Biblical Manhood and the Role of Mentoring

"Biblical manhood is characterized by nothing less than indefatigable, untiring pursuit of the good of another and not yourself."

So exhorted Dr. Peter R. Schemm Jr. during a conference for men at McLean Bible Church in McLean, Virginia, on April 25-26, 2008. Schemm, who serves as Dean of The College at Southeastern in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and as a Senior Consulting Editor of The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, delivered three messages to over 900 men on "Biblical Manhood and the Role of Mentoring."

In "The Lead Role," Schemm unpacks and applies a definition of biblical manhood penned by John Piper in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: "At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships." Working through the definition phrase-by-phrase, Schemm seeks to awaken men to a new awareness of their responsibility to lead.

Schemm's second message, "The Mentoring Mindset," explores the unique value of a man-to-man relationship from a biblical perspective. Using Proverbs 27:17 as his text-"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another"-Schemm explains the dynamics of a male mentoring relationship: "The ultimate picture of this proverb is hard-hitting interaction-intentional friction-that produces sharpness in wisdom and keenness of character." Are you willing to sharpen-and be sharpened by-another man?

In "Obedience to Christ," Schemm insists, "Jesus Christ is the embodiment of mature manhood. If you meet Jesus Christ, you have met the perfect balance of grace and strength, of love and authority, of joy and sobriety. If you meet Christ, you will meet the greatest of all men." Schemm encourages men to know this Christ and follow him in obedience by repenting of secret sins, pride, false humility, and a general sense of neglect.

All three messages are available for download on the CBMW website.

If your church would be interested in holding a conference on biblical manhood and womanhood, please contact CBMW's This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Chris Cowan, for information.