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Kephale

God doesn’t base His word on pagan meanings, though they may be good for a ball park understanding. Usage must fit the heart and context of scriptures. Two things we must understand about kephale: one, kephale cannot go beyond the context of Jesus’ view of any kind of leadership, the servant’s heart is in every scripture dealing with those who are strong in the Lord. Second principles are not laws, in some cases the opposite may be the case. If a house has a very strong woman of faith, wisdom and obedience in the Lord, she may function best as head than the man. My family is a good case in point, my mother was the most wonderful humble Christian I have ever know [often she would wash my father’s feet], so since my dad is male in sex, should I follow his direction and opinions… thank God I didn’t. Who is hearing from God?

As a pastor, I gave many bad counsel at the beginning of my ministry telling the spiritual person of the house (the woman) that she had to submit to her husband as her head. It showed that I didn’t understand head and I didn’t understand the Lord.

We can look in classical Greek or koine Greek and we will find many general usages of a word and some specific or special usages… we have tons of this in English: “He lives in a vacuum.” No one can really live in a vacuum, they would die. We didn’t invent broad usages of words.

So kephale has been used as source, used as someone most recognized, some one in authority and on and on. So how do we get the correct meaning? By looking a pagan leaders? Jesus’ life is always the best test for words. Jesus is head of the called out ones… and we better be called out of the world if we are to be His bride.

Let’s take our most difficult passage, Eph 5:22-24

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, AS to the Lord [not as to the authority but as to the Lord] For the husband is head of the wife, AS also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior [deliver and provider – sounds like an argument for source. It does not say as Jesus is the authority of the body, but the savior.] of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ [as it source of salvation and provision], so let the wives be to their own husbands [as source and provider] in everything.” NKJV

Obviously if the husband tells her to kill herself, she is not to do so, because her finale and basis of obedience is “as to the Lord.” When there is a conflict between my belief in God and government, I am to obey God rather than man.

Rom 13:1-4, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good.” NKJV

Slaves are told to obey their masters. And these principles are good according to the civil laws that are to protect us as a society, but when government, a man or anyone else violates our conscience toward God… we are not to obey men but God.

Jesus, as the head of the church, washed the disciple’s feet, He went on to tell them that His example was for them to follow. If the head washed the feet of the disciples, what should the head of the house do? We can’t drag pagan meaning here when Jesus’ action speaks louder than words.

“Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant [Gr. doulos bondservant or slave] is not greater than his master [Gr. kurios = Lord]; nor is HE WHO IS SENT greater than He [Jesus] who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:12-17
“Paul, a bondservant [Gr. doulos] of Jesus Christ [the sender], called to be an apostle [one sent], separated to the gospel of God [task]” Rom 1:1-2, NKJV

This is the hallmark and foundation of all leaders.

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them [that is the pagan way of operating]. Yet it shall NOT be so among you [this should never happen, but sadly it does]; but whoever desires to become GREAT among you, let him be YOUR SERVANT [the very opposite of the pagan system and language.]. And whoever desires to BE FIRST [or head] among you, let him be your slave — JUST AS the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matt 20:25-28, NKJV
I love those “AS” words.

Is that not the point that Jesus made for the husband, to lay down his life for his wife as He did for those He called out? The head is to be the strong man of the house and protect his home. He is not to be a hireling that runs in the sight of danger. He is to protect them and provide for them. He is to be a guide through his life and mannerism. He is to use the word to sanctify his wife… the authority is always in the word, not man’s opinion. NO person has authority, so how can we put authority in “head”? There is only one authority and it is Jesus and His word. Paul’s appeal to authority was the Gospel. 1 Cor 9:18, “that I may not abuse my authority IN the gospel.” NKJV Not in his opinions, but in the gospel. A new Christian with the word of the Lord has more authority over a 50 year old deceived saint. Jesus was young; the high priest was old… Jesus had the word of the Father and that is what the centurion saw in Him. He had not authority except through the word of the Father. If Jesus did not obey the Father, He would have fallen as Adam… of course that is rather ridicules but my point should be clear.

If we don’t understand authority and servanthood, we will dabble with our biases in search of pagan languages to have it our way. We must let the ground rules speak into our understanding.