Page 4 - May 2023 - Truth & Tidings

od’s Word entrusts authority and to lead, motivate and support those under
leadership in human relation- His leadership; as the organic Head, He
Gships to males. Thus, in local takes up the charge to sanctify, nourish
assembly governance, the New Testament and cherish His body (Eph 5:25-33). All
excludes women from the leadership roles lesser headships under Christ’s headship
of overseer and teacher and instead calls ultimately honor Him, so headship is im-
them to serve in equally important but mensely precious to God.
complementary tasks. Scripture bases this Although the Lord Jesus is infinitely
division in gender roles not on personal greater than the creatures under His head-
worth or ability, but rather on headship ship, the concept of headship itself never
– a core principle that God builds into requires personal superiority. Headship
everything He makes. is functional leadership. The Bible re-
The hierarchical term “head” (Hebrew veals such a hierarchy within the Trinity:
rosh, Greek kephale) describes what is first though the Father, Son and Spirit are equal
in rank. Headship may be confused in being and glory, the Son defers to the
1
with lordship, so note the following Father, and the Spirit defers to the Father
distinctions: lordship is about ownership, and the Son (1Co 11:3; Joh 14:26; 15:26).
headship is about order; lordship is power, Since “the head of Christ is God” (1Co
headship is position; lordship is rule, head- 11:3 KJV), submission to headship cannot
ship is rank. Both a lord and a head take the involve inferiority.
foremost role among others. A lord wields Men and women are similarly equal in
the strength to subdue them; a head ac- value. In the first chapter of Genesis God
cepts the authority to lead them. Those describes generic man as them – male and
under lordship must bow, but those under female (vv26-28). In their vertical relation-
headship willingly submit, acknowledg- ship with God they stood as equals, both
ing the responsibility located in their head created in His image and after His like-
to lead and inspire them. ness, yet distinct in their manhood and
By God’s design, Jesus is not only Lord womanhood. The second chapter of Gen-
but Head. He is Head over all things to esis, however, introduces headship. We
the Church (Eph 1:22), the Head of the learn that the woman was made after, from
Church (5:23; Col 1:18), the Head of all and for the man. God formed the man and
males (1Co 11:3), and the Head of all spoke to him alone before He formed his
rule and authority (Col 2:10). In the com- matching helper Eve from his side. Thus,
ing Millennium, God will “head up all in their horizontal relationship with each
things in the Christ” (Eph 1:10 JND) – the other the male and female are unequal
spectacular fulfillment of His plan to set in function: God assigned headship to
a Man over the universe (Gen 1:26; Psa Adam and helpership to Eve. Although
8:5-6; Heb 2:8-9). As the administrative their dominion was a partnership, the
Head, Christ assumes the responsibility responsibility for that dominion lay with
¹ The egalitarian notion that kephale means the man alone. The woman’s submission
“source” is based on “evidence” that evaporates
when checked out. See, e.g., the BDAG lexicon to the man’s headship, like the subordina-
under “kephale.” tion of a vice-president to a president in an

132 TRUTH kTidings May 2023