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Kingdom Man: Every Man’s Destiny, Every Woman’s Dream

Evans, Tony. Kingdom Man: Every Man’s Destiny, Every Woman’s Dream. Focus on the Family, 2012.

Reviewed by Micah McCormick–

Tony Evans, influential and long-time pastor of the 8,000 member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, TX, writes Kingdom Man in order to raise the standard of manhood and define manhood as God intended it to be. “It’s about discovering what it means to be a kingdom man” (3). The book is split into fifteen chapters in three parts: the formation of a kingdom man, the foundation of a kingdom man, and the function of a kingdom man. As the cover suggests, a kingdom man is “every man’s destiny” and “every woman’s dream.” Manhood is so important to Dr. Evans that he states: “No other subject that I teach on, preach on, or write about impassions me more” (86).

There are some things to be commended in this book. First, Evans is forthright in his clarion call for men to “man up.” In age and culture that often panders to moral weakness and irresponsibility, it is refreshing to hear the need for men to take responsibility and to take appropriate leadership. Don’t shirk responsibility; don’t make excuses; just man up. God told Joshua to get up and man up (137). “Kingdom men, man up” (194). At times in today’s age it does indeed feel like “we have fallen into an abyss of manlessness” (22). Evans minces no words, and refuses to follow the path of psychologizing our problems or investing the government with salvific power: “It costs us a combined total of over $380 billion annually just on public assistance and lost revenue relating to what is largely a result of misuse or neglect of biblical manhood in our country” (201). He is clear about gender roles while at the same time reminding men of their call to lead through loving self-sacrifice (168-68).

Second, Evans does place manhood under the general category of submitting to God: “A kingdom man…is one who places himself under His rulership and submits his life to the lordship of Jesus Christ” (15). Third, Evans does attempt to bring Scripture to bear on this subject. Different chapters work off of biblical texts more and less closely, and at times he makes some good exegetical points. (For example, he points out that in Scripture the kingdom is both now and not yet [11], and that headship points to function in role while at the same time maintaining equality in essence, all on the model of the Trinity itself [71-72]). Finally, and perhaps most helpfully, Evans reminds the “kingdom man” of the importance of prioritizing the local church—he even devotes a whole chapter to the subject of the church (ch. 14). At one point he states: “One of my growing concerns in our culture is that in our shift toward a more convenience-store church mentality, we are drifting dangerously away from the significant role the church is to play in the life of every believer” (77). Men are too quick to complain about church services when they never complain about football game events that are more expensive, more time consuming, and often fraught with more inconvenience (156-57). Our football teams are inconsistent but God is faithful and worthy of worship (157). The church is an indispensable avenue for training in manhood and discipleship. Importantly, the “church does not exist solely for programs, projects, preaching, and buildings; rather, it exists as the primary vehicle for preparing believers to display God’s glory, impact the culture, restore lives, and advance the kingdom” (176).

However, despite all of these positives the book was not without significant weaknesses. First, there are some questionable Scriptural applications. For example, Evans draws from the fact that Adam “named” the animals as a part of his dominion role and asserts that men today should be “naming” things for God’s kingdom. What exactly does this mean? Evans relays a positive story from his younger days as a pastor where he was driving by a large property and building and said, “God, I name that. I name this entire place for the good of others and for your glory. We don’t have the money for it right now, but God, hold it for us. Because I name it in Jesus’ name” (114). In response, I can envision Christians “naming” all sorts of things in Jesus’ name and never receiving them. Is this because they lack faith? We should pray in faith but never in presumption. We ask God to supply our need according to his will. The Scripture prioritizes spiritual requests (e.g. “Your kingdom come”) because that is the authority we have in Christ’s name (…“go therefore, and make disciples”). Material prosperity, even physical blessing for good causes, is not a part of God’s certain promises to us. Adam’s naming of the animals was in one sense a unique moment in man’s dominion rule, and I suppose one could perhaps apply it today to contexts where humans make scientific discoveries, classifications, etc., for the purposing of ordering and describing God’s marvelous creation. But to turn the Genesis account into a name it and claim it theology is an imposition on the text.

