives be subject. To your own husbands.

Not the other way around. As to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife. Not the other way around. The wife is not the head of the husband. The husband is the head. As Christ also is the head of the church.

He himself being the Savior of the body. The body is not the Savior of the head. Christ is. The body is not the head. Christ is. Likewise the man. But as the church is subject to Christ. So also wives ought to be.

To their husbands. Subject in everything. Now husbands. Love your wives. Love your wives. It doesn't say to submit to them. It says to love them. Just as Christ. Also loved the church. And gave himself up for her.

So that he. Christ might sanctify her. Having cleansed her. By the washing of water. With the word. With the word. The rhema. That he might present to himself. The church in all her glory. Having no spot or wrinkle.

Or any such thing. But that she would be holy. And blameless. So husbands. Ought also to love their own wives. As their own. Bodies. He who loves his own wife. Loves himself. Because they are one flesh.

As he will explain. Shortly. For no one ever hated his own flesh. But nourishes. And cherishes it. Just as Christ. Also does the church. Because we are members. Of his body. For this reason. A man shall leave his father.

And mother. And be joined to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh. The wife. Is the husband's body. Is the body. In a very real sense. They become one flesh. According to Genesis. This mystery.

This secret. Is great. But I am revealing it to you. And speaking with reference to Christ. And the church. Amen. Nevertheless. Each individual among you. Also is to love his own wife. Even as himself.

And the wife must see to it. That she respects her husband. As her head. Her authority. Not the other way around. That is actually sinful. That's what Jezebel did. That's what happened with Adam and Eve.

The order was flipped. And God rebuked Adam. For heeding to the voice of his wife. In sin. Much as. Ahab. Weakly submitted to. Jezebel's devices. And wickedness. That's ungodly. So. You'll see there. Christ.

The marriage is a picture. Is a mystery. It is a type of Christ. And the church. It's a beautiful picture of Christ. And his church. It is not a mystery in the mystical sense. Where people say well you can't really know it.

That's not what mystery means in scripture. It's something that was concealed. Or hidden that is now revealed later on. In this case. It's clearly explained. Marriage is a mystery revealed. That it typifies.

Christ and his church. And his love for the church. And the church's submission to Christ as her head. So then beloved. Can you be. A godly father. Without being a godly husband. Obviously there are. There may be exceptions to that.

But it goes without saying. There is order. God's order here is very clear. And as I mentioned before also. The husband is not a tyrant. Who is accountable to no one. But I want you to understand. The apostle Paul.

Want you to understand God's people. That Christ is the head of every man. Men have to submit. To Christ. To God. To other authorities. And elders. And the man is the head of a woman. And God is the head of Christ.

There is an order here. The man is not his own. Tyrannical rule. Subject to no one. There is a very clear order. And I love. I appreciate how. Matthew Poole. A Puritan. Of old explains. Genesis 2 .23.

Which says. Then the man said. This one finally. Is bone of my bones. And flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called. Woman. Because this one was taken out. Of men. Amen. To which Poole. Comments thus.

This is bone of my bones. Not of my bone. The woman. Was taken out of this part. Not out of the higher. Or lower parts. To show that she is. Neither to be her husband's mistress. To usurp authority over him.

First Timothy 2 .12. A woman cannot usurp authority over a man. Nor yet to be a slave. To be abused despised. Or trampled under his feet. But to be kindly treated. And used like a companion. With moderation.

Respect and affection. And love. That there's some old English there. But this is a beautiful. Explanation of what it means to. For husbands to love. Their wives. Not in a tyrannical way. And not to be trampled by them.

Underfoot by them. To be bossed by them. Bossed around and stuff. But similarly men are not to be. Husbands are not to be bossy. Toward their wives. They should rule in such a way that the wives. Will willingly submit to their.

Husbands leadership. Likewise with the children. Even though there may be cases of. Where discipline may need to be applied. In some forms. But nevertheless. The rule of the husband. Needs to be a rule of love.

Just like God loves us. Similarly to how. God loves us and how Christ loves his church. A godly. Now note. Take note of this. The first act. This makes. Feminists cringe. But the first act. Of male headship.