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Chapter 1 “Is Revival
on the Way?”
God defines revival as men turning their
hearts toward their families and toward God’s word. The Christian men’s
movement and the home education movement are encouraging signs that such a
revival is in process, but the jury is still out. Because we live in times
of great decline in our families and in our whole society the opportunity is
all the greater. What is needed is a return to biblical patriarchy:
Christian men assuming the role of leadership in their homes first, and then
throughout the society.
Chapter
2 “Whatever Happened to Families?”
Over the last 200 years our culture has
moved from being family-friendly to family-fragmenting. The effects of
industrialism have removed fathers, and then everyone else, from the home,
and thus caused a breakdown in relationships among family members. Families
have been further damaged by the ideology of feminism which attacks God’s
order for the home as well as by “responsibility drift” wherein the
government takes over more and more family functions. Sadly the church has
accommodated itself to these changes rather than helping families survive
the challenges to their welfare.
Chapter
3 “The Man Is Responsible”
There is an order of authority that
exists in the Godhead and ties God to his creation. His order for human life
is that the man is the leader of the woman and of his family. This is amply
demonstrated in the creation account and is reinforced in the New Testament.
Male passivity is the root of much evil and must be counteracted through
alertness, initiative, courage, vision, and responsibility.
Chapter
4 “Getting to Know God the Father”
A key to the renewal of biblical manhood
is for men to get to know God the Father. He is the model of masculinity,
the arch-Patriarch, and he provides a pattern for manhood: He is the leader,
the provider, and the protector of his creation and especially of his
redeemed people. This pattern is seen from Genesis to Revelation, and we
look at Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer as illustrations.
Chapter
5 “Manhood Under the Cross”
Manhood is further revealed in Jesus
Christ, the Ideal Man. Jesus demonstrates that true leadership is
self-sacrificing servant-leadership, and he calls men to the same. Godly men
are humble servants, not self-willed tyrants, and they need to know how to
submit to God, to other men, and even to their wives and children. Fathers
must be both masters and servants.
Chapter
6 “Turning Hearts Toward Home”
Fathers and families play a central role
in God’s plan to spread the kingdom of Christ over the earth. To be
effective for God, fathers must be family-centered, but in a different way
than their wives. For a father to turn his heart toward his children he must
give them godly training and maintain a loving relationship with them. When
this happens good fruit results, fruit that lasts through the generations.
Chapter 7 “A Father
is a King: Leader, Provider, Protector”
Modern people seem embarrassed that men
are given the authority to be the leaders of their families, but a father is
the lord and master of his home. He is also a steward of God, which defines
and limits his authority. As a leader a father must take the initiative in
the home, serving as both a policy maker and a hands-on manager. He also
bears the responsibility to provide for and protect the members of his
household. Spiritual protection is especially important given the multitude
of threats to families.
Chapter 8 “A Father
is a Prophet: Teacher & Enforcer”
Parents are the God-appointed teachers
of children. God’s goal for education is that children know, love, and obey
Jesus Christ. The best method of education is a discipleship relationship
because this is the way to reach the heart. The works and word of God should
be the content of instruction. When instruction fails to achieve the desired
effect in children, fathers have a duty to demand compliance with godly
standards and enforce obedience with the rod. If we follow God’s plan for
raising our children they will be “taught by the Lord.”
Chapter
9 “A Father is a Priest: Worship Leader & Intercessor”
Although every Christian is a priest, a
father is the priest of his home in a special sense. As such, he has a duty
to provide a hedge of protection for his family through prayer. This is not
magic; it is his special privilege as the family head. He also has a duty to
lead his household in regular times of family worship. He should enlist his
family’s support in this endeavor and follow a simple plan. In all his
conduct toward his family a father should be characterized by the sympathy
which Jesus as priest shows to his people.
Chapter
10 “A Wife: To Love & to Honor”
Men are called to love and honor women.
A husband should honor his wife as his partner in life. He should protect
her since her role, her biology, and her duties make her vulnerable. He
should nurture her with the word of God. A wife takes dominion in the world
through being a competent helper to her husband; the virtuous woman of
Proverbs 31 is an illustration of this. A woman has different strengths than
a man, and a good husband will understand and appreciate the strengths of
his wife.
Chapter
11 “Fatherhood Beyond the Home”
Because deep cultural change works from
the lesser to the greater institutions, renewed families will shape a
renewed society. The broader society should reflect the patterns God
established for the home, including male leadership and female followership.
A godly society will be characterized by good manners which reflect an honor
for each person and his or her place in God’s social structure. Our goal
should be to get wives out of the workplace and back home so that family
functions can be restored to the home. Just as renewed families will shape
church and civil government, so church and state should make it a priority
to encourage patriarchal family renewal.
Chapter
12 “Taking Old Paths into the Future”
Men must get beyond revivalism and
sentimentality. Biblical revival begins with faith and issues in obedience.
Christian fathers must believe what God says about manhood and fatherhood,
and they must actually begin to make concrete changes in family life based
on biblical commands and principles. They must develop a long-term vision
that spans many generations, but they must be content to be faithful first
in their own homes.
Appendix
A “Patriarchy: A Good Word for a Hopeful Trend”
Though perhaps a jarring term in an
egalitarian culture, “patriarchy” is a good word to use to describe the
biblical teaching on family and social order for these reasons: (1) It
points men to God the Father as the archetype for their renewal; (2) It
suggests a call to personal holiness; (3) It communicates the biblical
pattern of male leadership; (4) It implies the foundational significance of
family government; (5) It recalls historical periods characterized by divine
blessing; (6) It constitutes a direct challenge to feminism; (7) It
stimulates a multi-generational vision in men. Patriarchy is not the most
important thing in life, but when it is lost one of the foundations of
culture is destroyed. Christians should seek a return to biblical patriarchy
since it is the path to family and social blessing.
Appendix
B “Living in the Open: The Importance of Accountability in a Man’s Life”
(optional)
Christian men need other men to hold
them accountable for their spiritual progress since a lack of
self-discipline afflicts most men in one way or another. Men need both
official accountability to the leaders of their local church and informal
brotherly accountability with other Christian men. This brotherly
accountability can be provided through a men’s discipleship group, but the
most important thing is to have one man as an accountability partner. A
“Spiritual Discipline Commitment” can be a powerful tool to encourage growth
and enable accountability for progress.
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