Second, there is no theology (or even really space) for singleness in this book. If marriage is an indispensable aspect of manliness then are all single men relegated to some kind of status below that of a true “kingdom man”? If every woman only longs to be married to a kingdom man, what about the woman who finds hope in her marriage to Jesus and wishes to give her life in undivided attention to God apart from human marriage? Should she repent and seek a higher calling, the calling where she will truly flourish as a green tree watered by her own human kingdom man? Both Jesus and Paul celebrate singleness and its kingdom advantages (Matt 19:12; 1 Cor 7), but Evans doesn’t offer much commentary on this topic. Perhaps this criticism is too picky—after all most people should pursue marriage and most people are married. And there is a growing legitimate concern of “boys” never growing up and settling down to serious, responsible family life. Yet Evans appears to want to present a comprehensive picture of the kingdom man and manhood in general, and if so, it is hard to see how singleness contributes to God’s plan in Evan’s mind.

Third, in short the book is mainly about men and not about God, when the Bible is precisely the opposite—mainly about God and not about men. The opening sentence of the book reads as follows: “A kingdom man is the kind of man that when his feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, ‘Oh crap, he’s up!’” (8). Evans repeats this line later and follows: “When you step out your door each day, do heaven, earth, and hell take notice? When you protect the woman under your care, can she do little to resist you?… Are you a preserver of culture and a champion of society… Are you a man who is fulfilling your destiny and able to satisfy the woman in your life? More than all of that, though, when God searches for a man to advance His kingdom, does He call your name?” (19). A man’s destiny is greatness (35). Yes Evans acknowledges the need to fear God and he acknowledges the reality of God’s continuing presence, but the vast majority, if not all, of the emotional and triumphalistic analogies in the book revolve around human heroes. When Evans isn’t celebrating himself he turns to celebrate… his earthly Father (e.g. 206).

Praise God for godly fathers. Praise God for examples of manliness. But is this our greatest hope? Can we “be the one” (55)? For Evans when God asked Moses to confront Pharoah Moses eventually said, “I’ve got it” (94). Really? In the Bible I read Moses is timid, fearful, and unbelieving. In fact, the Bible is full of flawed and sinful men; the Bible is full of stories where God chooses to use weak and ignorant men. I should be more specific: God transforms people into biblical men by the power of his sovereign grace. It wasn’t as if Abraham decided one day to man up and God breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Wow, this guy has got some serious machismo—I’m definitely enlisting him in my army.” Abraham was an idolater like everyone else when God chose him in grace (Josh 24:2-3).

And this brings me to what is perhaps the most significant weakness of the book: a lack of gospel motivation and application. Now I am not saying that this book puts forward a false gospel. Thankfully Evans does call people to align themselves under God by placing their trust in Jesus Christ as personal Savior for the forgiveness of sins based on his substitutionary death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead (78). But this prayer appears to be a one-time event in the past that has little bearing on the Christian’s ongoing life. Once you pop the pill infused with the power of Jesus you are ushered into your call to greatness (55), and then it’s basically on you, of course (presumably) as you continue to fear God. The first man Adam, failed in manhood, and Jesus Christ now serves simply as “the prototype for a kingdom man” (14)—and even here I reiterate that most of the “prototype” like examples in the book are certain men in the Bible or history, not the Jesus of the Gospels. “The solution to reversing the curse is simple: Kingdom men, man up” (194). In actuality no amount of human effort can reverse the curse. Jesus is the second Adam not merely as a prototype for the kingdom man but as the redeemer of fallen and sinful people. He is great in a unique way that no man can ever be, and all the glory belongs to him.

