Question 1

What is my role in the body of Christ?

Accepted Answer

Romans 12:4-8Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.1 Corinthians 3:5-11After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.Ephesians 4:16He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.God gifts his people and assigns roles for them in his church. We should determine our spiritual gifts and use them with enthusiasm to strengthen our communities of faith.Acts 2:17-18“‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy.’”Acts 6:2-5So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).Acts 21:9-10He [Philip the Evangelist] had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea.Romans 16:1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea.Romans 16:6, 12Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. . . . Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord.Philippians 4:2-3Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.1 Timothy 3:2-7So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.1 Timothy 3:8-13Deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.These are a few of the roles God assigns to people: preachers, teachers, administrators, prophets, elders, deacons, singers, and distributors of food and other practical help.

Question 2

How should I respond to my God-given roles?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 16:3Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.1 Corinthians 3:6I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.We must remember that ultimately God assigns us our roles for his work.1 Corinthians 12:27All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.We should appreciate the importance of our roles and the roles of others and that believers are interdependent on one another and need to work together. We shouldn’t try to do too much by taking on roles that are not meant for us.Acts 20:24My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.Romans 12:6-8In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.2 Thessalonians 3:13As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.When we discover our roles in the church, we should work hard to fulfill them well so that we can maximize our efforts for Christ.Luke 10:40-42Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”We shouldn’t let any of our roles in service of God interfere with our relationship with him.Romans 12:11Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.Philippians 2:14Do everything without complaining and arguing.Colossians 3:23Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.2 Timothy 2:15Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.Whatever the role, we should be dedicated, hard workers who serve the Lord enthusiastically and cheerfully without complaining or arguing.

Question 3

What are the roles of husbands and wives in marriage?

Accepted Answer

Ephesians 5:21-33Further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. . . . For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean . . . So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.God created specific roles for men and women in the context of marriage, but these roles have often become confused. A wife is to submit to the husband’s spiritual leadership, and a husband is to serve his wife sacrificially, just as Jesus loves and sacrificed for his church. These roles balance each other and are rarely a problem when both the husband and wife seek to follow Jesus in their home. In each role, the spouse is required to put aside his or her own agendas to focus first on meeting the needs of his or her mate. Any other specific roles (paying bills, working at a job, cooking, cleaning, doing yardwork, changing diapers, buying a car) should be decided by the couple.

Question 4

What are the roles of a man in his marriage?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 5:18“You must not commit adultery.”Proverbs 5:15-19Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.Ecclesiastes 9:9Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.Malachi 2:14-16You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”Matthew 5:27-28“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”Matthew 19:4-6“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”1 Corinthians 7:3-4The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.1 Corinthians 7:11If she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.A husband should be a faithful, loving, contented, and intimate life-partner for his wife.Genesis 24:67; 29:20Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother. . . . So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.Ephesians 5:25, 28-29, 33For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her . . . In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. . . . So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.Colossians 3:18-19Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.A husband’s love for his wife should mirror Jesus’ love for his church.1 Peter 3:7You husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.A husband should treat his wife with honor and understanding.1 Corinthians 11:3The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.Ephesians 5:23A husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.A husband is responsible to God in his role as the leader of his family.Genesis 3:17-19To the man he [the Lord] said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”A husband should provide for his family.

Question 5

What is the role of a woman in her marriage?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 2:18, 24Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” . . . This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.1 Corinthians 7:39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord.A wife should be a faithful, loving, contented, and intimate companion for her husband.1 Corinthians 7:34A woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.Ephesians 5:21-24Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.Colossians 3:18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.1 Peter 3:1-5You wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives. Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands.A wife should trust God and accept the authority God has given her husband.Proverbs 12:4A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.Proverbs 18:22The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.Proverbs 19:14Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.Proverbs 31:10-12Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.A godly wife helps her husband and family.

Question 6

What is the role of a father in his family?

Accepted Answer

1 Timothy 5:8Those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.A father should provide for his family, which includes his aging parents.Genesis 37:3-4Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.A father should love all his children impartially; he should not play favorites.1 Samuel 3:13“I [the Lord] have warned him [Eli] that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them.”Ephesians 6:4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.Colossians 3:21Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.A father should discipline and instruct his children with love and wisdom.

Question 7

What is the role of a mother in her family?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:28God blessed them [the man and woman] and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”Genesis 3:20Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.Genesis 4:1Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”God gave women the role and privilege of giving birth to the next generation.Isaiah 49:15“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!”Isaiah 66:13“I [the Lord] will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.”Titus 2:4These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children.A mother should love, comfort, and nurture her children as God’s representative.1 Corinthians 7:14The believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.2 Timothy 1:5I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.2 Timothy 3:15You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.A mother should have a godly influence in her family.Proverbs 1:8My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.Proverbs 6:20My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.Proverbs 19:18Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.Proverbs 22:6Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.Proverbs 23:13Don’t fail to discipline your children. The rod of punishment won’t kill them.Proverbs 29:15, 17To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. . . . Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.A mother has a responsibility to teach and discipline her children.Proverbs 14:1A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.Proverbs 31:13-27She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.Titus 2:4-5These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.A mother should work diligently for her family’s good.

Roles