8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Men trying to find their way and to embrace a sense of completeless that can only be found in Christ has apparently led to these men, especially younger ones, finding their identity in those who do not represent Jesus.
A recent Christian Post piece by David Whited includes these words:
There is a generation of young men aged 16 to 29 that seem to find a missing nutrient in their development in the form of a 38-year-old former kickboxer turned internet provocateur/guru. Like sailors of old discovering that limes relieved their symptoms of scurvy, Andrew Tate presents himself as the cure to a world gone mad and driven by a politicized media and educational model fueled by angry women and weak men.Whited notes, "His notoriety has been amplified by legal troubles, including allegations of human trafficking and other charges, which he has denied. These cases have kept him in the headlines and fueled debates about his influence and philosophy." He describes Tate's population as part of a "perfect storm." He cites a drop of testosterone in men that has been studied; he notes that fatherlessness is a problem, saying: "The book of Proverbs says to raise a child in the way he should go and when he grows up he will not depart from it. We are dealing with millions of young men that were never 'raised up'. There is no such thing as a vacuum. Stick your fist in a bucket of water and when you pull it out there is no hole." He writes:
Andrew Tate simply showed up on the scene at the exact right moment of this historically repeated cycle. The problem is that his version of being a “strong man” does not lead to “good times.” His version of masculinity is simply doing the things required to gain strength and power to be used for personal pleasure and sexual conquest. Not protecting and providing for those weaker than himself.Whited goes on to say:
What young men actually need is an empowering, principle-focused worldview to rise up and scratch the itch that the Tates of this world are trying to satisfy but never can. We need both men and women to advocate for healthy masculinity, not less masculinity. The pendulum must slow down the swinging from two extremes to a biblically based true north — principled, strong men, who like a male lion can not only play with the cubs but are also celebrated when they fight for the pride.
Owen Strachan of the James Dobson Family Institute wrote on X recently:
Andrew Tate speaks powerfully, quickly, and confidently. He doesn't apologize for his views. Physically, he is tightly coiled; he looks like the kickboxer he was.
If you're trying to understand the phenomenon he represents, you can without too much difficulty. He's a picture of what many men naturally want to be. They don't want to be weak, cowed by feminism and leftism, unable to speak their mind, told they are "toxic," powerless, woefully out of shape, undisciplined, and unable to move ahead in life. It's right and wholly understandable to reject leftist culture's vision of manhood.
But, the picture is flawed - Strachan says:
But while Tate gives men a pathway to power, discipline, and agency, he too sells a counterfeit. Leftism tells men that they will be men if they become more like women; Tateism tells men that they will be men if they effectively hate women. Neither approach is remotely that of Christ. Both are ultimately bankrupt, even as each system has an element of truth in it.
He says that Tate "does not deserve a platform" and holds out Jesus Christ as "the true man." He goes on to say:
Jesus Christ is the true man. He is the figure men need. He showed steely toughness and iron discipline throughout his life (John 2); he spoke truth without fear or apology. Yet Jesus was described as gentle, even meek, and displayed incredible kindness to people others disdained and ignored (Matthew 11:29).A piece on the Summit Ministries website noted:
Contrary to Tate’s macho bravado, godly men are called to be humble and kind, to live in service to others. Their strength is to be in their character and reliance on the Lord. Men are not to be womanizers, but to show self control, committing to one woman for life. Jesus did not secure the salvation of his people by defeating his enemies in battle, but by submitting to the will of the Father and allowing himself to be brutally beaten and crucified in our place. Jesus is the manliest man who ever lived, and he is the ultimate example of and for manhood, not any celebrity, athlete, or social media influencer.And, there you have it - Jesus came to be our Savior and our model. 1st Peter 2:21 states: "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps..." He showed us how to live a righteous life and, for the believer in Christ, we now have the power to live that life.
Jesus is a man who offers a strong example for other men. We have to be careful whose philosophies we buy into and who we emulate. There are people who have influence in our culture today, but do not reflect the teachings of Jesus. We can see in the Scriptures how He communed with His Father, how He responded to His disciples, the skill with which He taught, and the willingness to humble Himself in service to others, even to the point of death.
It's that service component that is so important in an age in which influencers demonstrate for men a sense of dominance over leadership, of disrespect over compassion. For men today, we have a Savior who shows us the way all believers should walk. We must be determined to reflect Him in all of our pursuits.
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