The gospel isn’t just a decisional prayer to make Jesus king; the gospel continues to be God’s power to final and complete salvation for everyone who believes, and that is why Paul is eager to preach the gospel to people who are already believers (Rom 1:15-17). Christians must walk in Christ in the same way that they received him (Col 3:6). Notice how many times the Bible grounds our behavior (obeying imperative commands) in the indicative realities of the gospel (e.g. Rom 12:1; Col 3:1ff; Eph 4:1). We are not told that we are conformed to the image of Christ simply by manning up, but by beholding the glory of our precious Christ and trusting the Spirit to change us (2 Cor 3:18).

This may sound startling, but a significant portion of Evans’ book could be embraced by Mormons or even Muslims (exchange God for Allah—so fear Allah, align yourself under his rule, etc., and then man up). It’s not bad stuff; it’s just mostly good morals wearing a football helmet. Which brings us back to the title: Kingdom Man. Is it all about the man or all about the king? And if so, which king? For Evans, the person who mans up and embraces God then becomes great and advances God’s kingdom. However, (granting that this is a subtle point) in Scripture we are not said to “advance” or “build” God’s kingdom. We seek it; we enter it; we are transferred into it; it belongs to us. But it is Jesus’ kingdom—he is the reigning Lord who sends his Spirit and calls through his Word. The true kingdom man is Jesus himself (Luke 17:21), and Christ is not nearly as prevalent in this book as he should be. Certainly male Christians must act, but they must act in faith. They are to be warriors, but they fight the good fight of faith. This faith is not a generic faith that steps out on a limb to name and claim material blessing or personal greatness, this is faith in gospel, the good news of Jesus crucified for sinners. Good news that when I’m afraid and cowardly God loves me and accepts me because of Jesus, who set his face to Jerusalem. Good news that when husbands don’t lead their wives the way they should there is forgiveness in Christ—and good news that husbands will truly love their wives more when they are more awestruck with Christ’s profound love for them as his bride. Good news that in God’s church we find not simply a remedy for society’s ills and a bunch of potential manly men but the body of Christ.

When Job rolled out of bed every morning I seriously doubt Satan said, “Oh crap, he’s up.” Satan sure doesn’t appear scared of Job, and with God’s permission Satan basically has his way with Job. What about Peter? Jesus didn’t say, “Peter, Satan has desired to have you and sift you as wheat, but you are more than strong enough to withstand his meager assaults—you’re a kingdom man!” No, Jesus said, “Peter, I’m praying for you.” And Christ’s prayers are always effective. The demons know who Jesus is and they tremble. Christ is the one who cast Satan out by his mighty cross work. And we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of his testimony. I have no doubt that Evans genuinely wants to ignite and empower Christian men—I just think he could have used cleaner and more powerful gospel fuel.

Micah McCormick (Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Pastor at New Hyde Park Baptist Church on New York’s Long Island.

This review came from the recent issue of Credo Magazine, “Old Princeton.” Read other book reviews today!

To view the Magazine as a PDF {Click Here}

Each of us are indebted to those theologians of ages past who have gone before us, heralding the gospel, and even fighting to their last breath to keep the God of that gospel high and lifted up. It is hard to think of a group of men more worthy of this praise than those of the Old Princeton heritage. Men like Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, B. B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, and many others, stand in this rich heritage, men who defended the faith once for all delivered to the saints against the ever-growing threat of liberalism around them.

Since this year marks the 200th anniversary of Old Princeton (1812-2012), it is fitting that we devote ourselves to remembering and imitating these great theologians of yesterday, not because they are great in and of themselves, but because their example points us to the great and mighty God we worship. And who better to introduce us to these Old Princetonians than James M. Garretson writing on Archibald Alexander, W. Andrew Hoffecker making our acquaintance with Charles Hodge, Fred Zaspel reminding us of B. B. Warfield, and D. G. Hart increasing our love for J. Gresham Machen? Not to mention a very in-depth interview with Paul Helseth on Old Princton and the debate over “right reason.”  May these articles and interviews inspire us so that in our own day we might experience a revival of this rich orthodoxy that has stood the test of time.

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