Simple Tuel
Veritas Super Omnia
Matthew Tuel - 01/11/2026
In today's sermon, Pastor Nick discussed the image of God and asked the question: What does it mean to be human?
A few things to note:
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” 27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Ge 1:26–27). Thomas Nelson.
Despite this, the image is still there. James 3:9)
Genesis 9:6
6“Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.”
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Ge 9:6). Thomas Nelson.
James 3:8-9
8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Jas 3:8–9). Thomas Nelson.
Jesus is the standard, the image we are to reflect.
Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and all things are held together in him. 18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Col 1:15–20). Thomas Nelson.
We are to put off the distortion and put on Christ:
2nd Corinthians 3:15-18
15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, 16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, 2 Co 3:15–18). Thomas Nelson.
We are to be clay, molded in the potter's hands.
Colossians 3:9-10
9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10 and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Col 3:9–10). Thomas Nelson.
Repentance is the first step to obedience. God's desire is that we repent and come to Him.
"Obedience reveals the image of God" is the line that stuck out to me today. What does this mean?
First, we are called to a life of obedience to God:
John 14:15
15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Jn 14:15). Thomas Nelson.
Obeying the commandments of God is not legalism, as liberal theologians are wont to proclaim. We are commanded to obey them, as we see Jesus tell the disciples in the Gospel of John.
Second, obedience to God looks different for men and women. While we share equal worth, we do not share equal role:
Galatians 3:28-29
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Ga 3:28–29). Thomas Nelson.
God reaches across distinctions, but does not diminish or absolve them as the egalitarians are wont to proclaim. There are still distinctions to be made between the Jews and the Greeks. There are still distinctions to be made between the slave and the free. And there are still distinctions to be made between male and female.
These distinctions are not just biological, as the egalitarians (and most normie evangelicals, whether they realize it or not) are wont to proclaim. These distinctions extend beyond the physical and into the spiritual. Anyone that has spent more than five minutes with the opposite sex will recognize that while we do share in humanness, we are distinct in our maleness and femaleness respectively. The two are not interchangeable, as the egalitarians are wont to proclaim.
What we see throughout both the Old and the New Testaments is that men and women have distinct roles. These roles are not equal, and are not intended to be equal. The distinction between can be simplified to the following: Men are to handle the foreign affairs, women are to handle the domestic affairs.
I was raised to be a gentleman, so we'll discuss the women first. The Bible tells us what women are to strive to be and what they are called to do.
For example, in 1st Timothy 5 we see the outline of who a widow's ministry is to serve: Women. And not just any women, older women that have no families to provide for them. In the same chapter it says that younger widows are not to be served with the widows ministry. Instead, they are to do the following:
1st Timothy 5:14
14 So I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household, in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, 1 Ti 5:14). Thomas Nelson.
To pull another example, we can look at Proverbs 31, a choice selection of the feminist butchers. What you will often hear is that the Proverbs 31 woman was the penultimate girlboss. The Proverbs 31 woman is well known throughout the land. She's a real-estate mogul with multiple properties in her portfolio. She runs her own winery. She's a strong independent woman who don't need no man and is diligent in building wealth for herself.
Except, that's the opposite of the woman that is described. For starters, it is not the "Proverbs 31 Woman", but the Proverbs 31 Wife.
Proverbs 31:10-12
10 Who can find a wife of noble character? For her value is far more than rubies. 11 Her husband’s heart has trusted her, and he does not lack the dividends. 12 She has rewarded him with good and not harm all the days of her life.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Pr 31:10–12). Thomas Nelson.
Additionally, if you read through the entirety of this passage from verse 10 to verse 31, this wife and mother is primarily focused on building her home, not her brand:
Proverbs 31:15
15 Then she rose while it is still night, and provided food for her household and a portion to her female servants.
21 She would not fear for her household in winter, because all her household were clothed with scarlet, 22 because she had made coverings for herself; and because her clothing was fine linen and purple.
27 Watching over the ways of her household, she would not eat the bread of idleness.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Pr 31:15, 21-22, 27). Thomas Nelson.
Who is publicly known in this passage?
Proverbs 31:23
23 Her husband is well-known in the city gate when he sits with the elders of the land.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Pr 31:23). Thomas Nelson.
Who praises the wife of noble character?
Proverbs 31:28-29
28 Her children have risen and called her blessed; her husband also has praised her: 29 “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you surpass them all!”
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Pr 31:28–29). Thomas Nelson.
Lastly, we see this closing to the chapter:
Proverbs 31:31
31 Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Pr 31:31). Thomas Nelson.
What she has accomplished, is building a blessed household. She has handled the domestic affairs well, and her husband is able to focus on the foreign affairs and providing for the family. "Behind every successful man is a strong woman" is an appropriate quote, but I would change it to the following: "Behind every successful husband is a virtuous wife." What we learn from Proverbs 31 is that the woman who fears the Lord aspires to be a wife of noble character, with a husband and children that rise up and call her blessed.
Now onto the men. Going back to 1st Timothy 5 and the widows ministry, it has instructions for the men as well. There is no such safety net given to the men. On the contrary, this passage has strong language for the men:
1st Timothy 5:8
8 But if someone does not provide for his own, especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, 1 Ti 5:8). Thomas Nelson.
Men that don't provide for their families are worse than pagans. To expound on what this provision looks like, let's look at Ephesians 5:
Ephesians 5:22-33
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church (he himself being the savior of the body). 24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, 27 so that he may present the church to himself as glorious—not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one has ever hated his own body, but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great—but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Eph 5:22–33). Thomas Nelson.
Men are called to emulate Christ, and love their wives as Christ loves the church. What this looks like in practice is to mirror Christ's threefold office as Prophet, Priest, and King.
Prophet as in teacher, cleansing his bride in the washing of the water by the word. Men are called to teach the word. If a wife has a question on theological matters (and most matters in general) she should ask her husband. (1st Corinthians 14:35) Men, are you prepared to answer those questions?
Priest as intercessor, praying with and for his wife, and leading her in worship:
1st Peter 3:7
7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, 1 Pe 3:7). Thomas Nelson.
King as in ruler, exercising his God given authority in the home as the means by which to fulfill the responsibility God has placed on him to be the head of the home.
And lastly, let's go back to Proverbs to see a picture of the blessed man:
Proverbs 5:18-19
18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in your wife you married in your youth— 19 a loving doe, a graceful deer; may her breasts satisfy you at all times, may you be captivated by her love always.
Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition, Pr 5:18–19). Thomas Nelson.
My exhortation this week is simple. By and large if we want to see revival in the culture, two things must happen simultaneously: Men need to step up, and women need to step down. Embrace the distinctions that God gave us and live in obedience to His word.