Play the Man by Mark Batterson
Week 1: Introduction — Play the Man
Read the Introduction of Play the Man by Mark Batterson.
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Before diving into the seven virtues, Batterson sets the stage with a question every man must face: what does it actually mean to be a man? Come ready to sit with that question honestly.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Batterson opens with the account of Polycarp, the second-century bishop who refused to deny Christ and heard a voice from heaven cry, "Play the man." What was your first reaction to that story? Had you heard of Polycarp before?
a.What strikes you most about Polycarp's courage in that moment — his age, his refusal to compromise, or something else?
b.Why do you think Batterson chose this particular story as the launching point for a book about modern manhood?
2.Batterson describes our current moment as a kind of "no man's land" — a cultural space where the definition of manhood has been lost or confused. Do you agree with his diagnosis? What evidence do you see of this confusion in your own world?
3.The phrase "play the man" is drawn from the Greek word *andrizomai*, meaning to act like a man or to be courageous. Why do you think Paul uses this word in 1 Corinthians 16:13 alongside "be strong" and "stand firm in the faith"? What does that cluster of commands say about what God expects of men?
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